DSA LTS Syllabus 2020

Level Required skills Checkpoint Description Remarks

Continuous 10 times No stopping /double breathe/wipe face/nose
1) Blow Bubble
Full submersion Full submersion and blow out bubbles (From mouth/ nose)
Distance Minimum 5m
Head Position Head looking down, natural neck position, straight in line with body (spinal position)
2) Streamline - Push Off, Glide Body Position Arms straight one hand over the other, locked head (arms squeezing ears), body straight (head, shoulders, body, legs in line) Kids with small structure and short limbs, as long as arms covers the head is ok
and Kick
Kicking Continuous ,feet pointed, flexi flutter kick, knees do not bend too much (not more than 45 deg)
R1 Breathing Hold breath
Distance Minimum 5m
3) Backstroke - Push off and Head Position Natural neck position (straight in line with body) looking up (straight at sky)
Kick Body Position Body stays straight on surface, arms on the side No sitting hips/ arch
Kicking Kick with feet pointed, knees do not bend too much (not more than 45 deg) ** kick below tummy, close to surface
Distance 1m-2m out and in to the wall Swim around the teacher and back
4) Survival Skill - Paddle and
Movement On surface of water,able to use hands and legs to move forward without panicking
Kick Head can stay in the water until need to breathe
Breathing

Level Required skills Checkpoint Description Remarks

1) Blow Bubble
2) Freestyle - 6 Kicks and Pull
R2
3) Backstroke - 6 Kicks Pop and
Swap
4) Survival Skill - Rotation Kick
Continuous 5 times, no stopping to double breathe or wipe face/nose.
Mouth in nose out Able to blow out from nose kids under 5, optional exhale using nose/mouth
Breath Control Breathe in , hold 3 seconds, out through nose
Distance Minimum 5m
Head Position Head looking down, natural neck position, straight in line with body (spinal position)
Body Position Body stays straight on surface
Kicking Continuous, feet pointed, flexi flutter kick
Arm Movement Fairly straight arm, recover comfortably over the side No catch up, watch body position
Arm Timing 6 Kick change arm once, Lift back arm slightly earlier (1/4 of recovery)
Rotation Pull initiated with shoulder rotation Do not rotate more than 45 deg
Catch and Pull Wrists straight and firm, palms catching water, arm pull all the way back, palm pushing beside thigh not cutting water
Distance Minimum 5m
Head Position Natural neck position (straight in line with body) looking up (straight at sky)
Body Position Body stays straight on surface, Body stays stable upon swap No sitting hips/ arch
Kicking Pointed feet, kick knees do not coming out of water,near or on surface
Arm Movement Wrists straight and firm, palms catching water, arm pull to the side all the way back, palm pushing to the thigh No crossover pull/ recover, arm recover shoulder near ear, Pull to the thighs
Arm Timing Opposite arm timing, 6 Kick 1 pull
Rotation Pull initiated with shoulder rotation Do not rotate more than 45 deg
Recovery Relaxed arms recovering upwards straight over the top, shoulder near the ear
Entry Entry pinky down
Movement Able to turn over (front to back / back to front) and take breath while staying horizontal 6 kicks rotate from front to back or vice versa
Level Required skills Checkpoint Description Remarks
Distance Minimum 7M
Head Position Head looking down, Natural neck position, Straight in line with body
Body position Body stays flat on surface Body balance
Kicking Continuous , Feet pointed, flexi fullter kick Maintain good kick
Arm Movement Fairly straight arm pulling down and recover over water
Arm Timing Lift back arm slightly earlier (3/4 pull)
Rotation Fairly straight arm, recover comfortably over the side Initiate arm movement with slight shoulder rotation
1) Freestyle - 2 Pull 1 Breath
Catch and Pull Wrists straight and firm, palms catching water, arm pull all the way back, palm pushing beside thigh Not cutting water
Recovery Arms relaxed recovering sideways
Breathing Head not lifting up,not overturning fully on back. Head down after breathing, then only start pulling Able to breath both sides
Breathing (Body Position) Body stays straight on surface when breathing, back of the head laying on the shoulder, looking straight to the side (mouth clear Body doesn't sink when breathing
the water)
Breath Timing As the arm enters the water, rotate in to the breathe (breathe on the 2nd arm entry)
Continuous Keep kicking when breathing
Distance Minimum 7M
Head Position Natural neck position (straight in line with body) looking up (straight at sky)
Y1 Body Position Body stays straight on surface, Body stays stable upon swap No sitting hips/ arch
Kicking Pointed feet, kick knees do not coming out of water,near or on surface
2) Backstroke - 4 Kick Pop and
Arm Movement Wrists straight and firm, palms catching water, arm pull to the side all the way back, palm pushing to the thigh Not cutting water
Swap
Arm Timing Opposite arm timing, 4 kick 1 pull
Rotation Pull initiated with shoulder rotation
Recovery Relaxed arms recovering upwards straight over the top, shoulder near the ear
Entry Entry pinky down
Depth Full submersion, below surface before pushing off
Movement Push and glide underwater, kick and break out
3) Underwater Skill Streamline Arms in streamline position, head between arms (slightly behind the ears), to continue locking head (chin tucked in)
Breakout When body still moving forward, slight upward tilt of arms to get to surface. Kick before body startsbreaking the surface

