LAFAYETTE PARISH — As summer temperatures soar in Acadiana, swimming safety is taking center stage at Crawfish Aquatics in Lafayette. Instructors are urging the community to take proactive steps before a fun day in the water turns dangerous.
Crawfish Aquatics' lessons and site supervisor Lindsay Clavier warns that water-related accidents can occur in an instant, emphasizing the critical need for continuous swimming education. The center is seeing an uptick in registrations for its seasonal swim programs, which run intensively from late May through July; however, classes are offered year-round. These include small group lessons (capped at three children per instructor), private sessions for one-on-one instruction, and "Crawbaby" classes for infants as young as six months, where parents or caregivers join their children in the water.
"The most dangerous thing is when everybody is watching, because if everybody is watching, that means no one is watching," Clavier said.
"No one's ever water safe," Clavier stressed, highlighting the ongoing need for vigilance.
Unlike dramatized depictions in media, Clavier explained, real-life drowning often comes with no splash, scream, or visible struggle.
"It's usually very quiet and it's very sudden. So, you know, it's as quiet as somebody just going underwater without making a noise or a splash, and they just don't come back up again."
This silence, coupled with a false sense of security that can come from flotation devices like puddle jumpers or arm floaties, creates a dangerous combination.
Clavier said, “Children wander. They are curious creatures, and they are going to gravitate toward water.” In a region like ours in South Louisiana, where backyard pools, retention ponds, and bayous are common, she said consistent, year-round training is crucial. Clavier also recommends avoiding over-reliance on life jackets in casual swim settings, noting that kids should understand their own abilities and limits in the water.
And for those still unsure about their child’s readiness to start lessons, Clavier offers this: "I've never had parents come to me and tell us we have gotten too many swim lessons for our kid, or that they are too good of swimmers."
Parents can register for swimming lessons at crawfishaquatics.com, with classes starting at six months and a CPR certification course scheduled for June 8th. The $15 course is open to individuals 14 and older, providing an additional layer of emergency preparedness.
