I'm gonna say my son Dj started out in Oaklantis back when he was only 5yrs old! back then it was…read moreonly a few kids, Coach Scott had his vision and Dream of a populated swim ‍ team! First teaching younger and older kids to swim and training them to be confident and excellent swimmers ! And competitive training to compete against other swimmers! Thank you Coach Scott I'm convinced this is a way of giving back to our community! It's those little seeds that were sowed relentless hours putting in that "Grit" that kept Coach Scott going! And now look!! Oaklantis has blossomed so much!! We appreciate your encouragement and support! For our kids and community Thank you Best, Talmera and Dj

My son loves to swim. In fact, it is the only sport he has shown any interest in. We have been…read moretrying for several years to find him more swimming opportunities. Unfortunately, the only options in Alameda, where we live, are chronically closed to new swimmers. I ended up doing a google search to see what Oakland had to offer, and I'm so glad I did. We just started with the Oaklantis pre-team. It is fantastic, and exactly what we were looking for - a low pressure way for him to get some experience being on a team, while improving his strokes. The instructors are knowledgeable, the practices are organized, the team's communication is prompt and thorough, and the pricing reasonable. Most importantly, my son is having a great time, which is really what I want from an athletic activity.

My daughter started swim lessons about three years ago. She is 9 now. She liked being in the pool…read morewhen we started although did not know how to swim (though she thought she knew how to swim!) She didn't want to start swim lessons. We wanted the peace of mind that she knew how to swim so we joined the wait list and started as soon as we could. We told her it is a life lesson and she had to do it and thankfully she agreed. Our daughter isn't quick to trust or warm up. I was a little concerned that the teachers wouldn't respect her shyness That was not the case at all. The coaches are all respectful, kind and professional. Now she knows how to swim and more! The picture is of her learning to dive! My husband started taking lessons too because he was inspired to improve his swim technique. Both really enjoyed swimming with the coaches and learned a lot. We highly recommend Woodys swim school!

I was so excited to take swim lessons here. Unfortunately, I won't be able to. I inquired and…read morespecifically asked was the pool heated, the response was an enthusiastic, "Yes!" I show up to my lesson and before I even finish removing my sweatpants, the instructor, Shani states that the pool is Chilly. I respond, "I thought the pool was heated?" He states it is but it's chilly today and they only rent space so they can't control the temperature. He also states he is under the weather and wouldn't even be getting in the pool unless I really wanted him to. Why would I want someone who is sick being hands on during my lesson? And why would an instructor not just reschedule if something that should be hands on, like a swim lesson, is required if they were sick. Long story short, I couldn't do the lesson and was refused a refund. Wonderful! If you like cold pools and the instructor watching you flail on the sidelines, then go for it!

This is a wonderful swim club, with a gym. It's not a huge anonymous health club; but a…read morewell-maintained 95 year old community treasure. The gym equipment has been updated, is clean and works well. The service team keeps the pools clean and at 81-82 degrees. Baby pool is a little warmer. It's a very warm & casual vibe. Staff are friendly and attentive. Milan, the manager, seems to recognize and have a warm word for everyone. The members, too, are very friendly. Through a cooperative agreement with Piedmont Swim Team, there are excellent swim lessons for all ages. My husband and I took refresher courses from Zoe, who is a truly talented instructor. Lessons are also available to non-members. The downside for some families will be the swim-at-your-own-risk policy: there are no lifeguards. Staff are pretty attentive, but also have other duties. PROs - This is a great club if: - Lap Swimming is your preferred activity; or - You live or work in the area; or - Mid-Day is your preferred Sun bathing period; or - you avoid crowds; or - Your backstroke is improved by watching red-tailed hawks. CONs - If your pod needs a lifeguard, or if historic facilities are not your vibe, you may want to check somewhere else. I heartily recommend this club. Enjoy your swim!