Distance / Time Minimum 10 seconds

4) Survival Skill - Water Movement Able to keep mouth out of water to take breathing
Treading Body position Feet not touching floor, hands and body not being supported by external means
Kicking Stationary, not moving forward, sideways or backward
Level Required skills
1) Freestyle - 3 Pull 1 Breathe
2) Backstroke - Continuous
Y2
3) Breaststroke
4) Sit Dive
5) Survival Skill - Survival
Backstroke
Checkpoint Description Remarks
Distance Minimum 10M
Head Position Head looking down, Natural neck position, Straight in line with body
Body position Body stays flat on surface Body balance
Kicking Continuous , Feet pointed, flexi fullter kick Maintain good kick
Arm Movement Fairly straight arm pulling down and recover over water
Arm Timing Lift back arm slightly earlier (3/4 pull)
Rotation Fairly straight arm, recover comfortably over the side Initiate arm movement with slight shoulder rotation
Catch & Pull Wrists straight and firm, palms catching water, arm pull all the way back, palm pushing beside thigh Not cutting water
Recovery Arms relaxed recovering sideways
Breathing Head not lifting up,not overturning fully on back. Head down after breathing, then only start pulling Able to breath both sides
Breathing (Body Position) Body stays straight on surface when breathing, back of the head laying on the shoulder, looking straight to the side (mouth clear Body doesn't sink when breathing
the water)
Breath Timing As the arm enters the water, rotate in to the breathe (breathe on the 3rd arm entry)
Bilateral breathing Able to breath both sides
Continuous Pulling and kicking continuously, no pause and do side kick in between every stroke.
Distance Minimum 10M
Head Position Natural neck position (straight in line with body) looking up (straight at sky)
Body Position Body stays straight on surface, Body stays stable upon swap No sitting hips/ arch
Kicking Pointed feet, kick knees do not coming out of water,near or on surface
Arm Movement Wrists straight and firm, palms catching water, arm pull to the side all the way back , palm pushing to the thigh Not cutting water
Arm Timing Opposite arm timing, continuous pull no pausing in between
Rotation Pull initiated with shoulder rotation
Recovery Relaxed arms recovering upwards straight over the top, shoulder near the ear
Entry Entry pinky down
Distance Minimum 10M Key is to stay close to surface.
Kicking Kick with insoles of the feet, ankles flexed, kick circle out and finish together (shows propulsion) Knees do not move forward/ downward
Catch Pull starts with straight arm (wider than shoulders) outwards into circle
Pull Starts with "Y" shape, out circle arms pulling, in sweep towards face
Breathing Breathing starts same time as pull, head looking forward. Chin above water.
Recovery Head goes down and looks down at floor as hands shoot (recover) forward, palms facing down
Recovery Timing (Glide) Once hand shoot and kick, there will be 2 seconds pause (hands side by side) before the pull starts
Depth Glide below water surface Standard cue "Take your marks, go"
Streamline Arms in streamline position, head between arms (slightly behind the ears), to continue locking head (chin tucked in)
Entry Hands enter the water first, follow by head shoulder and body
Body Position (Entry) Body should be fully below the water surface once the whole body enter the water, not flat on the surface
Push Off Both legs push from the wall in order to gilde forward
Gliding Straighten out and maintain streamline position throughout the glide until emerge from water surface
Breakout When body still moving forward, slight upward tilt of arms to get to surface. Kick before body startsbreaking the surface
Body position Body straight on surface, head natural position (neck straight in line with body) looking up (straight at sky)
Kicking Kick recovers feet to butt, kick out and around to finish legs together and straight. Knees are ok to be slightly above water during
Arm Movement Arms move simultaneously, sweep to finish at side of thighs
Timing To kick as arms sweep to thigh
Level Required skills
1) Freestyle - 3 Pull 1 Breathe
