A club programme built for progress.

Swimming lessons teach essential skills and water confidence. Club swimming builds on that foundation through structured training, repeated technical practice and learning how to work safely in a lane.

Mako’s welcomes new-to-club athletes from age seven who can swim repeated 50m swims in front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke with sound basic technique. We care more about how they swim than their longest distance badge. Coaches assess how the athlete moves, listens and responds to guidance. Butterfly, diving, tumble turns and streamlined push-offs are taught at Mako’s and are not entry requirements.

New-to-club assessments take place during a Wednesday or Friday Development session, 6.30pm–7.30pm. If the assessment is successful, the athlete can try up to two further sessions, all within two weeks of the first trial, before you decide whether to join. Please wait for the club to confirm arrangements before attending.

Mako’s gives athletes appropriate opportunities to race, learn and represent the team. Competition spans both squads; it is not a separate squad or a condition of belonging.

For regular training, athletes use goggles, a cap where appropriate, fins, a kickboard, pull buoy, snorkel and a clearly labelled plastic water bottle. The club shares its current kit guide before training begins. Ask the team what to bring to the assessment before buying equipment.