My daughter has been learning to swim for almost 3 years at DACA Swim School(Cupertino). The indoor pool is great for escaping California's strong sunshine in summer. Also, the pool water is a little bit warm in winter, which makes kids feel more comfortable when they have to swim during cold days. Besides, the staff and instructors are friendly. Some of the coaches are really patient and professional, like Edward, Sonia, Amanda and so on. However, sometimes the new coaches will be assigned to students. It takes time for both new coaches and students to get used to each other. In general, this is a great place to learn to swim, especially for people who live nearby. read more

My son, E, started at DACA going twice per week at 5 years old. After 2 months, he is now a beginner swimmer and loves it! His most consistent and encouraging teacher, Mike, got him to overcome fears and take tons of independence. We're very grateful to Mike and E's other instructors for their great mix of encouragement and gentle pushing to face fears and gain independence. read more

I have 3 kids enrolled at DACA, and today I had a horrible experience with Roshni/Rosh at their front desk. I went to the front desk to raise a concern about one of my kids not getting enough attention in class due to another child constantly crying, and Roshni rudely jumped in the conversation telling me I should pull out my child from the class. I wasn't talking with her in the first place, and nothing she said addressed my concern, and she kept rudely arguing with me. She seemed very racist and prejudiced. Apparently she's a manager there, but she should be kept as far as possible from customers! Horrible person! read more

I've had my kids here for 5 plus years. As others have said, they are doing well cos there are no real alternatives and they take advantage of it. Pros 1) coaches can be good but just a handful 2) location is solid 3) indoor so protected from the elements Cons 1) coaches keep rotating 2) front office is super difficult 3) no make up policy / no flexibility even though they keep subbing teachers left right and center 4) bathrooms are a bit nasty We have no real choice so we stick to this read more

My son went there 4months He is 6yo And the (I don't know her name (she is indian girl)Teacher spent time with him totally 5-6minutes which one is could be 30minutes I never seen she try to teach him new things Always it was same thinngs.and she always was looking at the clock when time is done .and she was finishing always her session 2-3minutes early . very disappointed. Teacher is not a professional.i asked to them is it ok we can change his teacher ?they said other teachers are busy and their level is different That is why I stopped his swimm lessons I don't recommend there to anyone read more

Off to a good start! Friendly, and clean, and my child has gained so much confidence in the water. It's been a great experience.

All they care is charging you money for miscellaneous fees. Inexperienced teachers (if we can call them that). Front desk people are rude and keep delaying any request. There are other swim schools around. Avoid this one. read more

As a former life guard and toddler swim instructor, I can say with full confidence that toddlers will REGRESS survival skills at DACA, thus the 1-star review. My 4yo son was fully water safe before DACA, and will now FREAK OUT if not wearing goggles - all because of 3 months of DACA. Daca targets young children, and thus they HEAVILY chlorinate the pool, and so goggles are pretty much required. Full Details: I tried to keep my son from using googles for the first few weeks of classes because a) I firmly believe that to be water safe, young children must learn to swim/fall into a pool without goggles or floats so they can get themselves out safely without these swim tools and b) I saw that much of the class time was spent mucking with goggles, re-sizing them, draining them, etc. However, I couldn't help but notice that my son kept rubbing his eyes due to discomfort from the chemicals. I finally relented and let him use goggles. He was happier in class, but now he basically panics when in any deep water without goggles. I only did DACA this winter because my son just got through ISR training last summer and our neighborhood pools are too cold for practice after October. I fully regret this decision. The staff at DACA is fine. My kid's instructor was different subs more than half the time, but the quality of instruction is fine. However, in the end, I could really care less about my kid being able to flip onto his back for a few strokes if he's dead 3min after falling into a pool because he doesn't wear goggles 24/7/365. read more

