I cant imagine not having La Petite in our life! Our little ones are so motivated to learn to swim here! Both kids started here at age three. Dash, my son started here three years ago with his very first teacher Veronica and she is like family to us! She kick started his passion for swimming and helped him achieve his first two levels before school schedules got in the way:( She is so kind and so energetic! She reminds the kids what they need to work on and gives super detailed feedback to perfect their lesson! We love her! Dash also had the pleasure of learning with teacher Jennifer on weekends and she is exactly like Veronica too! Same enthusiasm! Also, also very friendly and firm about the lessons! Great feedback to help him move to the next level! Finally my son is in his final level of journey with La Petite and we are so honored to be working with teacher Mina! She has the most energy of all. So patient and so detailed with her lesson. Dash loves her so much! Said she's super funny but gave really good tips on what he needs to do better. My daughter is also at La Petite and started her journey this year. Her favorite teacher is Amanda! My daughter is not as brave as my son so she was very specific with only taking lessons with Amanda. The bond between the two is amazing. I see my girl light up when she sees Amanda in the pool and couldn't want to chat her up. Amanda is very patient and gentle with Sage. The ribbons and stickers definitely motivated Sage to come in more and begged for a second class per week. Sadly I couldn't get Amanda twice a week but we did find another amazing teacher name Bianca! Super hard working. She's usually the early morning shift and is also very kind and gives great feedback! I'm so grateful for La Petite! Your program is super organized and every level is so meaningful to prepare for the next! They definitely have this formula figured out! Everyone should take lessons here! Thank you La petite! read more

Teacher Toni A. is a great swim teacher! She taught our daughter sometime between ages 6 mos and 2 years and was an amazing teacher for infants and toddlers. Now she's been teaching her from 3-4 years old and the results have been amazing. Our daughter started out afraid to get in the pool without us. Now she can swim 15-20 feet without fins or any help from Toni. Toni explains at our daughter's level (and then repeats to us at our level). Toni pushes our daughter to swim longer distances and encourages the hard work and effort needed to be a great swimmer. Thank you so much teacher Toni! read more

We've been at La Petite Baleen for almost a year and love it. Nearly every teacher we've had has been fantastic, and our two boys are making consistent progress. The ribbon system is both a good motivation for the kids, and helps us understand their capabilities. Special shoutout to teachers Amanda L, Aspen and Jennifer, who my kids especially love! Prior to LPB, we also tried YMCA private lessons and JCC group lessons. LPB is by far the most fairly priced and best administrative experience. Super easy to change your class time as your schedule changes, schedule makeup lessons, and prices are based on number of classes in a month vs a flat monthly rate (for the latter, you can really get screwed sometimes depending on what day of the week your lesson is). read more

David has been our son's teacher for both Level 3 and Level 4, and we couldn't be more grateful for him. He is incredibly patient, caring, and positive with the kids. It's such a joy to watch him teach. Even when the kids are goofing around, he always handles everything with kindness, patience, and a big smile on his face. You can genuinely tell he loves what he does, and that energy makes such a difference in the pool. We feel very lucky to have him as our son's teacher, and honestly, we'd love for him to continue teaching him all the way through graduation. read more

La Petite Baleen - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love love teacher Catrina. She's been so great and patient with our son River. He looks forward to swim class at the petit every week! read more

La Petite Baleen - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

We started going to classes from 2 months since it was free until 6 months and it was a great way to see if our baby enjoyed it... and he did! Now at 8 months, we're still going. Maddie is a great teacher who made it really fun for our baby, easy for us to follow along as parents, and with lovely singing of classic nursery songs throughout class. Thank you Maddie for being a great introduction to the pool for our son! read more