I joined Montclair Swim Club because I was looking for an option closer to home and after about a…read moreyear decided it wasn't really for me. They have good hours and the lifeguards at the front office are super helpful. The pool itself is a bit unusual - one end is quite shallow so it takes a bit of getting used to it for doing flip turns. There are always kids around - and quite often children's swim teams practicing. When I first started swimming there, I kept hear the name "Marco" being yelled repeatedly and thought "This must be the worst game of Marco-Polo ever!" I later found out it was that one guy on the kids' swim team who doesn't hear instructions and keeps swimming when everyone else is stopping. The hot tub is not bad - it's quite big. It's sadly full of people who all seem to want to talk OVER the noise of the jets. I can only imagine what it must be like for the people who live in the canyon all around and have to hear banal conversations, frequently alcohol fueled as there are many people with cans of beer in the hot tub, about personal relationships and compost bins. While parking is plentiful - there are plenty of people who block the road because they can't be bothered to park and walk 20 feet. There are even some rather entitled white male Tesla drivers who will criticize another person's driving despite the fact that they had no problems parking themselves (and the parking lines are many, worn down, and contradictory at best). There's definitely a bit of elitist element among the long time/regulars. Finally, the locker rooms are a horror. They are not kept clean and could do with re-tiling. The lockers are a mess. The toilets are miniscule and not much bigger than what you'd find in an airplane. I do confess that the source of my discontent was a visit to Villa Sport in San Jose last summer -- and the realization that for HALF the money, I could be getting way way more value. Let's not even get into the strange cash-only deposits and lack of policy to suspend membership when out of town or out of commission for long periods of time. It's a really great pool and club for families -- it's got picnic tables, grills, and you can bring the au pair as part of your membership. Two stars for single people without kids who prefer clean lockerooms - but five stars for families with lower standards and more money.

Such an cool pool with awesome staff! I would recommend this place to everyone. Facilities are…read moreclean, staff are attentive and patrons are helpful too

It's crowded and patrons are rude. On the regular you have to deal with the following:…read more-towels stolen when left on lounge chairs -belongings thrown off lounge chair and chair taken over while you're in the water -grown adults will get in the lane, won't notify you, begin swimming, crashing head on into you (a bit traumatizing and dangerous) -circle swim w/ 3 people: certain types of people are impatient and angry for whatever reason, demanding you hurry up and push off the wall, are too slow, or try other tactics to bully you out the lane. (I continue swimming at my own pace, refuse to leave the lane) -communal shower, low water pressure. -swimsuit spinner always out of order -the director who sends out weekly newsletters is pretty efficient and has been there for years after previous high turnover.

My 2 kids have been going to Ohana on and off for 2.5 years, pre and during covid. Overall, its…read morebeen very good. Compared to the YMCA (the only other place we've had lessons), the groups are smaller, and I feel the teachers give more individualized instruction to each child, as opposed to just having kids take turns swimming laps. My kids have each advanced several levels, have more confidence, and like the teachers. There was one month where my 4 year old child was put in a group below his level because they didn't have the right number of teachers, I guess? I had to speak up to figure out why he was being held and carried by the teacher when he was able to swim across the pool...but before a resolution was figured out, covid struck and lessons were put on hold for several months. The organization has been pretty good at communicating--I usually get a response within 1 day--and while they don't do regular make ups, they worked with me in a couple of circumstances when I needed to switch schedules on short notice. The pool sits aside trees and a grassy field, which is especially nice in the spring/summer/fall. Winter with the dome up its more like a any old pool. Overall, its a good swim program for kids in a nice location, with a bit of a DIY-shoestring management approach you have to get the hang of. Not cheap, but swim lessons rarely are. Thanks Ohana!

Ohana has been a superb experience for both of my kids. They've both had terrific, consistent…read moreteachers, and they've grown leaps and bounds in the two years they've spent here. They look forward to swim class - it's the highlight of the week. The community here is truly lovely and welcoming, and we appreciate being a part of it!

Amanda is great with our kids. They're always excited to see her when it's time for their lessons…read more Her class format is all about getting her students comfortable in the water. She provides just the right balance of encouragement and pressure. Not only am I a parent, but I'm also a student!

We just had our third lesson with Amanda today, and she's been absolutely wonderful with my 11- and…read more9-year-old. I was especially concerned about my younger one, who's hesitant about getting his head in the water. Amanda has been so patient and reassuring--she calmly addresses his fears, explains what he needs to work on, and encourages him in a way that really builds his confidence. Both of my kids feel very comfortable with her, and I truly appreciate her supportive and positive approach.

