Irvine Swim Camp Series for Ages 13 & Over
Woollett Aquatics Center
4601 Walnut Ave,
Irvine,
CA 92604
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Introduction
Fitter & Faster is producing a series of swim camps the iconic Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine, California, for competitive swimmers ages 13 & over throughout 2025. Please see below for swim camps for additional ages groups in Irvine.
IRVINE, CA SWIM CAMP SERIES (Ages 13 & Over)
-> Faster Underwaters & Essential IM Skills Swim Camp (November 29 & 30, 2025)
-> Fast Starts, Turns, Relay Exchanges & Cross-Over Turns Swim Camp (December 27-29, 2025)
Click the “Curriculum Menu” below for details on each swim camp.
-> Availability in each session of this swim camp series is limited to ensure the highest level learning experience.
-> SAVE when you purchase a "Bundle” for your swimmer.
ADDITIONAL SWIM CAMPS IN IRVINE:
Select a curriculum below
FASTER UNDERWATERS & ESSENTIAL IM SKILLS SWIM CAMP: November 29 & November 30, 2025
FAST STARTS, TURNS, RELAY EXCHANGES & CROSS-OVER TURNS SWIM CAMP: December 27 - December 29, 2025
Curriculum
Session TimesSession Times & Groups
FASTER UNDERWATERS & ESSENTIAL IM SKILLS SWIM CAMP: November 29 & November 30, 2025
Over 2 days, swimmers will work with our elite clinicians to sharpen the details that make some of the biggest impacts on race performance. On day one, swimmers will focus on streamlines, dolphin kicks, and breakouts—the fastest sequence of every lap—to maximize speed and efficiency. On day two, participants will learn how to connect strokes, transitions, and strategies to build IM races that are smarter, stronger, and faster from start to finish. World-class Olympian and elite clinician Joao Mescalote will be leading this swim camp!
- DAY 1 (Saturday, November 29): THE FIFTH STROKE - UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: In the first session, our Elite Clinicians will work with participants to enhance the fastest sequence for each race lap: streamlines, underwater dolphin kicks & breakouts. Finessing these techniques not only reduces drag and enhances efficiency but also contributes significantly to overall speed and performance in the water!
- STREAMLINE: The streamline - when done properly - is the fastest a swimmer travels while in the water. Proper streamlines are even faster than underwater dolphin kicking. Even the most elite swimmers in the world are constantly working on improving their streamline. Your swimmer will get tips to improve their streamline and a better appreciation of what they need to do on every single wall in practice and in races.
- INITIATING UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: Top age group and elite swimmers maximize their streamline on every single lap. They don’t start their underwater dolphin kicking while they’re still achieving maximum speed in their streamline! They also don’t want to start the underwater dolphin kicking after their streamline has begun to slow. Your swimmer is going to learn how to time when to begin their underwater dolphin kicking.
- POWERFUL UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKING: There are a few different techniques that swimmers use when underwater dolphin kicking. The common theme of these techniques is that the best swimmers kick up and down with equal power. We will show your swimmer the different techniques that elite swimmers use and teach them how to implement.
- NUMBER OF UNDERWATER DOLPHIN KICKS: Figuring out the optimal number of kicks off each wall, for each race, is essential to fast swimming. Elite swimmers want to spend only the absolute necessary amount of time underwater to establish speed with each length. They want to avoid losing their breath and taking weak kicks.
- BREAKOUTS: Many swimmers add movement within their breakout that creates drag and destroys all of the speed created during their underwaters. Participants will work on timing their breakouts to explode into each lap.
- DAY 2 (Sunday, November 30): ESSENTIAL IM SKILLS: Being successful in Individual Medley (IM) events takes more than just being good at each stroke. Great IM’ers know how to connect the pieces—using transitions, turns, and strategy to gain momentum and separate from the competition. At this camp, your swimmer will work on building IM races that are greater than the sum of their parts.
- STROKE TRANSITIONS: Each stroke uses different muscle groups and movement patterns, so switching from one to the next isn’t as simple as it seems. Transitions take practice, awareness, and good technique. Our clinicians will work with your swimmer on drills and technical tips that help them move more smoothly and efficiently between strokes—saving time and energy every time they race.
- IM TURNS: Turns in IM races are their own skill set. They can be tricky—especially the back-to-breast turn, which is completely different from other transitions. We’ll break down each IM transition turn and give swimmers the coaching they need to feel confident and consistent.
