You can teach them to be pool safe at a very young age, maybe two years old. Pool safe means they know how to swim to the edge of a pool in case they fall in. I've seen too many tragedies in my life already. The parents never get over it and frequently it leads to divorce.
Younger than that, Jay.
They start with kids 6 months old....We brought the Granddaughter to class a little after she turned 1 yr old.
Thsy start teaching them to roll over on their back, then breathe. It's quite natural for them. Don't get me wrong, they kick, and scream, and holler for the first few lessons, but recover.
It's amazing...she literally never choked on water throughout the lessons. It's time comsuming....a lesson is a total of 10 minutes, daily. 5 days a week.
The instructors are finely tuned...they monitor breathing, so that the child never sucks in any water. They submerse them in between screams, and all the holllering.
It's one of my best moves...she's now 9, and a fish. She snorkels in Mexico in the ocean, and has been for a few years. She will be scuba dving next year along side us.
I have a friend that lost his 5 yr old boy due to drowning. It's a heartbreaker for sure....you'll never get over it. DON'T take the chance....
Here is the organization's website that does the 'Infant Swim' classes....they have classes all over the country.
http://www.infantswim.com/ Watch the video.....(clothed kid)