What SwimSafe does

SwimSafe, Inc. is a privately held, founder-operated water-safety education and swim instruction business based in Norfolk, Virginia, operating primarily along the Virginia Beach oceanfront, Chesapeake Bay, and Sandbridge coast. The company delivers instructor-led programs to children and vacationing families through a B2B2C distribution model in which SwimSafe embeds its services at partner hotel and resort pools. Named venue partners include The Founders Inn & Spa (exclusive host of the Parent's Night Out evening program), The Norfolk Yacht and Country Club, and the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel and Conference Center. End customers are vacationing families and hotel guests, with programs targeted at children ages 7–13 and an additional infant/toddler survival course.

The product portfolio is organized into three layers: premium signature offerings (Parent's Night Out and Private Instruction), tiered 45-minute ocean-swimming courses (First Time Ocean Swimmers/Boogie Boarders, SwimSafe Mascots, SwimSafe Aces), and adjunct services such as Lunch Escape and an Infant and Toddler Survival Course. Programs use surf boards in hotel pools to simulate ocean conditions, and participants earn a 'Beach Ambassador' certificate on completion. There is no proprietary technology platform; the business is entirely human-instructor-delivered, with all booking, scheduling, and pricing handled by phone (757.971.3637) or email ([email protected]) at quote-based, non-publicly-disclosed rates.

The revenue model is professional services, monetized through per-session instruction fees collected from families and through arrangements with hotel partners. Go-to-market is event-driven and locally concentrated: SwimSafe participates in the annual World's Largest Swimming Lesson (Guinness World Record event, 2016 and 2018), the VBHA Hospitality Expo (2017), and earns local PR through WTKR News Channel 3. There is no institutional funding, no parent company, no M&A history, and the management team consists solely of founder/President/CEO Meredith L. Young. The company operates as a bootstrapped micro-business in a single regional market.

Name

SwimSafe

Legal name

SwimSafe, Inc.

Website

https://swimsafeinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SwimSafe, Inc. is a founder-operated water-safety education and swim instruction business in Virginia Beach that delivers instructor-led children's programs at partner hotel and resort pools, serving vacationing families and hotel guests through on-site courses and evening Parent's Night Out events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Swimming Instruction and Water Safety Education Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Safety, Lifeguarding & Training Services (Staffing, Certification) (THAAABAL)

Keywords

• Swim instruction services
• Water safety education
• Ocean swimming programs
• Children swim lessons
• Beach safety training

Headquarters

HQ city

Norfolk

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Swimming Instruction Programs: Revenue generated from premium swimming instruction services offered at partner hotel pools. Programs include Parent's Night Out, private instruction, and ocean swimming courses for children and families vacationing in the Virginia Beach area.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SwimSafe, Inc. delivers instructor-led ocean swimming and water safety education programs for children at partner hotel and resort pools in the Virginia Beach area. Core services include Parent's Night Out (evening childcare with ocean-themed safety education), Private Instruction, and tiered 45-minute courses (First Time Ocean Swimmers, SwimSafe Mascots, SwimSafe Aces) taught with surf boards in hotel pools to simulate ocean conditions. The company also offers an Infant and Toddler Survival Course and Lunch Escape programs at partner hospitality venues.

Product overview

SwimSafe, Inc. is a beach safety education company offering a portfolio of swimming instruction and water safety programs for children at hotel resorts in Virginia Beach. The core offerings include Parent's Night Out (evening childcare with water safety themes), Ocean Swimming Programs (using surf boards in hotel pools), and Private Instruction (personalized one-on-one lessons). Additional specialized courses include the First Time Ocean Swimmers course (ages 7+), SwimSafe Mascots course (ages 7+), and SwimSafe Aces course (ages 13+). The company also offers an Infant and Toddler Survival Course and Lunch Escape programs. All courses are conducted using surf boards in partner hotel/resort pools, and participants receive Beach Ambassador certificates upon completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parent's Night Out Program

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Norfolk Yacht and Country ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner where founder Meredith Young coached and conducted swim programs. Listed as a 'second home' by the CEO and used as a venue for conducting swim safety courses for club members and their families.
• Virginia Beach Resort Hotel and Conference CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost site for 2016 World's Largest Swim Lesson event and news interview with WTKR Channel 3. Key venue for community swim safety initiatives.
• The Founders Inn & SpacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExclusive location for SwimSafe's Parent's Night Out program. Hotel pool used for premium swim instruction services. Primary venue for signature program offerings.
• Virginia Beach Hotel Association (VBHA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSwimSafe participated in VBHA Hospitality Expo 2017, an industry networking event for Virginia Beach hospitality vendors and hoteliers.
• WTKR News Channel 3minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal television news station that covered SwimSafe events including Labor Day 2017 safety segment and World's Largest Swimming Lesson participation.
• Virginia Surf & Rescue MuseumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVenue partner for 2018 World's Largest Swimming Lesson event. Located at 2401 Atlantic Avenue, Virginia Beach.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• American Red Cross: National provider of learn-to-swim, water safety, and lifeguard certification programs whose curriculum SwimSafe's offerings implicitly align with. Functions more as a credentialing authority and channel partner than a direct competitor.
• USA Swimming Foundation: National governing body that runs the World's Largest Swimming Lesson and Make a Splash water-safety initiatives. Direct organizer of the Guinness World Record event SwimSafe participated in and a major industry authority.
• YMCA of the USA: National nonprofit providing community swim lessons and water safety programs as part of a broader recreation portfolio. Overlaps with SwimSafe on swim instruction and water safety but serves a much wider, non-vacation customer base.

Direct peers

• British Swim School: Franchise swim school delivering lessons at partner hotels, YMCAs, and recreation centers. Strong overlap with SwimSafe's partner-pool delivery model and family/child focus.
• SafeSplash Swim School: National franchise swim school affiliated with USA Swimming, offering lessons for all ages. Direct peer in children's swim instruction at scale with comparable curriculum and certification structure.
• Sunsational Swim School: National provider of private, at-location swim lessons where instructors travel to the customer's pool or vacation rental. Closest comparable on the mobile, instructor-led delivery model and on serving convenience- and vacation-driven families.
• SwimJim: Mid-sized swim school offering lessons, lifeguard training, and water-safety programs. Direct peer in instructional swim services with comparable age-group segmentation and curriculum approach.
• Aqua-Tots Swim Schools: Multi-location franchise focused on children's swim instruction with tiered curriculum and certification. Direct peer on the structured lesson product and age-segmented curriculum.
• Infant Swimming Resource (ISR): Provider of self-rescue infant and toddler survival swim lessons. Direct comparable to SwimSafe's Infant and Toddler Survival Course on target customer (young children) and water-safety instructional focus.
• Goldfish Swim School: Large franchise swim school with hundreds of locations teaching children to swim year-round. Direct peer in the children's swim instruction category, though at much greater scale and real-estate-based rather than hotel-embedded.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SwimSafe