This review is long overdue! I have been bringing my kiddo here for swim lessons for one year. He…read morestarted at 3 years old not particularly wanting to learn how to swim or even enjoying his time in the water but his coach Elysa was exceptionally kind, caring, nurturing & PATIENT & began to really get him comfortable in the water. After about 4 months of once a week semi-private lessons he began once or twice a week private lessons with the most wonderful coaches. Ashley Z. is so loving, upbeat & passionate about working with children, she really understands how to teach all types of learners & has also been so patient with my child's varying needs. We've also been able to recently swim with some other coaches that are remarkably able to determine exactly where he's at and push him just enough. Coaches Yudit, Nicholas & Avery, who we recently just met are all seriously rockstars! It's not just the swim coaches though, the entire facility feels like our home away from home. When we walk in the front desk tries their best to greet us & all families with warm hellos. The manager, Franklin (I hope I got his name correct) is quite possibly the kindest man you'll ever meet & truly feels like you could tell him anything & he'd try to help. The office manager, Vic (Victor) is also so kind, helpful & incredible, I could probably chat with him all day, he's got a heart of gold. We've also had wonderful help from CJ & Courtney at the front desk as well. The lead trainer to the coaches, Megan, is absolutely outstanding. She has been so positive & uplifting with my child she really deserves a special shoutout. She always takes the time to say hello & make a special connection with my kiddo & we feel so lucky to call her our friend. The main deck guard Lojo is AWESOME with the kids. He makes the free swim area safe while still allowing it to be the best part of our kids' day. He can somehow get the kids who are going a bit wild to get back in line a bit and behave safely, all with a big, friendly smile. He somehow even welcomes all the families to the pool as they walk in. Dahan (I don't know how to spell his name) is the kindest lifeguard ever but he's off to college soon; he'll be so missed, we're happy for him but sad to see him go! The center is inclusive & works really well with children that have special needs & are neurodivergent. Some facilities say they are inclusive but this place really is a gem in that arena & you feel how welcome you are as soon as you get started. It's magic for us & I hope we can continue to take lessons here throughout childhood. Thank you all for your commitment & dedication to teaching our children how to be safe in the water & make swimming fun! So grateful!

This place has gone downhill...they stopped letting the kids play in the pool area before/after…read moretheir class. They sent out a bogus email saying they were closing it down on short notice because of no attendant. Let me tell you how much of a failure this is on management at this location. First of all, this place is not cheap, you are paying the $7-15 per lesson because they have a play pool and the teachers. When we signed up for the $$$ packages the play pool was included and now they changed the terms of the agreement. That is a breach! Secondly, to say you don't or can't get an attendant to watch the kids is management's responsibility. There are teachers that do not have lessons at every 20 min intervals. Why not have them rotate? Also, I've read the other comments about an incident happening but not much details. I've seen rowdy kids and relaxed attendants/life guards weekly but that is the minority. The vast majority of kids pay attention and follow the rules. Don't punish everyone for mistakes of others. This took away the joy my kids had to play with other kids and do additional self practice in the water. Waterworks management you need to do the right thing and bring it back!

Clean, affordable and not crowded yet... it is just the first open week of the summer season though…read moreso I expect it will be worse. Signed up for Group Swim lessons, very inexpensive!

