OU Fitness and Recreation Aquatics provides programs that promote fitness, skill development, and water safety for the OU community. Offerings include Hydro Fitness classes that deliver effective, low-impact workouts, swim lessons for participants of all ages and skill levels, and American Red Cross certification courses in lifeguarding and swim instruction. Together, these programs help participants build confidence in the water while developing valuable lifelong and professional aquatic skills.
UPCOMING CLOSINGS
Monday, Aug. 17 - Tuesday, August 18, Saturday, August 22, Friday, September 4
Make a splash with Hydro Fit classes designed to boost cardiovascular health, build strength, and increase mobility in a fun and supportive aquatic environment. The water's natural resistance provides a challenging yet joint-friendly workout, making it an excellent option for participants of all fitness levels who want to improve endurance, flexibility, balance, and overall wellness while staying active and motivated.
A full-body water fitness class held in shallow water that focuses on continuous movement and varied exercises. Instructors use different types of aquatic equipment to keep workouts fresh while challenging both the body and mind. Appropriate for all fitness levels and experience levels.
A total-body aquatic workout that combines cardio, strength training, and core exercises using circuits and interval training. Participants typically work in deeper water and may use equipment such as water gloves, dumbbells, and noodles for added resistance. Suitable for all fitness and experience levels.
A water-based version of Zumba that blends dance movements with international rhythms and upbeat music. The buoyancy of the water reduces impact on joints while still providing a dynamic cardiovascular workout. The class is designed to be energetic, fun, and accessible for a wide range of fitness levels.
| Current Hydro FIT Schedule | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 am | ||||||
| 11:05 am | Shallow Water | Shallow Water | Shallow Water | |||
| Noon | Deep Water | Shallow Water | Deep Water | Shallow Water | Deep Water | |
| 4:30 pm | Aqua Zumba® |
OU Fit+Rec Swim Lessons provide a safe, supportive, and engaging environment for swimmers of all ages to build confidence and develop essential water safety skills. From beginner to advanced instruction, our child and adult swim lessons focus on proper technique, skill progression, and personal achievement, helping participants become stronger, safer, and more confident in and around the water.
Please select the "Member Portal" at the top of the webpage and locate the "Sign In" button on the top right hand corner of the member portal page to either log in using your university credentials (OU Norman Campus employees only) or create a guest account by using the "Sign Up" button located at the bottom of the page.
If you need assistance setting up your account and/or adding family members, you can click on the "Member Portal Help" button below for a step by step guide or contact the pool front desk at 405-325-4837.
Our swim lessons are taught by Adult Water Safety Instructors® certified by the American Red Cross. We annually teach over 600 swim lessons in our Learn to Swim program. Our goal is to make the water a safe and fun place for the University and Norman community.
Please call the front desk at (405) 325-4837 or email fitrec@ou.edu with any questions.
Private swim lessons are a great option for both children (at least 3 years of age) and adults. Our private lessons are 35 minutes in length and cost $40 + tax per lesson and a set of 4 is $160 + tax.
We also offer semi-private swim lessons that are also 35 minutes but can be with 2 kids (either siblings or friends) with 1 instructor, and for a set of 4 it is $200 before tax. If you wanted to pay-per-lesson it would be $50 before tax.
Please keep in mind our private lessons are only offered as availability allows, we cannot guarantee these.
An aquatics membership is not required to register for private swim lessons.
2026 Summer Swim Lesson Enrollment Begins Monday, April 13.
| Session A | Session B | Session C | Session D |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 1 -11 | June 15 - 25 | July 6 - 16 | July 20 - 30 |
| Session Times* | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:45 am | 10:30 am | 11:15 am | 4:00 pm | 4:45 pm | 5:30 pm | 6:15 pm |
| *not all levels are offered every session/time | ||||||
All sessions are 35-minutes in length and will meet at their specified time. Sessions will be Monday -Thursday. Fridays will be used as make-up days, if necessary.
Parent and Child Aquatics (6 - 36 months):
This class is designed for those aged 6 months to 36 months old with a parent in the water, as well. This level will introduce your child to the water with the comfortability of a parent or family member being hands on. Both adult and child will learn fun ways to play and get your young one ready to learn to swim.
Preschool Aquatics (3 - 4 year olds):
Level(s) 1-3 - For those aged 3 and 4 years old, preschool aquatics are the perfect beginning to becoming comfortable in the water environment. Your child will be able to stand on our Preschool Level Docks, for added comfortability, while they practice with an instructor in the water. They will learn the very basics of swimming: exhaling while in the water, front and back floats, and the beginnings of the front crawl, back crawl, and elementary backstroke. Your child’s level of comfort in the water will determine how much support they receive from the instructor and upon which skills they will build relative to their abilities. It is recommended that your child be at least 3 years of age to begin in this level. No previous water experience is necessary.