- OVERCOMING A WEAK STROKE: Almost every swimmer has a stroke that lags behind the others—but top athletes find ways to minimize its impact. Whether it’s adjusting technique or maximizing strengths like underwater pullouts, our clinicians will give your swimmer tools to be more effective in their least comfortable stroke.
- IM STRATEGY: Racing IM well means having a plan for how to pace and distribute effort across all four strokes. That plan looks different for every swimmer. Our experienced clinicians will help your swimmer understand how to manage energy, play to their strengths, and adjust strategy as needed. Sometimes that even means holding back a bit on a strong stroke to save energy for a weaker one. Your swimmer will leave with a greater understanding of how to approach their IM races.
FAST STARTS, TURNS, RELAY EXCHANGES & CROSS-OVER TURNS SWIM CAMP: December 27 - December 29, 2025
The momentum generated from explosive starts and turns are the FASTEST that top age group swimmers and elite swimmers are moving in a race! The more efficient, powerful and hydrodynamic your swimmer is, directly impacts their speed and distance they travel in the water before taking their first stroke! This swim camp will be led by elite clinician and Olympic legend Gary Hall Jr.
- DAY 1 (Saturday, December 27): STARTS, UNDERWATERS & BREAKOUTS: The better a swimmer’s technique is off the starting block, the more speed they will carry into the water. Day 1 of this swim camp will help your swimmer improve their start, underwater dolphin kicking and breakouts! This sequence is not only the fastest part of every race, but it is also the part of the race in which elite swimmers cover the most ground with the most efficiency.
- Block Starts: To ensure an explosive start, a swimmer needs to set themselves up properly on the block. The elite clinicians will work with participants on the optimal positioning of your swimmer’s entire body to allow for a quick reaction time and optimal speed.
- Water Entry: Starting the race with a smooth entry into the water will boost your swimmer's speed and carry the momentum generated off the block or wall. Becoming skilled at the water entry is crucial for any start and significantly contributes to your swimmers' overall race!
- Streamline: The streamline - when done properly - is the fastest a swimmer travels while in the water. Proper streamlines are even faster than underwater dolphin kicking. Even the most elite swimmers in the world are constantly working on improving their streamline. Your swimmer will get tips to improve their streamline and a better appreciation of what they need to do on every single wall in practice and in races.
- Initiating Underwater Dolphin Kicking: Top age group and elite swimmers maximize their streamline on every single lap. They don’t start their underwater dolphin kicking while they’re still achieving maximum speed in their streamline! They also don’t want to start the underwater dolphin kicking after their streamline has begun to slow. Your swimmer is going to learn how to time when to begin their underwater dolphin kicking.
- Powerful Underwater Dolphin Kicking: There are a few different techniques that swimmers use when underwater dolphin kicking. The common theme of these techniques is that the best swimmers kick up and down with equal power. We will show your swimmer the different techniques that elite swimmers use and teach them how to implement.
- Number of Underwater Dolphin Kicks: Figuring out the optimal number of kicks off each wall, for each race, is essential to fast swimming. Elite swimmers want to spend only the absolute necessary amount of time underwater to establish speed with each length. They want to avoid losing their breath and taking weak kicks.
- Breakouts: Many swimmers unintentionally add movements in their breakouts that reduce speed by creating drag. In this camp, participants will focus on perfecting their breakout timing to maintain momentum and power into each lap.
- DAY 2 (Sunday, December 28): FLIP TURNS, OPEN TURNS & FINISHES: Quick, powerful turns and finishes are crucial to fast times and winning close races. The top age group and elite swimmers aren't using walls just for turning around - they are used to generate speed and momentum going into the next lap. Elite swimmers are constantly working their turns and looking for areas to improve them. Today, we're going to work with your swimmer on taking this crucial part of every race (and practice) to the next level!
- Momentum: At the elite level of swimming, walls aren’t just used for turning around - they are used to generate speed and momentum going into the next lap. Outside of the elite ranks, most swimmers stop or slow down while going into the wall, which kills their momentum! We will work with participants on the intricacies of approaching every wall at top speed and seamlessly initiating their “turn”.
