FAQs

Does my baby need to wait to have his/her immunisations before swimming?
No.  You can take your baby swimming at any age, both before and after they have been vaccinated.  It doesn’t matter if they haven’t yet completed their course of vaccinations.  Full NHS guidelines can be viewed at 

https://www.nhs.uk/chq/pages/1035.aspx?CategoryID=62&SubCategoryID=63
What does my child need to wear? 
We have a strict double nappy system which we ask all swimmers to follow.  As well as a paper swimming nappy (Huggies little swimmers or similar) we ask that all children who are not toilet trained also wear a “Happy Nappy” These can be purchased from us or online at www.splashabout.com

If your baby is younger than 12 weeks or weighs less than 12lbs we recommend purchasing a wetsuit for your baby.  This helps smaller babies keep cosy and happy in the pool. 
Should I feed my baby before swimming?
If your baby is still on a milk diet it is fine to feed them before they come swimming.  A hungry baby is an unhappy baby and we want this to be an enjoyable experience for you both.  Once babies move onto a solid diet we recommend leaving an hour from eating to going swimming, if possible.  
What should I bring to class?
It can be challenging the first few times you bring your baby swimming but it does get easier the more often you do it.  Initially, we recommend arriving at the pool 15 minutes before your class starts to allow plenty of time to get ready and get to poolside without rushing.  

Key things to remember

•      Swimwear for baby - Swim nappy and happy nappy for baby
•      Wetsuit for baby, if needed
•      Swimwear for mum/dad (although you might find it easier to wear your swimming costume under your clothes travelling to the pool, in which case, remember to pack underwear!)
•      Changing mat
•      Towels for you and baby (we recommend brining at least 2 towels for baby, one to lie on and one to dry with)
•      Goggles for mum and dad (you want to see your baby swimming!) 
•      Hair brush
What pools do you teach in?
•      Cowdenbeath Leisure Centre, Cowdenbeath  
•      Carnegie Leisure Centre, Dunfermline
•      Bowhill Swimming Pool, Cardenden
•      Kirkcaldy Leisure Centre, Kirkcaldy  
•      Beacon Leisure Centre, Burntisland 
•      Cupar Leisure Centre, Cupar 
•      Michael Woods Leisure Centre, Glenrothes
Do I need to be able to swim to being my baby?
No.  All the pools we teach in are shallow pools, which allow parents/carers to stand in the pool at all times.  You will never be asked to participate in any activity you are not comfortable doing.
Re-booking explained

At Octotots we operate an automatic rebooking process. This guarantees existing customers a place on the next term without having to physically book a space. 

Rebooking will open in week 6 of each term.  At this point all existing swimmers will automatically be enrolled in the same day, same time, but the next level up.  So, if your current class works for you and you are happy to keep progressing you don't need to do anything.  You will automatically be enrolled for the next term and you will receive a confirmation email with an invoice.

If you need to change class, this is the time to let us know as we will accommodate existing swimmer requests before we put classes out to the waitlist or general public for booking.  The later we receive this request, the less likely we will be to accommodate it as classes fill quickly, especially in popular time slots.

If you are not intending to return for the next term, this is when we need you to let us know.  This allows us to offer your place to others looking to move classes and it also avoids any unnecessary charges being incurred.  If you don't advise us you wish to cancel you will be charged for the next term.  A full copy of our terms and conditions is available on our customer app and I would ask all customers to read these.

Once we have sent out your confirmation and invoice, there is a 2 week window for existing swimmers make any changes/cancellations necessary before the next part of rebooking kicks in.

For customers who pay by monthly direct debit and are continuing, you don't need to do anything.  Monthly direct debits will continue to roll and you don't need to take any action.  On the customer app you will be able to see your invoice for the term and the payments are deducted from this as they are made. 

If you usually pay your invoice in full at the start of each term you will be able to click on the link on your invoice to pay this. If you are paying by BACS please ensure you have the correct bank details from the invoice and use your invoice number as the payment reference. 

Where you have swimmers with Octotots and Octokidz you will receive separate invoices for each with the sibling discount applied.

If you have any queries at all all about rebooking and the process please don't hesitate to get in touch at [email protected] and we will be happy to help.

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