About the owner

Shannon McCarthy has been a swim instructor for 15 years. She swam competitively in high school and college. Shannon is passionate about sharing this fun, live-saving sport with as many people as she can. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Florida State University. Shannon is originally from south Florida and has lived in several places around the world including Puerto Rico, New Zealand and Colorado. She moved to Gainesville, Florida to be closer to her family. In 2023, she formed Wavy Swim Lessons, LLC to provide quality and affordable swim lessons. In her free time, Shannon loves spending time with her husband, reading, swimming, and enjoying nature.

Wavy Instructor Qualifications

All Wavy instructors:

-are AED/First Aid (adult, child and baby) certified

-have completed Red Cross Safety Training for Swim Coaches and Water Safety for Caregivers courses

-have completed a minimum of 16 hours of training by the company owner, Shannon. The curriculum the instructors are trained in is a uniquely simple curriculum that Shannon personally created. It incorporates Red Cross skills but is not the WSI curriculum. Wavy Swim Lessons does not teach Infant Survival Rescue. Each instructor has their own style and methods of teaching the curriculum while accomplishing the same end goals

-have liability insurance coverage