Catch the Wave Swim Club
Our Story & Mission
Survival & Self-Rescue, Then Swim
At Catch the Wave Swim Club, we believe every child deserves not just to swim—but to feel safe, confident, and empowered in the water. Since 2005, we’ve pioneered a Survival & Self-Rescue curriculum that places real-world safety first: mastering floating, breath control, and safe exits before progressing into strokes and distance.
Our promise is simple: teach skills that last a lifetime. We are the only dedicated survival swim school in our region, and we’re proud that our approach isn’t just about lessons—it’s about creating swimmers who can handle unexpected water moments with ease and confidence.
Our Story
Catch the Wave Swim Club began with a little girl who was afraid of the water.
As a child, our founder survived a near-drowning accident that left her terrified of pools, lakes, and even bath water. For years, she avoided the water’s edge — birthday parties spent on the sidelines, pretending she didn’t mind watching her friends splash and play. Fear became a quiet companion.
Everything changed because of one person: a patient coach who believed she could learn to trust the water again. With compassion, structure, and one tiny victory at a time, Debbie discovered something she never expected. The water that once represented danger became the place she felt most free. The pool became her second home.
Our Story
Fear turned into passion. Passion turned into purpose.
Years later, as a mother, Debbie wanted her own children to grow up confident in the water — not just comfortable, but safe. She enrolled them in early swim lessons, searching for a program that taught true survival skills. Instead, she found inconsistencies, floaties that created false confidence, and lessons that prioritized play over preparedness. Something essential was missing.
So she decided to build what she couldn’t find.
So in 2005, In the back room of her family home, with a small endless-current pool no bigger than a bedroom, Debbie began teaching swim lessons herself. The steady current formed a tiny wave — and with it, the name Catch the Wave was born.
Word spread. Parents saw real progress: calmer swimmers, confident floaters, children who didn’t just move in the water but understood it. Debbie’s approach blended warmth with structure, fun with measurable results. When her home pool couldn’t keep up with demand, she taught wherever she could — hotel pools, community centers, borrowed spaces. The environment never determined the quality; her mission did.
Then came 2008 — the middle of the Great Recession, and the moment that defined Catch the Wave’s future. Faced with losing her teaching location, Debbie made a bold choice. Against the advice of local business leaders, banks, and even friends, she purchased an old dentist’s office in South Beloit and transformed it into a swim school. With support from her father, Charles, her husband, Troy, and an unwavering belief in her purpose, she built the very first Catch the Wave Swim Club.
It didn’t just survive. It thrived.
Today, Catch the Wave is led by Debbie’s sons, Tanner and Brandon Stoffregen, who carry her mission forward through the BraveSwim™ Method — a survival-first, emotionally intelligent curriculum that builds skills, confidence, and resilience that last a lifetime.
Not every Catch the Wave looks the same — some are retrofitted from old buildings, some lease pool time, some are built from the ground up. That’s intentional. It reflects how Debbie began: resourceful, determined, mission-driven. The water may change, but the purpose never does. What defines us isn’t the size of our pool; it’s the depth of our care.
We don’t invest in flashy facilities. We invest in people, safety, and results.
Our model is intentionally simple and efficient — we put resources where they matter most: into exceptional training, skilled instructors, and proven teaching systems. Instead of pouring money into unnecessary extras, we focus on what truly moves the needle for kids. Families choose us because progress is real, measurable, and consistent.
Premium instruction, delivered with smart efficiency — that’s the Catch the Wave difference.
our mission
To build safer swimmers and stronger families through survival-first, confidence-focused swim education that’s accessible, compassionate, and results-driven.
our Vision
A world where every child feels safe, capable, and confident around water — and no family experiences the fear of preventable drowning.
Ready to Make a Safer Swimmer?
Find your nearest Catch the Wave location and start your BraveSwim™ journey today.
frequently asked questions
Who founded Catch the Wave Swim Club?
Catch the Wave Swim Club was founded in 2005 by a former drowning survivor who understood firsthand how fear, confidence, and safety intersect in the water. What began as one mother teaching survival skills in a small home pool grew into a mission-driven swim school built on empathy, structure, and real results. Today, the organization is led by her family and is proud to be a Veteran-Led organization, bringing disciplined leadership and safety-first values into daily operations.
Is Catch the Wave a corporate chain or a local swim school?
Catch the Wave is a growing brand built on local ownership. Each location is independently owned and operated by families who are deeply invested in their community, while following the same survival-first philosophy, safety standards, and teaching principles. This allows us to combine consistency with genuine personal care.
What is the mission behind Catch the Wave Swim Club?
Our mission is to build safer swimmers and stronger families through survival-first, confidence-focused swim education. We believe drowning is preventable, fear can be transformed, and every child deserves to feel capable and calm in the water. Everything we do from curriculum to facilities to coaching philosophy serves that purpose.
What makes Catch the Wave Swim Club different from other swim schools?
Catch the Wave was built on a simple belief: swimming isn’t just a sport – it’s a life skill. While many programs prioritize play or strokes first, we prioritize survival, self-rescue, and confidence before anything else. Our approach blends compassion with structure so children don’t just move in the water they understand it.
Why are some Catch the Wave locations in retrofitted retail or office spaces?
That decision is intentional. Catch the Wave was built to be accessible, not flashy. By transforming existing neighborhood spaces or underutilized pools into swim schools, we bring life-saving education closer to where families actually live. This approach keeps overhead lower and allows us to invest more in coaching, safety, and results.
Why don't Catch the Wave facilities have water park features or luxury amenities?
Because our focus is on safety, skill, and confidence not entertainment. We invest in what directly impacts learning: warm water, small class sizes, and a survival-first teaching approach. Families choose us because progress is real, measurable, and consistent.
What is Open Swim NOT appropriate for?
Catch the Wave may not be the right fit for families seeking casual drop-in swim play, large group recreation-style lessons, or fast-tracked competitive swim training. Our programs prioritize safety, structure, consistency, and emotional readiness over entertainment or hyper technical stroke advancement.
Is Catch the Wave a single corporate-run swim school?
No. Catch the Wave is a locally owned swim school network. Each location is operated by a local ownership team that serves its community directly while adhering to the shared BraveSwim™ curriculum, safety standards, and training systems. This model allows consistency in quality while maintaining local accountability and care.