Aqua-Tots Swim School Opens Record-Breaking Number of Schools in 2024, With Final Location Now Open in Panama

The largest international swim school franchise opens second location in Panama City, making indoor, year-round swim lessons more accessible to families around the world

Mesa, Arizona, Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Aqua-Tots Swim School is thrilled to unveil its newest facility in Panama City, Panama, marking the company’s 24th school opening in 2024. Owned by Carlos Astroz and Diana Cardenas, this expansion reinforces the company’s enduring commitment to save lives by offering year-round swim education to children across the globe. 

236,000 people worldwide die by drowning every year, according to the World Health Organization. However, drowning is preventable. According to the National Institutes of Health, formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by up to 88% in youth under the age of four. 

Since 1991, Aqua-Tots Swim School has earned the trust of parents with its proven and effective swim instruction program. It all began when lifeguard Ron Sciarro and his wife, Jane, launched the company in Phoenix to address the critical need for drowning prevention among children. Partnering with Paul and Heather Preston, the two families pioneered the idea of a full-scale, indoor swim school operating year-round, designed to bring water safety education within reach for children everywhere.  

Today, Aqua-Tots Swim School operates in 14 countries, with 167 locations open worldwide. The franchise has taught more than 2.1 million children how to swim, and they remain dedicated to offering the highest quality swim instruction for children of all ages and abilities, starting as early as four months old. 

“We have seen tremendous growth across our brand throughout 2024, including significant international expansion,” Aqua-Tots Swim School CEO Craig Wright said. “The opening in Panama is an exciting way to close out the year and provide water safety to more families throughout Latin America. With our sights now set on 2025, we’re incredibly optimistic about what the future holds for the learn-to-swim industry and for Aqua-Tots Swim School.” 

Aqua-Tots Paseo Del Norte features a large, 90-degree indoor pool, multiple swimming zones, and changing rooms equipped with baby changing tables and swimsuit dryers. Behind the glass viewing area, parents can enjoy a front row seat to their children’s swimming lessons in the school’s signature red chairs. 

To learn more Aqua-Tots Paseo Del Norte, please visit aqua-tots.com/location-finder/, or to inquire about franchising with Aqua-Tots Swim School, go to aqua-tots.com/franchise-development. 

About Aqua-Tots Swim School 

Founded in 1991 and headquartered in the Phoenix area, Aqua-Tots Swim School is making waves as the largest international provider of year-round, indoor swim instruction, community outreach and drowning prevention education. Its trusted program is dedicated to children of all abilities from four months to 12 years old and features a proven curriculum used to teach more than five million swim lessons each year.    

Aqua-Tots is recognized in Franchise Business Review’s Top 100 Franchises for Women in 2024, Entrepreneur’s Top 15 Children’s Franchises of 2023, Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500®, Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 and Franchise Times’ Top 200, Aqua-Tots has more than 165 locations in 25 states across 14 countries and is rapidly expanding with 90 locations in development. To learn more about franchise opportunities, visit aqua-tots.com/franchise-development and for more information about Aqua-Tots or to sign up for lessons near you, visit aqua-tots.com and follow Aqua-Tots on Facebook and Instagram. 

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• Aqua-Tots Paseo Del Norte

CONTACT: Jacquelyn Lambert
Aqua-Tots Swim Schools
480-621-3226
jacil@aqua-tots.com