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    Callan Swim School

    4.4 (242 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 months ago

    Services - Callan Swim School

    Group fitness

    Virtual fitness classes

    Callan Swim School Photos

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    Recommended Reviews - Callan Swim School

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    Tia M.

    Went to see about swim classes and Jess (kind young lady with light blonde hair) was above and beyond. She was so friendly and patient with my kids. She is very knowledgeable about the school and I had several questions, all were answered well. No tour so to speak but we were allowed to go to the restroom and I think there's two stalls and another area is for lockers but we didn't go in that area, son just needed to use the restroom. Its a covered building, not sure by what but it's not a typical building. I think it was for ventilation, wasn't too cold or too warm. The place has one large pool, seemed super crowded but each instructor had two kids and I was told they switch teaching each minute the whole 20 mins. That's for semi private. They also offer private. You can't get in but you can view from the side. Plenty of seating room. Lots of walking space outside the pool. Lots of Disney decor which I realize kids enjoy but we don't enjoy Disney. Personal preference. I didn't count off for that, just stating it as a heads up. Parking was full but by the road there were two spots and it wasn't that far a walk at all. The missing star is because there's not a lot of flexibility on classes in that it's two a week for a month. Friday afternoon and Saturday morning OR same time each Monday Wednesday OR same time each Tuesday Thursdays. That was the why we chose a different school, because we have a very full schedule working in ministry and community outreach, so what we need during this season is more flexibility. This school is $2 less expensive a class and that adds up over time, but for us during this time, it was worth the $2 more. Again Jess was beyond patient and kind and if their schedule works for you, you'll receive great customer care. Oh and they give 15 mins of free swim after class. Other places only give 10 mins. And they have free wifi!

    Positive Reinforcement kept my kid achieving!
    Catherine M.

    When we started, I had no idea how much my son would love this place. I chose Callan because, at 7 years old, my son hated getting water in his face, didn't want to play in the water and still couldn't swim. I was worried about his safety and was sad that he was missing out on the fun other kids were having. Today, my kid swims to the bottom of the pool and doesn't want to get out of the water! He's passed all of the 8 levels and knows all 4 swim strokes! He has developed a love for swimming and I couldn't be happier! He has done so well, we are moving on to a swim team! We will definitely miss coming here and will miss the staff here too! Shout out to Silvia and Larissa for all their help!

    Jeff teaching our son
    Janessa S.

    I have had nothing but positive experiences with Callan Swim School! A skill like learning to swim is such an important decision, especially living in San Diego! After looking at all the local options, Callan was the easy choice.They have a no fear based approach that allows kids to be completely comfortable in the water, and learn to swim. While not an overnight process, it has made our 3.5 year old the smoothest swimmer with no fear or tension. I won't be surprised if our daughter is swimming across the pool at 2. Like every other activity for kids, Callan has their own set policies. They are very upfront with them, and give you a copy as well as have you sign (acknowledgment that you have read and understand them). I don't think any of their policies are unfair. One makeup is great, and you are able to use it at any point, as long as there is a time spot available. After you've used your makeup, you can pull your child off the schedule if you don't want to lose a lesson with no penalty. The facility is always spotless, and is completely sanitized during the lunch break (we've had the first class in the afternoon, so see it being cleaned when early). The pool is always clear (which can't be said for some other local pools, yuck). Both my kids are obsessed with the mural on the floor. And finally, parking is super convenient Okay, now to the actual lessons! We started our son in lessons with Brett, who is a fantastic instructor and has such a great way with kids who are hesitant with the water. Due to a scheduling issue on our end, we had to switch to Larissa's schedule, who was/is just as great. She makes lessons fun, but doesn't make the lesson just 'play time'. She will have our daughter swimming on her own in no time. We were able to get a coordinating time to start our daughter with lessons right after her first birthday. Our son switched instructors (to Jeff) so our daughter could be with Larissa. Jeff is awesome and our son loves him. He's firm, while still being fun and playful. Both kids LOVE swim days, and have excelled. We've had a handful of other instructors due to coming in at different times for either makeups or lesson time changes, and have not had a single negative experience. I think it's so important for kids to be able to handle a bit of change, and different instructors have different personalities and offer different perspectives.

    Megan B.