Highly do NOT recommend. Poor front desk service, see below. Only 1 good instructor really, which we were able to experience after my daughters' regular instructor was out. My daughters' regular instructor always had a bad attitude and did not show patience with one of my daughter's fear of putting her face in the water after water went up her nose. Classes of 3 students, luckily was able to hv 2 of my daughters in one class for a few sessions but once another student joined in - its basically 10min you are paying for. The other student, although older than my kiddos, was very scared and took away time from my daughters' rotation. Instructor didnt manage well. DACA switched acct server and messed up my payments last year. Kept getting notice I was passed due in charge and threats of late fee but it was mistake on their end because of account transfer. I had to call numerous times always having difficulty getting in touch with the correct person. Just recently tried calling them to assist in re-enrolling my daughters and now, after 6 months, telling me I have a lingering overdue acct for $180?!! (Due to their server switch errors!) Also, telling me there is a 200+ waitlist even though website had numerous open slots showing. They ask me which time I prefer but not accepting my preferred time request. Only to then say you can only waitlist 2 slots a day OR 1 slot in different days. Doesn't make sense. Seems like "rules" are being made up on the fly. Not a transparent place at all. I ask to speak with manager and they say "theres no one here but me", but then with the development of more and more confusing information says "let me find the manager". What kind of basic customer service is this?!? Very weird and confusing process with multiple avenues of difficulty obtaining even a decent amount of respect as a customer. Didnt even mention the high cost of classes. I tried to give this place a second try but just a simple call for assistance easily reminded me that this place should not be pursued. read more

We have a good experience with DACA. Good communication with the staff on the phone and competent and caring swim instructors. Thank you to Jenny and Jadon who are patiently reaching out to my timid child to find out what will work with a reluctant swimmer. The indoor pool is heated and comfortable to swim in despite weather conditions outdoors. We also have a good experience with pre-comp classes held outdoors in nearby facilities for my older kid. read more

Avoid!! They have many more kids registered than time slots available. As a result, you just pay the $50 registration fee but forget about enrolling your child to an actual class. Moreover, their on-line system and website are the worst ever. Probably implemented some 30 years ago when the web just started. You need to call the office for every little thing. They too are not quite sure how it works and depending on who answers the phone, you get different responses. Their website may give you the illusion that you have enrolled your child but you don't really know and can't find the answer on-line. Need to call... And then, since many families are frustrated with the impossible "registration" process, the folks in the office are under pressure and have little patience to support their customers. In short - stay away. This place is pathetic. read more

The review is for facility and the front desk staff. The place is nasty. The pools are so old and disgusting . The water is dirty , it has so much chlorine you can feel it as soon as you get in , it's think and almost oily. I felt so gross being in that pool. Shower is tiny and old too. No lockers. Front desk staff is rude and not helpful. 5 stars for coaches ! Wonderful coaches, that's 5he only reason I went back there to refine my technique . I learned how to swim in this school, so I am forever great to the coaches of DACA, but this place needs major renovation! read more

Think twice if you decide to sign up lessons at this place. Some of the instructors are rude and unprofessional. We had private swim classes there, but the instructors would leave my five year old in the pool without supervision while chatting with her coworkers non stop during the class. I complained to the supervisor, but they did nothing! With the price we were paying at this place: $70 per 20 minutes, one should at least expect the most basic of a swimming class: keep eyes on the kid and make sure they are safe! read more

My son is on the last ribbon at DACA and he loves going there for 2 reasons- Sonja and the heated pool. Because of timing mismatch, I sometimes got other teachers but I always switch back to Sonja. She is very experienced and a thorough professional. She knows exactly where a particular kid needs help and works on it. When my son was with another instructor, he had been stuck at that level for a year until we moved him with Sonja again. She is a lot of fun but does not allow kids to be unruly. We love Sonja and highly recommend her for your kids too. read more

We were recommended DACA, by a happy mom, who has had both her kids learn Swimming at DACA, and we love the experience last 3 yrs now. Pool is very clean and well maintained, the teachers are Excellent, especially Sonya. My 6 yr old just reached the deep pool level recently, with fee of $80 per month, and class size no more than 4 kids per instrutor, the environment is very motivated and kids learn proper swimming, with structured methodology 25 mins and 5 mins free play. My stranger anxiety stricken 3 yr old, was very difficult wailing child, but the staff at DACA were very understanding, they let us try 2 or 3 different instructors, till my son adjusted with Sonya, she took up the challenge and thanks to her persistent effort, now 4 months later, my 3 yr old earned 2 ribbons. We highly recommend DACA, if you want less crowd, take your pre schooler during school hours weekdays and early morning, for school goers. There's a reason for so much crowd though! Lots of happy satisfied customers! read more