Remember that many public pools across U.S. cities were backfilled with concrete rather than…read moreallowing people of color to swim with the white man during the 1960s and 1970s. That itself gives this historic structure a miraculous feel because it survived desegregation in an apartheid state that still tries to hide/deny its ugly white supremacism. Nonetheless, the racist, capitalist model of diminishing public infrastructure because they provide benefit to non-whites equally, prevails. The changing rooms are a shambles. Ironically, in many poorer nations where I have used municipal pools, they have smarter, more updated locker rooms. (This reveals the character of what passes for national culture.) Enough now with the disparagement and let's pivot to this historic pool. The length is perhaps Olympic size but the deep end of the pool is in the middle. It's cordoned off into three sections across, allowing a lap swimmer to benefit from the deepest central third, although it is not a full 25 yards across. The water is much clearer than in Glassell Park and perhaps it's because it is not as heavily used? I found there's a solid jet stream of pumped water underneath leading to a kind of "rip tide" effect in the pool. You have to work harder to get across because of the undercurrent. It's quite enjoyable. The lack of trees around this pool makes the sun feel harsh, but the nearby Gold line train gives it a feeling of being part of a vibrant metro region. As well I was smelling street tacos from a nearby truck, very aromatic I was delighted to find this pool during one of the extended brutal heat waves of triple digit temperatures that are commonplace now thanks to climate change. However, consistent with the history of white colonizers being callous about the welfare of non-white citizens, and overriding the unique realities of western geography in favor of conformity with norms from the northeast, the City of LA Parks and Recreation department feels the need to shut down pools like this one during LA's *hottest months* of September and October. In other words, yes, the City of LA would rather people of this area suffer the heat than keep this pool open to allow for some respite for vulnerable human bodies. LA's hottest months are always September and October. City of LA Parks and Recreation: We don't care. Finally, note there is limited parking in a lot which exits into a mega-dip in the street side curb that will crack most sedans' chassis... Call 818-804-7570 about hours.

Grace is awesome!! She gave my 7 & 5 yr old private lessons summer of 2016. Prior to Grace, our…read moredaughters had years of lesson at Waterworks Irvine. We must have spent $1000+ but it did not work. 5yr old spent her lessons screaming and crying. It got very stressful and traumatic for ME! We also kept switching teachers at Waterworks...some were just not as good with kids. I've come to conclusion that places like Waterworks has a business model to keep you paying for lessons not necessarily getting your kids watersafe. Then we heard about Grace on the Irvine Mom Facebook board. I told her @ my 5 yr old. Immediately she CUSTOMIZED her teaching method and brought in toys. She is always smiling and calm with my daughters. And this is key with my 5 yr old who hated the pool. Grace also ask parents what the focus should be- swim safe or technique. Net net in just 2 months of private lessons- both girls love and ask to go to the pool. My 7 yr old can swim around by herself and my 5 yr old is no longer afraid. Plus Grace is super responsive with text & email, flexible with schedule changes. Other places are not. Only downside is I wish Grace had more Irvine hours. She splits her time her and San Gabriel Valley. I will definitely resume lessons with her the coming Spring.

Fantastic swim teacher. She's patient and gives good feedback. A few lessons go a long way. I saw…read moreimprovement after just 1 lesson! Highly recommend. Book early - she gets booked up fast!

I was looking for private adult swimming lessons and contacted Swimphi through the contact form on…read moretheir website. I got a call back within a day and was able to schedule lessons that same week, which I really appreciated! I love how they have all the information clearly laid out on the website so I know what to expect when I get there (even directions with pictures on how to get from parking lot to the pool, which was super neat)! I'm pretty much a beginner when it comes to swimming but my coach made sure I felt comfortable and safe in the water. My coach brought all the equipment needed for the lesson so it's super hassle-free. I was initially intimidated by the deeper end of the pool but my coach has always been very patient and encouraging and stayed right next to me the whole time to make sure I'm safe. I mentioned I was preparing for an upcoming trip since it will involve a lot of water activities and my coach really catered the lessons to my needs. I genuinely appreciate how patient my coach is, if I don't get a particular technique right away, we would try different variations and my coach would always remind me of the key points to remember. In the Pasadena location, it's an indoor pool that's heated and there are changing rooms available. Onsite parking in the lot is another plus! Highly recommend Swimphi to anyone looking for adult (or kids) swimming lessons in Pasadena!

My kids have been attending swimming classes at this location for the past few months. We've had…read moresuch a great experience! Alex and Jade are amazing -- super patient, encouraging, and great with kids. They make lessons fun while still helping my kids build confidence and skills in the water. Highly recommend!