We are so grateful for Teacher Emily at La Petite Baleen. She has been the most nurturing, patient, and caring swim teacher for our daughter. Our daughter started in the parent-and-me class feeling hesitant and needing mama and dada close by, but because of Teacher Emily's gentle encouragement and calming presence, she slowly built confidence and began feeling truly safe and happy in the water. What has stood out most is how Teacher Emily never rushed her. She created such a warm and trusting environment that our daughter naturally became brave enough to try new swim skills independently without us in the pool. Watching that growth has been so special for our family. You can tell Teacher Emily genuinely cares about each child emotionally, not just their swim progress. She has such a rare gift with children, and her nurturing energy makes all the difference. We truly believe our daughter's confidence and love for swimming blossomed because of Teacher Emily. We feel incredibly lucky to have had her as part of our daughter's swim journey. read more

We love LPB. Started my daughter just before she turned 3 - at that time Zeke was a great teacher in getting her comfortable in the water and letting us know what skills she needed to improve on. I was so shocked when my daughter quickly started swimming independently with teacher Shelby in the "big kid pool" who was so great at encouraging her to get to this goal. Now she's with teacher Camille who has been progressing all the kids in her group in their skills and it's amazing to watch. My daughter likes to bring drawings to her teacher she loves her so! Highly recommend LPB. read more

A few years ago, our 5 year old kiddo had a very scary water incident when we were not with him and that pushed us into looking into swim lessons for him. He was nervous and honestly likely had PTSD from the incident. We came to La Petite Baleen and worked with Abby, one of the directors on site. She listened to our story and made sure he had the warmest swim instructor- Miles, who was patient, understanding, and encouraging. By the end of his very FIRST lesson, my child felt safe and comfortable and even put his head underwater and swam a bit. I was immediately impressed. My kiddo graduated from the program at 8 years and is swimming the back stroke, the butterfly, and most importantly loves swimming and being in water. They were able to support him in overcoming a trauma and I am forever grateful. Shout out to teachers Aspen and Jennifer who really pushed his skills with love and care. We are still at the swim school with our youngest kiddo and I continue to love the program. As an early educator myself, I really appreciate the teaching program- small groups, support staff around the pool if a kid needs extra help, from fins to no fins to encourage growth, songs and games, and the ribbon system. The program is very intentional on children development and on how children learn best. Shout out to teacher Juliet who has been a consistent, kind and most patient teacher to our little one. As you can see from all the shout outs, the quality of hire in the teachers is strong and our children are so lucky to have had so many wonderful swim teachers. Both our kiddos are swimming and water safe and vacationing is now so much more relaxing! LPB gets a gold ribbon in my book. read more

We love LPB 4 kids later still here we are currently swimming with teacher Elisabeth she has been with LPB for a long time that lets you how much she loves it here just as much as we love her! see you at LPB read more

La Petite Baleen - Teacher Elisabeth with the baby's - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing teachers Elizabeth S is the best for swimming lessons we loved her specially our boy

David is an amazing swimming teacher, and we feel very lucky to have him teaching our son. Our child truly enjoys every class, and a big part of that is because of David's positive attitude and energy. He is always in a good mood, patient, and encouraging. The way he teaches makes learning fun and easy for kids to understand. We've seen our son become more confident and excited about swimming thanks to him. We really appreciate all the effort and care David puts into his classes. read more

La Petite Baleen - David - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love them so far. In one session, my baby was jumping into her dad's arms off a wobbly foam board. As a child, honestly, I would've never haha. Both of us don't know how to swim that well. I also love seeing how she will progress by seeing children her age doing so much more. Everybody was super friendly and not awkward or confusing at all. Cannot wait until her next lesson!! read more

See all

We've had a genuinely positive experience with the Rohnert Park office staff--they've been friendly, organized, and great to work with. Unfortunately, dealing with the corporate office changed everything. I emailed corporate to ask a straightforward question about make-up dates, and instead of receiving a clear written response, I got a phone call that was rude and dismissive. I wasn't trying to get an exception--just clarification on the policy. Customer service matters, especially when you're enrolling your kids in something ongoing. Because of that corporate interaction, we won't be continuing and will be taking our business elsewhere. read more

