The Arc Pool in Fort Walton Beach

In the last few weeks, too many children have drowned. One is too many, but there have been far more than that.

🙏Where water is concerned, children find their way into it -- whether it's a neighbor's pool, a pond, or the Gulf when parents are distracted. Water is refreshing, it's fun, and it's unforgiving if you don't have the skills to navigate it safely.

🏊‍♀️The Emerald Coast Fitness Foundation was formed more than a decade ago to reopen pools to the public in Okaloosa County so that children would have a place to learn to swim. All these years later, thousands have passed through our lesson program, learning to float on their backs, tread water, submerge safely, wear a life jacket properly, and get back to the wall.

We are dedicated to helping children and adults become safer in the water and we rely on programs like Starfish Aquatics, Swim Angelfish, and American Red Cross to train our instructors and lifeguards. We also appreciate the support of Every Child A Swimmer, which provides funding for five children to learn water safety skills each quarter. We even have a pool in Fort Walton Beach with four certified adaptive swim instructors to make sure that children and adults of all abilities and special needs have a place to learn.

Please reach out if your child needs help learning to swim. We have lessons at all three of our aquatic centers! Taj Renee Community Aquatic Center in Destin Bernie R Lefebvre Aquatic Center and The Arc Pool in Fort Walton Beach.

‼️Finally, please support our Kids Water Safety Campaign to help us help more children. The donation link can be found at https://ecfitnessfoundation.org/kids-water-safety-campaign/.

Baby Bullsharks 🦈are in the pool every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 8:45 for the next six weeks!

It's so much fun watching young children on their FIRST swim team.

👀the little girl upside down playing under water🤣

Baby Bullsharks & Bullsharks FWB

So many pools. So much to do.

1️⃣. Relax

2️⃣. Play.

3️⃣. Exercise

4️⃣. Have a pool party!

Taj Renee Community Aquatic Center in Destin Bernie R Lefebvre Aquatic Center The Arc Pool in Fort Walton Beach

Our pool "therapy" baby is turning 1 this month and guess where he's having HIS party? The same place you can have yours! 🎂🎈🏊

For $150 an hour, you get the huge climate-controlled party room, the entire pool, and two lifeguards! We are booking into July and August already.

Contact Wendy at [email protected] or 850-598-0176 to find out if your date is available. Parties are on Saturdays after 1 p.m.

What's the best way to get in one of our pools?

You tell us 😃. There are SO MANY options‼️

(🐕By the way, the dog photo is from one of our amazing doggie swim days, held only AFTER our family pool is closed for the season🐶).

Top right, you are looking at Coach Bridget, our latest certified Swim Whisperer!

In addition completing the swim instructor certificationi process through Starfish Aquatics Institute, Coach Bridget has completed extensive training through Swim Angelfish.

She's in good company at our pool, where she's the FOURTH certified Swim Whisperer!

We love all of our 🏊students, especially those with special needs!

🐟🐠🐡

🏊Have multiple children who need private lessons? We can schedule them simultaneously, each with their own instructor.

👉These siblings, 3 and 5, have both learned how to comfortably go under the water at our pool, despite coming in with some BIG fears👏

Private lessons are available weekday mornings, afternoons, and evenings, as well as Saturday mornings.

Email [email protected] or calll 850-598-0176 to schedule

Look mom, no hands‼️ ✋✋

At our pool in a quiet Fort Walton neighborhood, we offer private swim lessons five days a week for chidren, adults, and neurodivergent individuals of all ages.

If you or a family member wants to improve water skills in a one-to-one setting, contact Wendy at 850-598-0176 to schedule. The cost is $50 for 30 minutes.

The Emerald Coast Fitness Foundation, Inc. is here, operating this pool and two other local aquatic centers, because of people like this.

They give us reasons to smile. They let us know we are appreciated. They use our pools and thank us for operating these pools, and they don't forget about us.

This family asked not to be identified, but this beautiful note was accompanied by a very large check in the memory of a beloved family member who also loved pools. This family loves and uses all of our pools, but the Arc Pool has become an oasis for them in the 15 months since we opened.

Thank you in every language we can imagine, in every language spoken by those who use this pool. Thank you even from those who don't speak, but smile from their hearts as they walk down our accessible ramp.

We 💙🩷💜you and your little mermaid!