Swimming
Competition
Lifesaving
Fitness
Community
More than just a swim school …. we save lives!
Beginning with a dive
The Pacific Lifesaving Club is a Vancouver-based aquatic club committed to providing professional yet personable coaching for existing and aspiring swimmers, lifeguards and instructors. We provide community, a sense of belonging and worth, adventure and hope!
Our Story
Founded in 2014 by professional coach and dad, the Pacific Swim Academy (“PSA”) started as a family program dedicated to helping his three children obtain quality coaching to help develop as athletes and people.
The program gres significantly over the last ten years, taking on a greater mandate – operating in the city of Vancouver but serving children and families all over BC/Canada. In 2020 the Academy started the Pacific Lifesaving Club (“PLC”) as the first community based Lifesaving Sport Club in BC. It’s a community of like minded families seeking a supportive environment for their children to stay healthy & happy, to learn and grow.
Our Values
We believe all children are worthy of our time and attention. By striving for excellence in a challenging but supportive environment we can all learn valuable life lessons. It’s about saving lives … in more ways than one!
“With all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength”. But also, “Treat all children as your own”!
These are our guiding principles.
We provide our members with a comprehensive and integrated path to become a fully qualified lifeguard.
From swimming skill development, livesaving sport competitions and first aid, to watercraft and open water swimming, the Pacific Lifesaving Club is about all things related to lifesaving. We provide our members with a comprehensive and integrated path to become a fully qualified lifeguard and/or instructors.
We work in conjunction with the city of Vancouver and the Royal Life Saving Society to ensure our swimmers successfully qualify as instructors and guards.
Our programs provide swimmers with all the skills and training they will need to become the most qualified and fit lifeguards and instructors. We also provide existing guards a means to build fitness, strength, confidence and skills.
OUR COACHES
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PHIL SKINDER
HEAD COACH AND FOUNDER
Phil Skinder has been a competitive swimmer and/or coach for over 30 years. He has a BSc in Biochemistry, an MA in Education (exercise physiology) is a graduate of the National Coaching Institute (NCCP Level 4) and a member of the Canadian Swimming Coaches & Teachers Association (CSCTA).
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ANNA-MARIE SKINDER
DIRECTOR OF PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
Anna-Marie has been swimming competitively for over a decade, participating in both summer and winter swim clubs. She is also a lifesaving sport athlete and competed at the Lifesaving Commonwealth Championships in September 2023.
Anna started coaching 9 years ago as a volunteer coach and since 2020, she has taken the role as lead coach. Anna has a huge passion for coaching and teaching, and she loves seeing her students improving and having fun!
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ABIGAIL SKINDER
HEAD COACH AND FOUNDER
Abigail is a nationally ranked age group swimmer and international lifesaving sport athlete. She is a Canadian record holder in the Superlifesaver event and has won a bronze medal for Canada at the recent Commonwealth Championships.
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JOSEPH SKINDER
HEAD COACH AND FOUNDER
Joseph Skinder is a senior coach with over 5 years of coaching experience. He has been swimming competitively for over 10 years and has been a PSA member since the startup of the club. Joseph started lifesaving sport 4 years ago alongside his two sisters and has attended 3 national competitions and 1 international competition. Joseph was part of the award winning lifeguard rescue team at the Barnsley Championships in July of 2024. He specializes in breaststroke and freestyle in the pool, and prone paddleboarding in the ocean. Joseph’s goal is to teach swimmers how to swim better while having fun!
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NOAH MACDONALD
Noah has over 5 years of coaching experience and is a certified lifeguard and competitive swimmer. He is passionate about helping his swimmers improve while ensuring they have lots of fun along the way.
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IAN WICKEN
Fitness
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Healthy
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Skillful
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Focused
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Commited
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Purposeful
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Careful
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Professional
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Organized
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Knowledgeable
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Team Player
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Kind
Fitness 〰️ Healthy 〰️ Skillful 〰️ Focused 〰️ Commited 〰️ Purposeful 〰️ Careful 〰️ Professional 〰️ Organized 〰️ Knowledgeable 〰️ Team Player 〰️ Kind
WORDS FROM HIGHER UP
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PSA/PLC has taught our children skills, attitudes and values that are no longer being taught inschools. All three are now leaders, instructors, competitors and certified lifeguards throughPSA/PLC.
PLC parent
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My son had terrible experience with community center swim lesson, afraid of water after thatexperience. However PSA was the perfect environment for him to start learning again as manyyoung coaches are available in the water to support and now he is enjoying swimming everyweek. Now we've met so many nice families while kids are swimming and it became a greatcommunity.
Jamie Kokot
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PSA offers so much more than 'learn to swim' Phil's expertise and passion for swimming andcommunity is palpable. It encourges the kids to be the very best they can be, both in and outof the pool. He inspries the young ones inviting them to be coaches which in turn builds uptheir self esteem and willingness to participate. They really feel part of something bigger thanthemselves
Lindsey Beumer
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The coaching is superior! Although Coach Phil has numerous students in a class, he is stillsomehow able to give specific one on one instruction to the stident. He really watches,asseses and instructs/demonstrates skills feedback. I also love how Coach Phil has mentoredthe older students into leaders with their coaching assistant roles. This gives parents addedconfidence in the quality of instruction and safety in the water, because the teacher studentratio feels more one on one ,because of the assistant coaches in the water with our kids. It.Also develops impressive leadership skills in the assistant coaches.
Keith Finley