As someone in their early 40s, I've learned to swim for the first time beginning this year (2026)…read more And naturally I've become just as interested in springboard diving. To my dismay, the pools I've visited within LA County (not all but quite a bit) dont offer diving lessons for adults. For the most part it's something like 17 and younger. Thanks to a Google search, I found this facility. Rose Bowl Aquatic Center. Which does have an adult lesson option. I chose the Adult Learn To Dive, 1 day option. You know, test the waters before going all in with monthly classes. See how it all works out kind of thing. Absolutely fantastic! Class was from 12:30-2:00 and it was totally worth it. Coach Jean Luc, excellent instructor! Clear, easy to understand instruction and enlightening feedback on each and every dive. When I made a mistake he was able to point out exactly what happened and how to easily correct it. His younger assistant Issac was totally awesome and helpful as well. Special thanks also to those who participated in the class. Everyone was very welcoming, upbeat, and encouraging. And most of them we're regulars from what I gathered. Also I think it's worth mentioning for those who may be in a similar situation as myself. I am currently overweight. Which I was quite self conscious about when signing up. And with diving, you're kind of on display for a short amount of time till you take that plunge. But thankfully as I mentioned, everyone was absolutely welcoming and did not make me feel judged at all.

I have a monthly membership here and I enjoy coming and swimming here. They have two large pools,…read moreare open often and have lots of lanes. However, as lap swimmer, I really think there are a lot of things they can improve to create a better experience for lap swimmers to determine when lanes are open. They have pretty poor communication, despite online tools for determining when lanes are open. First they post a link to a google calendar for each pool and the schedule. The problem is the way the schedule is laid out is confusing. For example they will not bracket the schedule changes for the pool, by that I mean they will tell you when a change starts, but not always when it ends. Or they communicate for what his going on for the other lanes during certain times. 9am Diving - Lanes 14-20 9:30 Lap Swim - Lanes 6-9 There's 5 lanes completely unaccounted for. Or sometimes they will post times like this and the lanes listed conflict with on another for example it shows below that lane 9 ends at two different times. Laps are listed, twice instead of one. 8 - 9:30 am Lap Swim - Lanes 11-20 8 - 9am Lap Swim - Lanes 6-9 8:55am - 2:05pm Swim Lessons - Lanes 1-9 They list the lanes open, but they don't actually label the lanes at the pool, so I'm not sure why. It feels like this is an internal calendar not a consumer facing one. They should just make this simple. Show the start and end times of a changeover and list the available changes like 8AM-9AM - 13 lap lanes (list the lanes), 9 Swim lesson lanes (list the lanes) 9AM - 2PM - 3 lap lanes (list the lanes), 9 Swim lesson lanes (list the lanes) The way they layout the information is extremely confusing, complicated and you have to do a lot of math to figure out what's available, when it can be much clearer, simpler and easier to communicate. They should really lay this out visually like a Google calendar broken down in color coded blocks of time or in columns broken down by categories for Lessons, Lap Swim, Diving, Classes... That way you can just turn off what isn't relevant to you and see what's available quickly. Sometimes change overs don't occur at the listed time and you're stuck wondering if the calendar is wrong. Then they have a camera feed online so you can see the pool live. Great idea, but completely useless in practice. It's clear the camera is old, so the resolution is poor. It's also placed at the short end of the pool near the front. so you can't actually see any of the lap lanes in the distance with any clarity, so you have to zoom in to see if anyone is the lanes but you can't. The way the site is implemented is the feed auto switches between the two camera (the one for the other pool) before you can make anything out and if you can zoom it it's too hard to make anything out. So it serves no purpose. It's ridiculous. Upgrade the camera. Put them on both ends, or at least move it to the long end so you can see clearly if the lanes are full. And let the user control what they see. They also have this cone system they've implemented to let people know when a lane is open for swimming, lessons or something else at the time of the change over. But the problem is the key for what the cones mean, is at the front of the building. Why not just print what the cones mean directly not the cone itself. So you don't have to walk back and read it? The showers constantly have broken soap dispensers and shower heads. And even though they break the time, the keep replacing everything with the same shower heads and soap dispensers. I get that this can be a cost but they don't have that many showers and these days there are so many options I can not image it's that hard to find something both quality and budget friendly to avoid this problem. Finally their communication of closures can be a lot better. I buy a monthly pass, and swim often. There have been many times when the facility was closed with a weeks notice, sometimes for an entire week. If you're going to do that you need to let people know in advance so they don't waste money on membership they can't use a quarter of. Or the pool has been closed for 'contamination.' They do not specify what that means, even when asked. That is crazy. I get that some of these things might cost money. But some of them cost nothing at all. They are just simple changes that can be made tomorrow if there was more thoughtfulness and care put into the experience of the user. It feels like this place is trapped in time and put on auto pilot. Every single solution doesn't need to be the cheapest lowest effort solution all the time. You can create a better experience.

