My 3.5yo daughter has been in private swim lessons with other schools/instructors for a year and a half but had made no progress and was too scared to even put her face in the water. After just FOUR lessons with Gale, she is able to independently swim, put her face in the water, blow bubbles, and is having an amazing time swimming. The first time she put her face in the water I was so amazed, I cried happy tears. Gale is really phenomenal with kids and I am so happy we found her! read more

I never write reviews. Truly I've written 1 bad review in my life on Amazon. I wanted so badly to have a good experience with Gale because she has so much experience but this is the last straw. Honestly, I was already getting frustrated with Gale as she was very irritated and impatient with my 2 year old. He was anxious, and he's speech delayed so he has a hard time verbally communicating that. I tried getting him excited for swim lessons by talking about the cool pool toys she had, and it actually kind of worked. I told her before the lesson how he's so excited to play with the ducks. She said ducks are exciting! Then didn't bring the toys out that lesson of the 2 following it. She also multiple times complained about other customers to me. I find that pretty unprofessional. But I thought maybe I'm just being overly sensitive. She's from a different generation. They do things differently. It's just hard to hear your baby crying for you. I thought we just needed to push through. But while he's upset she just kept telling him NO STOP. You're not going to cry. You're FINE. With so much annoyance. Honestly it reminds me of the jaded nurses I work with in the hospital who have been doing it forever and get annoyed with patients for needing anything extra or for being any level of difficult. Just so unsympathetic. He's 2. He's scared. This is still new to him. But I pressed on despite thinking maybe this isn't a good match of personalities. But half way through our month of swim lessons my son caught hand foot and mouth disease and so did our entire house. It was awful. I informed Gale and after calling out x2 she said I've taken you off the daily schedule just let us know when you're better. To me this communicates you don't need to keep calling out. Now she's telling me we no showed 3 times. Called out 2 times. Implying we can only reschedule 2 lessons. I'm sorry that's crazy. These lessons are expensive $85 a lesson. What a waste of money, and yet I'm relieved to take my business elsewhere. read more

Swim With Gale - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Oak Park, California

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Our kids have been taking lessons from Gale for 2.5 years and we've seen phenomenal progress in both kids' ability to swim while having confidence and comfort in the water. Gale believes in the potential of the student, meets them where they are (level) and coaches them with attention and clear direction. It's because of her consistency and experience teaching that our kids are confident in the water. We highly recommend Swim with Gale! read more

While my six-month-old son did make progress in the water, I would not recommend this program for children under one year old. There were positives, such as the instructor's clear experience and emphasis on safety, but several aspects of the program could be improved. Positives: * My son did gain some early water experience and seemed more comfortable in the pool by the end of our lessons * Safety and hygiene were taken seriously, which I appreciated Areas for Improvement: * Late Policy: Lessons are only 20 minutes, and even arriving a few minutes late results in a shorter session, which feels strict given the unpredictability of caring for an infant * Handling of Shortened Lessons: When my son spit up in the pool (which babies do all the time), the session was understandably stopped for cleaning, but no partial refund or makeup time was offered despite the high cost * Scheduling Issues: A confirmed makeup lesson was recorded incorrectly, and I arrived to find another student in our slot. We had to wait in the heat for another 20 minutes for him to get in the pool which is a long time for a baby to be out in extreme heat (85+ degrees) read more

We have taken lessons with Gale for 3-4 years now. She does such a great job making sure the kids feel safe and heard in the pool. Even when my children screamed or cried in her face she made all efforts to provide them confidence in the pool. She's understanding when schedules need to be a little flexible and accommodates for make up lessons. We will be returning to her next year! Can't recommend her enough! read more

Gale is THE swim teacher you have been looking for. My 3 year old daughter had never done a swim lesson before and only had been swimming with a floatie. She just completed 8 sessions with Gale and not only did she learn to swim, she developed a real love of the water and is asking to swim non stop. Gale is firm and no-nonsense since she is teaching a life saving skill after all. She demands the immediate respect of the children and parents. But she also makes it fun for the kids and they love working with her. My daughter absolutely loves her. I cannot recommend her enough! read more

You can tell Gale is passionate about her job. She takes her role in teaching your child to swim very seriously. After 2 years of unsuccessful attempts at getting our 4.5 yr old to swim, we had success with Gale. Our son was petrified to put his head under water and by the end of our second session he was jumping into the pool and swimming across with no help... and loving every minute !! read more

Could not be happier with our two month sessions we did with Gale. My daughter had zero experience and after working with Gale I feel more confident having my daughter in the pool. Her tips are very helpful and my daughter loved working with her. We will definitely be signing up again next spring. read more

