CIBBOWS is such a great find and such a supportive group. They worked with the city parks…read moredepartment to make it okay to swim in the ocean at Brighton Beach. (Coming from California, it seems unthinkable to me that the ocean wouldn't be open tot he public. There everything below the tide line is public and must have access without restrictions.) But the lifeguards were worried about people actually swimming the ocean. And they made the park comfortable that people can indeed swim. (That's the story that I've been told.) When you come to the beach, there is usually always a group of swimmers near "Grimaldo's Chair." Grimaldo was the lifeguard that helped work with the park department to make swimming okay. The first time I stumbled onto the beach, someone made sure that I put on a swim cap and googles. Someone offered me a snack coming out. Someone else gave me a tip for getting Glide to deal with the chaffing of the wetsuit. There is usually a variety of friendly people warming up with tea and chatting. Joining the club provides access to open water swim clinics and drill clinics. I've done the open water swim clinic twice. They expect you to already know how to swim and only need to learn about open water skills. I wish I had known that as a new member, you get a swim buoy, cap, and towel because I had already bought all of my gear. CIBBOS has a really cool logo actually. I cherish the stuff that I get from them. I felt a little uncertain about the need for an open water clinic. There is the ocean! Go! (Obviously, know not to fight rip tides.) However, I got a lot of value out of it, which is why I went a second time. The lecture includes all the expected topics like current and tides. There are some drills, e.g. alligator eyes for sighting. The most value that I got out of it was going in a group. Not only, do you get to make friends, but you also get used to swimming in a group. The instructor was really friendly, caring, and supportive. She also addressed all the individual needs of students. People come with a variety of backgrounds, e.g. fear challenges or being really strong in the pool but unfamiliar with the ocean. The races are highly recommendable. Apparently, it's a huge effort to put on a safe swim race. Someone told me that swim races are the most dangerous of races. They had boats and kayaks patrolling. There were swim angels to deal with less emergent issues. I felt super supported during the race. After hearing, the stories from swim angels in how they helped was very inspiring because they got so much joy out of helping people. Each sport has a certain culture around it. Some are more competitive and some are more about sharing the joy of pushing boundaries together. This one is a lot more of the latter.

As part of my triathlon training, I needed to add open water swimming into my regime in order to…read morebecome more confident in my swimming abilities outside of a pool. I searched online and found lots of sites catering to helping people swim, but some places had a cost to them. Thats when I found the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers or CIBBOWS for short. The swimmers meet on the beach every weekend at Grimaldi's chair. Its basically a lifeguard chair that looks exactly like all the others on the beach. To find the right one, find Volna Cafe on the boardwalk and basically walk straight towards the water and head towards the closest lifeguard chair. There you will see a bunch of people hanging around, putting on wetsuits or just chatting it up. A very friendly group where you can tag along for a swim. They have different distances, so swim at your own risk. If you are a beginner, they have people there to help out. To get better perks, you can join the group as a "member" and enjoy discounted swim races and group parties with fellow swim members. I'm this close to joining as I'm now a lover of swimming. If you have questions, email them as they're super friendly to answer any questions you may have.

We have been to many swimming classes and why I like this program is for a few reasons. First the…read morelocation is good for us, there's ample free parking right outside. The schedule fits us and it is an hour long swimming lesson! I never understood the half an hour group classes, I mean the kids gets wet and wait for their term and few laps later it is over. This place is reasonable in pricing and also I see results. The pool is small but it is great for kids or timid adults ( yes you can take classes along your kids!) I think all kids need to learn how to swim for safety reasons and this is a great place to get them started.

-Location: It has free parking!!! Easy drive off belt parkway…read more -Facility: Old but functional, best part is they keep the heat on very high so the kids won't feel too cold when they are out of the water. -Program: I do recommend it! They have certain criteria/position kids need to be able to perform in order to advance to the next level. Parents can watch the class! Their office is also very helpful and easy reachable. My kids (5yo) are comfortable swimming freestyle and backstroke after 4 months (2 session-16 classes)and I can see their progress. Before joining I tried to teach them myself for few month without success, but they were comfortable to be in the water when they started. -Teacher: I can't thank enough to the wonderful teachers there. I am kind of parent that result means a lot, I like the teachers pushing the kids to do their best, challenging themselves to do more, yet keeping them safe & interested. All the teacher there are look out for the kids best interest. Carlos and Adrian C has been my kids teacher for the 2 sessions that we've been there and my kids love them, always wanting to come to class and most importantly, they learned how to swim!! Overall is a well run program that I am happy my kids are there.