I have had several instructors, and all of them have been professional and welcoming. One…read moreinstructor, Miss Zay, has made a really big impact on my child's learning how to swim process. She is patient, welcoming, and easy to work with. My son gets distracted easily, but Miss Zay is able to keep him focused. I appreciate the love and dedication she brings to her work. She truly shows a passion for teaching. A downside is their last-minute cancellations, which disrupts your schedule.

So thankful my daughter swimming teacher with Jessy and Ms. Deanna. They both are really passion…read morewith our children

We love this swim school! The instructors are the best! They treat each child as if they were the…read moreonly one in the class. They are very good at their job. The owner is very hands on. He will return calls should you have any questions. My granddaughter loves going here and is doing great as a swimmer!

My kid has always struggle with swim class due to motivation and anxiety. BSS instructors met my…read morekid where they were at and provided caring and motivational support to help them succeed. Now they can swim better and with more confidence.

Love this YMCA. Great staff. From Silvia de Manager to the rest of the crew. I really enjoy coming…read morehere to this location.

Great YMCA that I love going to. Lots of equipment, classes, community info/activities, and even a…read moreheated pool (which I love). I've never been to the location and found it too crowded (like a lot of other gyms) I only wish this YMCA was also open on Sundays. Great and friendly staff as well. Tip: The parking lot is smaller than their demand, but there is plenty of street parking

We have been taking kids private swimming lessons with Swimphi Pasadena and Altadena since last May…read moreand couldn't be happier. All our coaches are attentive, friendly, and great with kids (our son is 5 years old). Our son didn't know how to swim when we started with Swimpi, and now he looks forward to every swimming lesson. I would recommend this company to parents with small kids looking for caring and professional coaches for their little ones.

From the owner: Dive into Swimphi Altadena, the top destination for swimming lessons in the San Gabriel Valley!…read moreSpecializing in kids, adults, and triathlon swimming training, we ensure water safety proficiency in under 8 lessons with expert coaching and technique instruction. At Swimphi Altadena, we offer unbeatable value and prices compared to other swim schools. Our 30-minute classes are designed for optimal learning and skill development. With low instructor turnover, we guarantee a consistent and reliable guidance for every swimmer. Our warm indoor pool provides a comfortable and safe environment for swimmers of all ages and skill levels. We're committed to providing the best value swimming lessons in Altadena and offer tailored private and semi-private lessons to meet your needs. Serving vibrant communities like San Marino, Sierra Madre, South Pasadena, Pasadena, and Arcadia, Swimphi Altadena brings expert coaching and technique instruction to the heart of the San Gabriel Valley. Our experienced and dedicated instructors are committed to helping swimmers of all ages and abilities reach their full potential in the water. Join us at Swimphi Altadena for a supportive and nurturing environment that makes a difference in your swimming journey. With unbeatable value, top-notch instruction, and a commitment to excellence, Swimphi Altadena is the premier destination for swimming lessons in the San Gabriel Valley.

Great experience overall. Anthony is patient, clear, and really good at adjusting to different…read moreskill levels. The lessons are structured without feeling too rigid, so they stay enjoyable while still leading to real progress. This location specifically is fantastic. Highly recommend.

My little tadpole and I love the classes with the British Swim School at Chevy Chase Country Club…read more Anthony is stellar! He's really jovial--but in a laid-back way and encouraging with both the toddlers and parents. It's so nice to be out in the sun in a clean, outdoor pool. The site has easy parking and check-in. All around good times getting acclimated to the water and learning water safety!