Learn to Swim Levels 1-6 (5 year olds +):
Level 1 - Introduction to Basic Aquatic Skills: This is a beginner level for those ready to become independent in the water. Your child will learn to float both on their front and back. They will also learn the basic stroke techniques for front crawl, back crawl, and elementary backstroke. They will become familiar with submerging their face in the water, as well as learning the basics of breath control. Skills in this level are demonstrated with support from the instructor. It is recommended that your child be around 5 years old to begin in this level. No previous water experience is necessary.
Level 2 - Fundamental Aquatic Skills: For this level, your child should already be capable of ‘swimming’ on their own without the assistance of a floatation device. This level builds upon the skills learned in Level 1 and is performed without support from the instructor. Your child will develop their stroke technique for front crawl, back crawl, and elementary backstroke; as well as, improving their breath control.
Level 3 - Stroke Development: This level continues to build upon the skills learned in Levels 1 and 2. In addition to those existing skills practiced, your child will also learn how to dive in the deep end and begin treading water. Rotary breathing will be introduced with their breath control.
Level 4 - Stroke Improvement: For this level, your child should be proficient in swimming the front crawl, back crawl, and elementary backstroke. This level will continue to develop your child’s rotary breathing skills while adding endurance swimming for the previous mentioned strokes. Your child will also learn the breaststroke and be introduced to open and flip turns.
Level 5 - Stroke Refinement: This level builds upon endurance with lap swimming for each of the strokes learned in previous levels. This level will incorporate open turns and flip turns in practice with lap swimming. Your child will also be introduced to the butterfly and other endurance building drills.
Level 6 - Swimming and Skill Proficiency: Refines the strokes so participants swim them with ease, efficiency, power and smoothness over greater distances. Level 6 is designed with "menu" options that focus on preparing participants for more advanced courses, including the Water Safety Instructor, or other aquatic activities, such as competitive swimming or diving.
Options include: Fitness Swimmer, Personal Water Safety, and Fundamentals of Diving
Adult Swim Levels:
Learning the Basics, Improving Skills and Swimming Strokes, Swimming for Fitness
American Red Cross Lifesaving Skills Training through OU Fit+Rec equips participants with the knowledge, confidence, and hands-on experience needed to respond effectively in emergency situations. Whether pursuing certification in CPR, First Aid, Lifeguarding, or other lifesaving disciplines, participants learn essential skills from qualified instructors in a supportive learning environment, helping them stay prepared to protect themselves and others.
This course provides entry-level lifeguard participants with the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and respond to aquatic emergencies; as well as learning to provide care for breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries and sudden illnesses until EMS personnel take over.
Note- To participate in any Red Cross Lifeguarding course you must be at least 15 years of age on or before the final day of the class.
The full Lifeguarding Certification Course is $300 plus tax.
Once enrolled in the full Lifeguarding Course, you will receive an email confirmation with information on how to access the eLearning component. All eLearning material must be completed prior to the first day of the Lifeguarding course. To successfully complete the Lifeguarding course, participants must attend and participate in all class sessions, demonstrate competency in all required skills and activities, and pass the final written exams with minimum grades of 80 percent.
Use link below to view the full Lifeguarding Certification Course schedule and enroll.
In this course, instructor candidates will learn how to teach the basic-level lifeguarding course to include shallow water attendant, First Aid, and CPR/AED for the professional rescuer.
Prerequisites: Participants must be at least 17 years of age on or before the last day of the instructor course, possess a current basic-level certification in Lifeguarding/First Aid/CPR/AED, and successfully complete the Online Session for the Lifeguarding Instructor course, which consists of the following:
And successfully complete the Precourse Session.
*Candidates should enroll in this course ONLY if their basic lifeguarding skills have been mastered. This is not a remedial course or a review course for lifeguarding.
Enroll at the front desk of the Murray Case Sells Swim Complex
M-F from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
1701 Asp Avenue
Norman, OK 73019-2142
One Week Course
TBD
The purpose of this instructor course is to train instructor candidates to teach courses and presentations in the American Red Cross Swimming and Water Safety program including Parent and Child Aquatics, Preschool Aquatics, Learn-to-Swim, Adult Swim, Private Lessons, Water Safety Courses (including Safety Training for Swim Coaches) and Water Safety Presentations.
Prerequisites: Participants must be at least 16 years old on or before the last day of the Instructor Course, swim 25 yards of each stroke including the front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, elementary backstroke, sidestroke and 15 yards of butterfly, maintain position on back for 1 minute in deep water by floating or sculling, and tread water for 1 minute.
To successfully complete the Water Safety Instructor® Course, participants must successfully complete the Precourse Session, attend and actively participate in all course sessions, demonstrate competency in all practice teaching assignments, and score an 80 percent on the final instructor course written exam.
See class schedule below: This course is a Blended Learning Course and will require completion of online content as well as in person sessions at the facility.
Course Dates and Times
No courses available at this time.
Location
Murray Case Sells Swim Complex
1701 Asp Avenue
Norman, OK 73019-2142
