As an adult, I did not know how to swim when I first started taking private lessons in the swim studio on Elston. Keeping the water at 90 degrees, helped to take away the discomfort of cold water, so that I could just concentrate on learning to swim. I've worked with two instructors at the CBD, and both are great at understanding the psychological fears associated with starting as an adult and working at your own pace--especially Zach! It's been about 6 months, and I've gone from being afraid to free float in the water, to being able to do the elementary breaststroke, backstroke, and freestyle! read more

This is a great swim school, especially for children who are afraid of the water. The pools are perfect for my 6 year old who is getting more and more comfortable in the water every lesson. I love how they offer private lessons because group lessons were too overwhelming for my daughter. CBD also has multiple coaches trained in Swim Angelfish's Swim Whisperers method which has really made a difference in my daughter's comfort level. read more

Background: Adult beginner (emphasis on beginner when it comes to swimming) with the intention of competing in my first Triathlon. Please learn from my mistake and don't waste your time (and money) with swimming lessons at the local YMCA. I learned more in my first lesson here than in 5 lessons at the Y. Chicago Blue Dolphins teaches a hybrid of the Total Immersion program. The instructors are exceptional and provide step-by-step drill based instruction with excellent 1 on 1 feedback. If you're serious about learning how to swim or teaching your children how to swim, this is where to go. I don't give out 5 stars easily (and may consider knocking off half a star for the men's locker room having a broken shower for 4 weeks) but I still consider CBD as good as it gets for adult swim instruction. UPDATE: The shower is fixed! read more

I am trying to write the most comprehensive review of the program that I possibly can, and to be fair with it. I am stating fully from the beginning that I was a college swimmer, have been a swim coach of two masters programs within the Chicagoland area, have been an age group coach with 2 programs within the area- and am a self proclaimed swimming-loving masters swimmer. I feel that Chicago Blue Dolphins is a great platform for someone looking to get incredibly average workouts. If you are the sort of person who learns to use a computer through "such and such for dummies," then this program is perfect. The workouts offer little to no variety, the coaching offers technique tips that can be read in a Total (generic) Immersion Swimming book or found on the forums of http://slowtwitch.com or other triathlete websites. Chicago Blue Dolphins has an excellent pool location and time offerings, which make it a monopolizing sell for many triathletes and masters swimmers looking to keep a fitness edge. From my personal experience, the program offered just that for me- fitness and nothing more. Incredibly high prices pay for the pool time and location, but I never left feeling that my workout was worth the money. There were great people to train with on the 'team' but, for so much money I would like more bang for my buck. When it got to the point that on Monday's we could guess the workout within a few minor changes, Wednesdays we would go into autopilot and "know" what the workout was I knew it was time for me to leave. After about 18 months with the team, I opted to join another masters team in the area (I am not going to say who as I am not trying to recruit for them but give an honest opinion) with about 7 other members of the team. The change has been refreshing, and very kind to my wallet as compared to CBD. As a final- if you are looking to get convenient times in and pay for it- CBD offers a great service. If you are looking to achieve high levels of success in your training and possibly competitions look elsewhere. I know plenty of non swimmers who have shared the same opinion and made the move with me. Second to last- the private lessons in the 12x12 current based pool seem a bit crazy to me. Its nice to get a video of your stroke and watch yourself underwater swim with a mirror, but the correlation of current (endless pool swimming) to real swimming is little to none. The US Olympic training center pioneered the "flume" as a tool to teach technique. After top swimmers saw a decrease in success after using this space-saving option- the thing has since been filled and never used again! Finally- customer service... whats that? read more