(with high elbow)
2) Backstroke
B1 3) Breaststroke
4) Butterfly - 3 kick 1 pull
(without breathing)
5) Squat Dive (both feet
forward)
Checkpoint Description Remarks
Distance Minimum 15M
Head Position Head looking down, Natural neck position, Straight in line with body
Body position Body stays flat on surface Body balance
Kicking Continuous , Feet pointed, flexi fullter kick Maintain good kick
Arm Movement Fairly straight arm pulling down and recover over water
Arm Timing Lift back arm slightly earlier (3/4 pull)
Rotation Fairly straight arm, recover comfortably over the side Initiate arm movement with slight shoulder rotation
Catch & Pull Wrists straight and firm, palms catching water, arm pull all the way back, palm pushing beside thigh Not cutting water
Recovery (high elbow) Recovery start with lifting elbow and then elbow stays high past the head before dropping for the entry (arms recover relaxed
sideways)
Entry No slapping on entry, entry is past head (cannot be before head) arm stretch forward in entry
Breathing (Body Position) Body stays straight on surface when breathing, back of the head laying on the shoulder, looking straight to the side (mouth clear Body doesn't sink when breathing
the water)
Breath Timing As the arm enters the water, rotate in to the breathe (breathe on the 3rd arm entry)
Bilateral breathing Able to breath both sides
Continuous Pulling & Kicking continuously, no pause and do side kick in between every stroke
Distance Minimum 15M
Head Position Natural neck position (straight in line with body) looking up (straight at sky)
Body Position Body stays straight on surface, Body stays stable upon swap No sitting hips/ arch
Kicking Pointed feet, kick knees do not coming out of water,near or on surface
Arm Movement Wrists straight and firm, palms catching water, arm pull to the side all the way back , palm pushing to the thigh Not cutting water
Arm Timing Opposite arm timing, continuous arms pulling No pausing in between
Rotation Pull initiated with shoulder rotation
Recovery Relaxed arms recovering upwards straight over the top, shoulder near the ear
Entry Entry pinky down
Distance Minimum 15M
Kicking Kick with insoles of the feet, ankles flexed, kick circle out and finish together (shows propulsion) Knees do not move forward/ downward
Catch Pull starts with straight arm (wider than shoulders) outwards into circle
Pull Starts with "Y" shape, out circle arms pulling, in sweep towards face
Breathing Breathing starts same time as pull, head looking forward. Chin above water.
Recovery Head goes down and looks down at floor as hands shoot (recover) forward, palms facing down
Recovery Timing (Glide) Once hand shoot and kick, there will be 2 seconds pause (hands side by side) before the pull starts
Distance Minimum 2 cycle
Head Position Head looking down, Natural neck position, Straight in line with body
Kicking Kick is near or on surface, feet pointed (leg bend no more than 90 deg)
Arm Movement Arms swing forward with thumb pointing down to water surface
Arm Timing 2 kicks with arm extended, 3rd kick during the pull Kick, kick, pull + kick
Pull Arm pull straight down with slight bent elbows to under body and finish beside thighs
Recovery Arms exit water past waist and recover sideways over the water, slightly drag water is acceptable, straight arms (Shoulders out
of water)
Entry Arms enter front of shoulders (thumbs down)
Undulation Must be seen at all time, hips break surface, as arms enter the water.
Depth Glide below water surface Standard cue "Take your marks, go"
Safety toes Make sure toes are place over the edge of the wall. Grab them properly to prevent slipped while diving in.
Streamline Arms in streamline position, head between arms (slightly behind the ears), to continue locking head (chin tucked in)
Entry Enter hands first, followed by head and shoulders, then body and legs
Gliding Straighten out and maintain streamline position throughout the glide until emerge to water surface
Breakout When body still moving forward, slight upward tilt of arms to get to surface. Kick before body startsbreaking the surface

