LEARN
COMPETE
LEARN
Develop the skills to swim with more confidence and less effort. From non-swimmers afraid of
the deep end, to fitness/rehab swimmers,
aspiring triathletes and podium chasers.
TRAIN
COMPETE
LEARN
Once you have the fundamental skills of smart, efficient swimming then it's time to add
a training component. Suitable for anyone who has completed Level 3 or above and can hold a pace of 2.00 per 100m or faster. Masters session are frontcrawl focused with an option to practice other strokes as well.
COMPETE
COMPETE
COMPETE
Put all your learning and training to the test by joining the Coast Swim Team. We are a fun, supportive, determined and dedicated group excited to help you achieve your swimming goals.
Last year we showed up strong and won the
Provincial Team Championship Trophy!
Swim Smart Coaches
Coach Stewart
Thanks for visiting our site. I've been coaching swimming in Vancouver for the last 10 years, helping 1000s of clients become more comfortable in the water. I grew up in Scotland very close to the Loch Ness monster. A competitive swimmer through my teenage years, breaststroke and butterfly were my best strokes. I rekindled my love of competitive swimming in 2016, created a swim team, won medals at Nationals and qualified for Worlds in Korea and am close to swimming faster as an adult than I ever did as a teenager. Whether you want to swim for fun, complete your first triathlon, or race for the podium we can help you achieve your goals. Get in touch and learn to Swim Smart!
Coach Oscar
For most of you, Coach Oscar needs no introduction! Oscar was one of my first coaching clients back in 2012 and now he is one of the most experienced open water coaches around, with 7+ years of coaching experience and 20+ triathlon and open water swim races under his belt. Don’t be fooled by that mean face and death stare though, Oscar is notoriously laid back and calm under pressure. Fun fact: Oscar despises cold water, but was the first coach to get in the ocean this year! Oscar will be coaching on Monday evenings this summer.
Coach Joseph
Joseph has been a swim client for many years, initially working his way up through the technique courses and now consistently training with the masters group (and even doing some masters racing now and then). Currently training for his first Ironman, he has a wealth of triathlon training and racing experience, having completed 6 half-irons and 15+ sprint and olympic events. Having previously coached and mentored Team In Training first-time triathletes and marathoners, this summer Joseph is returning for his second coaching season, helping Stewart on Thursday evenings. Fun fact: an avid strongman, Joseph can deadlift a baby Orca!
Coach Lishan
Lishan initially joined five years ago to prepare for his first Ironman and has been involved at every tier of swim classes since. Currently training for his third Ironman, Lishan has completed 15+ triathlons of all distances, is the age-group Provincial Champion in both Olympic and Half-Iron distance triathlons, as well as 2020 Canadian Masters Swim Champion in the 200m Breaststroke! As a strength & conditioning coach, massage therapist, and one of the best athletes around Lishan brings valuable experience to our coaching team and will be working with Stewart on Tuesday evening's this summer. Fun fact - Lishan can out run the wind!
Coach Hannah
Hannah is a former collegiate swimmer specializing in distance freestyle and butterfly. She has a strong coaching background working with swim teams
and triathletes. For the past 5 years Hannah has been coaching open water swimming, surfing and bodysurfing in Costa Rica and Massachusetts,
primarily working with triathletes who have a fear of the open water,
guiding them through relaxation drills and technique work to develop
their confidence. Welcome to Vancouver!
Coach Kira
Kira has been coaching with Stewart for the past four seasons.
Having completed many triathlons in the past, including three Ironmans
(Lake Placid, Florida, Hawaii), Kira changed her focus to swimming and social fun competitions. She completed the Bay Challenge in 2015 - an 11 km swim from West Vancouver to Kits Beach - and has participated in many VOWSA swims and competitions. Keen to bring athletes together with fun social
events, the popular Mini Triathlon series was a Kira idea!
Darian's Swim Journey
From Non-Swimmer to Open Water Triathlete
"3 years ago I came up with the crazy idea of completing a triathlon. There was only one obstacle: I couldn't swim. I had never taken swimming lessons as a kid, and in fact, I was quite scared of the water. Nonetheless, I attempted my first indoor sprint triathlon at UBC in 2017 after watching a bunch of 'youtube tutorials'. Bad idea! I barely made it through the pool swim and it was not a fun experience.
I had heard many great things about Coach Stewart from friends and others in the triathlon community, so, I decided to give him a go! I started with private lessons in 2018 then progressed to group classes and completed levels 1, 2 and 3. In 2019 I started online coaching as it provided more flexibility for my schedule. I liked that all the practices were specifically focused on my needs which allowed me to maximize my time at the pool. I found these structured workouts to be great and I found I made leaps and bounds in terms of technique and physical endurance through this programming.
By early summer 2019 I had gained so much skill and confidence in the pool that I decided to try his open water swim course at Jericho Beach. Then in Sept 2019, I completed my first open water Olympic distance triathlon. I am now training for my first 70.3 Ironman in Mont Tremblant slated for 2021.
For those that don't know Coach Stewart, he is 'THE SWIM COACH' for novices, advanced swimmers and triathletes alike - and for good reason.
He has a patient coaching style that is both calming and encouraging and a great sense of humour which makes your sessions that much more fun! I highly recommend Coach Stewart for both recreational swimmers and advanced competitors!"
Welcome to Swim Smart!
Come in and take a look around. Feel free to get in touch and tell me a little about your current swim ability and goals so we can work out the best option for you to improve. Coach Stewart