I nearly drowned when I was four. That feeling of water filling my lungs, chocking me to breathlessness, staid with me throughout my life even though I cannot remember the actual event of drowning. I have been taking different type of swim lessons for over ten years and I still never felt comfortable being in the water. I learned how to swim backstroke years ago, but any attempt of facing water would bring back traumatic memories. The idea of going to pools or beaches brought discomfort. I took classes with Katie from level 1 (total beginner) to level 3 (mastering stroke) and continued with Zach (who is great), as Katie is no longer with the club. It is unfortunate that they could not keep her, as she is absolutely amazing. She could relate to kids and adults very well and was explaining to someone who is very picky about words, how things work and what needs to be done very successfully. She is greatly missed. The other instructors are very nice, very patient and professional too. What makes this school different from the others (and I have been in four so far, one of which is in Australia and that one was also fabulous) is that they use different teaching methodology. Classes (group of three students in average) are very well structured, there are goals to be achieved for each level and the instructors demonstrate correct moves and design drills that would dissect the steps to be repeated individually until strokes can be put together. And what I love about them is that each time we do something new they ask "So, how did that feel?" and then we reflect, talk about it, repeat etc. This is key for me as even though my body might be strong and may be doing what needs to be done, unless it clicks in my mind no progress can really be made. And it has been clicking, yes...I have been feeling it. The program is worth the money spent. They also give points (they have some sort of Perkville program and for each lesson one gets 5 points) so for my 3 levels, I have accumulated 1 month worth of group lessons, so that is nice. Finally, I still have fear, but I think I have learned how to live with it, and I trust my self little more; each time I come for a lesson it gets better and I get more confident. I take classes at a public school location, as that is convenient, but I do not shower there, so for someone who does not live nearby that might be a little problem. Showers need curtains and not all showerheads work, but that should be addressed by the school, I suppose. I have been excited about going to the pool and for me that is the biggest success. Water is slowly becoming a friend. read more

the 3 y.o boy and his besty have attended spring and summer sessions and it's gone very well. The classes are kept small (no more than six) so attention can be paid to each little one. The "pool" is very small but at this age, you really don't need anything more, and frankly temp and environment trump size, so it works. We are holding off on Fall classes, possibly resume in Winter and defo the spring. Fitz, the guy who runs CBD (and actively participates in the teaching sessions) is great and has a solid understanding about how to teach a child this age the fun of learning to swim. read more

When I started my journey doing triathlon, swimming is my biggest problem. I decided to enroll to their program for basic swim lessons and boy, that's where my confidence started to boost. Focused on improving my form to lessen the drag (from hand to foot). Next is balancing my strokes, making each one effective and efficient for long swims and help me breathe better on both sides. These are just a couple of things that Coach Fritz, himself, pointed out to me AND helped me improved thru his programs. Very helpful and detailed coach. I must say, he is a big factor with regards to my swim improvement. read more

I always knew that Chicago Blue Dolphins was overpriced. As a former swimmer, I also recognized that I wasn't getting quality instruction. I kept putting up with it, however, because CBD holds you hostage with a great location and desirable pool time. It took me leaving and joining a new Master's team, however, to see how poorly CBD was actually run. For starters, don't be wooed in by the head coach's "coach of the year" designation, which he touts on the website. Chances are, you won't see the "head coach" at any of the workouts. He hires young, inexperienced college kids who need a job (they're nice, but they don't have any real experience), to stand there and read off the workout that he's emailed to them. Most days, they just hand you the workout and you're basically on your own. On the off chance that you do get a coach that knows what they're doing, they either get fed up and leave, or they try to modify the workouts to be meaningful, which is seen as a challenge to authority, and they'll probably be fired. It seems that the coach spends most of his time working with the little kids in his lesson programs-- which is great if you're a little kid. Next, there are the workouts themselves. If you love endless combinations of the same exact thing (200's IM and 300's free are favorites), you're in for a treat. If you enjoy variety and creativity, than CBD isn't the place for you. There's also a decent amount of drill work, but it's the same 2 or 3 drills, and nobody explains to you what the drill is supposed to be doing-- nor do they correct you if you're doing it wrong. I find that it sort of defeats the purpose of drilling. Finally, there's the price. The only thing that can possibly justify the exorbitant cost is the pool location-- let's face it, it's hard to find pool time in downtown Chicago. Other than that, I can't possibly imagine why CBD is so expensive. The team I'm on now costs a fraction (a small fraction) of the price, and I get a lot more bang for my buck. In a nutshell, if you want an average workout, or if you already know how to swim and are looking for some pool time/folks to swim with, CBD is probably an okay bet. If you are a swimming beginner, if you're interested in developing your stroke, or if you want more than an opportunity to pound out some generically prescribed yards, keep looking. read more

