Did you know that drowning is the number one cause of death for kids ages 1-4 and the second for kids ages 5-9?

Many imagine a drowning to take place in an ocean, lake or in the deep end of the swimming pool, but in fact, most happen within six feet of the pool wall when caregivers are not more than a few feet away.

The good news is that…

        Thirteen-year-old Billy remembers when he could only swim three laps of the pool at one time. Now, after taking part in the SCAQ Kids’ program, he can now swim 100 yards (four laps) straight. This is the distance he will need to cover in one-minute, 40 seconds time come this April/May. If he makes the cut, he gets to spend the…

                         After suffering a heart attack six years ago, Jerome Smith’s heart only pumps at 34 percent of a healthy one. But that hasn’t kept the 73-year-old from blasting away at SCAQ Masters swim workouts. And now he plans to compete in his first swim meet in 15 years.

            Smith…

Two coaches, Olympic gold-medalist David Walters and silver-medalist Clay Evans, are leading free ocean swim workouts at 6:15 a.m. Thursday mornings and Friday nights monthly off Santa Monica Beach. Our next evening swim is 5:30 p.m. September 9.

David Walters, who won gold in the 4x200 freestyle relay in the 2008 Olympics, is still the fastest American swimmer…

Start your day with a cool, refreshing swim in the ocean! The water can give you that extra jolt of energy and get your blood flowing for the day ahead.

Southern California Aquatics (SCAQ), California Triathlon (Cal Tri) and…

Many remember scoring that goal or winning a race fondly from childhood. But growing up doesn’t have to mean the end of team sports! Two swimmers, Rossella Pescatori and Chris Wall, have kept competing as adults, which helps them both remember how they fell in love with the water in the first place.

 …

Two swimmers, Bob Beresh and David Walters, are opposites when it comes to skill-level. Beresh, a beginner, started attending organized, coached workouts about two months ago. Walters, a national standout, competed on the U.S. 4x200 freestyle relay with Michael Phelps in the 2008 Olympics.

But they both share a struggle that anyone trying to exercise…

On the first day of last year, I was up to my neck in freezing cold water. As I paddled through the surf in the 56th Annual Penguin Club swim, wearing only a thin Lycra swimsuit, not a wetsuit, my only thought was, “What could be better?”

            In previous years, I would’ve been sitting on the sofa eating chips, guacamole and drinking beer in front of a bowl game.…

She hadn’t practiced with a team since grade school. Then in her 30s, one woman found joy in open water racing.

While Stephanie Hopson was swimming laps at the Santa Monica Swim Center, she used to watch the adult Masters swim team a few lanes over. At first, their skill in the water intimidated her.

“I had the idea that I wasn’t fast enough, but then I realized that it was open to all levels, so I decided to give it a try,” she said.

Hopson…

Jason May and Melanie Webber, two local triathletes, have excelled in competition and both started out in the pool: the Culver City Plunge. One has reached the elite level and the other is a novice swimmer, but they both enjoy the sport and the time they spend swimming laps at Culver City’s beautiful pool.

Triathlon season is approaching! And they’re gearing up…

This year, Southern California Aquatics (SCAQ) has expanded its 2015 Ocean Swim Series to include safe, high quality; affordable and fun swim options during the week as well as both morning and evening sessions. SCAQ is an adult swim club that also offers pool practices at nine locations, including Culver City Municipal Plunge. Ocean swimming is great workout for…

Lewis Carter, 77, (right) and Jerome Smith, 71, (left) discovered a passion that boosted their health.

State University of New York says swimmers have lower heart rates compared to those of non-swimmers.  Swimming was also found to be a viable workout for people in cardiac rehabilitation and recovering from heart failure or artery…

Nineteen seconds. For most of us, that’s not a lot of time to accomplish much, maybe fill up a glass of water, walk up the stairs, or get a leash for the dog.

But for aspiring Olympian Derek Toomey, that’s enough time to swim two laps of the pool.

Toomey, who just finished his college swimming career at the University of Minnesota, moved to Los…

Most people ring in the New Year with champagne and a late night. But a group of dedicated “Penguins” choose to commemorate it with a cold dip in the ocean.

Cecelia Kilger, a Los Angeles transplant, began the tradition in 1952.  As a child, she swam…