My 5 year old son who just finished lessons with Gale and it went great!! He was so timid in the water and she was able to help him feel comfortable and really enjoy swimming. He looked forward to his lessons everyday. Her method is great, she pushed him out of his comfort zone, but done at an appropriate pace. By the end of the session he could swim and float on his back unassisted. So impressed with Gale, would recommend to anyone who is looking for a swim teacher! read more

We love Gale! We brought our son Rory starting when he was just about six months old, and we're so impressed with not only how she cared for him in the water, but how much he learned! You wouldn't think such a little one could pick up something so fast and that is a testament to Gale. If we were teaching him ourselves, it definitely wouldn't have been the case! She is so professional and focused, and truly cares for her clients. We are so excited to go back one sessions start again in March! read more

My child wasted a year at water wings with 0 water safety or swimming actually taught. In 3 weeks with Gale she is swimming across the pool! She is so confident and proud of herself. So glad we were referred to Gale ! Such a positive experience. read more

We could not be happier with our experience with Gale! Reach out and commit early, she books up fast and with good reason! We started a year ago when our daughter was 18mos old. We were so happy with the sessions last year that we came back for multiple sessions this 2023 swim season and are ready to sign up for every session in 2024! Gale is the perfect balance of kind, compassionate, firm, and fun. Gale meets every child where they are at every class. She pushes our daughter to do her best, not to give up, but never asks more than she is capable. Gale understands that kids are kids and that no day is the same. There have been classes that our daughter was more tired, or less focused, or more obstinate, and Gale has always been encouraging. When our daughter makes activity requests for the class Gale always incorporates what our daughter wants to do, while keeping the lesson on track. Gale knows if the lesson needs to end a little early because our daughter needs it and when our daughter is just pushing boundaries and how to refocus her. We are appreciative of Gale's advice as to how to continue to advance our daughter's skills at home, and her compassion that life with a 2yo is hard and we as parents often don't do our suggested homework (which is only something like "have her blow bubbles in the bath" - don't think when we say homework we mean anything hard or time consuming ). Our daughter is completely comfortable in the water and has gained an incredible amount of confidence over the last year and that is in no small part to Gale's contribution. We feel comfortable that if the worst should happen and our little girl falls in a swimming pool, she has the knowledge and skills to keep herself safe. Next steps that Gale has started, while continuing to reinforce the skills, always, is the foundation of swimming. We don't know how Gale has the patience and stamina to spend all day in the pool with kids and run the business too! We are very appreciative we found Swim with Gale! read more

Swim With Gale - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Oak Park, California

We have had such a great experience with Gale! The first time we went I wasn't even sure if my son would even walk into the pool. Our son had an extreme fear of swimming and would not dunk his head in the water. I thought we would give it a try, and just see where it would take us in his swimming journey. Within the first session our son walked into the pool, dunked his head and wanted to come back for more. I was so shocked. Here is Gale with my son... for 20 minutes and she had my son LOVING the water. There were moments of break downs in between, but she was so calm and assuring with him. I got so emotional and shared videos with my husband of our son in the water and his response was "is that is our son... in the water?!!!" It's been a few months since our first session and here we are finishing our second round of swim lessons and our son is confidently swimming. He can't wait to go back and start to learn backstroke. All I have to say is Gale is worth every penny! read more

My 3 year old is not an easy girl and resists everything! She met gale and her exact words were "can I dive in!" She trusted Gale immediately and she listens to her very well! Gale was able to get her in comfortable in the pool right away! My daughter loves her and talks about Gale all the time! Highly recommend!!! read more

I cannot say enough how AMAZING Gale is! I have 2 boys. One started at 14 months and the other started at 3.5. Please keep in mind my 3.5 year old is on the spectrum so it takes a certain type of person to have the patience and grace to be able to accommodate him. Gale, I cannot thank you enough for being the saint you are with my boys. I will be continuing swimming lessons all the way to November to keep the consistency and for them to perfect their skills that Gale has taught them. So excited that as we head to Cancun in a few days, I do not have to worry about them in the pool! You CANNOT go wrong with swim lessons with Gale! BEST OF THE BEST! read more

Swim With Gale - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Oak Park, California

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Love Ms Gale!! This is our second year taking swim lessons for our toddler. She is patient, but firm. She is able to recognize my child's abilities so she can push for growth, but not too far. Very happy with my child's progress and would definitely recommend. read more