We've been with la petite since B was a toddler. We had a bad experience with the very cold and slightly different set up for the YMCA classes at the presidio (he ran super duper cold at the time). La petite's warm water was welcoming (he still gets cold despite me sweating in the pool area). He's the kid that cries with every new teacher or sub that comes along, or if he's just not feeling it (despite loving to go to the pool and la petite overall). Every teacher and deck support staff has handled it professionally, and usually very warmly. He's enjoyed 2 yrs with Maddie, spent toddler year with Elizabeth (and Chad who is now retired), and has felt safe with all 3. He's also enjoys subs and makeups with Courtney and Jennifer! Of all the sports we had him in, swimming has persisted. read more

Isabella D has been an incredible teacher for our 4 year old daughter. When she started classes she was scared of the water and hated getting her face wet. She now eagerly looks forward to swim, puts her face in the water and is nearing independent swim. Very happy with Isabella and the LPB program read more

We love our teachers Courtney, Shelby and Catrina! You can't go wrong with these teachers, their lessons are effective and fun, my girls enjoy them so much! read more

We love teacher Max!!! Thank you for all you do for our kiddos - both of them love being in your class

We have been at LPB for 2.5 years. We've had some very good teachers in that time, but have been AMAZED with what Catrina has done for our girl. She is patient, strong, kind, and has gotten my girl to such a safe place swimming we're forever grateful. I lovingly call her my Sister Wife because of how well she commands my kid and her class. So much love for the work she's put in! read more

I heard about LPB through a friend and now I recommend them to any new moms wanting to get their baby acclimated to the water. My baby and I especially love coming to Miss. Sadie's class. She's a very attentive instructor and slowly adds on new experiences for my baby each week getting her more accustomed to water activities read more

We've been swimming at La Petite Baleen in the toddler class for almost a year. My son hated going to swim class for the first couple of months, but now he has really developed some great swimming skills and even earned his green badge! Shoutout to our swim coach Abby for all the training. read more

We've been a La Petite Baleen family since 2019 with our kiddos. We've had many wonderful teachers and currently, Teacher Catrina has been one of the best swim teachers for our young kiddos. She's patient, great with kids, very positive yet can be firm and can adjust her style accordingly. We adore her! read more

Have had our two kids at the Presidio location for years. We have loved the progress our kids have made, especially with the guidance of teachers Aspen, Abby, Jason and Matthew G! Highly recommend for families interested in having safe, strong swimmers. read more

We are very grateful to Eli for being such an amazing swimming teacher for our twin boys. He has done a wonderful job teaching them with so much patience, kindness, and encouragement. The boys always feel comfortable and excited during their lessons, and we have seen so much improvement in their confidence and swimming skills. read more

We have been taking our 8 month old to baby & me classes at this location of LPB for over 2 months now and we love it!! Teacher Zeke is kind, warm, & engaging throughout her class. Looking forward to our swim journey here as our little one gets older! read more

Jennifer is an amazing teacher. She's taught both of our kids how to swim and they love going every Saturday!!

Teachers Abbie and Catrina have been so lovely with my daughter and helped me get the confidence I needed to introduce her to swimming. Baby swim class has been such a joy because of them! read more

I've been a member of LPB San Francisco since 2018, and my 5-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son have truly enjoyed our experiences there over the years--until today. Unfortunately, I recently had a disappointing experience that I feel is important to share. After finishing our swim class, we stepped out for a few minutes and returned so my daughter could use the restroom. There were no customers at that time--only coaches and the same wonderful cleaning lady we've known for eight years. Unfortunately, the staff member in charge of closing did not allow my daughter to use the restroom, citing policy, and instead suggested that we find a public restroom elsewhere. I explained that my daughter is only five and couldn't hold it for long, but both the young lady and another instructor directed us to a distant public restroom. My little girl became shy and embarrassed when she was told "no." She quietly tried to hold it in and refused to go after that because she felt uncomfortable and unwelcome. It was heartbreaking to see her in that situation, especially in a place where she has always felt safe and happy. When I tried to explain again, they simply repeated, "No, this is our pool policy." Thankfully, the kind staff at the neighboring "Air Space" building allowed her to use their restroom, even though it wasn't open to the public. Afterward, my daughter thanked the young woman who let her in--someone about her own age--and that small act of kindness meant so much to both of us. I normally would never share a "restroom issue" in a review, but as a parent, this situation deeply affected both of my children. I hope LPB will consider showing more understanding and compassion toward families with young kids in the future. After so many years of wonderful experiences and warm memories, this incident was truly disappointing. read more

