Water Safety Starts Early

A Conversation with Swim Instructor Kerri Williams

May is National Water Safety Month, a time to raise awareness, share resources, and encourage safe water practices before the summer swim season begins. Starting water safety education early, at home, in classrooms, and throughout the community, can have a big impact on water safety.   

That’s why we sat down with Kerri Williams, founder of ISR Monterey Bay and a passionate advocate for infant and child swim safety who uses a Dual Propulsion Commercial Endless Pool for her swim school in Monterey Bay, California. After seeing how Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) empowered her own daughters, Kerri made it her mission to bring these customized, one-on-one survival swim lessons to families on the Monterey Peninsula. She also partners with local organizations to expand access to life-saving swimming skills for underserved youth. 

By shifting the mindset around water safety and meeting families where they are, Kerri believes we can begin saving lives even before kids step foot in the water. Our conversation with Kerri was insightful. Here’s what she had to say.  

EP: Kerri let’s start with your background. How did you get into swim instruction?  

KW: I don’t have a formal background in swimming. I wasn’t on a swim team and have no lifeguarding experience, aside from being in the Navy. I actually got into swim instruction because of my kids. I learned that drowning is the leading cause of death for children under 4, and since my in-laws have a pool, I wanted to make sure my kids were safe.  

I discovered ISR (Infant Swimming Resource) and enrolled my two- and three-year-old daughters. Watching them learn to float and swim independently at such a young age was amazing. When we moved back home after a Navy deployment, there wasn’t an ISR program nearby, so I got certified as an instructor. What started as something I was doing with my own kids quickly grew into a passion, and I’ve been teaching ISR full-time for nearly three years.  

EP: That’s a story so many parents can relate to. Now, can you expand on what water safety means to you, and why it is so important?  

KW: To me, water safety means being able to survive in the water, not just splash around. A lot of programs teach kids to blow bubbles or tread water, but that’s not enough. If a child can’t float independently, they’re at risk.  

Water safety is a lifelong skill. All children and adults need to be able to float and stay calm in the water. Where I live in Monterey, swim lessons are limited, which is part of why I opened ISR Monterey Bay and started offering them.   

EP: That’s such an interesting use of the Endless Pool! Can you explain how that works in your lessons?  

KW: I have the Commercial Dual Propulsion model, which means I can run two different currents. I might set one end to the full speed to simulate a strong current and adjust the other side to a gentler flow. It’s not a true rip tide, of course, but it gives kids and adults that initial, "oh my gosh!" feeling of being pulled by moving water.  

That experience helps prepare them for the unexpected. Ideally, the first time someone feels that kind of force should be in a safe, supportive space. The Endless Pool gives me the tools to teach that.  

And the currents help with more than just simulation. Even in a crowded pool, you get resistance from people jumping in nearby. With the Endless Pool, I can recreate those disturbances. Once a child has the basic ISR skills like independent floating and swimming with no support, I can use the current to introduce them to the feeling of movement, turbulence, or someone swimming nearby. It adds a layer of realism you just don’t get in a traditional swimming pool.  

EP: Let’s talk about why you chose an Endless Pool for your facility. What made it the right fit?  

KW: It was a journey, about four years in the making. I started teaching ISR outside during the pandemic, when California deemed survival swim lessons essential – but all other swim lessons were shut down. I was lucky to still be able to teach. I was in the pool over six hours a day in all kinds of weather. I knew that if I was going to do this long-term, I needed an indoor setup. But indoor pools are rare and expensive where I live. Endless Pools’ commercial model stood out. It met California’s strict health and safety requirements, including earthquake standards, which is a big deal here.  

The pool is 15' x 15', and with the dual currents, I can now teach everything from survival skills for toddlers to strokes for adults. It’s versatile enough for everyone.  

 EP: Let’s shift back to your teaching. What has becoming an ISR instructor taught you?  

KW: It’s taught me that kids are amazing. They can do hard things even at six months old. Watching them develop confidence in the water changes the way you see what children are capable of.   

And it’s taught me how vital one-on-one instruction is, especially when it comes to water safety. Group swim lessons, especially with young kids, can be risky. Having one instructor for five or six toddlers is just not safe. That’s why I work with organizations like CAST Water Safety Foundation, Live for Brie, Because of Logan and Live Like Jake to provide scholarships and promote safer swim instruction.  I am also launching my own nonprofit next year in collaboration with Desiree Choy of Rising Tide Swim, dedicated to serving kids in the local community. 

We need to rethink how we approach swim education. You wouldn’t send your child to a school where the teacher isn’t certified, so why would you do that for swim lessons?

EP: That’s such a powerful message about building confidence early. And it sounds like this also helps adults feel empowered, too.  

KW: Exactly. Confidence and empowerment are important to children and parents. From the moment you find out you’re expecting, you start researching car seats, strollers, diaper creams, everything. But swim lessons usually aren’t on that list, and they should be. Car seat regulations saved lives, now it’s time to do the same for water safety.  

EP: Have you had any special moments or stories that have stayed with you from the past year?  

KW: Two come to mind. First, the joy of breaking the generational cycle of not knowing how to swim. A lot of adults I teach now grew up with fear around water, and they passed that fear on to their kids. But now that their kids are learning and succeeding, the parents are inspired to learn, too. Watching a 40-year-old swim for the first time because their child showed them it was possible is the most amazing thing.  

Second, I had a student save herself. She was at a busy community pool party last Memorial Day. Her mom was nearby, changing one of her other four kids. The little girl saw a toy in the water, reached for it, and fell in fully clothed. Her six-year-old sister saw it happen and tried to alert mom, but before anyone could respond, the girl had already floated, swam to the side, and climbed out. No lifeguard saw it. No adult saw it. But because of her ISR training, she was able to save herself.  

That moment could have ended very differently. Everyone was “doing the right thing” with lifeguards on duty and adults present, but when “everyone” is watching the pool, no one really is. That’s why we use water watcher tags to designate one focused adult. No phones, no drinks, no distractions. It’s simple, but it saves lives.

Do not leave children unattended or unsupervised when using Endless Pools products.

A Final Word about Keeping Kids Water Safe  

As Kerri reminds us, water safety education can begin before a child even enters the water. From classroom coloring sheets to local partnerships and year-round swim instruction, every small step counts.  

Whether it’s advocating for school-based water education, creating access through innovative pool installations, or empowering families with life-saving skills, it all begins with awareness. As we head into summer, let’s carry forward the message of Water Safety Month and commit to making water safety a part of everyday life.