The lessons here are top notch and the coach's are so amazing. A lot of places just go through the…read moremotions but not here. This is true teaching! Thank you nitro

terrible. we've struggled with them essentially since…read moreenrollment. wasn't so bad when she was with ms naomi- we liked her. our daughter liked her- learned a lot. she didn't inundate with multi step directions for a 2yr old and didn't spend 10 minutes at the beginning of each 30 minute class explaining the lessons for the day. we were switched to a class for older kids without notice- which was frustrating and had us scrambling to accommodate with schedules last minute. but since the switch- instructor ms kelly- let me say... terrible. she spends at least 10 minutes at the beginning of each class explaining the goals of the day to 2-5-3yr olds when the class is only 30 minutes long. whether or not your child is potty trained- you're required to wear some special diaper they sell to prevent accidents. again- doesn't matter if the kid is potty trained or not. kelly is passive aggressive in providing instruction. doesn't meet the child where they're at with comfort in water. often tries to take the child from you to demonstrate (our kid hated this and would adamantly say no) to which point i had to also tell kelly no because she was persistent. overall kelly is your classic 'mean girl' but in an adult body. nitro also states no bandaids, whether or not a wound is present, because they get stuck in the pool filters- which is what i assumed filters are for.. So all that to say- no sense in paying $120+/mo for months and months so your child can be no more comfortable in the water than if you guys did it on your own at home. do not recommend.

Disappointed that they only have 1 class a day,which is 7:30 in the morning. Too early for a lot of…read morepeople. The class is given before the pool is opened to the public.

We absolutely love coming here with and without the kids. Kids love to play and slide & I love…read moreswimming laps for exercise.

Clean water, good instructions from staff, but I cannot get over why they instruct the kids in the…read morefurthest lanes away from the viewing area. You simply cannot see your kids swimming without binoculars. It defies logic.

Waterloo has been a great experience all the way around. Staff are friendly, helpful, and…read moreaccommodating. Lessons provide the perfect level of challenge for consistent growth. Plus, this is one of the few swim schools in Austin that has a comprehensive adult curriculum. I look forward to coming here every week. Margo T. has especially been a fantastic instructor to learn from and I'm grateful for her resourcefulness and expertise. She coaches with kindness and encouragement, and she puts in extra time to find new drills for me that target my weaknesses. She is attentive in the pool and always has great feedback that helps me improve quickly. I'm so grateful for Margo and the entire Waterloo team for providing a fun and effective learning environment for adult swimmers.

We loved our experience. Great communication and our daughters confidence in the pool grew…read moreexponentially.

Gillian was amazing with our kids. They showed great improvement in 10 lessons. So pleased!read more

We are so happy we found Emler when our son was 2 because he was not progressing in the current…read moreswim class we were enrolled in. This class really pushed him to the next level and within 6 months our son was jumping into the water staying several seconds under water and floating on his back. He loves the songs and props and always talks about swim class and reenacts it at home. Jaide has been a phenomenal teacher, pushing the students just enough to get them to improve each week. She also knows when to be more sensitive when they are experiencing fear and needed to go easy that day, ultimately building trust with them. We have also had makeups with Sami, Bella, and Isaiah and they are also phenomenal with the kids. Such a talented team at Emler - you can't go wrong! Thank you for teaching 2 year old how to swim, float, and stay safe in the water.

We started 4 months ago with an extreme water fear and my 4 year old went from zero skills to…read moreindependently swimming several feet in 10 lessons. The management is responsive, knowledgeable and helpful at answering questions. Big shoutout to John for all of his help. 10/10 recommend. This was our first summer here and won't be our last.

We did 12 lessons with Nicole for our 3 year old this past spring. It is now summer and our…read moredaughter is swimming like a fish! We will be back for refresher lessons at the end of the summer. It was a great learning experience from a safety perspective AND a fun perspective. Nicole is a great teacher.

What a great swim program! Our son went from panicking in the water to swimming to the deep end for…read morethe entire time. Thank you for such great lessons!

