Many kids on the Westbank have learned to swim at Jewell's Pool- and for good reason. Jewell and…read moreher daughter Jessica run their small company out of a large pool in the backyard of a house on Alcide Drive- which is set up specifically to handle swim lessons. (so it's not like going to someone's house, really- it feels more like a country club pool or somesuch- lots of chairs for the parents, a shaded area to sit in, a restroom in case the kids suddenly remember they need to go just before or in the middle of a lesson) Classes are divided up into age and skill level- each group has one instructor teaching somewhere between 3-7 kids in small groups all around the pool. There are usually multiple sessions throughout the summer and each session is 8 classes. They do classes in the mornings and afternoons. If you miss one, they're really flexible about making it up at one of their other scheduled classes. My son- age 4- joined the absolute beginner little kids group, which Jessica teaches, and he absolutely loves his swimming class. They learn to do a basic dog paddle, hold their breath and blow bubbles underwater, pick up rings from the bottom of the pool at the shallow end, lie on their backs in the water, open their eyes underwater to wave at another kid they're paired with, jump off the side of the pool and swim to the instructor and even jump off the diving board to the instructor. (At least one other parent mentioned that some other swim schools don't insist on the child putting their entire head in the water or opening eyes underwater- I really like that they do insist on those things here.) The instructors really know what they're talking about, too- some of the little kids were crying or freaked out the first day and Jessica told everyone "give them 3 days and they'll be fine"- by the third day every single kid (including the one who was crawling under her mom's chair to hide on the first day) was doing great and the tears were all gone. Parents are allowed to stick around during the lesson- so you can take pictures of your little one swimming or jumping off the diving board. The place isn't too hard to find- it's just off Barataria on Alcide. There are two areas to park- one in a lot/field next to the pool entrance (where there is also a set of swings and slide/playset over in the corner that some of the kids, including mine, insist on going on before we leave after our lesson) and another parking area just after the turn-in on Alcide in a separate grassy area. Another small thing to note- because they handle all of the lessons and arrange the classes as well, it can be difficult to get in touch with them to enroll during the summer when classes have already begun. Just keep calling- 12 or 12:30 seems to be the best time to get an answer so you can schedule a lesson. All in all, I thoroughly recommend Jewell's Pool for anyone on the Westbank looking to enroll their child in swim classes.

This is a great place for babies to get acclimated to the water. The photo is quite deceptive of an…read moreactual swimming pool though. It's more of a pool tub, and the pool size is only for babies, I wouldn't recommend children over 3.5-4 years of age. You can't do laps, as it's really meant to introduce babies to the water. So we practice kicking, putting their heads under weather, and holding your breath. Plenty of space for parking!

Instructors are great, but communication is lacking from management. I did not feel like I…read morereceived equivalent value to the money I spent.

I highly recommend Love Swimming to help build your toddlers water confidence. The swimming…read moreinstructors are kid friendly and expect parent participation throughout the lesson. My daughter was all smiles while participating in the water activities. Though we had to put a pause on lessons, we will definitely reenroll her next summer.

Well Coach Will was really amazing with our Will. Great progress and very close attention and…read morededication. Lots of progress made - from a child that was very fearful of submerging at all in water to a kid that was jumping off the side of the pool. Two thumbs up!

I've been to a couple of swim meets here, and am impressed with the size of the facility. On both…read moreoccasions the pool was divided in half. It was great for warm ups, since so many kids could be in the pool at once. With bleachers on one side of the pool and actual seats on the other, I didn't notice anyone was left without a place to sit. Thank goodness I was lucky enough to snag an actual seat each time, because my back gets really p.o.'d if I spend too much time in the bleachers. There were plenty of bathroom stalls in the locker room, but the faucet situation got under my skin. They have those push down faucets that shut off when you release the "button". C'mon UNO! Gravel parking area with ample space. All in all, a very nice facility.

Indoor and outdoor pools so no issue finding a lane to swim laps. Excellent yearly dues ( or…read moremonthly membership is an option). I was hoping to get the initial $100 fee waived as military veteran, but that was not offered. Be sure to bring your own towel and shower products-very basic facility but worth it given the cost! Friendly staff member showed me around the entire facility. Love that the hours are until 8 pm. Only wish it was open on Sunday as well.

My little boy loves Ian. We are so lucky to have found such a wonderful, patient and compassionate…read moreteacher. I highly recommend Reach to anyone looking for swim lessons for their child or children.

From the owner: Reach Swim Lessons offers students of all ages a comprehensive crash-course in swim safety and…read moretechnique. With the option of choosing your own pool to conduct the swim lessons, Reach is the most cost-effective and efficient choice for personal swim coaching.

Tadpole Academy was a great experience and well worth the money. This was my 5 and 7 yr old sons…read morefirst swim lessons. They both improved tremendously each day in the pool. Day 1 my 5 yr old cried and was upset and did not want to get back in the water but after a few times he calmed down and was excited and wanted to stay in the water. They both said they loved it! They could not wait to go back each day for lessons. The classes are exactly long enough each day. Abby and Noah were very professional. They were kind, patient and soft spoken with all the kids. I thought they did a really amazing job!

We love Tadpole! My daughter swam with them for the beginner class, 8 classes 30mins each. We did…read morethe lessons at New Song church in prairieville, very well maintained and beautiful pool. Her teacher was Hannah, everyone loved her! My daughter is almost 2 and she was fearless by the third class...jumping in and all! By the end of the lessons, she is holding her breathe, climbing out of the pool and monkey crawl on the side to get to the steps.

Such friendly people!! I meant to post this months ago when I visited, just realized that I never…read morepressed post....Really accommodating, everyone made me feel welcome. If I ever come back to NOLA (which I hope to do), I'll stop in again!

Did a drop in here when I was in town for work. Great atmosphere, well organized and clean. Very…read morewelcoming coaches and members.