My wife and I wanted to get our 2 year old ready for our summer trip to the east coast, where we spend every day at the beach. We chose Chicago Blue Dolphins and signed up. Most of our classes were almost personal sessions due to the fact that (apparently) most kids are napping during our timeslot (noon). Coach Cassie was great, and very patient with our sometimes-distracted girl. She took us from barely being able to get in the water to doing 3 or 4 second underwater glides. We had a fantastic time, and were fairly sad we had to stop. Our daughter made it through the summer swimming (assisted, of course) like a champ. With winter approaching, we decided to take a break until next spring. CBD were also very understanding when we had to cancel due to illness a few times. It was always "oh, ok, no problem. We'll credit your account. See you next week". All in all I have nothing bad to say about them. If you have a toddler that you want to get started swimming, this is a good place. read more

Amazing training for my high school aged daughter. They helped her with her stroke and turns. She is so glad she went. Thank you!

Learning how to swim as an adult could be quite daunting, but my swim instructor, Victoria, is Godsend. Her help is invaluable and she makes me look forward to the next class. read more

Great session.... The one on one is great way to get some points... I am new to swimming (6 months) and hope to take lessons learned to improve... Already signed up for a follow up.... The video is great.... I wish I could get a copy of it for review,,, read more

I have such an ambivalent opinion about Chicago blue Dolphins. I originally purchased the Groupon for my two children to take swimming lessons there. I was very excited that it was walking distance from my house and the water temperature was bathwater warm. This was helpful to encourage my children to get excited about swimming. Then the construction started and the swim studio closed. I was not interested in taking classes at other pool locations because the reason that I picked CBD was because of its proximity to my house and the water temperature of the pool. Their customer service was prompt and they refunded the remaining credits to my credit card. Terrific. When the swim studio open back up in January I was excited to send my kids back to swimming classes. They were excited too because they remember how much fun it was last time. My four-year-old is doing great. We will stick with the classes there for him because he is getting very good one-on-one attention from his instructor. We are canceling our classes for my three-year-old because it is still the group-parents-in the-water-class and he is too old for that. I know they want the children to be very comfortable in the water but this kid has been in the water since he was six months old. It's time to learn to do some other stuff besides singing songs in the water. I can't get mad at them though because when I called the studio to cancel his classes, they said that either we could apply the credit towards my other son's classes or he would refund my credit card. I can't complain about customer service like that. If only they allowed for more autonomy at a younger age, we would definitely still be there for both boys. read more

Kordian is awesome. For context, I just learned to swim ~2.5 yrs ago in order to do my first triathlon. I tried just taking tips from others and working really hard - which got me through a half-ironman and a few sprints and olympics, but I have always been bottom 10% of my age group swimming and have always felt like I am still "not getting it". I have only had 3 private lessons because my travel schedule for work is always hectic, but every time I have a lesson he makes major form corrections. I can't comment on how others view the masters classes. For someone who is a beginner, having the mirror to understand what you are doing / seeing what you are doing wrong is priceless. Swimming is so counterintuitive to newbies (proprioception? huh? I clearly have NONE) that comments that make sense to swimmers are still baffling to me at times. I only wish I could take that mirror with me and have that constant feedback always! read more

Coach Fitz is amazing with children!! So this is an update to my first review which only gave 3 stars because of the temp of the water. After going to another class, my daughter's swim performance and experience seems to have improved. If you have your child in a wetsuit as recommended, I noticed she has done so much better. As for the training, I cannot say enough wonderful things about them. Great place to recommend for toddlers to learn swimming! read more

Took adult group lessons here a few years ago! Coach Fitz was great! He helped me be able to feel more balanced and breathe on both sides instead of just my right only. I will mention that we had a sub one week and he kind of repeated the lesson we had the week before and rushed through it. Also, there a lady in our group that had some kind of nerve issue that made her panic. The sub was nice about it, but they spent way too much of our group lesson time addressing her problem. That could've been easily addressed more later, or we should've been able to extend our lesson a bit because of that. Overall I'm very happy with this place and would come back for more lessons! read more

We love CBD!! My 2 year old LOVES his class and Coach Anna is amazing with him! He was afraid of the bath before and now, he's a little water lover! They are also great at working with you to make up classes if you miss any. Awesome all around!! read more

We have been going here for lesson for three months and it has been a very positive experience. My kids love the warm water and Coach Fitz - their swimming skills really seems to be improving. read more