    We enrolled our son at Callan with Ms Larissa @6 months old. She is very personable, attentive to our sons needs and makes us feel safe as parents. She knows her stuff to get your kid swimming + comfortable in the water! She has trained other swim coach's with our son, and we feel 100% confident in her ability to both teach our son and her staff. The other swim instructors are very friendly and always say hi to our son too. Our little guy is able to sit on the side of the pool and "jump" in, goes underwater and loves going to swim 2x/week. Because of covid, lessons are 1:1 with 15 minutes packed with nonstop swim time. Coaches wear masks, kids do not while swimming (obviously). It feels safe, and we frequently see staff cleaning. Thanks, Larissa!

    A happy little swimmer and her mama!

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    I enjoyed bringing my 6 month old here very much, I was so impressed with how much she was able to learn at such a young age!

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - Callan Swim School

    Good evening will school be open tomorrow for the Columbus Day holiday?

    I’m sorry I just saw this. Yes we will be open to tomorrow.

    How many parents can go to the lesson?

    Hello both parents can attend.

    I know all kids are slightly different, but roughly how many lessons does it take before a 5 year old can swim with confidence, without assistance or a parent's fear of them drowning?

    Hello, There are so many factors involved with children. Typically kids that are already very comfortable with their face in the water and can hold their progress relatively… Read more

    To see the facility, can we drop in at anytime?

    Yes, anytime during open hours.

    For a 16month old, would it be parent and me class?

    You can swim with them or you can have the instructors swim with your child

    View All 8 Questions

    Review Highlights - Callan Swim School

    ..in all my years and many lessons going to MCSS I think I have had to park at the 'farther' lot maybe 3 times

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Kilmer's Swim Time - "what's this toy I have here, can you see it??" (Trying to get him comfortable with his head under water)

    Kilmer's Swim Time

    4.9(38 reviews)
    7.0 mi
    Established in 1997
    Free estimates

    I wish I had found Lori SO MUCH sooner. Our kids are 8,6&3.5 and all were not able to swim. Lori is…read moreso incredible with each one of them. She makes everything into a game & the kids are having so much fun when it's their turn. She is so incredible with the kids - she is fun & silly & also challenges them the perfect amount. They can't wait to come back & my 3.5 year old cries when we leave. As someone with a background in education, I can tell how much skill & experience she has (she has 50 yrs of teaching experience) in everything she does with them that looks so natural but she's doing everything for a specific reason to get them closer to being proficient swimmers. We had previously only done a local ISR 2 week class with our oldest when they were very little but it was very traumatic for me & I didn't want to go back. I'm so thankful they can learn now in such a fun & effective way! I'm telling all my friends -- run don't walk to these swim lessons!!

    I'm so glad I found Lori here on Yelp! My 3 yr old took…read moregroup swim lessons in 2023 with a different company, and there was NO way I was doing that again this year. I had been looking for a one-on-one lesson. Kilmers Swim Time, taught by Lori Kilmer sounded just like what I had been searching for. I called her and booked lesson throughout the next 2.5 months to start. My son, who's about to turn 4 yr old has had 5, 30 minute swim lessons now. He started off shy and quiet. Not sure of this new place and person. But with each lesson he has opened up more and learned SO much! Lori has toys on the side of the pool she uses to keep the kids interested and focused in their lesson. She's so good with kids! Her style of teaching has my easily distracted kiddo focused and engaged the WHOLE lesson. It's impressive! Having my son, who is comfortable in water, but did not know how to swim, have one-on-one lessons is so much less stressful. With group lessons with a different company last year I was so paranoid of him going under the water and no one noticing, since they'd be working with a different kid and have their back to the kids who were waiting for their turn. I highly recommend you talk to Lori and give Kilmer's Swim Time a chance! She's very knowledgeable and has decades of experience!

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    Kilmer's Swim Time - Untitled

    Untitled

    Kilmer's Swim Time - One of my second generation swimmers. Just love this little one, especially since he is my "grand Nephew" lol

    One of my second generation swimmers. Just love this little one, especially since he is my "grand Nephew" lol

    Kilmer's Swim Time

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    Inland Coastal Aquatic Club

