Where little ones learn to love the water
Mom & Baby, Toddler Swimming, Learn to Swim, Stroke Correction, and Adult classes. Small groups, warm water, and zero tears. Howick, KZN.
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Why parents choose Starrfish
Every child is different. We teach to that.
Small Groups
Your child gets real attention in every lesson. We keep our groups small so no one gets lost in the crowd.
No-Tears Philosophy
We go at your child's pace. Learning to swim should feel exciting, not scary. We make sure it does.
Personalised Teaching
Every child learns differently. Our approach adapts to how your little one ticks, so progress actually sticks.
Loads of Fun
Kids learn better when they're enjoying themselves. Our lessons are energetic, playful, and something to look forward to every week.
Our Classes
Choose the class that suits you and your little one.
Mom & Baby Classes
From 6 months
You and your baby in the warm water together, with songs, splashing, and gentle play that builds water confidence from the very start. It's as much about bonding as it is about swimming, and it lays the foundation for everything that comes next.
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Toddler Swimming
18 months – 3 years
Little ones learn safe entry and exit, blowing bubbles, kicking, and happy submersion, all through play in a nurturing environment. No pressure, no tears, just a growing love of the water at your toddler's own pace.
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Learn to Swim & Stroke Correction
Ages 4 – 11 years
From water safety and first strokes through to confident freestyle, backstroke, and breaststroke. Already swimming? Our stroke correction fine-tunes technique and breathing so the introduction to squad feels easy.
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Adult Swimming
It's never too late
Never learned to swim, or nervous in deep water? You don't have to sit on the side while your family has all the fun. Our adult lessons build real confidence at your pace, so you can get in and enjoy the water with them, without the fear. You set the goal, we'll get you there.
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Meet the Team
The people behind every splash, giggle, and first big swim.
Gail has been a water baby from the moment she jumped into her older brother's swimming lessons at 18 months old, and she never looked back. She opened Starrfish Swim School at her home in 2001 and welcomed thousands of little swimmers through the years. By the time she moved in 2024, Starrfish was swimming out of two pools and had established the Learn to Swim programme at Epworth Primary and Pre-Primary. Now the Starrfish legacy continues right here in Howick alongside her partner Ina. These days you won't find Gail in the pool, you'll find her in the office, making sure everything runs swimmingly.
"Once a water baby, always a water baby."
A water baby since childhood, Ina has spent her life around water: ocean, dams, rivers, and pool. She qualified as a swimming instructor in 1994 with the Prof Swim Teachers and Coaches Association, ran her own swim school in Johannesburg for years, then opened Aquakids in Howick after moving to KZN in 2004. She's taught everyone from babies to adults, and she's thrilled to be partnering with Gail at Starrfish.
"After all, swimming is a life skill."
Learning to swim is one of the most important things your child will ever do
South Africa has beautiful water everywhere: rivers, dams, pools, and ocean. We want every child to be safe in it, and to love being in it.
At Starrfish, we don't rush. We don't push. We meet your child exactly where they are and take them somewhere amazing, one splash at a time.