I had my 3 yo son in lessons at floaties last year. Our experience was so terrible, that one year later, my son still talks about how scared he was at lessons. Most importantly, As a former swim instructor and pool manager, I have serious concerns about the safety protocols in place. I am posting this review because I think parents need to be aware of the risk of enrolling their children in Floaties. - Floaties does NOT had a lifeguard on deck to ensure safety. Floaties has a very chaotic pool, and has far too many instructors and students in the pool at any time.Our instructor told me to leave the deck so my son would be able to focus on lessons. I watched from the viewing deck for one lesson. During the lesson, the instructor had his back to my son 2/3 of the lesson, while working with other kids. NO ONE is assigned to watch the children to ensure they do not drown. Many children have drowned nationwide in similar situations, where everyone assumes someone else has eyes on the child. If you have your children in lessons, be aware that you are solely responsible for ensuring they do not drown, and stay on deck at all times. It is unclear why Floaties does not hire a lifeguard to ensure safety, I can only assume they do not want to pay for it. I noticed another review complained of "helicopter parents" on the pool deck. If you go to Floaties, please be one of these parents to ensure your child's safety. -The instructor repeatedly dunked my son under water without his permission throughout the lessons. My son was already anxious and upset prior to dunking. This is not an appropriate teaching strategy, and teaches fear of the water. After this happened for 2 lessons in a row, I talked to the instructor and told him my son agreed to return if the instructor agreed not to dunk him during the lesson. The instructor acknowledged this, however then dunked my son again during the lesson. Needless to say I didn't return. My son was so thrilled to go to first lesson, but screamed and cried the whole day leading up to lessons 2 & 3. I pushed it because the instructor convinced me (against my gut feeling) that this is normal and kids get through it. I had also prepaid, and wanted it to work out. I wish I had trusted my gut and not returned for the next 2 lessons. read more

My son has been attending Floaties for about a year now. Coach Drake has been really great. He makes my son feel calm and confident and is really patient with him. We have definitely seen the improvements in my son's swimming since starting at Floaties. read more

There's no better place to teach your kiddos how to swim. Very friendly staff, warm pool and bonus playroom for afterswim fun. My daughters looove coming here! Mr Dennis & Ms Michelle are my girls favorite coaches. Extremaly patient, fun, and again patient ;) read more

Front desk is unprofessional. I think they're all high school kids just taking it on as a first job. No professionalism at all. Instructors have a high turnover rate so your child ends up seeing a couple different instructors every month. Very difficult for kids with special needs since they don't know who to expect when they come. read more

I sign up my 4 year old with the intention of being a spring break activity and it's going to be 1 year next month. My son absolutely loves swim class with coach Robert. He is so amazing, he took the time to get to know my son and to learn how he reacts to different ways of coaching. Even thou there was a language barrier (my son being Spanish speaking only) coach Robert found a way to communicate with my son and made him feel safe. Another thing that I absolutely like about coach Robert is that even thou there's kids with different levels of swimming in my sons group he takes the time to cater to each child's level. Floaties is also amazing with understanding life happens and they are so good at helping with schedule changes and make ups. I absolutely recommend Floties. read more

Horrible customer service. They make it practically impossible to schedule make up classes. Horrible teachers and their pool smells. They take payments months in advance. Stay away. It is a scam read more

After a glowing recommendation from my close friend and neighbor, I decided to enroll my two daughters (2 years and 10 months) at Floaties a few months ago. We've been going once a week, and in the short time we've been there, I have seen leaps and bounds in their water safety, skills and comfort. Both my kids LOVE their teacher (Mr. Damon) and he is so good with the little ones. Could not be happier read more

We bring our 2 little ones to Floaties Poway, ages 5 & 3. They absolutely love their coach, Coach Damon. Not only does he do what they feel comfortable with, in the water, he pushes them at a good speed. Both have gained confidence and do a step more with every lesson. Thank you for your experience and patience Coach Damon. They look forward to lessons every week! The Marcley's read more

We love floaties! Both of my boys are obsessed with swimming thanks to Floaties and their instructors. We've had the pleasure of swimming with Coach Robert, Drake and Dennis and we adore them dearly. Not only are they extremely knowledgeable but patient and make learning/swimming so much fun! All staff is friendly and so helpful! Their customer service is a 10! read more

Damon, Robert, and Ailish have been great with our two boys that are 2 & 4 years old.

