If Mountain Dad had an outdoor super power it would be finding swimming holes in whatever place we go. Back on our practice trip to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks we beat the heat by splashing in the Virgin River and exploring behind the waterfall at Mossy Cave. In Yellowstone we swam in the boiling river near Mammoth, the Firehole River swim area and found a secret spot just down river from Ojo Caliente hot spring.
Water is a main attraction on this National Park to Park Highway trip. For that reason I was glad when Safe Spash swim school approached me to review their program a month before we left. Big E and Little G have taken swim lessons before, but Safe Splash’s program is a little different. Instead of a two week intensive swim camp where your kid may or may not advance to the next level, SafeSplash offers weekly classes a lot like piano lessons. Kids go once a week and move up in levels once they’ve accomplished all the skills.
When walking into the swim lessons for the fist time Big E and Little g started complaining. “Why do we have to take swimming lessons?”
I immediately replied, “It’s a life skill.” Swimming is one of the five areas in which I choose to be a pusher parent. It’s a good skill for life, and given Mountain Dad’s love of wild swimming holes, one we will use a lot in our outdoor adventures.
I had to smile when we walked into the 24 Hour Fitness Center and saw the Safe Splash poster that said the exact same thing. See, I’m not the only one. Safe Splash gets it.
What I liked about the Safe Splash program were the small class sizes. No more than four students are allowed at once so that the teacher can give individual attention to each one. I especially liked that for Little G. At only four and a half she still is not trustworthy around water, we always have her in a life jacket at lakes or rivers. She had a watchful teacher that helped her learn to back float on her own, even though it was scary.
Safe Splash is serious about safety, with a deck supervisor on hand to act as a lifeguard and swim teacher assistant. I liked knowing someone else was watching out for my kids.
I thought the $65 per month price tag (less with each additional child) was a bit steep compared to the local rec center lessons we had last year, but the quality of instruction was good. I also would’ve preferred to schedule the lessons online instead of having a Safe Splash employee call to coordinate with my schedule. With that said, they were very adaptable especially when we had to schedule around our practice National Parkto Park Highway trip.
I’ve appreciated their swimming skills on this trip and thanks to one of our trip sponsors I’ve been able to record everything they’re doing. Intova sent me their entry level waterproof camera and I’ve enjoyed putting it to use.
The small Intova Duo Waterproof Camera fits inside a waterproof case that fastens with a wrist strap for gnarly adventures. The big buttons on the top are easy for even kids to use and the quality of the photos are decent. Plus the price can’t be beat – less than $40.
What I don’t like is that you have to open the waterproof case to change from photo to video mode. It’d be super easy to drop that tiny camera in the water while you’re switching modes. Also, there’s no zoom option so you have to move closer or farther from what you’re shooting – not always easily done while splashing in a river or lake.
Because of the big easy-to-use buttons on the Intova Duo Waterproof Camera, on our Zion trip I took thirty minutes of video of the inside of my pocket and had a dead battery when we got to the secret swimming hole we hiked to. That wouldn’t be a big deal except that the charge cord is Mini USB not Micro USB like the rest of the universe. I had to wait until home before I could charge it again.
Overall I’m grateful to have a waterproof camera, but with my smart phone being water resistant it’s not essential.
Water splashing, swimming, exploring is a big part of summer. With an ocean stop scheduled on this trip, I look forward to swimming with my tots in the water and I’m glad we can capture each moment.
Intova is a National Park to Park Highway tour sponsor. Click here to view all of our sponsors.
Hi! I'm Mountain Mom. I live with my husband and three young kids near the mountains in Idaho. When we're not hiking, biking, skiing and camping, I like to spend my time doing Mom stuff and reading.
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