Every weekend from 7am to 8am, Dubai residents can visit Jumeirah 1 public beach, near La Mer South, to learn the fundamentals of swimming in exchange for voluntarily participating in a beach clean-up. These free swimming lessons will continue until September, held every Saturday and Sunday.
The initiative was started by Filipino expat Bimbo Calitis, the founder and CEO of Amphibious Swim School in Jumeirah. The program includes a one-hour swimming lesson followed by 15 minutes of beach clean-up. Calitis stated that there is no age limit, and everyone is welcome, from absolute beginners to those looking to improve their swimming skills.
Calitis explained that the reason behind this program is to make swimming lessons accessible to everyone, as they can often be quite expensive. “We know that not everyone has the means to enrol in a swimming school, so we are offering this for free while ensuring that the beach is kept clean,” noted Calitis. He added that he practically lives on the beach and sees cigarette butts and small pieces of trash daily, so he wanted to protect his “home” and keep it clean.
Another motivation for offering free swimming lessons is to prevent drowning incidents, as there has been a rise in near-drowning cases in the UAE. Calitis is committed to ensuring that dedicated learners progress from beginners to advanced swimmers. He provides the necessary equipment, including floats, kickboards, safety rings, and pull buoys. Participants only need to bring their own goggles, a comfortable swimsuit, water, sunblock, and, most importantly, the determination to learn and a willingness to clean the beach.
Calitis assured that beginners could learn basic freestyle swimming in a couple of weeks. He can be contacted through Amphibious Swim School’s social media and website for more information.