Our experience at Aquatech this past year has been amazing for our 3 and 5 year old. Our goal was…read moreto primarily build confidence in water and basic swim skills for safety. The entire experience has been seamless. Classes can be booked online or if you need to skip a day you can get a make up token. You check in on an iPad and it tells you your lane and instructor. Changing facilities and bathrooms are super clean and plentiful. We never need to wait. Sitting area for parents is comfortable and you can easily see your kid in the pool. Our children have a fear of water on their faces and are super sensitive, but our instructors kindly got them over that fear. Coach Gabe in particular has been so patient with my son, and he has really grown into a confident swimmer in just 3 months! He went from screaming when water touched his face to dunking his head and holding his breath underwater. Their tadpole program is great too for babies and toddlers, although my daughter is not progressing as quickly since she doesn't get 1:1 attention from an instructor. Private lessons are pricier but it's the way to go if you need more help.

The instructors are nice but given the ratio is not the best, they learn very slow. However it's a…read moregood place for kids to exercise. Facilities seem clean, but I see a staff soaking her shoes into the pool today, why??

They are the unicorns of swim lessons. Don't look any…read morefurther. Just figure it out as they are costly, but well worth it!! The absolute best in the area. 1 kid went through them and my second is currently In the program. Love HP!!

Great experience for both of my boys! Started my 5 year old in the fall and quickly enrolled our 3…read moreyear old. Both are in the 30 minute class and have progressed very quickly. We're continuing because it's building both skill and self esteem for them. Our 5 year old in particular is shy and tends to quit trying if he feels challenged, having this opportunity to build a skill he feels competent in is really valuable for him at this age. Can't thank everyone here enough for all they provide for these young kids.

Was at The Hills during a World Cup match and got a little loud cheering -- apparently that…read morebothered some other guests. Honestly that made me feel bad because the last thing I want to do is make people uncomfortable, and I wasn't even the only one watching the game, so I'm still kind of confused about the whole thing. I totally get people come here to relax and I respect that. But there's no sign anywhere that says "please be quiet," so the only way I can respect an unspoken rule is if someone actually tells me it exists. I'm from Oakland, where people just say something if you're being too loud -- I've had it happen to me in a cafe before and I just said "oh sorry" and toned it down. I own it when someone tells me. But I can't read a room I don't know and guess at rules nobody says out loud. Instead of anyone saying anything to me in the moment, nothing was said at all -- until later, when I asked what happened and was told management wanted to launch an investigation? That felt like a lot for a noise thing during a soccer game. If someone had just said something when it happened, I could've easily stepped outside to watch instead. 3 stars because most members here are genuinely nice -- I've been asked more than once if I'm from Mexico lol, probably bc I'm the only Latino there, and it's fine, people just don't know. That's a separate thing from the noise situation though, which I still think is worth mentioning. Locker rooms are clean, pool's clean, vibe was chill until this happened.

Horrible smarmy management. We were taking swimming lessons at the hills. Really thought the…read moreinstructors were great, my kids loved the classes. We stayed 10-15 minutes past what their policy stated a couple times (not on purpose) bc it's really hard to corral small kids out of the pool and to get dressed especially when you can't enter the bathrooms with them bc they are the opposite sex. The smarmy manager was constantly watching our movements, i felt hounded by all the monitoring.. It felt was very stressful and unwelcoming. Management was also cowardly and Instead of sending reminders of policies themselves, management has their instructors do their dirty work. Our lessons got cancelled without any warning. I think we didn't fit their aesthetics so they were looking for a reason to remove us. Very inhospitable, snobby, horrible communication, and passive aggressive.

I have taken two classes, both with Ruby: organic gardening and bare root fruit tree orchards. On…read moreboth instances I walked away with a better understanding of the overall concepts and a few good pages of notes. Very comfortable and conversational learning environment. Very helpful, and great to have such a locally sourced program for learning these types of things.

I cannot recommend the Institute of Urban Homesteading's Cheese Making Intensive enough…read more This day and a half "intensive" is a combination of the cheese making 1, 2 and 3 classes, taught by IUH founder Ruby. It's fast-paced and she throws a lot of information at you, but the whole process is warm, interactive and accessible. I immediately felt like I could leave Ruby's home and make these cheeses (and other dairy products!) we had learned in my own. I especially love that she's found what seems like the perfect middle ground between science lesson and home-cook/homesteader understanding. She brings her personal experience in with just enough of the science and technical understanding to make home cheese making incredible accessible and attainable. I also love that IUH also has a sliding scale for fees because it demonstrates the value they put on what they teach in making these classes more widely accessible. I already have the summer farm tours on my calendar, and I can't wait to take my next class.