Does the club run practices in Perth?

No. Every Water Dragons practice is at the Carleton Place Aquatic Centre, about 26 minutes east of Perth on Highway 7. Perth families register with the club and travel to Carleton Place.

How long is the drive from Perth to practice?

About 33 km and 26 minutes in normal conditions, almost entirely on Highway 7. Allow more in winter.

Can a teenager who is not racing still join?

Yes. Youth Conditioning is for teenagers who want to swim three times a week for fitness, lifeguard preparation or triathlon training, without entering meets. The only requirement is swimming 100 metres without stopping.

Is there a group for adults from Perth?

Masters is open to adults 18 and over who can swim 50 metres. Adults swim for fitness, to improve their technique or to compete at Masters meets, and may swim up to four times a week.

Our club's area

Swimming Lessons and Swim Team near Perth

The Carleton Place Water Dragons welcome swimmers from Perth and the surrounding townships. We are a volunteer-run Swim Ontario club, and all of our training happens at the Carleton Place Aquatic Centre; we do not run sessions in Perth. For a Perth family the question is whether a half-hour drive east fits the week, so this page is mostly about the drive, the schedule and what you get at the end of it.

Eight groups cover the whole span of the sport. Junior 1 and Junior 2 teach the four competitive strokes and introduce racing. White and Blue build training habits and compete monthly. Senior and Senior Elite train at provincial level, and Youth Conditioning and Masters serve teenagers and adults who want structured swimming without the full competitive load.

Our head coach has coached a swimmer to the Olympic Games, our groups are deliberately small, and swimmers from the club qualify for and race at Swim Ontario provincial championships each year. For a swimmer in Perth who wants a particular group, a particular coach or a particular training structure, that is worth the Highway 7 drive.

Getting to Perth

From Perth to the Carleton Place Aquatic Centre is about 33 km, roughly 26 minutes by car. Take Highway 7 east all the way into Carleton Place, then turn onto Bridge Street; the pool is at number 359, a few minutes from the highway.

Highway 7 between Perth and Carleton Place is a two-lane provincial highway, so winter conditions matter more here than on our shorter routes. Give yourself extra time in December and January, and check the practice calendar for cancellations before you leave on a storm night.

Practice schedule

Junior 1: 2× weekly, 45 min
Junior 2: 3× weekly
White: 4× weekly, 4.5 h
Blue: 4× weekly, 8 h
Senior: 4× weekly, 8 h
Senior Elite: 14 h weekly
Youth Conditioning: 3× weekly, 1 h
Masters: Up to 4× weekly

Times and pool lanes change by season. The practice calendar always has the current week. See the practice calendar.

Swim Levels

Junior 1 Our Learn to Swim group. It focuses on the fundamental skills of all four competitive strokes, as well as starts, turns and finishes.
Junior 2 For swimmers who have the skills and want to begin competing regularly. The emphasis is stroke improvement, with an introduction to Learning to Train.
White For swimmers ready to begin Learning to Train at a more advanced level. Stroke improvement stays the focus, with intermediate training techniques added.
Blue For swimmers who have demonstrated advanced stroke mechanics, training techniques and racing strategies. The group's focus is Learning to Compete.
Senior The Senior group is for swimmers wishing to train and compete at a high level but who are unable to train at the Senior Elite level of commitment.
Senior Elite Senior Elite is the most advanced group within the Water Dragons club. Swimmers are expected to attend all practices and compete at all meets designated for the group.
Youth Conditioning An opportunity for teenage swimmers to practise their skills and improve their conditioning. Intended for youth pursuing lifeguarding, triathlon or fitness.
Masters For adults 18 and over who wish to maintain fitness, improve stroke technique, compete at Masters competitions, or swim socially with other adults.

Notes for Perth families

Perth has a strong pool of its own. The Perth & District Indoor Pool at 3 Sunset Boulevard is home to the Perth Stingrays, and it has produced two Olympians, Mike Brown in 2008 and Bailey Andison in 2020. We say that plainly because it is also our own story: our head coach, Rod Agar, coached Bailey Andison, and two of our coaches, Josh Agar and Brenda Price, started their coaching careers with the Perth Stingrays before joining the Water Dragons. A Perth family that comes to Carleton Place is not leaving the Perth coaching tradition behind; a good part of it made the same drive.

One practical note on cost: the Carleton Place Aquatic Centre charges Perth residents its non-contributing-area rate for the town's own public swims and lessons. Water Dragons club fees are set by the club, not the town, so that rate has nothing to do with what you pay us.

Questions from Perth

Does the club run practices in Perth?: No. Every Water Dragons practice is at the Carleton Place Aquatic Centre, about 26 minutes east of Perth on Highway 7. Perth families register with the club and travel to Carleton Place.
How long is the drive from Perth to practice?: About 33 km and 26 minutes in normal conditions, almost entirely on Highway 7. Allow more in winter.
Can a teenager who is not racing still join?: Yes. Youth Conditioning is for teenagers who want to swim three times a week for fitness, lifeguard preparation or triathlon training, without entering meets. The only requirement is swimming 100 metres without stopping.
Is there a group for adults from Perth?: Masters is open to adults 18 and over who can swim 50 metres. Adults swim for fitness, to improve their technique or to compete at Masters meets, and may swim up to four times a week.