Jennifer's Summer Swim School

Jennifer’s Summer Swim School offers swim lessons that include stroke work, open water exploration, and Adventure Swims for advanced swimmers. Students take one 25-minute lesson per day for each day of their session, with class sizes typically 2–3 students of similar skill level, sometimes ranging from 1–4 students. Adventure Swims for advanced swimmers focus on sighting and pacing, navigating conditions and potential hazards, group awareness, endurance, and confidence in deep water.

• Schedule: Sessions range from 2–5 lessons per session, with options for 2, 3, 4, or 5 class sessions. Students attend one 25-minute lesson per day for the length of the session.
• Price: Classes are $35 per class per student; 2 class session = $70, 3 class session = $105, 4 class session = $140, and 5 class session = $175.

The instructor, Jennifer Mercede, is CPR, First Aid, and Lifeguard trained and certified, and is a Level 3 certified Masters coach. The instructor has taught swimming at the Multnomah Athletic Club since 2009. The instructor believes learning to swim, and feeling at ease in and around the water, can open doors to joy, confidence, and adventure. In January 2022, the instructor became the first woman in Oregon to complete an official Ice Mile in water 41°F or colder, completed the Portland Bridge Swim in 2022, and in September 2025 swam 13 miles across Riffe Lake and 7.5 miles across Yale Lake as part of the Mt. St. Helens Classic. The instructor is a fan of the Portland Bridge Swim, an 11-mile marathon swim passing under 12 bridges from Sellwood to St. Johns, which she completed in 2022. Wetsuits are not required, and some students wear wetsuits while others do not, with families encouraged to know their child’s cold tolerance. Families are encouraged to stay and may get in the water with their child to practice and play.

Last updated June 28, 2026.