I cannot begin to express how amazing Gale is with my daughter. I was referred to Gale from 2 different families in Agoura Hills, that spoke nothing but the best about her and now we have been going to her ever since, my daughter loves the water and really enjoys her swim lessons. Gale is patient and has a loving and fun way to teach them how to swim. She is absolutely the BEST! My daughter has progressed tremendously and has never feared the water, she looks forward to see her every week. We drive a total of 1hr on lesson days and it's totally worth it! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HER and also to book ahead and save your spot! She is very popular and her spots fill up quickly. read more

Swim With Gale - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Oak Park, California

Gale is the 3rd swimming teacher we've had for our 3 year old daughter. I can't believe after two lessons how much my daughter had learned. She is so patient, caring, loving and professional. My daughter instantly felt comfortable and looks forward to her lessons with Gale. I highly recommend Gale. read more

Gale is wonderful with my 5 year old twins. They were both nervous of getting their faces wet last year. Now they are swimming the length of the pool, jumping in, and loving the water. My daughter was more timid but Gale was amazing with her. She now leaves class saying I really want to go back. I can't recommend Gale enough she's so amazing with children. She has been the best swim instructor ever. read more

Swim With Gale - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Oak Park, California

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Both of my daughters have attended Gales swim classes. My older daughter hated the water but eventually came to love swimming under Gales instruction. My younger daughter currently attends swim lessons and Looks forward to her swim sessions. Gale is very patient with kids of all ages. She tailors her lessons to each individual child and helps them build confidence in the water. I recommend Gale every chance I get. We are grateful for her instruction. read more

Gale taught my daughter to be a safer more confident swimmer for sure! I have a 3 year old girl who loved the pool but was very used to swimming with floaties and I needed someone to teach her the right way to be safe in a pool without her floaties. Gale did just that. My daughter loved going to her classes and I could tell she felt safe with her. Even when she regressed in the middle of her lessons with Gale and was scared to swim, Gale was able to get her to keep trying in a way she was comfortable with. I know my daughter is a safer and happier swimmer now... thank you gale! read more

Gale is by far the BEST swim instructor we've ever had for our kids. Our daughter emmie (5) was uncomfortable getting her face wet and within 2 lessons she was in the water and engaged. Gales technique is amazing and i was blown away with how excited Emmie was to go to her lessons every week. Our main goal with her was to get her water safe and swimming at a super beginner level. If she fell in the pool... she would know what to do. Within a few months we accomplished our goal! We love Ms Gale and can't wait for next season to get back into swimming lessons with her. If i could give her 10 stars i would. don't look anywhere else, she's the best! read more

Friday afternoon we went swimming at a friends, I was not in the pool whole time (but close by) and my daughter was swimming with bigger kids (she's 4) ... she was jumping off jacuzzi wall like the big kids (which was 3 feet above pool) into the deep end and making it safely to the wall/steps! She was implementing what she learned from Ms. Gale, but most of all she was confident and doing well in a very uncontrolled environment! I just couldn't believe it, and was so proud of her. She was also proud of herself. Thanks Ms. Gale for building confidence and strength in my kiddo! I have so much more peace knowing she's able to hold her own in the pool with other kids! read more

I highly recommend Gale as a swim teacher! She is incredible at teaching proficiency and skills as well as working through water fear. I'm an adult who only knew the basics and always dealt with some anxiety in the water. She helped me get through all of my fear and apprehension as well as learn technique and meet all of my swimming goals. I would recommend her to anyone as she is great with students of all ages! read more

Gale was great! she helped our 5 yr old gain confidence in his ability to do hard things! Fantastic progress in just the first 5 weeks!

We are enjoying our classes with Gale and learning to swim! She's very patient and kind.

Gale is amazing. One of my daughters was terrified of getting her face wet and now she is swimming like a fish with her head in the water. My other daughter has always loved the water but did not have the confidence to jump in and swim. Now she swims with no fear. We look forward to coming to Gale twice a week and cannot wait to see what our girls can do! read more

Gale is the best. I couldn't recommend her enough. She had both of my daughters water safe in a month. Now they both swim like fish. Just let her do her thing and your kids are swimming in no time! read more

Highly recommend 'Swim With Gale'. Fantastic swim instructor! 5 stars! My son is improving each week and he is enjoying the process.

I don't think I could have asked for a more perfect swim teacher for my daughter. She can be timid and was a little afraid of the water. One month later, she is swimming! Gale has a wonderful mixture of a tough persona with softness when needed and it works perfectly. We decided to continue our lessons because we know Gale can take our daughter to the next level. read more

Gale is a saint. She is so patient with my daughter who is very very stubborn. She manages her tantrums and encourages her to keep going and she has made excellent progress in only 5 weeks. I can't thank Gale enough for being so understanding and patient. read more

Gale is a great swim teacher. Even though there may be other good teachers close by, I travel from Camarillo to Agoura for private lessons with her. She can spot any areas in which you need to approve your swim technique and helps you get there. I highly recommend her. read more

Gale is the absolute best! My daughter was scared to swim and now she doesn't want to get out of the water!

