The sound of swimmers diving filled the pool room at the YMCA as parents cheered on the Riptides – all while deftly dodging splashes of water.

On Dec. 12, The Gleason Family YMCA’s competitive swim team, the Riptides, hosted a duel meet against the Sea Lions, a team based at the East Side/Mt. Hope YMCA, which is located in Providence, Rhode Island.

Danielle Gilmore, the Wareham Y’s aquatic coordinator, said the swim season lasts from September through March. When the swimmers aren’t busy training, they’re competing against other YMCA-based teams.

The Riptides have about 60 participants, 42 of whom were present for the meet on Saturday. Half of the swimmers in attendance were from Wareham, and the rest were from around the region.

“The kids usually swim about four events. They’ll swim two individual and two relays typically,” said Gilmore.

Winthrop Dyer, who has been coaching the team for four years, said meets and invitationals will prepare the team to compete in the 2016 YMCA New England Region Swim Championship. For a team member to qualify, he or she will have to beat a qualifying time during the season.

“This is just conditioning,” said Dyer. “During Christmas break, we start training. Getting them to swim is easy. Getting them to swim fast is the trick.”

The Riptides and the Sea Lions had 87 heats on Saturday. Each heat had its own objective, tasking participants to swim in a specific style or work together in a relay race. Teams were broken up into age groups: 8 and under, 9-12 and 13 and up.

“It’s the only sport where you have boys and girls, six to eighteen, on the same team. That’s why swimming is great for socialization,” said Dyer.

Tyler Karo, 12, a resident of Marion, said he shaved four seconds off his 50-yard butterfly time during the meet.

Karo said the hardest part of the sport is all the practice required. He said training involves plenty of drills, practice relays, diving and swimming.

“You can go every day of the week, but you should go at least three times a week. Last year, I did one hour of swimming. But this year, I do one and half hours,” Karo said.

“It’s a good sport that I’ve enjoyed for the past couple of years,” he added. “I’ve met a lot of people here.”

Dyer said the next home meet is on Jan. 23 against the Cape Cod YMCA.