I have been taking my kids to DACA swim lessons for two years and I am very happy with them. Both of my children required a 1:1 approach and both boys have progressed nicely. I no longer see the swimming pool next door as a threat the way I did before they started with DACA. That was the goal! read more

This is the trashiest of all pool I have seen. Their bustiness is working just because of the location. They have absolutely no make up class policy unlike their competitors. It's old and ugly place with cloudy water. Other schools have sparkling water and better facility. I was surprised how their business works. It has to be the location. I'd rather drive a bit more to get my kids a better experience read more

Good facility, friendly staff, patient and professional instructors are all the features that shall greet you and your children when you walk into DACA Swim School at the Cupertino location. Our family has been loyal patrons for over 1 year and are content and will continue to hold our membership here. read more

The school has shifted the indoor classes to the Saratoga High outdoor pool. Today was our first class in this new setting. The precautions taken are impressive. Each kid swims in his lane and parents have to stay outside the pool area. It's nice for the kids to get a chance to be able to do swimming. read more

DACA Swim School - DACA has shifted its classes to the Saratoga High School outdoor pool - Swimming Pools Near Me - San Jose, California

BEWARE!!! Worst customer service ever. Wanted to register my kid to a swim class. Called for details, no one picks up the phone. Made a trip there Friday 2pm to get details. Was told to come for the 5pm class. Great. Picked up the kid early, got him excited about the swim class, showed up early to fill out paperwork- just to be told there is no room in the class! Tried talking to a supervisor (hey, 2 hours ago you told me to come and now all of a sudden there is no room?), nothing helped. Had to leave the place with a crying and disappointed child. All interaction with the front desk was disrespectful. They make you feel like they don't want to talk to you. Supervisor was at least nice. Oh, and if you think of a free trial - forget it. You have to pay $35 registration fee plus $114 monthly fee before the kid got his foot in the water. I will never be back. Such places should run out of business and no longer exist. read more

I've had my children enrolled in DACA for 6 years and i must say it has been a great experience. My oldest started when she was 4 and is now in pre-competitive. While my youngest is working for her purple ribbon. Their instructors do change sometimes but i think it benefits my children. That way they don't get to comfortable with one instructor and they get to experience different teaching methods from a variety of instructors. Not to mention all the instructors and deck staff are very helpful and extremely friendly. They have also recently renovated the bathrooms and they look so nice. They are very well maintained. Overall i would definitely recommend DACA to anyone who's looking for swim lessons for their child. read more

As a Swim Dad( I swim regularly for some 30-40 years or so) I am very happy with my children's swimming learning experience at DACA. First of all, pool is indoors(unlike most pools around). And this is A HUGE bonus, considering child will be coming in the cold season as well. Had a 6 y.o. learn how to swim here, passed thru all the ribbons with Coach Sam. Coach Sam is excellent, very dedicated, professional, punctual. He has the patience, skill and motivation to teach your kids swimming. Also, very important, lessons and pretty much everything going on in the pool or around is under the constant and careful supervision of the Pool Deck Supervisor Mike C., who actually pays attention to everything going on. Reassuring indeed when you have kids in the water. Last, but not the least, front desk and customer service is very helpful and friendly. Louie, Gabby and 8ft tall Shane will take care of you. Always a pleasure to deal with. Again, I am very happy and grateful for having found DACA swim school, and hopefully will be back with my smaller children when they come to age to learn swimming. PS: I have recommended DACA to my neighbour and he came to tell me they're very happy with their 7yo daughter there. PPS: Despite the longer drive, totally worth it. read more

I have been bringing my almost 2 year old son here since he was 3 months old in the waterbabies class and he loves it! He has already learned how to swim on his own several feet, and can jump in and climb out. Great instruction and friendly staff! read more

DACA Swim School - Swimming Pools Near Me - San Jose, California

Similar to one of the earlier reviews, I didn't realize this swim school charges on monthly basis until you explicitly cancel it. I was made aware on several occasions that I was signing up for one month only. Apparently they have the policy of if the student didn't turn up for 4 weeks, they'll call the parent but I never received any calls. They also promised the manager would call me back to sort this out but never did. All in all, they never once initiated any communication. Do yourself a favor: sign up at a local pool and teach your kids how to swim all by yourself. Half an hour ever week at DACA is simply a waste of money for most students. read more