I can't say enough wonderful things about this swim school, I sent my older two when they were younger and they loved going and now they are both wonderful swimmers. my 18 month old is now a student there with coach Kai and he is so kind and beyond patient with my little guy. My little guy gets so Smily and happy when he sees Kai. I have and will continue to refer this swim school to the community. From A Very Happy customer. read more

Great staff and great instructors !!! Very clean and tidy place!!! Water is always warm for kids to enjoy and learn the swimming!!! Highly recommended if you are in the neighborhood! read more

Huge shot out to Shane and Kai! My daughter had a fear of the water and in less than 2 months she is diving in and swimming across the pool! She asked every day if it was swim day because she was so excited to see them! We did 2 days a week the first month and 1 day a week the second and I truly feel that it's because of these two gentleman that she is the little fish she is today! Thank you Shane, Kai and Floaties! read more

Floaties Swim School - Shane is amazing! - Swimming Pools Near Me - Poway, California

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The facility is really small and humid. One shower for men. When the class ends there could be around 4-5 parents ahead of you. It can take awhile before you can rinse your kids. Signed up both of my kids for 6 sessions 30 mins each. Each instructor teaches 3 kids or less. What I didn't know is 30 mins is divided bt 3 kids. So each kid only has less than 10 minute of training. Instructor was good though. Very animated with the kids. read more

We love our swim school! Coach Marissa and Coach Dennis have made such great progress with the kids, and the kids really look forward to showing up to lessons. Every time we've done a makeup with another coach, we've been impressed with the adaptability and everyone on the coaching team's love for kids and making swimming fun. The front desk staff is super friendly and attentive, and always willing to answer questions or fix account issues. The facility is well taken care of (you can imagine how beat up an indoor pool facility can get) and the bathrooms and changing rooms are always clean. The play room is also a great feature before/after lessons to get extra wiggles out. We love attending Floaties and have been so happy with the kids' swimming ability progress over the last year! Can't recommend this place more. read more

We love Poway Floaties Swim School! We have been attending since March. My almost 2 yr old had no pool experience and my 4yr old had minimal swimming experience. She had done 2 two week sessions with Allie Jo's swim school but we needed something more sustainable. They were put in class together with Marissa and they LOVE her! I always sat on the edge of the pool with my feet in the water to help my son in the beginning. He cried the first 4 sessions, but during the 4th session he began reaching for Marissa and staying in the water! Months later, they LOVE swimming with Marissa. They are full on water babies. In SoCal, swim is a must. If you're looking for swim lessons, head to floaties! read more

My daughter started at Floaties with Ms. Hailey when she was about 3 months and she has loved every minute of it. We've been going to see Ms. Hailey twice a week for the past 6 months and Mackenzie is always excited when we walk in the door because she knows shes about to have fun. The 1 to 3 ratio is great. It allows for plenty of time for the instructors to work with each child. It also prevents the facility from being overcrowded. The only thing I would suggest (which doesn't impact me personally) is that they expand the women's locker room. There are hardly any dads at the swim class so when it's time to get my daughter ready or change her after, I have no issues going in the men's locker room and changing her and getting out in 5 minutes. The times my wife has come with me, it's taken a lot longer because there are just so many more mothers there. Again, doesn't bother me personally, but something for management to consider. It's going to be sad to leave Floaties behind as our family moves, but for anyone that hasn't come around yet, I truly recommend that you start classes soon. read more

My daughter loves this school and has advanced so quickly. They teach the most effective skills in a fun way. Her teacher Robert encourages her, makes her feel safe in the water and she loves working with him. Highly recommend this school. read more

I had high hopes for this place. My 2.5 year old daughter had been swimming in Houston for half a year. She made tremendous progress from not wanting to float on her back to being so close to mastering rolling over and floating on her back unassisted. Upon moving to San Diego we did lots of research and settled on Floaties mainly due to its proximity to our home and decent reviews. My daughter was enrolled twice a week and her instructor kept changing. The methods were never consistent and it confused my daughter. One day it's lets learn to pop up breathe next it's turn over. I felt like my daughter was regressing and forgetting all that she previously learned. And the instructors were constantly asking me what my daughter needed to work on. Umm that's why I'm paying you isn't it? Classes are small but they are not grouped by abilities so my daughter was in a class with a child who wouldn't even want to put her face in the water. That just didn't make any sense to me. Unless you're a regular old client or "favorite" your child won't make much progress. We switched to Waterworks in Carlsbad and couldn't be happier. If you choose to go here good luck! read more

Do yourself a favor and take your baby/child to floaties. We first had Mike as our instructor and then Hailey. They are both amazing. It's the funniest activity ever for our baby to go to swim classes each week. Hailey is so sweet and tender with Luca. Luca is only 7 months ( he stared when he was 4 months) and he loves her. What an amazing experience. Don't look any further read more