Camille is awesome! My daughter, Kalina loves her. She didn't know how to swim when we first signed her up. Now my daughter loves swimming. Thank you Camille. Thank you La Petite! read more

Teacher Eleana has been amazing with our daughter. She started out crying and nervous and now she is like a fish in the water. We love petite baleen for its beautiful location and great staff. read more

La Petite Baleen - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - San Francisco, California

Our child really liked Teacher Norah and we feel she did a great job preparing our child for the next level. Our child recently started classes with teacher Alex and they tell us they love teacher Alex during the week when they don't have class. The facility is always clean and the staff is friendly and helpful. read more

Teacher Jennifer is amazing! My toddler loves swim class so much and it's mostly because of Jennifer. She creates such a fun environment and knows how to connect with the toddlers and teach them effectively through songs and games. My toddler has come so far in class since we started last year and it's all because of Jennifer! read more

Thank you teacher Silas for making our son such an incredible swimmer. Silas' dedication and patience has made a world of difference.

We absolutely love swim classes at La Petit Baleen in the Presidio! The facility is large and clean with plenty of seating for parents to watch. The locker rooms are secure and clean as well. Most importantly, the teachers are fantastic. We have had classes with Elizabeth, Maddie, Aspen, and Veronica and they have all been great. Very positive and encouraging, and our kids have progressed well with their swimming skills. read more

Amazing swim school! Our daughter was in another swim school that went straight from front-back floats to competitive strokes. They completely skipped survival and fun in the water! Thanks to Coach Niels, she is now able to confidently swim pretty deep underwater, swim across the pool while taking breaths along the way, dive in, tread water, and is generally just much more confident and can really have fun in deeper water! *Now* she'll start learn the competitive strokes, but in a way that brings additional joy to an already fun experience! read more

Our child is with teacher Elizabeth and she is beyond amazing. We have gone to LPB for five years now and Teacher Elizabeth seems like family. Our child is thriving under her, LOVES the water and we attribute so much of it to her. We could not be more thankful and appreciative for this wonderful experience. read more

My son has been learning to swim here for two years, and we are so impressed with the progress he has made! He has built a strong bond with Teacher Jennifer, who shows kindness and holds kiddos to high standards while having fun. She's been great! read more

We started our daughter at LPB SF when she was two months old, we really enjoyed the water acclimation and the free classes for 2-6month olds. Teacher Courtney was our infant teacher and I truly believe she is the best of the best. She has endless tips and tricks for calming little babies in the water. She's also was extremely calm, kind and confident with all newborns. We have now switched to Teacher Eli's toddler class. Eli makes swim class so fun. He clearly enjoys working with the kids and makes class feel fun and low pressure. If my daughter is grumpy, he meets her where she is and allows her to take breaks if needed. When my daughter is excited and confident, he tries new skills, toys or games. He's also great at communicating ways we can get her more confident in the water. LPB is slightly more expensive than other swim schools, but I firmly believe the skills they teach and the fact that every class is tailored to their needs that day makes it worth it. Teachers are hands on, class sizes are small. The facility can get busy. We chose a weekday class to avoid the crowd. Parking is easy and cheap. read more

Eli is our grandson's swim teacher at the San Francisco site. Eli is an outstanding teacher, patient, methodical and very warm towards the students! It's a pleasure watching him with the kids he is instructing! read more

I attended LPB in SF over ten years ago, and now my daughter is doing the same - we came back because we love and trust this place and the teachers here are amazing! My daughter's regular teacher Bianca is so patient with her and is perfect for beginner children! Teacher Rae is also wonderful, friendly, and understanding. I cannot recommend LPB SF enough. read more