We had a very enjoyable experience working with Kate, the owner. She is very patient and positive and makes learning how to swim fun. I like the one on one class as opposed to group classes. Her pool is always clean and I always felt very comfortable that Kate was in control and my child was safe with her. Her policy is very straightforward and uncomplicated when it comes to cancelling for sickness etc which makes it another big plus for a busy mom. read more

We found Head Above Water a few years ago and instantly felt that we found a gem of a swim school. Both my kids learned how to swim with them and my older daughter now knows four different strokes! I loved that they evolved their instructions with my kids' age. Andrew was very playful and patient and made my kids comfortable in the water when they were younger. And later, Giles taught them to focus on improving their strokes. My kids always looked forward to swim classes. read more

Head Above Water - Head Above Water swim class - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Encino, California

I found Head above water online and after reading reviews I decided to book them. My grandson is 1, so it was more being comfortable in the water. If we personally cannot teach him to swim by the spring when he's 2, I'll be rebooking! Had a great experience overall! read more

When I asked about the policy whereby a student could not attend lessons with any cold symptoms (which is not only reasonable but the required and responsible thing to do during a pandemic and in general) but lesson could not be rescheduled and the $85 for 25 min lesson would not be refunded, I immediately received an email response from the owner saying that they did not want my child to attend any of the 4 lessons she was signed up for and they said to go find another swim company for lessons and refunded the fee for the 4 lessons. Simply because I asked a question about a policy that I was concerned would encourage parents to not be forthright and honest about potential Covid and other symptoms, unnecessarily putting instructors and other students (including young unvaccinated students like my daughter) at risk. read more

We were able to get 3 appts for private lessons and we loved them all. The instructors were great and Kate is very responsive and helpful!

If you need a private lessons for a period of time, this is a great team of people here! Giles is my instructor and I still have 5 classes to finish. But I got better and confident in my swimming. They are very flexible and very good in their lessons. I love them a lot. Thanks guys. read more

We were in town visiting my sister and wanted to book some swimming lessons for my 2.5 year old toddler. I found Head Above Water online and after reading the reviews I immediately contacted them. Kate was very responsive and we were lucky enough to book three private sessions. Caleb, our instructor, was great! He was patient and consistent with our strong willed toddler. She still had a great time and remembers what to do if she wants to move. Great experience! read more

Another parent mentioned that she too was having issues with her son and "water," and recommended Head Above Water for my daughter. I called and spoke with the owner Kate, and i immediately knew i had the right fit. Our initial lessons were with Andrew at the Mar Vista location. I appreciated his gentle approach. That said, don't expect to see any "floaties" here! They want your child swimming confidentially without the use of artificial devices. Since we started with Head Above Water, we moved to our own house with a pool in Sherman Oaks. Now Kate comes to us (trust me it's worth the extra $$). Kate loves the valley almost more than we do!!! read more

Overall would recommend this place! My son, 3 years old, had lessons with the owner, Kate, and she was amazing with him. Knew exactly how to work with him to teach him new skills and yet still be delicate with the aspects of swimming that scared him. Pool was like bath water (huge plus because my son doesn't like cold pools). Very nice space, really high end. His swimming skills significantly improved. They are very popular so need to book in advanced what you want. read more

After our terrible experience with another teacher, Conrad, we scheduled some lessons with Head Above Water through the advice of friends. Within 15 minutes of our first lesson with Andrew, my fearful child became relaxed and actually began to learn and have fun. My child looks forward to lessons and feels proud with every accomplishment. I am so thankful I found this school and Andrew. read more

We had the best experience with Head Above Water! My 4 year old has learned water safety and gained so much confidence and respect for the water. Our instructor Ariel was so great with him. Highly recommend! read more

Coach Kate was awesome with our 2 year old! She is knowledgeable and experienced, she anticipates children's needs very well, uses lots of tools and tricks throughout to keep kids engaged, and our daughter is making great strides in the pool! read more

