It's never too late to learn how to swim. Old Colony YMCA offers free adult swim lessons.

TAUNTON- City resident Francisco Alves, 34, said he joined a free adult swimming class at the Old Colony YMCA in Taunton "to learn how to swim and float."

"I have no idea how to swim at all," he said before a class session began on April 23. "One of my goals is to learn how to float. If I can learn the basics, I can figure out how to do the rest."

Alves's wife Jessica said she enrolled in the free swim class because her eight-year-old daughter is taking swimming lessons on Sunday mornings at the YMCA.

"I feel a little comfortable in the water," she said. "I can't do a full lap."

Why are free adult swim classes being offered

YMCA executive director Sean Morrisey said the free adult swim classes are available because he and the aquatic staff discovered a need for adults in the community "to be safe around water."

"A lot of these adults have not been in the water since they were kids," he said. "We would see many kids go into the pool to swim, and their parents were uncomfortable going into the water. We want to teach basic swimming skills to keep everybody safe."

LESSONS FOR ALL: Kids with disabilities 'let go of their fears' in Middleboro Y-Ability swim class

YMCA swimming instructor Richard Lao said many adults that don't know how to swim had "a near drowning experience" while growing up.

"If you were a kid and had a near-drowning experience, you may not want to touch the water," he said.

When are the adult swim lessons

YMCA aquatics director Robert Labbe said the classes for adults age 18 and older began on April 19 and continue until May 28.

"We will never turn anybody away," he said.

Morrisey said the swim classes consist of one-hour weekly lessons on Wednesday from noontime until 1 p.m. and 1:15 p.m.-2:15 p.m.

"On Sunday, we have a class from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m.," he said.

Adults of all ages participating

Labbe said 61 participants have signed up for the swim classes on Sundays, and 21 signed up for the Wednesday class. Labbe added that 90% of participants are women.

Labbe said participants range in age from 18 to 70.

YMCA welcome center representative Jacob Kiley said adults could pre-register for the swimming lessons on the YMCA's website at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/adult-learn-to-swim-wednesdays-1200pm-100pm-tickets-601626871167?aff=ebdsoporgprofile .Participants can register each week for the class they plan to attend.

Kiley said adults could also pre-register for a swimming class by calling 508-823-3320 or emailing Labbe at rlabbe@oldcolonyymca.org.

Adult swimming lesson techniques

Taunton resident Cindy Atwood, 66, joined the class to refamiliarize herself with swimming techniques.

"I always used to swim as a kid," she said. "I got some injuries later from chemotherapy when I had severe cancer issues. The class is great exercise and no pressure."

MORE THAN A GYM: 'The man I am today:' How the Old Colony YMCA's unique services help Brockton families

Lao said he tries to help participants that don't feel comfortable in the swimming pool by submerging themselves briefly under the surface.

"We do a bop in and out," he said.

Lao teaches participants to float in the water with their hands and legs.

"You can float by doing kicks and hand movements along with a breath technique," he said.

Labbe said participants are taught to position themselves to float by holding onto a foam barbell.

"They hold that out in front of them while they kick,' he said. "They learn to keep their body horizontally without holding a barbell. They learn how to use their arms to stroke in the water."

Lao said someone who knows how to float could avoid drowning if they fell into the ocean from a cruise ship.

"If there is no land nearby, you could swim and float for quite a long time," he said.

Parents taught how to keep their children safe

Dighton resident Ripal Patel, 35, joined the class to learn how to swim and to keep her two-year-old daughter safe in the water.

"I've wanted to take swimming lessons for a long time," she said during a class session on April 23. "She (daughter) is growing, and that encouraged me to want to learn how to swim."

Labbe said instructors teach parents how to keep their children safe in a pool, lake, and ocean by not encouraging them to do "prolonged breath holding while underwater."

"That can cause a blackout," he said.

Labbe said the danger of prolonged breath holding by youngsters "is often overlooked."

Plans exist to create additional water safety classes for children too.

"We plan to have a Water Wise Class, which is a drowning prevention program for kids in the second and third grade," Labbe said.

Additional information about the YMCA swimming lessons and water safety classes is available on the facility's website at https://www.oldcolonyymca.org/locations/taunton-branch

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Free adult swim classes offered at Old Colony YMCA in Taunton