Mobile pool returns to rural Georgetown County this summer, creating opportunity for kids to take swim lessons
May 13, 2026
For the second year in a row, kids in rural Georgetown County will have an opportunity to take swim lessons at their local recreation center this summer. The opportunity is free and made possible by a partnership between Georgetown County Parks and Recreation and the YMCA of Coastal Carolina.
The partnership will build a mobile pool and bring the Y’s innovative “Safety Around Water” program to Andrews and Choppee in June. The program offers one week of life-saving, free swim lessons to youth ages 5-15. Registration is free and open through May 30 at gtcparks.org.
The program was offered for the first time in Georgetown County last summer and was hugely successful. 
The mobile pool will be set up at the Andrews Regional Recreation Center from June 1-4 and June 8-11, then move to the Northwest Regional Recreation Center in Choppee from June 15-18 and June 22-25. Participants will be split into two age groups. Kids ages 5 to 9 can register for morning sessions from 9-10:30 a.m. or 10:30-noon. Youth ages 10 to 15 can register for afternoon sessions from 1-2:30 p.m. or 2:30-4 p.m., which will be offered only during the first week of lessons in each area.
The initiative is part of a larger regional effort by the YMCA to reduce drowning rates and teach essential water safety skills in underserved areas.
Georgetown County Parks and Recreation is delighted to have the opportunity to help with that mission, said department director Beth Goodale.
“Water safety is a vital life skill, and every child deserves access to it regardless of where they live,” Goodale said. “Bringing this program back to Andrews and Choppee means kids in our rural communities get the same opportunity to learn how to be safe in and around the water — and that’s exactly the kind of partnership we want to build on.”
The mobile pool is a flexible, fast-setup solution that can be constructed in about two hours and moved just as quickly. The pool also has a rip tide machine to simulate real ocean conditions.
For more information or help with registration, contact Jason Walters at 843-325-6473.