- Flip Turns: The fastest swimmers use walls to generate speed and momentum going into the next lap. Outside of the elite ranks, many swimmers stop or slow down while going into the wall, which kills their momentum! We will work with participants on the intricacies of approaching every wall at top speed and seamlessly initiating their “turn”.
- Open Turns: Elite butterflyers and breaststrokers utilize speed from their last lap to create momentum and even more speed at the beginning of the next lap. Their open turns are actually not “turns”, but more like high-speed pivots. Participants in this session will work on these techniques to have much faster open turns!
- Streamline, Underwater Dolphin Kicking, Breakout Progression: At this session participants will continue to work on the progression covered on Day 1.
- Finishes: Setting yourself up for a fast finish is very similar to setting yourself up for a strong turn in any race. Races are won and lost by hundredths-of-a-second at every swim meet. Many races come down to the last few strokes. At this camp, your swimmer will learn techniques to set themselves up for a well-timed finish when they are still about 10 yards from the wall.
- DAY 3 (Monday, December 29): RELAY EXCHANGES & CROSSOVER TURNS: Relay exchanges and crossover turns are two important skills in swimming that can make your swimmer a lot faster, but they don’t get enough practice. A quick and strong relay exchange can be the difference between winning or losing for your swimmer's team! Crossover turns are the fastest way to switch from backstroke to breaststroke in the Individual Medley (IM), but they take time to learn and perfect. At this camp, your swimmer will work with top coaches to improve these key techniques, sharpening their skills to swim faster and be fully prepared for race day.
- RELAY EXCHANGES: One advantage of relay starts is that swimmers can generate additional momentum off the blocks by moving forward both with their feet and a great arm swing. There are several different relay start techniques that are currently in competitive use (one-step, two-step, hop, and step-over). We will introduce your swimmer to different techniques in order to find the fastest for them as an individual. Finally we will work on carrying this momentum through a smooth entry and great breakout.
- RELAY EXCHANGE REACTION TIME: In relays, reaction time is crucial! At this camp your swimmer will learn skills that the best swimmers in the world use to time the “exchange” just right! If we react too quickly, we’ll start before the other swimmer finishes - and we’ll get disqualified. If we start too slow, we can lose our positioning in a race! Learning the proper technique for a well-timed start and an explosive relay dive will make your swimmer a valuable teammate.
- CROSSOVER TURNS: The crossover turn is the fastest and most efficient way to transition from backstroke to breaststroke in IM races. It is also the least practiced and most disqualified skill in swimming. Our elite clinicians will work closely with swimmers to fine-tune this technique, focusing on the details that make a crossover turn smooth and fast. Participants will learn how to properly time their rotation, position their arms, and maintain momentum through the turn to minimize resistance and carry maximum speed into the breaststroke leg. By honing their crossover turns, swimmers will be better prepared to execute this transition quickly and legally, giving them a significant edge in competition.
- PULLOUTS: Many swimmers sacrifice the quality of their breaststroke underwater pullout when executing the cross-over turning, losing most of the advantage gained. Participants will learn how to maximize the strength of their push-off and underwater pullout.
CAMP START TIMES:
- Both camps: Check in 12:30 PM. Camp 12:45-3:45 PM
ASK QUESTIONS
Swimmers and parents are invited to ask the clinicians questions during a Q&A session. Gain insight into their training regimen, diet and nutrition, and recovery tactics.
WATCH THE CLINICIANS
Observe clinicians swim at full speed and demonstrate a progression of perfectly executed drills to achieve powerful, efficient, and fast swimming.
PUT YOUR SKILLS TO THE TEST
Throughout the camp, swimmers will practice what they've learned with some of the world's most elite Swimmer Clinicians and coaches!
Take a photo, get autographs, and chat with your clinicians!
Gary Hall, Jr.
Swim with one of the greatest sprinters in the history of swimming. Gary Hall Jr. has 5 GOLD, 3 SILVER, and 2 BRONZE medals from 3 Olympic teams. Learn from a legend and improve!
Joao Mescolote
Three-time Brazilian Olympic Trials qualifier Joao Mescolote teaches Fitter & Faster camp participants how to properly condition, fuel, and rest their bodies. Joao aims to provide young swimmers with the skills to make adjustments at their next practice and the confidence to apply those refinements, enabling them to drop time in their next race!
Inquisitive, Educated Swimmers are Faster Swimmers! Sign up today!