Floaties Swim School - Swimming Pools Near Me - Poway, California

I have been taking my granddaughter to Floaties in Poway for the last year and half since she was 1 1/2 years old ! She started by me having to be in the pool to now swimming across the pool . Marissa has been a patient a great teacher every week ! Make ups are super easy and everyone for the front desk to the families that bring there kids are great . Summer time can be very busy so plan ahead or they can be all booked up. read more

I've been taking my son here for a while now. My wife and I brought my son here when he was 10 months so he could get used to the water before our family vacation to Hawaii. They did a good job teaching my son how to close his mouth when he goes under the water and just to get him comfortable in the water. It was a good six week one day a week lesson for him. He loves the water and this was a pretty good investment. We're now on our 8th six week lesson. He's come a long way with this swimming. It's a really nice thing to take him once a week to go swim with his classmates. He enjoys playing in the water and jumping into the pool now. If you were interested in having your kids, young or old, to learn how to swim, this is the place to go. The prices are reasonable and you can come visit and see how it is anytime. The swim instructors are good with the kids. My son has had three different instructors since we've started and they were all great with him. I'd definitely recommend this place for anyone interested in teaching their kids to swim. read more

I've been taking my two kids for swimming lessons here for over 5 years, with a couple of years break in between. First of all, the staff at the front desk is great! Ms. Paige and Ms. Taylor are especially nice, always greeting us when we come in and always helpful when we need to make any changes to our schedules. We've have many instructors over the years, some better than others. The instructors are young and some still in school, so it's expected that they might leave eventually to pursue other opportunities. If you're expecting quick results, this is not a place for you. There are a max of 3 kids per instructor and the progress can seem slow, but your child is building confidence in the water and learning a life skill that they can use for the rest of their lives. My youngest son can swim now, but I still take him here once a week, not only for the exercise, but also because he enjoys spending time in the water with his instructor, Mr. Shane. Having my kids take swimming lessons is one of the best decisions I've made since becoming a mom and I highly recommend Floaties Swimming School. read more

Floaties Swim School - Tuesday afternoon in May. This place will be incredibly busy in the summer months when school is out - Swimming Pools Near Me - Poway, California

As a native Californian growing up with a pool and now having my own pool, I believe swimming lessons are essential. My daughter started at 2.25 years and almost a year and a half later, she can out swim all her friends. She's had several instructors and it's taught her to be flexible and adapt to different personalities. Right now she has Thea and we're very happy with her. The things I don't like about floaties are the bathrooms, the crumbling outdoor furniture, and the overprotective parents helicoptering at the edge of the pool. What really matters is that my daughter is learning to swim and the instructors, like Thea, enjoy what they do. read more

My kids instructor Charmaine has been really kind to my child and my family. She has been able to build chemistry with my child; who can be shy sometimes. We have noticed significant improvements in his confidence as it relates to swimming; most noticeably when we are in the pool on vacations. I know Charmaine is leaving and we wish her good luck in all her endeavors. read more

I brought my daughter to Floaties once when she was about 3 1/2 for a few months and then again around 4 1/2 for about 6 months. The staff is very friendly and helpful, but unfortunately that's where the positives stop. My daughter did not improve AT ALL. They are so slow to teach skills. They spend a ton of time "getting them used to the water". My daughter had NO PROBLEM with the water after the first session at 3 1/2. I had been warned about the slow, lack of progression from another mom, but have it a try (twice) due to the pure convenience of the location. The shower area is too small for the number of people trying to use it. Parking can be a bit of a pain. Sitting to watch your child is a bit inconvenient also. All in all I believe this place is a waste of money. Go to Pacific Swim. We have had tons of success there. read more

My daughter is usually very shy to strangers, and she loves her instructor Mr. Josh and the water after 2 classes! I'm very amazed by how he can make my 2 year old feel so comfortable in the pool. Reasons that I will continue to support Floaties: indoor pool w/ clean and warm water 2 to 3 children per instructor, flexible hours friendly instructor w/ child development experience Definitely a MUST go place for your kids in the summer! read more

It all depends on the teacher you get. The teacher my son got was terrible. She barely made eye contact with me or my child. Frowned the whole lesson. Did not talk to my son throughout the whole lesson. Did not even let him know verbally that she was going to dunk him underwater. It was very frustrating. Really not worth $20 per 30 minutes lesson... I ended up so disappointed that I just stopped taking my son, so I paid for 6 lessons but only attended 3. Unfortunately, they do not give refunds. read more