    Inland Coastal Aquatic Club

    5.0(1 review)
    1.3 mi

    This swim club was the most awesome find for us this year! This swim club is based at the Palomar…read morecollege pool. My 6yr old son started with their summer individual swim lessons. These swim lessons are taught by ICAC's most seasoned competitive swimmers. Each session is 2 weeks long, Mon- Thurs for 30 minutes of private instructions. The cost was $140 per each 2-week long session. My son loved these lessons from the very first. He was always fearful of water. I tried having him take group lessons before but he did not care for those. I am so glad we switched to ICAC. From not being able to swim even for 5 secs to completely swimming the length of an Olympic size pool took 6 weeks. After the end of the summer, he tried out and even made the swim team! He has been on the teal swim team (beginners) for about 2 months now. He is able to swim multiple laps (200m). They do all kinds of fun swim related activities during practice such as practicing their dives from the diving board and from the side of the pool. They play swim games with toys and pretend they are sharks and minnows. What a fantastic opportunity to gain confidence in his ability to swim. He is quite fearless now about being in the water and we owe it all to ICAC! Plus head coach and ICAC founder, Scott, is so nice and very dedicated. I see him all the time at the pool. The other coaches are the same.

    From the owner: Swim lessons are offered at our facility.read more

    Swim Synergy - Our students are proud over achievers.

    Swim Synergy

    5.0(47 reviews)
    6.8 mi

    Hands down, the best one on one swim lessons! I had tried may different "franchise"/local swim…read moreschools and nothing seemed to help my girls learn. But I committed to the 10 week program this past fall and within the first week I knew this was going to be worth my time and money! Lauren and Krista are both amazing at what they do and not once did they let our girls give up. They do this because they are passionate about teaching kids how to swim and survive! I can't recommend them enough! I'm already looking forward to the short refreshers they offer closer to summer time! FYI the pools are heated and even if it's cold outside, the kids will not be freezing in the pools!

    We've had our children take lessons with Krista at Swim Synergy for the past two summers, and I…read morecan't recommend her enough. We relocated from San Francisco to San Diego and moved into a home with a pool, so making sure our kids were safe around water was one of my top priorities. I actually scheduled swim lessons for our daughter, Emmy, with Krista before we even moved here! Emmy started lessons when she was 2, continued again the next summer at 3, and this past summer our son Hayes joined in at just 1.5 years old. Krista has such a gift with young children -- she's patient (yet firm), calm, and knows exactly how to make them feel comfortable and confident in the water. We've seen incredible progress each summer. Both kids have not only learned essential water safety skills, but they also love being in the pool now. The peace of mind knowing my young children are safe around water is truly priceless, and it makes living in Southern California (and being around so much water) so much less stressful. Swim Synergy has been such a wonderful experience for our family, and we're already looking forward to lessons again next summer!

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    Swim Synergy - One-on-one customized swim instruction

    One-on-one customized swim instruction

    Swim Synergy - Ms. Nikki is the best

    Ms. Nikki is the best

    Swim Synergy - A very sweet and confident little swimmer.

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    A very sweet and confident little swimmer.

    iSwimin10 - Brande with my 3 children on the last day of the intensive swim course :)

    iSwimin10

    5.0(127 reviews)
    2.1 mi

    Like the other reviews have said, I have nothing but rave reviews for Coach Brande and her ability…read moreto get kids to quickly get comfortable in the water and ready to swim! Coach Brande is direct and makes it the goal of her quick and efficient lessons: the kid will learn to swim. Both my kids are perhaps on the "older" side in regards to learning how to swim (8 and 10), one being extremely terrified of the floating feeling. By the end of our session, both of my kids are confident in breathing while keeping their head underwater and swimming. I managed to get Coach Brande's info from parents at my local elementary school and will continue to do the same by passing this along to any other parents looking to get their child(ren) water safety ready. Now: do they offer an adult version of this?????

    Wish I could give a 100 stars! I was so happy I was able to get a spot this summer coz the classes…read moreget filled up fast. We had an amazing experience with Coach Brande. Before starting the swim class, my 6 yr old son would cry whenever his face got under water. But Day of 1 of swim class, he couldn't stop saying how much he loved Coach Brande & wished he could be in the swim class forever. Just 2nd day of swim class, he was floating a bit by himself with his face under the water. By 3rd day, he was diving under water to get the rings on the floor of the pool. Coach Brande's skills in teaching kids how to swim is so effective and she makes it fun for the kids too. I am so thankful for her teaching my kid a life-saving skill.

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    iSwimin10 - 3rd maintenance session with Coach Luke after finishing the 2-week immersion method of Coach Brande. My son swam end to end of the pool

    3rd maintenance session with Coach Luke after finishing the 2-week immersion method of Coach Brande. My son swam end to end of the pool

    iSwimin10

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    Callan Swim School - swimminglessons - Updated May 2026

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