Absolutely the best swimming instructor I have ever met! Gale is perfect with my 9 year old son. He loved playing in pools but was afraid of the deep end. We tried group lessons and he didn't learn much. Paying for individual lessons was the way to go. Gale is patient with my son but also pushes him to the next step and it is working! She has a great philosophy of teaching safety, confidence and the skill set needed. Also to think "if I try it then I can do it." This goes along with his jr. karate training (what if everyone tried 100 times to do something instead of giving up after a few tries). Gale also answers all my sons questions, debunks theories he may have heard or made up on his own, and meets him where he is each lesson. The pool and surrounding space is very clean. Also there is a bathroom available to use. Plus the pool is salt water. This is great for my son's skin because he deals with eczema breakouts, which get worse with chlorine pools. I noticed his eczema actually improved and went away with more visits to her pool. Also, she is a great communicator and happy to discuss any concerns. She is great with little ones (I get to see some of the lessons ending before my son starts). I've seen little ones go from scared to confident over the course of a few weeks. My 22 year old non-swimming daughter is taking lessons in the next session. Long overdue! read more

Gale has taught both my daughters how to swim in a matter of weeks! She is effective, but also kind to the kids and her methods really work. Both kids always asked to go back from more time with Miss Gale! read more

Last summer I started training with Gale to do a triathlon. I have always been a competent swimmer, but never able to really go the distance. Gale improved my stroke enough that I was able to swim the distance without even feeling tired. Her methods were warm and encouraging. She always made me feel like I could do anything and adapted her methods to meet my needs. When my baby was born in March I made sure that Gale had a space in her schedule for us. My daughter is now 12 weeks old and already starting to flip over on her own. Gale's pool is warm and safe for my little one. She is gentle and encouraging and makes my baby girl feel safe. We will be coming to Gale for all of our swimming needs forever. I highly recommend her to anyone who needs swim lessons, whether a novice or experienced, Gale can help you be a better swimmer. read more

We can't thank you enough for all that you have done with Charlie. Going through COVID with my 2 year old grand daughter has been so difficult for her. She hasn't really gone anywhere or met new people. She came to you shy, timid, unsure of herself and had no confidence in being in the pool. You have done an amazing job with building her trust and confidence in herself. She went from not feeling comfortable without being held in the pool to learning how to blow bubbles, kicking, floating on her back and actually jumping off the step toward you. We greatly appreciate all you have done and will see you again in the Spring read more

This our 3rd year coming to Gale for swim lessons. My son loves to play in the sand pit before class and Gale has been magic. Both my kids are swimming thanks to her direction and expertise. Her heated pool is fabulous and she has tons of toys to motivate. I really appreciate that she has taught me and my family water safety. I will keep coming to Gale for all my families swim needs. read more

OMG... Gale worked with my two youngest children... 10 and 4 years old. I was as nervous as I could possibly be... She helped my 10 year old ( who was very uncomfortable around the water) become a MUCH stronger swimmer .. With my 4 year old....( who had never swam alone ) within a month or so... I was amazed to see him completely SAFE around the water.... and even showing me what he could do!!! Gale has a saying... If you try ... You CAN DO IT... to this day ... when he is nervous about something... He says.... IF I TRY .... I can do it. Thank you Gale... for everything... The Ulrich Family read more

I used to have such a deep-rooted fear of water all my life. I am 47 years old and never left the shallow part of the pool my whole life. This year I decided that I wanted to overcome my fear and after doing lots of research, I found Gale. To be honest, I had tried some classes with other coaches before, but no-one has ever explained the right way of swimming to me the way Gale did. She is extremely patient and corrected all the mistakes that I was making and taught me how to calm myself and how to not fight the water, and finally, to my surprise, I was able to swim to the deep side of the pool back and forth. I am extremely grateful to her. Being able to finally swim back and forth and not just stay in the shallow part, gave me such a sense of accomplishment. Every night I came home, I wrote down everything she told me and it's amazing when you put all those little instructions, back to back into action, you can actually swim the right way, gracefully and without freaking out. I love the way that she teaches with ease, as if like there is nothing to be afraid of. And then, one day you swim and you wonder what if you had met her long ago :) I love her and absolutely recommend her to everyone, any age group. I have started going to the gym and swimming every night and I am beyond happy and fortunate to finally have found a coach who cared and made it possible for me to get past my fears.. read more