I wish I could post videos here because I'd post my girl at 18 months going off a dive board into a 12 ft deep pool with a 3 year old sobbing in fear behind her. Have a little faith. Have a little patience. Don't expect results in two weeks for f**k's sake! What have you EVER taught your kid to do in two weeks? I was afraid of this bench system as my kiddos are super unruly. But it worked. The 3 to a lesson also bothered me. I wanted private. But it gives the kids a break. Which I've learned is good for their attention span limits. I enrolled both my kiddos at ~4-6 months and each could legit full on swim by 18 months. My 2 year old the width of the pool unassisted and my 3 year old the length unassisted. Yes, they have turnover. What company doesn't? We've had and lost the best of best instructors and I've been devastated at the losses. But? Turns out. The other instructors are pretty great and have been well trained by the best instructors. We miss Tracy, Brian, Steven, and Lee. But love our new teachers. My girl can be such an ass sometimes and Shane is consistently patient with her. He even has kind things to say about her after the lessons. Love Angela and her openness, honesty, and genuine love for my little guy. They have great training practices that include not only swimming techniques but also what to do in emergency situations. They teach "safety circles" where they the kiddos learn how to swim back around to a safe place. And they teach "oh no" situations which simulate falling into a pool. They don't waste your time and money with silly water dancing and songs. Front desk staff is AWESOME!!! Both Kiera and Paige have spent a good 10-15 minutes at a time on the phone with me trying to get my kiddos on the same time schedule. They are kind and never make you feel like you are a waste of time. The locker room sucks balls. No doubt. Too small. Too many screaming kids. Too many judgey parents. But. To be fair. Showering my kids in a fancy spa locker room would not be any better. Undressing two kids, showering them, washing them, dressing them etc in public is going to be a shit show no matter where I go. And, side note. The instructors have both kept one kid in the pool while I shower the other and entertained one in the locker room while I dressed the other. They are good and kind and caring and empathetic. The playroom is heaven. My kids can entertain themselves for a good hour in a safe space with a closed door. Makes "tuition" worth it! Bottom line. Yes. It is expensive. It is difficult. But knowing my kids won't drown? Worth it all. And then some. read more

I've been taking my daughter to Floaties for over a year, since she was four months old, and wouldn't go anywhere else. Poway is quite a hike for us, but after trying a few other swim schools Floaties is worth the drive. Reasons: 1. The pool is small & private. It has an underwater bench along one length of the pool that allows the younger ones to sit and practice. The entire pool is also around 3-4' deep, so if you have to go into the water with your infant you won't have to struggle with deep water. 2. They METICULOUSLY check the pool to make sure it's clean. 3. They have a really open, clean facility that works well with lots of kids and moms with strollers. They also have a large play room perfect for keeping your kids occupied when you arrive early for a lesson. Miss Tracy is my daughter's instructor and I couldn't sing her praises loud enough. She is so patient and caring with all the children. My daughter is so happy in the water with her that I wish we could go every day. Outside of the fun, the swimming and safety skills my daughter is learning are unbelievable. It's amazing to watch her get submerged, pop right up, grab the edge of the pool and try to pull herself out - at 18 months! I honestly can't put a price on that. The front desk staff are super helpful, too. I'm always trying to reschedule classes and they're so patient and accommodating. As a mom, that's HUGE! Thanks, Floaties!! read more

Hello Yelpers! I worked at Floaties Swim School for a little over a year as the Front Desk/Secretary position. I hope my detailed review can help shed some light with your child's safety along with your own. The owners, Mike and Karyn, started Floaties in their Poway backyard with a handful of instructor and a dream to ensure that every child is prepared for any water accidents or slips. This business grew from a small backyard operation to a full fledged family owned company with two locations; one in Poway and one in Eastlake. When I began working at Floaties in March of 2012, I wasn't too sure what I was in for. Little did I know that I started in the midst of the "busy season." The season generally lasts from late February to the beginning of the school year. Prime time lesson availability (weekends, weeknights) can become rather limited during the peak summer months. From my experience, I noticed that it is much easier to obtain a swim schedule towards the beginning of the busy season and the off-season. Don't let the cold weather of the off-season deter you. The pool is indoors and is kept at a constant 90° F. Children and Adults alike are all welcome at Floaties. It's never too early or too late to start swim lessons; Lessons can begin with infants at the age of 3 months. Lessons are taught by a professional, well-trained, and swim certified instructors who guide your children to swim safety, extending to advanced strokes classes, and can eventually end up on the FSS Tritons Swim Team. The instructors are attentive and adapt to each child's specific needs ensuring retention, safety, and skill. Lessons can be purchased in once or twice a week packages, each package lasting for six weeks. There are no automatic renewals, however, lessons are due for renewal when two remain to ensure your same time and spot on the schedule for the following sessions. Being a locally family owned business, you and your children receive a special kind of treatment. The staff does care for you personally, and can be very helpful with issues or concerns parents may have. In my time spent at Floaties, I befriended many families, many of of whom I am still in contact with today. The owners, front desk staff, and instructors truly do care about you and your child's experience. So go ahead- Give Floaties a call or stop by. You'll receive "WOW" customer service. In fact, you won't even feel like a customer, but more like a part of the family. Thank you for the wonderful experience Floaties! read more

