Survival Swim Lessons for Infants and Young Children in Lake County, Florida
Private, One-on-One Survival Swim Lessons • PediaSwim Certified • CPR Certified • Serving Lake, Seminole, and Orange County, Florida since 2018
Float First Aquatics provides private, one-on-one survival swim lessons for infants and young children, taught by a PediaSwim-certified and CPR-certified instructor. Lessons focus on floating, breathing, and self-rescue skills to help keep your child safer in and around the water. We proudly serve families in Lake County, Florida and surrounding areas.
About Float First Aquatics
Building Stronger, Safer Swimmers — One Child at a Time
Established in 2018, Float First Aquatics was created with a simple but powerful mission — to help infants and young children learn lifesaving survival swim skills in a calm, caring, and supportive environment. Owned and instructed by Ilene, a PediaSwim-certified survival swim instructor, Float First Aquatics proudly serves families in and around Lake County, Florida.
Teaching survival swim lessons is more than a job — it’s truly a calling. Every child who enters the water deserves the confidence and ability to float, breathe, and self-rescue should they ever find themselves in the water unexpectedly. The heart of this program is to help build stronger, safer swimmers, while giving families peace of mind through essential water-safety skills.
My Teaching Approach
Lessons at Float First Aquatics are private, one-on-one, and highly individualized. I use a gentle but firm approach that balances structure, safety, and meaningful connection. Children learn best when they feel safe and supported, so you’ll see plenty of encouragement, reassurance, and trust-building — along with clear, consistent expectations.
My goal is for every child to leave with: Strong survival swim skills, Confidence in the water, Calm, steady breathing, and The ability to float independently. While these lessons are serious in purpose, they are always delivered with patience, compassion, and respect for each child’s pace and personality.
Why Survival Swim Matters
Drowning is silent and fast — and even the most watchful parents know accidents can happen. Survival swim lessons teach children what to do if they ever reach the water unexpectedly. While no program can guarantee drowning prevention, survival swim skills significantly improve a child’s ability to respond safely in the water. Knowing your child has these skills can bring incredible peace of mind.
Where Lessons Take Place
Lessons are held in a 12×24 heated, saltwater pool at my home in Eustis, Florida, under a large canopy to help keep the water environment calm and comfortable. Each lesson is 15 minutes long, four days per week, allowing children to learn through short, consistent repetition — the most effective and developmentally appropriate way for young swimmers to build lasting skills.
A True Partnership With Parents
I care deeply about the families I work with. When you enroll at Float First Aquatics, you’re not just booking lessons — you’re joining a supportive partnership focused on your child’s safety and success.Parents observe quietly from the viewing area so children can stay focused and build trust in the instructor. Your calm support makes a world of difference — and together, we help your child grow confident and together, we help your child grow confident and capable in the water.
Highly recommend Ilene! She did such a great job with our sweet girl, Kyrsten! We are so proud of our one year old and her floating/survival abilities and can't wait to start lessons soon! Our daughter has always loved the water and our biggest fear was the survival class would make her scared of the water but the exact opposite happened. She loves the water even more but has learned critical survival skills. We are so excited to enjoy the water safely this summer. Thank you so much Ilene!​
Christine