Frequently Asked Questions

All classes are 30 minutes with the exception of Mini Squad which runs for 45 minutes.

Yes, we operate on a perpetual system which means classes run all year round including school holidays. We schedule closedowns for 1 week in the July School Holidays and 3 weeks over the Christmas / New Year period.  Specific dates will be advised closer to the time.

We have a maximum class size of 4 in Preschool, 5-6 (level dependent) in School Age, and 5 for Adults.  

Stroke, Mini Squad, and above may differ by site.

Contact your preferred site for specific class sizes as they do vary by pool taking into account depth, safety, and available space.

We offer classes for anyone above 6 months old.

Only for the Parent & Child classes -  6 months to approx. 3 years. Once a child turns 3, they move into a Preschool class where a parent is no longer required in the water.

Only approved swimmer nappies should be worn. Disposable swim nappies are available for purchase from reception.

This will depend on whether space is available and if your preferred location offers public swimming. Read more on our available public times by clicking here.

Make up lessons are available for lessons missed as long as DGSS is notified of the absence before the lesson. However, these are subject to availability and at the manager’s discretion and will have a one month expiry. These can only be used when you have an active booking and cannot be used as payment substitute. Make ups can’t be booked when there are outstanding fees on a swimmer’s account.

Not a problem! Each swimmer is entitled to 4 weeks Holiday Leave in any 12 month period. This is where we hold your space but you don’t need to pay for the lessons. You can opt for make up lessons if you prefer, or a combination of both Holiday Leave and make-ups. If you’re away for a longer period of time, you can cancel lessons and resume once you are back. Please note, we cannot guarantee the same day and time upon rebooking.

We offer a 4% Automatic Payment discount off Learn to Swim bookings that are paid for via the Customer Portal each month.
This excludes squads, Holiday Programme bookings, and private lessons.

At DGSS, our instructors assess students on a weekly basis. This means as soon as they have mastered an objective, it will be marked on their progress and the student will move up as soon as they are ready. You have access to your child's or your own progress at anytime through the Customer Portal.  You can also ask our frontline team for more details at any time.

It is not uncommon for students to plateau when they are learning to swim. If you have any concerns or queries regarding your child’s progress, feel free to speak directly with our Deck Supervisor or friendly reception team.

Absolutely. You can even do this yourself through the Customer Portal! Please note, some changes may result in additional charges if changing to a day that had additional lessons that month.

If you want to cancel lessons permanently you can do this at any time, you just need to give us a minimum of two weeks notice.
 

All of our instructors attend our accredited, in-house training course which gives them a nationally recognised qualification. Instructors are also required to attend regular training sessions and are performance assessed on an ongoing basis. 

Water tests are conducted several times per day to ensure they meet New Zealand standards.  We also carry out regular, independent, microbiological testing.

 

If you have feedback that you would like to share with us, click here.
Feedback is collected and reviewed centrally, and a manager will be in touch to follow up if requested.