DACA is the most un-professional swimming school and i wont recommend this at all to any one . The management at DeAnza center is highly rude , and do not even listen to what kids parents are saying . This is 4th class for my kids and in every class , we have been given a new teacher . Some of them are trainees , Are we paying them to train their trainees ? What kind of confidence a kid will have when every time the teacher is changed . And a new one comes which either has no experience or is totally different from what was in last few weeks . I have tried written complaint but it has no effect on them . They do not care for this . may be due to lack of more swimming school here in sunnyvale . I really wish they have some better people to handle this center , otherwise its future is highly doubtful . NOT AT ALL RECOMMENDED . PARENTS DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS here . read more

Eww. Thats all I have to say about this place. 3 years of eww. So heres the lowdown from one of the old time instructors. Eww. ::DACA parent rant:: Attn all parents who think thier kid should be at a higher level. Your wrong. Attn all parents who think yelling at thier kid's instructor makes things better. Nope! 95% of the teachers in the water know what they are doing. Very few teachers get hired who havent swam before. If you're kids not moving up the levels, thier probably not ready. Parents, In general, when you give you child to someone to learn a skill... it helps to let the kid learn it from the teacher. If you can do it better, shut the hell up and teach it yourself. /rant -1 star for parents... The managment is... interesting. The full timers live in the DACA world, and thats... that. -.5 stars The pool... Ohmyf*ckinggodthisthingisthemostgodawfulbodyofwaterevercreatedbymankind. Let me paint this picture... the pool is cleaned 2x a year, over christmas and over the 4th of july. It takes exactly 2.5 children to revert the pool back to its natural state, which is just damn dirty. Wear goggles on the bottom some time... just do it before you eat. I can't tell you the number of times I've had a kid go "teacher teacher, I have to go to the bathroom!" So I would wade over there, usually with a kid tucked under my arm and ask "Do you really have to go?" A moment's pause... "Not anymore" -.5 stars for eveyr kid who's thrown up in the pool (about 1 a week). -1 stars for the kids or adults who leave us little dookies around... 2 hours is NOT enough time to stay closed in my book. Blech. And oh yeah, that one mom who had her 6 month old in the water babies... you who wore your beach bikini every week, and made EVERY OTHER MOTHER mad because they didn't have the bikini body back yet... you rule. read more

I joined this place for their reputation of producing excellent swimmers. But I am very disappointed with this place. Here are the reasons; 1. Pool reeks of chlorine. 2. It does not seem like their filtering system is adequate or used properly. 3. Many times I have found hair and twice old band-aid strips. 4. Floor feels slimy. 5. Multiple times I have felt rock like stuff on the pool floor. 6. Restrooms are small and not very clean. Only good thing working for them is that their staff is friendly. However it is the same staff that cannot keep this place clean. Unless they change things in a hurry, I will most likely be taking out both my children from this school by month's ends. read more

I'm very impressed with this organization (both the swim school on De Anza and the associated pre-competitive and competitive programs at De Anza College). Compared to other swim schools (La Petite Baleen in San Carlos and Sutton in Cupertino -- which were both good, just not as good as DACA), there is much more of an emphasis on honing skills and progressing with the instructors at DACA. My 11 year old and 9 year old daughters had plateaued at Sutton. My older girl has moved on to pre-comp and my younger girl won't be far behind. I'm 99% sure it's not just a change of venue that spurred the kick-start. My observation of the instructors at DACA shows much more emphasis on form and performance than I've seen elsewhere. I've never seen at other schools an instructor lunging through the water to grab a student's ankle followed by hands on correction of a stroke problem. The back office is also considerate and professional. As I mentioned, my older daughter started pre-comp at De Anza recently, and as part of the registration, I paid for a parking pass. The pass didn't show up in the mail, so I'd been parking in the 30 minute zone planning on showing my receipt if I happened to get a ticket. I called yesterday and left a message asking about my parking pass. This morning, I see an email out of the blue with a $12 refund (of the $30 parking charge for the full session). I also get a call later today with an apology from the guy in the back office who normally takes care of it. It's just good customer service to do the right thing by the customer as soon as you find out about the problem and not wait for the customer to demand some kind of compensation. read more

