Swimming Lessons & Aquatics Programs

Swimming Lessons & Aquatics Programs offers swimming lessons, Junior Guard Camp, Competitive Swim, recreational swim, and lap swim. The program includes Adult and Child Lessons (6–36 months), Tadpole Group Lessons, Levels 1–4 Group Lessons, Junior Lifeguard Camp, and Lifeguard Certification Training. Activities include classroom sessions, in-water trainings, on-deck drills, and hands-on learning in the areas of lifeguarding, as well as Recreation Swim and Lap Swim options.

• Ages: 0–14 years old
• Schedule: Recreation Swim is offered June 29–August 8 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:30–3:00pm and Saturdays from 2:00–5:00pm, except 7/4, 7/10, and 7/11; Lap Swim is offered June 30–August 8 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12:00–3:30pm and Saturdays from 10:30–12:00pm, except 7/4 and 7/11.
• Price: The Napa Valley College requires a 2026 Summer Semester Parking Permit for $22 or Daily Permits for $3, and the fee for Recreation Swim is $3.00 for each visitor.

Adult and Child Lessons (6–36 months) allow a parent and child to spend time together in the water, teach parents basic skills to practice with their child, and encourage the child to become comfortable in the water while learning early safety skills to be more prepared for independent swimming lessons after age 3. Tadpole Group Lessons (age 3–5) are small group classes for beginning swimmers with no previous swimming experience necessary and are designed to teach water safety, comfort and confidence in the water, emergency breathing, gliding, and underwater bobs. Levels 1–2 Group Lessons (ages 6–8) are small group lessons for older beginners with no previous swimming experience necessary and are designed to teach water safety, comfort and confidence in the water, emergency breathing, gliding, and underwater bobs. Levels 3–4 Group Lessons (ages 9–13) are small group lessons for children with previous swimming experience who must be able to demonstrate an emergency breathing technique, and these levels are designed to introduce stroke work for freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly.

The Junior Guard Camp is for ages 10–14 and includes classroom sessions, in-water trainings, on-deck drills, and hands-on learning in the areas of lifeguarding. The Junior Guard Camp program has been designed to give students the tools necessary to be successful when they take their Lifeguard Training certification course at age 15, with a focus on responsibility, decision-making, and the ability to perform learned tasks. Junior Guard Camp topics to cover, but not certify, include Lifeguard Training, First Aid, CPR, and Water Safety Instruction, and each week of Junior Guard Camp has a theme with activities to mix up the fun.

Competitive Swim (ages 8–13) is an advanced swim class for swimmers who have successfully completed Level 4 or an equivalent skill level and are ready to focus on refining their technique and building endurance. Competitive Swim emphasizes stroke development in freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly, uses targeted drills and technique work to enhance stroke mechanics, body position, and breathing patterns, and incorporates endurance-building sets to increase aerobic capacity and stamina for longer distances.

For Recreation Swim, families can purchase a 1-Day or 6-Visit Pass online and should be prepared to show the receipt to aquatics staff if purchased online, and if paying by cash they should bring exact change. The Recreation Swim 1-visit pass is honored only on the date selected in the checkout process, and the 6-visit pass is good for one individual person, with each person required to have their own pass and waiver on file. Purchasing a pass does not guarantee entry if the facility is at capacity, and in that case there will be a “one in, one out” process for entry. For Lap Swim, passes can be purchased online in advance with receipts shown to aquatics staff if purchased online, and exact change is requested if paying with cash, and the Lap Swim 1-visit pass is honored only on the date selected in the checkout process.

The Napa Valley College requires a parking permit at all times, so all aquatics attendees need either a 2026 Summer Semester Parking Permit for $22 or Daily Permits for $3, with Summer Semester permits available via the Parking website and Daily Parking Permits purchased the day of use. The City of Napa is not responsible for any parking citations received during a visit. Napa has been named a winning city in the 2026 Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, with the Wyland Foundation recognizing Napa residents for leading the 30,000–99,999 population category in this annual campaign. The program leadership includes Recreation Coordinator Erin Lucero and Recreation Supervisor Kelly Bullock.

Last updated August 10, 2026.