Full 360 Turn a full somersault forwards without breaking position No sideways
6) Forward Somersault (Flip
Body position Heels tucked to bottoms, chin tucked in to chest, knees to chest
turn 360 without wall)
Continuous Done in one movement, not several stop and start movements
Movement To scull forward, arm continuous movement without pausing Spread peanut butter on bread, or smoothing sand on beach
Body position Head can move up and down, body stays flat on surface (horizontal)
7) Survival Skill - Front sculling
Kicking Light kicks
Arm Movement Wrist and arm locked in position, fingers slightly pointed down, out sweep and in sweep ( "∞" movement)
Level Required skills Checkpoint Description Remarks
Distance Minimum 15M
Head Position Head looking down, Natural neck position, Straight in line with body
Body position Body stays flat on surface Body balance
Kicking Continuous , Feet pointed, flexi fullter kick Maintain good kick
Arm Movement Fairly straight arm pulling down and recover over water
Arm Timing Lift back arm slightly earlier (3/4 pull)
Rotation Fairly straight arm, recover comfortably over the side Initiate arm movement with slight shoulder rotation
1) Freestyle
Catch & Pull Wrists straight and firm, palms catching water, arm pull all the way back, palm pushing beside thigh Not cutting water
Recovery (high elbow) Recovery start with lifting elbow and then elbow stays high past the head before dropping for the entry (arms recover relaxed
Entry No slapping on entry, entry is past head (cannot be before head) arm stretch forward in entry
Breathing (Body Position) Body stays straight on surface when breathing, back of the head laying on the shoulder, looking straight to the side (mouth clear Body doesn't sink when breathing
Breath Timing As the arm enters the water, rotate in to the breathe (breathe on the 3rd arm entry)
Bilateral breathing Able to breath both sides
Continuous Pulling & Kicking continuously, no pause and do side kick in between every stroke
Distance Minimum 15M
Head Position Natural neck position (straight in line with body) looking up (straight at sky)
Body Position Body stays straight on surface, Body stays stable upon swap No sitting hips/ arch
Kicking Pointed feet, kick knees do not coming out of water,near or on surface
2) Backstroke Arm Movement Wrists straight and firm, palms catching water, arm pull to the side all the way back , palm pushing to the thigh Not cutting water
Arm Timing Opposite arm timing, continuous arms pulling No pausing in between
Rotation Pull initiated with shoulder rotation
Recovery Relaxed arms recovering upwards straight over the top, shoulder near the ear
Entry Entry pinky down
Distance Minimum 15M
Kicking Kick with insoles of the feet, ankles flexed, kick circle out and finish together (shows propulsion) Knees do not move forward/ downward
B2 Catch Pull starts with straight arm (wider than shoulders) outwards into circle
3) Breaststroke Pull Starts with "Y" shape, out circle arms pulling, in sweep towards face
Breathing Breathing starts same time as pull, head looking forward. Chin above water.
Recovery Head goes down and looks down at floor as hands shoot (recover) forward, palms facing down
Recovery Timing (Glide) Once hand shoot and kick, there will be 2 seconds pause (hands side by side) before the pull starts
Distance Minimum 15M
Head Position Head looking down, Natural neck position, Straight in line with body
Kicking Kick is near or on surface, feet pointed (leg bend no more than 90 deg)
Arm Movement Arms swing forward with thumb pointing down to water surface
Arm Timing 2 kick 1 pull (1 kick on entry, 1 kick on exit)
4) Butterfly
Pull Arm pull straight down with slight bent elbows to under body and finish beside thighs
Recovery Arms exit water past waist and recover sideways over the water,Straight arm recovery
Entry Arms enter front of shoulders (thumbs down)
Breath Timing Breathing starts same time as pull, head looking forward. Chin slightly above water
Undulation Must be seen at all time, hips break surface, as arms enter the water
Continuous Done in 1 movement, not several stop and start movements
5) Tumble turn (with push off
Push Off When both legs touch the wall, face up and push off in a streamlined position and rotate to the front
from wall)
Push Off (Leg Movement) Both legs push off from the wall
Safety toes Make sure toes are place over the edge of the wall. Grab them properly to prevent slipped while diving in Standard cue "Take your marks, go"
6) Stand Dive (both feet Streamline Arms in streamline position, head between arms (slightly behind the ears), to continue locking head (chin tucked in)
Only in pools with depth more than 1.2m. Deck dive at all centers, if starting block is available,
forward) Entry Enter hands first, followed by head and shoulders, then body and legs
it is optional
Breakout Underwater freestyle/ butterfly kick to breakout pass 5m
Movement Moving forward as legs and arms move
Body position Head above water, though ear can be semi in water,Body is lying on side in water, Looking to the side of the pool
7) Survival Skill - Swim on Side
Kicking Can kick Freestyle or Breaststroke
Arm Movement Hands stay in water as they propel themselves forward, No overwater recovery