My daughter started here in January when she was 7 months old. We have had an okay experience here. My daughter's class has about 3 other kids in it, all of whom are MUCH older than her. Each week we do the exact same thing. We have gone 8 times, so I'm not sure when or if the routine will change. I guess at this level it is all about getting them used to the water. I like our instructor - unlike some of the previous reviews, we have had the same one 7/8 times. One thing that I do like is the deck leader guy always remembers my daughter's name - a nice touch, I think. I don't envision staying here when she is actually able to swim on her own a bit more just because it is indoors and so SUPER crowded. There aren't many places to sit and watch and as mentioned in previous reviews, there aren't sufficient spots to change the kids after. There is a single "family" room, but it's almost always being used and it doesn't even have a changing table. In the women's locker room, there are always people waiting and in the stalls and in the showers and on the bench - it's really hard to find a spot in there. It's okay for my young kiddo, but I will probably go elsewhere when she gets a bit more skilled. read more

Dirty, inadequate restrooms/changing rooms. Front office staff acted bored and SO over talking to parents, including me. High instructor turnover. When my two kids (ages 3 and 6) started, they loved going in the pool at home and at class. Within three classes, both kids were in tears from being repeatedly pushed underwater and told SWIM, SWIM! Okay, that's not really useful. It's not teaching! My older daughter's class was in the deep pool and were told to dive for rings (or some other item) at the bottom. She said she couldn't hold her breath for that long, and the teacher said "you better learn" and pushed her under without warning. (I watched all of this in disbelief.) The front office staff was unhelpful and the instructors ignored my requests that they stop forcing them under. Instead, they told my kids to stop crying or they would kick ME out of the facility. (Um, I'm watching silently from the sidelines. Don't make threats you can't carry out, lazy!) Anyway, this place was NOT a good match for us on many levels. We left and never looked back. We switched to private lessons through Cupertino Parks and Rec in the summer, and they had my girls swimming really well in a short period of time, with no forced dunking and no choking/crying. read more

DACA has really gone down in service. Their director was very rude when helping me resolve my account. Talk about being an example to his employees. Every week you get a new teacher so you just have to hope and pray that you get someone that really knows what they are teaching. read more

My son enjoyed the complete 1 year he was there. Started as beginner and ended with close to purple ribbon. His coach was amazing. We had to leave only because we were moving. read more

My daughter first learned to swim at this school when she was about 4 years old. We sent her for about 6 months. At first I really liked it but then I noticed the instructors were hit and miss, sometimes great, mostly ok, sometimes downright bad since they seemed to be more interested in rushing the kids through since the instructor I guess had other stuff to do. We stopped sending her here after 6 months since by that time our daughter could sort of swim and do doggy paddle really well. We then sent her to the local YMCA, not much different. My daughter is now on the "De Anza Cupertino Aquatics" swim team (search on yelp since evaluated seperately), which teaches at De Anza College. That is a great program and completely different than their indoors Swim School program. If your child can sort of swim already, have them go to the pre-competitive De ANza Cupertino Aquatics programs at either De Anza College or Saratoga High School locations since it's better and I think also cheaper. Overall the DACA Swim School (indoor pool) program is ok. It's not bad and it's not great. Your child will, if their willing, learn how to swim at this swim school. Instructor ratio is small (1 to 4 children as I recall) but since some kids can dominate due to parents that treat them like little demi-gods I guess, it may not always help. About folks complaining about pool pee, what do you expect when a bunch of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 year olds are learning to swim since the water is warm! Hey, at least it does not turn blue, else the entire pool would be dark blue in color! read more

