Underpinning Australia's beachside way of life, kids are learning to swim before they can walk or talk.
With 61 per cent of Australians claiming an interest in swimming, according to the 05-06 Sweeney Sports Report, parents are taking kids as young as three months old to learn what amounts to a crucial life skill.
"If you can crawl then you can swim," said a swimming instructor at Lane Cove Aquatic Centre. "It's just one of the things that you have to know when you're living in Australia."
The first lessons involve parents guiding their toddlers through song and game activities such as chasing balls, blowing bubbles and doggy paddling.
"They love it," the swimming instructor said. "They have fun in the water, that's the most important thing, and they're more willing to learn."
In addition, with most Australians living in coastal areas and many people with backyard pools, competent swimmers can better assure their own safety.
"It's just that simple action that if you fall in the water then you can get back to the wall, and it's something they can pick up from a young age," the swimming instructor said.
"And the younger you learn it the more confident you are in the water and the earlier you will actually learn how to save yourself."
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