We have a lake,
A nice cool lake,
A lake in which we freeze,
We swim and dive,
Until we have
Blue lips and purple knees
Just off the main path before Upper Hill, our swim lake glistens among the rhododendron and mountain laurel, its cool and refreshing waters beckoning all who pass by. While mainly an afternoon activity location, occasionally you will see Duke (one of our camp dogs) taking an early morning dip as he gets ready for the day. Fun fact: early morning dips in the swim lake were a required part of the morning routine in Keystone Camp’s early days. Keystone campers were cold plunging before cold plunging was cool! Throughout the year, we field a wide variety of questions, and one of the topics we often get asked about is how swimming works here at camp. We know that swimming can be a source of anxiety for young campers, so we hope to provide some insight to help calm those nerves. Let’s dive in!
At the very beginning of a session, everyone takes a swim test, which allows us to assess both the swimmer’s ability and stamina. The test consists of a jump (or dive) into the water, swimming one lap of the lake, and a one-minute tread. There are multiple lifeguards in the lake during this test, as well as eyes above watching for any signs of distress. Cabin counselors also jump into the water and do the test alongside their campers, which helps provide some comfort to those who might be nervous or unsure of their ability.
After jumping into the water, the girls must swim from one side of the lake to the other, turn around, and swim back to where they started for a total length of roughly 25 yards. Swimmers can perform any stroke, as long as they are on their front/facing forward the entire time. Back strokes of any kind aren’t permitted. The girls can take a quick second when they reach the turnaround point, but it’s not a full rest, as they need to be able to swim the full lap without stopping.
The slide is a popular attraction here at Keystone! Since its bottom sits in the middle of the swim lake, there are a few other things our certified lifeguards are watching for during the swim test in addition to the basics. We want to make sure that a child can submerge their head and continue to swim without issues. We also want to make sure they can quickly begin to swim and continue making forward progress despite the temperature of the water. We’re ensuring that after a camper goes down the slide, they can get to the side of the swim lake without assistance.
Once a child passes the swim test, they are able to be in the swim lake without a lifejacket. However, one of the most frequent questions we get regarding swimming is what happens if a child tires out and doesn’t pass the swim test? The answer is simple: they just need to wear a lifejacket any time they enter the water, whether it’s at the swim lake or on an off-camp swimming trip to places like Sliding Rock or Fawn Lake. Wearing a life jacket to swim is no big deal here at Keystone. In fact, some campers will wear one just out of personal preference. Campers are also able to test again later during their session once their confidence builds and they feel more comfortable.
Not only are the swim and canoe lakes different in both size and depth, but there are also different activities that take place at each. Campers learn the proper rules and procedures at each lake. At the swim lake, they are introduced to the buddy board and their swim tag, which is color-coded to represent whether a swimmer passed the swim test or needs to wear a lifejacket. This way, a camper’s requirements are noted and all waterfront staff are aware of each camper’s swimming ability. At the canoe lake, lifejackets are required for everyone, including staff, no matter the person’s swimming level or strengths.
The swim lake hosts two activities and is also open during the end-of-the-day period called Free Swim. The first activity campers can sign up for is Instructional Swim. This is a more traditional swim class in which the girls can work on strokes, technique, and toward completing levels. Each level in an activity is meant to build on skills learned previously. So in swimming, for instance, a camper might learn how to dolphin kick in level one, which will turn into the butterfly stroke by level three. Surface dives turn into dives off the side of the lake, and those turn into dives off the diving board.
The second activity is known as Slide Extravaganza. This activity is pure fun, and I usually describe it as one big pool party for 40 minutes. Slide is for playing games, jumping off the diving board, and of course, going down the slide! It’s a great way for the girls to cool off and relax. Sometimes a group game is played to keep things fresh and interesting, but for the most part, this activity is free play.
Both activities are incredibly fun and the counselors who teach these make sure that the girls are staying entertained and engaged.
Free Swim is just like Slide Extravaganza, but it is open to everyone. It’s a super popular location to hang out and cool off with friends (there’s a reason why the whole free period is named Free Swim!). You can often even catch a director on the slide, cooling down! It’s a great way to refresh at the end of a long day of running around and doing activities.
Up at the canoe lake, campers can sign up for several activities. One of them is Canoeing, in which the girls start at the beginning by learning the proper way to hold the paddle, the parts of a boat, and basic paddling techniques. They spend time cruising around the canoe lake, perfecting their turning and stopping abilities, playing games, and working their way toward more complex manuevers.
The second activity is Kayaking. As always, the girls start out with the basics, learning paddling techniques, the parts of a boat, and how to enter and exit the kayak safely. They learn how kayaking differs from canoeing, working their way toward more complex manuevers, including how to wet exit and perform a roll.
As the girls advance in these activities, they can have their skills checked off by the head activity counselor and qualify for an off-camp paddling trip to one of our area’s rivers or lakes.
Campers can also try their hand at Stand Up Paddleboarding (or SUPing). This makes for a fun afternoon navigating around the canoe lake, trying hard not to fall off! We also have a swimming platform and a rope swing, so sometimes the girls will opt for a relaxed afternoon of all kinds of boating and water fun.
There are so many ways to hit the water here at Keystone, and we can’t wait to see everyone at the lakes this summer!