Very unpleasant experience with a front desk staff member…read more He touched my personal belongings without permission, which is completely inappropriate. When I asked who he was, he replied "it doesn't matter" instead of properly identifying himself. Later he gave an unclear name (Anton/Anthony) and claimed to be a manager. Instead of apologizing, he spoke in a rude and disrespectful manner. This kind of behavior is unacceptable. People come to the gym to focus and feel comfortable, not to deal with this kind of attitude. I hope management addresses this.

I love one coach there - Sensei Eugine Boure, Karate Coach!!…read moreHelp is one of the best I've seen in my life. If you are looking for an incredible Sensei-good to Matchpoit!

The place is very old and dirty. Swimming instructors are unprofessional and unqualified. My kids…read morewent there for almost a year and took private lessons, but couldn't swimming for half of the pool . Now my kids join Matchpoint swimming, and they have been improved so much. Much bigger, nicer and cleaner pool, and Instructors are so professional .

Cheuk Wai is a great teacher. She is positive with the children, safety minded, and I can see…read moreimprovement in their abilities after a number of weeks. I recommend Cheuk and Aquamobilez

We started swim lessons for our almost 2-year-old daughter this summer with Cheuk and it has been…read morean amazing experience. cheuk is very knowledgeable and does a great job with our daughter who really enjoys her swimming lessons. We would highly recommend Cheuk as an instructor! Will continue to work with her.

We have both of our children enrolled (5 and 3). Our five year old is in private classes and our 3…read moreyear old is in a group class. The kids are making incredible progress in the pool. They have a wonderful time and look forward to each lesson. I can't recommend this safe, friendly and knowledgeable school enough. Our daughter's private instructor, John is just incredible. First, she has the same instructor each lesson. He has formed such a bond with her. She trusts him and really has a wonderful smile on her face the whole time (even after coughing a little from the water). Her confidence and skills are growing day by day. The group classes are also stellar. Don't be turned off by the "group" part. The ratio is kept down to 3 to 1 and each kid gets plenty of solo instruction. They are given appropriate breaks and then it back out with an instructor to learn more. Our son has a warm smile on his face the entire time. His skills have grown leaps and bounds. If you're looking for classes for your kids this school is definitely worth taking a look at. At first we thought it was a little expensive (and compared with schools like 'The Connection" it is, but the results are completely worth it. They run a safe, friendly and fun school all while being focused on developing real skills.

The best aquatic place for kids! My kids are 2.5 and 3.4 years old. We took them to different…read moreswim lessons in other places but they have made the most progress in this one. The instructors are amazing and they take away their fears immediately! We love it. Thank you guys!!

The adult swim classes here are a good way to learn how to swim or get over your fear!. The…read moreinstructors really get you to a point where you feel comfortable swimming by the end of the sessions.

I was in the water so I know exactly what I'm saying. At no time did I ever see dmitry in the water…read moreso no one can tell me when that water was and wasn't cold. I didn't know not one thing about the deep end and still yet I was out there. Even the instructors sometime said. They don't know what's going on here... I've watched people complain and leave( unregistered one by one) we all can't be wrong

Today I passed the drive test on the first attempt, thanks to the employees for their quick work…read moreand competence, the Roma instructor gave a lot of useful information, thanks to which the test was taken on the first attempt , , , .

Sharing my personal experience with this driving school. Full video with evidence and hashtags will…read morebe posted soon. 1. In my opinion, the company focuses more on collecting payments than on student support or quality service. 2. The test yard is located in Brooklyn near an industrial area with a persistent smell of waste and garbage -- it creates an uncomfortable and unprofessional training environment. 3. The truck I was assigned had a spring brake system that didn't activate at 13 PSI, although DOT safety regulations require activation between 20-45 PSI. When I raised concerns, I was told, "That's how it's supposed to be," which I found troubling. 4. My interaction with the manager was very disappointing -- arrogant attitude, unwillingness to help, and a general blame-the-student approach. 5. I was repeatedly told that I could only take the test at this one location. Later I found out that Red Hook is an official and accepted testing site, and students successfully test there. 6. During my road test, some inspectors did not speak English clearly, leading to confusion and stress. 7. I witnessed students on the "unlimited" package calling their instructors during the exam to ask basic commands like "check the lights," right in front of the inspector -- which raises questions about fairness. 8. On a positive note, the instructors I trained with were professional and dedicated. They truly deserve to work in a better environment. Bottom line: If you value your time, nerves, and want a clean, honest, and professional path to your CDL -- I personally would recommend looking elsewhere. Full video evidence will be posted soon.