The Richmond-based Oceanus Synchro Team has joined forces with Vancouver Pacific Wave (VPW) Synchronized Swimming Team to offer a wider variety of participation levels to athletes.

VPW prides itself in offering programs for all levels of swimmers from beginners and recreational swimmers, all the way up to nationally-ranked high performance competitors.

Synchronized swimming is perhaps the best all-round development sport available today for girls and young women, combining athletic prowess in femininely graceful movements together with a full range of musical appreciation and choreography.

Synchro develops the flexibility of a gymnast, the endurance of a long distance runner, the strength of a competitive swimmer and the grace of a dancer.

The body movements of synchronized swimming require the training of nearly every muscle in the body to a fine edge, without creating any distorting overdevelopment.

The flexibility and extension of a gymnast is essential for top performance, while the swimming of a routine normally requires the strength and endurance of a good middle distance swimmer.

A girl's imagination can be given free reign in developing impressive combinations of movements for her routine, while her sense of musical rhythm and timing is trained sharply to obtain the desired synchronization effects.

More facts about synchronized swimming:

-Synchronized swimmers cannot touch the bottom of the pool during a routine. It is against the rules, and a severe two-point deduction will be given if they do.

-The water is a minimum of nine feet deep; they must skilfully use eggbeater and whip kick to stay as high above the water as possible.

-Synchronized swimmers swim without goggles, with their eyes open underwater. By seeing their teammates underwater, they make corrections to alignment and set-up for specific moves in their routine.

-Synchronized swimmers can hear the music underwater through underwater speakers.

-Of all the pieces of equipment, the nose plug is most important, for when the synchronized swimmers do their underwater routines, frequently upside down, it keeps water out of the nose.

VPW will be offering synchronized swimming lessons starting Sunday, January 9th at 6pm at Watermania in Richmond.

For more information contact 604-216-7444 or check the club website at vpw.bc.ca.