BATHURST parents are bucking a statewide trend by booking their children into swimming lessons at a faster rate than new classes can handle.
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The encouraging revelation comes after data released by Royal Life Saving and the Aquatic Recreation and Swim School industry found there had been a 25 per cent fall in swimming lesson enrolments across NSW during the COVID-19 pandemic.
But that's not the story across the Central West with aquatic centres in Bathurst, Dubbo and Orange all reporting bumper enrolments in recent months.
Aquatics co-ordinator for the Manning Aquatic Centre in Bathurst, Amie Christie-Johnston, said that they couldn't put on enough classes to keep up with demand.
"Having to allow for COVID restrictions has caused some issues but we are just a lot busier than last year," she said.
"At the moment our classes are full, even after adding new classes when we can fit them."
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Orange Aquatic Centre has put out the call for new teachers such is their help cop with the increase in demand for lessons.
Orange City Council's sport and recreation committee chairman Jason Hamling said that Learn 2 Swim class enrolments had reached capacity for a range of levels, with the centre now seeking expressions of interest from parents who might be interested in becoming teachers.
"Parents make the best teachers and I personally want to see every child in Orange learn to swim and have the opportunity to attend classes," he said.
The Dubbo Aquatic Leisure Centre is already booked out for its 10-day intensive Learn 2 Swim program and is looking to try and accommodate the increase in demand.
"Families are currently welcome to enrol in our upcoming Term 1 classes starting in February," a spokesperson said.
"It's important that people not only learn how to swim, but swim safely and also learn vital techniques like CPR."
Across the state, though, Royal Life Saving CEO Justin Scarr said that the fall in swimming lesson enrolments in many areas was so dramatic that they were concerned COVID-19 may create a generation of non-swimmers.
"Parents should be reminded that learning to swim is not only a partial vaccine against drowning, it boosts a lifelong love of swimming for fun, health and fitness," he said.
"If a seven, eight or nine-year-old child can't yet swim 50m and tread water for two minutes, then they should be in swimming and water safety lessons.
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