Our son has been going to Chicago Blue Dolphins for 3 months now and he absolutely loves it! First I must share that he was terrified of going into a big pool prior to these lessons. We attempted lessons when he was 4, 5 and 6...unsuccessfully. It helped that someone had told me that the pool they teach in is small, so when I explained that the pool was smaller than our backyard, our son's fear lessened a bit and he was willing to try it. It also helped that the teacher he got, Hannah, spoke a 7 yr old's language, made him laugh, all of which eased his fear and anxiety. He's had other teachers besides Hannah, and they've all been great. The office is very responsive, and they're taking every COVID precaution. He's a confident swimmer now. Highly recommend. read more

Their approach to improving stroke mechanics is great. Each part of the stroke is broken down and explained in digestible pieces which can then be refined. The immediate feedback of working in an endless pool with cameras is also very helpful. Finally the instruction (Coach M.G.) is great. Very thorough, clear, and patient. Great experience so far. read more

Fitz (the owner) is awesome. He took a guy who couldn't swim for more than 3 seconds without stopping to swimming a mile in just 10 private lessons. It changed my life, now I seek out swimming environments instead of avoiding. Friendly environment, great use of video technology to critique your stroke. I highly recommend. read more

Coach Fitz and his team are fantastic. He gives personalized attention to all the toddlers in the class. He makes the class fun for the kids and engaging to the parents. We really enjoy taking our son here and highly recommend Blue DolphIns! read more

Fitz is a patient, detail oriented coach who knows what the heck he's doing. Time in the pool with him is super useful, any lack of progress was on me as i didn't practice as much as I could have. read more

Awesome place my daughter has been attending classes their since she was a toddler and really loves swimmming and the instruction there, I would recommend all parents to consider Chicago Blue Dolphin for their children swimming classes read more

Incredibly helpful customer service associates and great instruction. Both times I've needed help (first with learning freestyle, and now with refining my skill set) I've been impressed with how well Chicago Blue Dolphins delivers the training and the overall customer experience. Can't recommend this place highly enough! read more

We loved the ease and convenience of the whole process: from signing up to entering the pool. The small class size is definitely a huge plus as well. And our instructor, coach Margaret, was so welcoming and caring, that our shy 2 year old went right into her arms without looking back. Very pleased with the 1st experience and we hope it will continue to be as pleasant! Thank you Blue Dolphin!! read more

My kid was water-phobic at 6 YO, and no previous swim instruction. Seven months later, with a very sporadic schedule on our end, he's so comfortable in water! He loves it, and even has some technique. read more

I cannot say enough about Chicago blue dolphins. I went from not being able to swim at all at the beginning of the year in January 2017 to now it is May 2017 and I am able to swim laps in a standard sized gym pool. I will certainly sign up for more classes to improve my technique. I do not regret the decision to start classes here, and it is definitely worth the time and money. It is a great investment in yourself. The instructors and all the staff are amazing and super frienfly and as helpful as can be. Money well spent. read more

I had my first session with my swimming coach yesterday and I was very happy with the progress. The instruction is thorough, the coaches are patient and the session is specifically tailored to my level of swimming and level of comfort. The facility is clean, and the water is very comfortable and I believe anyone who goes there would benefit by the lessons. read more

I took CBD's 4 week total immersion swim course because I'm doing a triathlon at the end of August. The swim is definitely my weakest part, so I wanted to be better at it. I like CBD because they started off with an evaluation, told me the best spot to start, and during class they broke down how to swim. Each week we practiced certain techniques that when combined together it's efficient swimming. They are really supportive and worth the time and money to become a better swimmer! read more

