VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – British Swim School has relocated its national headquarters to Virginia Beach from Florida, and a longtime Virginia Beach resident has opened a franchise here to help locals learn life-saving techniques.
“I decided that we needed to have a British Swim School here in this location because Virginia Beach is surrounded by water: The Atlantic Ocean, the Chesapeake Bay, the rivers and a lot of swimming pools,” explained Chuck Cassidy, the owner of British Swim School Virginia Beach.
Cassidy is partnering with DoubleTree Hotels to offer lessons at their indoor pools. One is near the Norfolk International Airport, and the other is near the Oceanfront.
Lessons are for children ages three months and older as well as adults. Cassidy says their mission is saving lives and that one of the primary techniques on which they focus is getting students onto their backs to float.
“If they can get onto their back and they’re floating, they can breathe. A lot of times when children or even adults fall into the water - unexpectedly or accidentally - they go onto their stomachs, and then they thrash around trying to get to safety,” Cassidy explained.
Katey Aspatore has started taking her 2-year-old daughter to lessons.
“She’s learned a healthy respect for the water,” Aspatore said. “It’s great to have it as an option to keep water safety as something we practice on a regular basis and not just during the summer months.”
When talking about COVID-19 safety, the owner explained that groups are kept small and spread apart. He says when on the pool deck, adults are wearing masks, and in the water, instructors wear a face shield.
Cassidy said, “It’s been proven to be the safest physical activity that you can do during the pandemic.” He added, “Summer’s coming quickly, and this is a great time to get lessons in and build a strong swimmer.”
For more information on British Swim School Virginia Beach, click here.