We've used Head Above Water for both of my girls. We started when they were 3 and 1. They are now 5 and 3 and they are great swimmers. Kate was so easy and accommodating and worked with our desired schedule. Our instructor, Allyson, was so good with the girls. She teaches them to swim and be safe in the water while they think they are just having fun and playing. Highly recommend Head Above Water! read more

Oh my goodness, I cannot believe no one has written a review for this marvelous swim school yet! I currently have my toddler taking lessons here (with Sarah) and I could not be happier! I looked long and hard for a school that fit my daughter's and my needs. I wanted somewhere with caring instructors and a place where my child felt at peace and happy during the learning process. If you are looking for the same, this is the swim school for you! I could go on and on about how pleased I have been with the lessons but I also would like to make special note of the customer service here as well. I have emailed and chatted with almost every swim school in LA, in fact I even had my daughter at another 5 star rated swim school on Yelp. Honestly, the previous school doesn't hold a candle to HAW! Head Above Water REALLY takes a personal approach to their business. The people I've spoken with have been amazingly professional, including the school's owner. The instructor gives me tips after each lesson with things I can do at home to build on the skills she has taught in class. Several other moms I know are attending this school as well and have found that the teacher not only works wonderfully with each child but is great about talking to parents and giving them pointers and encouragement. I cannot say how pleased I am with this experience and tell everyone I know about it. read more

Swim lessons for our 6month olds were perfect! Our instructor, Joanna, was always so sweet with the little ones and taught us great skills to work on with them. She showed us how to encourage them to kick and blow bubbles, and how to teach them to hold their breathe. She was always perfectly on time and a joy to be around. Scheduling the lessons (and rescheduling) with Head Above Water was always easy and straight forward. Prior to finding them I was trying to work with another company who was not easy to work with. They were overall a joy to work with and we'll definitely book more swim lessons. read more

We've tried multiple swim schools for our two girls (now ages 3 and 5) and BY FAR, Head Above Water has been the best. We've had Alyson and Sandy, both incredible instructors, and we've seen our girls improve tremendously in a matter of months. Our 5 year old is now water safe, can swim the full length of the pool, and is even learning the backstroke! Any my 3 year old went from screaming for her entire lesson non-stop at her previous school to dancing with excitement for her turn to jump in here. We highly recommend Head Above Water! read more

Head Above Water is a phenomenal way to have your kid learn how to swim! We've had a wonderful experience with them and Andrew has been beyond great with our little guy. He's going to be a fish in no time! They're also super easy to schedule with and it's been smooth booking our lessons. They can do individual lessons or you can put a group together. Can't recommend them enough!! read more

Oh my goodness, I cannot believe no one has written a review for this marvelous swim school yet! I currently have my toddler taking lessons here (with Sarah) and I could not be happier! I looked long and hard for a school that fit my daughter's and my needs. I wanted somewhere with caring instructors and a place where my child felt at peace and happy during the learning process. If you are looking for the same, this is the swim school for you! I could go on and on about how pleased I have been with the lessons but I also would like to make special note of the customer service here as well. I have emailed and chatted with almost every swim school in LA, in fact I even had my daughter at another 5 star rated swim school o Yelp. Honestly, the previous school doesn't hold a candle to this HAW! Head Above Water REALLY takes a personal approach to their business. The people I've spoken with have been amazingly professional, including the school'd owner. The instructor gives me tips after each lesson with things I can do at home to build on the skills she has taught in class. Several other moms I know are attending this school as well and have found that the teacher not only works wonderfully with each child but is great about talking to parents and giving them pointers and encouragement. I cannot say how pleased I am with this experience and tell everyone I know about it. read more

Andrew from Head Above Water is the tops! Their service is so easy to work with and efficient. I was able to work around my kids schedules, the neighbor whose pool I was using schedule, and they sent a great replacement the one time Andrew was not able to make it. read more

I never believed that my 2 year old could swim but he kept pushing off of me and floating to the side. I was apprehensive when I called that he could be taught so young but after his 6th lesson he could swim several feet and pull himself out of the pool. He is now almost 5 and he swims like a fish and has great body strength for a little guy. Signing him up for swim lessons has turned out to be amazing and I could not recommend this company more. read more