So far, our experiences have been: Really nice and enthusiastic instructors Expensive monthly dues Dilapidated changing rooms Recently,3/4/16, women's room completely closed. NO make up classes for days they are closed Thanksgiving & Christmas. Our two kids have attended for about 5 months and can not swim. Four children in a 30 min 'rainbow' class equates to about 6 min of actual swim lessons- the rest of the time they are sitting on the step watching. Our first day we showed up thinking we would change our kids in the changing rooms and after shower up and change back. Kinda giggled when we saw other parents quickly escorting their kids to cars in wet suits and a towel. Soon we realized why this is the norm here. Rooms are usually full and in a state of disrepair:( My thought is : it's great to get the kids acclimated and comfortable to the pool during the rainy season and be able to at least tread water by summer. My hope is : my kids can swim by our next vacation this spring (or at least tread water!). Geeezzz New review :! I recommend reading all 1&2 star reviews for this swim school before spending thousands $$$$ and valuable time! I posted about restroom & changing room closures and after I did they put up an additional sign, but weeks after closures. I was also approached rudely by a female staff member the very next time I came in - I felt like they had noted our account to confront me and to the nameless DACA customer service/response to my initial Yelp review/ your restroom needed Much more than the floors resurfaced - it's been a month and it's still Closed. I believe you should have done more than a note on the door to let your customers know ( finding out no restroom upon arrival and we aren't coming from home). You have all of our emails because you notify us every time you charge us. A simple courtesy email of these closures would give customers a heads up to use restroom elsewhere and/or arrive already in swimwear. read more

DACA Swim School - Women's restroomin changing room close - Swimming Pools Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

The water here is relatively warm, compare to some other pools, and it's indoor. All instructors can teach well. Free wi-fi for waiting companies. They let parents film our own kids, while YMCA prohibits that. 30 minutes each lesson, once a week, and the last 5 minutes is play time in water. I wish they had a discount price for swimming more than once a week. You have to simply double the tuition if you want your child to swim twice a week or an hour-lesson. read more

So glad we chose this swim school for our daughter. The office staff is so welcoming and really care about the kids. My daughter's swim teacher, Jennifer is such a great instructor and is so sweet the kids. My daughter is now 4 years old and started swim classes 4 months ago. She has made definite improvement in her swimming skills and swimming comfort and safety. read more

We were at YMCA and my daughter was not progressing to swimming on her own. Moved here on my nanny's recommendation and my daughter has just progressed to pre-competitive level. Yeah! Here's the summary of our two year experience: you will switch teachers, but I liked them all. They are good at listening and will help you understand how your child is progressing, but you need to ask! My daughter loves the lessons, and always has fun even after a full day. She is very movitated now that she is making progress and her confidence is super. Very happy with this program. Like the indoor pool for our very fair child. It helps not having to apply sunscreen. read more

I have mixed feedback on the teacher. Some teachers are still learning how to teach, some are professional and experienced. My kid was very lucky to start off with Miss Heather who has tremendous patience with young swimmers and can immediate correct the pose yet making it fun to learn swimming. Unfortunately, my kid is now stuck with the teacher who is unwillingly move her up even though she's ready for the next level. Another reason for the two star -- the changing room sucks - dirty, old and shower in women's changing room is always broken... forcing people to rinse in public shower in front of the pool. No privacy what so ever. read more

I attended this swim school about 10 years ago and had a generally positive time. I have several ribbons from excelling at what I was being taught. ^^ that means the instructors were great at their jobs, and they were. A number of downsides do arise, however. These include: - slimy floor. I hadn't even gotten in the water yet before I nearly split my head - an overwhelming aroma of chlorine in the pool and the surrounding structure. Definitely worse when it's hot outside. read more

Both my kids learn to swim here. They start young, with the parent and child class to get comfortable with water. Both my kids graduated from that stage to the next. The instructors are mostly youngish (looks like colleage-age). Each instructor have their regular classes but we had ours change 3 instructors over time. Not so good. It is hit or miss sometimes. Some instructors are better than others. Some should not be teaching the parent and child class. Pro: Warm water pools. Year-round swimming lessons with no issues. Other swim schools are outdoors, and can be chilly even during the days. Con: One thing I did not like is the male changing room only has 1 shower stall. We almost always had to wait quite a bit, with my son getting chilly, waiting in line for the shower. They do have rows of showers outside by the pools though, but you cannot really shower there. More of a rinse off only. And they should really fix their sink tap, because it has very little pressure and low flow. read more