Miss Tiffany, and the ISR method itself, are really in a class all their own…read more I have three kids; over the past 3 summers we have tried two of the most "popular" Austin swim instructors, both of whom use the "put 'em in the water and make 'em figure it out" method. If you read reviews of these swim providers you see terms like "brutal" used a lot, and for us it was exactly that, for me and the kids. While it didn't traumatize my oldest, it was am miserable process for us both. Worse, after 2 weeks of lessons, my middle child literally refused to go near the water for the entire rest of the summer (and he is not a particularly sensitive kid). Just as important, for both kids (I was not ready to put my youngest through those lessons at that point, given what they entailed), while they could "swim" at the end of the week/2 week sessions, I had zero confidence they'd ever actually be able to save themselves from drowning. In fact, they spent so much of those lessons swallowing pool water and vomiting it up that I was afraid they'd have exactly the wrong response should they fall in the water alone. The great news is: Miss Tiffany completed turned all of this around. After a 6 week session with her, not only could my 2/3/newly 5 yr olds could all legitimately swim / float / swim (including in both summer and winter clothes) significant distances, but they all loved the pool! We did not have a single traumatic day in 6 weeks - no child cried, soiled himself, or vomited, all of which regularly happened under the stress of the previous methods' lessons. Miss Tiffany is SKILLED. She is clearly highly trained, with proven methods. She is patient, gentle, and firm. The kids not only respect her but like her (and so do I). Because she gives them skills and confidence, they also enjoy swimming and want to do it more frequently. She has an ability to see what each child needs and provide it on an individualized basis. I cannot recommend her highly enough, and we are and will continue to take regular refresher courses with her. The kids are *thrilled* with that plan, and I'll be forever grateful we found her. She has completely changed our family's relationship with the water.

Our son was a few months short of 3 years old when he had his lessons this summer. The ISR…read moreapproach was very effective for him, and Miss Tiffany is a great teacher, very consistent in teaching the ISR steps, both firm and kind. I watched her interact with several different children of different ages and comfort levels, and adjust her approach accordingly, while remaining patient with each child's individual needs. In our case, the challenge was not crying but instead overconfidence and an above-average lung capacity. This made our little guy more resistant to learning the turn-over-and-breathe part of the process. But Miss T. kept meeting him where he was, and challenging him a little more each time. Now, I'm glad to report that we have a little ISR swimmer, and a whole lot less nervousness (and a lot more fun) when we are near a pool.

Flying Fish Swim Academy has been effective, professional and fun for our kiddos. Within a few…read moreclasses they had our youngest able to go across the width of the pool without flotation devices. After a few more classes he was able to swim the length of the pool. Their format is very organized and the instructors have no more than three students each session. We don't have to waste time with signing up for one class and waiting weeks before they can start the next level - even if they're already ready to advance. Instead, Flying Fish has specific goals for each level and each class your child can advance to the next level. Skill updates are provided by email by the Deck Leader during class as each child completes their skill. The instructors will likely be different for each class and they all do a nice job with the kids and follow the same routine. The facility is nice with large observation windows and plenty of chairs to watch outside the pool area. There are also a few elevated tables/chairs and guest Wi-Fi. There is a play area for little siblings to stay occupied or for some playtime before class starts. Showers, changing rooms and restrooms are available for families making it easier to get multiple kids cleaned up and dressed after class. A swimsuit dryer is available so you can spin their suits and not take them home sopping wet. Swim accessories are available for purchase - goggles, swim diapers, swim caps, etc. in case you need something quick. Drinking fountains are available in the changing area and the kids love that they can have a little pack of fruit snacks after class. Thanks, Flying Fish!

I can't say enough good things about this place. We've been here since my son was 11 months old and…read morecan't imagine going anywhere else. They teach water safety in a fun and age appropriate manner. My son looks forward to this class every week, and so do I. All of the coaches are amazing, we especially love Anya, Niko, Cristina, and Emily. The makeup policy referenced in other reviews is pretty standard with any other memberships/classes we've taken and is extremely reasonable, we've never had an issue.

We love emler! In just 3 short classes my daughter went from hating the water to putting her face…read morein the water and trying to swim! Would definitely recommend.

We decided to discontinue private swimming lessons for our son due to lack of structure and…read moreprogress. Over time, he was assigned to multiple different instructors, which made consistency difficult. For private lessons, we expected a more thoughtful instructor match--especially given our son's high energy level. A stricter, more experienced teacher would have been far more appropriate, but that never happened. There were no clear goals, milestones, or timeline communicated for when progress should be expected or when he might advance to the next level. It felt less like skill-building and more like unstructured "play time." If the intention is simply fun and entertainment, that's something we could achieve by visiting a resort or renting a private pool elsewhere. This program may work for families with an unlimited budget who aren't concerned about measurable progress, but for us, the lack of accountability and clear expectations made it hard to justify continuing.