In the Swim

The pool-party season in Ventura County is making a splashy entrance.

And parents are diving right in by enrolling their children in swimming classes.

Today, with more families barbecuing hot dogs by the pool than any other day of the year, the emphasis is on safety.

Daland Swim School in Thousand Oaks is one of dozens of pools throughout the county where children are learning to swim.

Ahmad Rajaee of Thousand Oaks doesn’t have a backyard pool. But he said his 5-year-old son, Omeed, has friends who do.

Rajaee said the recent pool drownings of children in the county underscore his concern.

“It’s the responsibility of parents to make sure their kids learn how to swim,” Rajaee said.

Along with the lessons, youngsters at the Daland Swim School learn pool-survival techniques. Instructors placed a yellow rubber duck at the side of the pool to encourage Cameron Knudsen, 3, of Agoura Hills, to grab the pool’s rim.

The school’s owner, Ingrid Daland, warned that even with swimming lessons, “a child is never completely pool safe. There is no such thing.”

At any pool, she added, “You need to always know where your child is.”