Where should I begin, first off, the enviornment is not condusive for swimming lessons~you need to bring your earplugs! My son cried and cried he didn't want to be there with all the noise. The pool is so packed with kids that they look like packed sardines. The front desk didn't seem too eager to help when you mentioned that your child was not comfortable with the enviornmet. Be aware you might be wasting your hard earn dollars because there are no refunds if your child happens to hate the noise. My last ditch effort was to transfer the classes over to my already great swimmer child (8 years old), but they put her in a class with 3 year olds! I was very disappointed that I couldn't get anything to show for my 150 dollars. I wouldn't recommend this place at all. read more

We absolutely love floaties. My daughter was scared of the water unless I was holding her...now she loves the water and will be swimming in no time! Highly recommend! read more

Best swimming school. All instructors are very nice. Highly recommend. We used to go to Noonan swimming school in Rancho penasquitos but they're not good. read more

My son has been a student here since last May, when he was 18 mos old - overall, a great experience for introducing the pool to kids. Pros: Teachers: Mr Gage is awesomeee with my son - I only wish he was his teacher from the very beginning! He is super engaging and my son is smiling for the entire class with him. Cost: About $20/class, which is reasonable, but definitely pricier than YMCA. Cons: Time: Classes are only 30 min, and divided by 3 or 4 kids, that's not much 1:1 time with teachers (especially after rushing there during rush hour) Facilities/cleanliness: Considering the popularity of this school, they reallyyyyy should invest in expanding/cleaning the locker rooms and restrooms - icky also a complaint I've heard from many parents. read more

PROS 1. Instructors are awesome 2. Lots of water toys to distract new swimmers who might be scared of the water or getting face wet 3. Water is warm for the kids comfort CONS 1. Too many instructors and too many kids. Pool is PACKED. Kids running into kids in water. Crazy! 2. Super loud. Too many people means it's really noisy. If your kid doesn't like the hair dryer noise, the level of noise here will bother them 3. Only one shower and the room is so hot. If you plan to shower your kid or change their clothes, be prepared to sweat!! read more

My daughter and I love Floaties Swim School. We started lessons with her when she was almost 4 months old, and after her 6 week program, she has gotten so comfortable in the water. She goes underwater multiple times per session and looks so happy when she comes up. It was really important for us to start lessons early so she develops water skills and is comfortable in the water. I was still amazed with how quickly that developed. Due to vacation and holidays, my weekly sessions had to be pushed out. However, since we are moving and didn't have extra weeks to give, the Floaties staff was very accommodating in getting in all of our sessions, with our same instructor to keep things smooth. Most importantly, my little girl LOVED Miss Tori. The first couple lessons was just building trust with her, but boy did it pay off. By our last lesson she would reach for her and give her hugs. One of the things we are most sad about with moving is losing Floaties and especially Miss Tori. Hopefully we can find another swim school that my daughter and I feel as comfortable with. read more

I just enrolled my daughter and she started her classes last week. Floaties is a WONDERFUL swimming school for babies and children. I saw a baby (had to be about 10 months old because she wasn't walking) swim underwater. She held her breath and was kicking her cute little legs! It was an amazing sight to see (reminded me of Nivana's Nevermind CD cover). Pieter is a great instructor who truly has a passion for swimming and is so kind to all of his students. I'm go glad I found Floaties!! read more

My wife and I decide to enroll our 11 month old daughter in swim class because it seems she was attracted to water. I am so impressed with how our instructor is patient and understanding of the kids feelings. The classes are set up with three kids to an instructor per half hour. The pool is small and the water is at a comfortable temperature. I'm happy we found this place and truly recommend this place for swimming lessons. read more

Our son hated water! We took him to several other places to try to get him to swim. Forget it. Each time we wasted $$ and left frustrated. If we saw an instructor elsewhere, he would remember and state how "mean" they were. Someone suggested Floaties. The school was just getting ready to open the new location on Poway Rd. Fast forward... The staff worked really hard. After the third of 10 lessons, we had a breakthrough. The staff at Floaties is patient. They care! Our son is great in the pool! He loves all of the instructors! Thank you to the Morrill family for opening! Looking for a swimming school? Give Floaties a call. We LOVE FLOATIES! read more