I've had a great experience here. I've taken private (one on one) lessons so my review is on that and not the group classes which I have no experience. Prior to coming in, I knew the basics of swimming but struggled with the breathing aspect. I could barely swim the length of the pool without huffing and puffing afterwards. Not only did they help fix that, they refined my stroke to the point I now can swim for laps on end without really getting tired. A couple years ago I did my first sprint tri, struggling mightily throughout the very short swim (440 yds). But after taking these private lessons, I was able to complete my first Ironman (4400 yds) just over a year later. Not only that but the swim was my favorite part! I apologize if this sounds too much like an infomercial, it's just that I think back to that tri and wanting to give up swimming altogether and now to enjoy it so much seems unbelievable to me. But the thing I will tell you is you need to practice between your lessons. I spent the winter in the pool and it helped to work on what I had learned in the lessons. I'd also like to say that they use a swimming technique called Total Immersion. It's a style that enforces swimming easy and relaxed. If you stick with it, you'll eventually find swimming enjoyable. I'd recommend reading up on the technique online and/or reading the Total Immersion book you can find at bookstores. It helped me understand what the lessons were trying to achieve (the swimming relaxed thing). Plus it's an easy read and there are some interesting stories in there as well. They use video analysis which is great because you can understand what they're trying to correct when needed. What else can I tell you? There's street parking there, it's a little harder to get to with public trans. Oh, I've used two instructors there: Jim and Ella. Both were great and extremely patient with me as listening to and employing the lessons was harder than I expected. read more

Instructors are good, timings are flexible, rates are fine, pool is clean. Toilets are not very clean if you come later towards the day. Please have cleaning services come in twice a day CBD ! read more

Fabulous coaches. Warm pools But kids love it and so do I Comfortable space for kids and parents Friendly and caring read more

I've only taken one private lesson so far, and I feel like I already understand what to do to swim. I probably need just one more lesson before I have swimming completely figured out. Prior to my private lesson here, I wasn't sure I'd ever learn to swim because I unsuccessfully completed group swimming lessons elsewhere. The mirrored pool and video playback of your form in the water is really helpful for helping you see how you need to move. My instructor was very positive, motivating, and knew how to break down each move in a way that made sense for a new swimmer. read more

I cannot say enough good things about Chicago Blue Dolphins. I'm an adult who never learned to swim, and I would say that I've always had a mild phobia of the water. However, swimming is always something that I've wanted to learn due to the health benefits, but especially due to it being an important life skill to have. Chicago Blue Dolphins was one of the few programs in the city of Chicago that catered to adults that do not know how to swim. My instructor, Jason Carrazco, was amazing in helping me to be comfortable in the water and teaching me the basics of swimming. Previously, I was someone who could not do anything other than hold my breath underwater for a few seconds. After 4 weeks of classes, I am now comfortable moving around underwater and going the length of the pool on my back. I finished the Level 1 class, and look forward to taking Level 2 and 3 to learn the different swim strokes and how to breathe properly. If you are an adult who does not know how to swim, or even someone who swam as a kid but never learned proper technique, I highly recommend checking out Chicago Blue Dolphins! The instructors and staff are extremely helpful, and do everything they can to make it a worthwhile experience! read more

I never learned to swim as a child, because I was scarred by 2 drowning incidents. So when I made the initial call the person on the other end was very reassuring & patient with all my questions; some of which I kept asking. I finally mustered up the courage in 2014 to sign up for private lessons even though I was deathly afraid of drowning. Coach Kordian was understanding of my fear & was kind, gentle & patient as I acclimated to being in the water. Within 5 lessons I gained a tremendous amount of confidence, could float, swim underwater & on my back, and rotate from my front to back, etc. I am now being coached by Elia, who is fantastic. I've only had one full session with her, but I am now almost to the point of swimming freestyle. This had been an amazing journey for me, which I could not have done without Chicago Blue Dolphins. read more

My husband and I had a semi-private lesson here a month or so ago and it was fantastic! We got way more instruction and feedback than I was expecting, and certainly more than we could have gotten from a coach in a pool. Though we were apprehensive about lessons in an endless pool, the technological feedback from the video reviews and the mirrors to help view our form were essential to getting the nuance of the instruction. Definitely worth the money. We can't wait to go back! read more

I did 10 private lessons with Fitz and I would not be able to swim efficiently or longer distances without his instruction. It was a great Chicago winter thing to do as it is indoors and heated. The underwater video really helped with the ah ha moments. Since taking his instructions I have moved to the Bay Area where I now swim open water events that are 1-2 miles long (working up each year the distance). read more

Truly awesome experience. Don't waste your money on amateurish lessons from other folks. CBD taught me more in 30 minutes than I had learned in 6 weeks at a park district! read more

signed both our kids up for private lessons at CBD and they have since closed the pool/location. They offered us lessons at totally random times at UIC, sorry now what we paid for. MONEY BACK please. read more