NOTE: This review is based on an adult taking lessons…read more TL;DR: After struggling to learn how to swim for years, I finally took private lessons at Waterworks in Alhambra with Jesse--and it was the best decision I could have made. The sign-up process was smooth, the instruction was patient and professional, and the progress was real. I went from barely floating to confidently swimming all four strokes. Highly recommend for any adult who wants to finally make a splash and conquer their fear of the water. -- For years, I tried to learn how to swim (four different times plus a friend's attempt to teach me) but nothing stuck. I never had the chance to learn when I was young, and I knew it was an important life skill to have (just in case). After another group lesson didn't work out, I decided to take the plunge and invest in private lessons. They're more expensive, but after multiple failed group attempts, I realized they were worth it. After researching several schools, I chose Waterworks in Alhambra. Reading through instructor bios, I felt Jesse would be the best fit for me. And wow, that choice made a splash! Signing up was quick and straightforward. I started with a group package just to test the waters, and I appreciated the option to add more classes later. Scheduling a recurring time slot with Jesse was simple, and even when my first package was about to expire, the customer service team helped me renew seamlessly without losing my spot. Attending class was smooth sailing too. Since I already had an LA Fitness membership, I could skip front-desk check-in and head straight to the pool. After 18 months of working with Jesse, I can confidently say every penny and minute was worth it. From my first lesson, when I only knew how to front float and was still uneasy in the water, to now being able to swim all four strokes at an intermediate level, float comfortably on my back, and even attempt flip turns, the progress has been incredible. Jesse's patience and clear guidance made all the difference. He always took time to explain techniques, offer visuals, and ensure I truly understood each movement. Writing this during my final week of lessons feels bittersweet--I'm sad to stop, but thrilled to know I can now keep making waves on my own. Here are a few takeaways from my private lesson experience: - Set realistic expectations. You won't learn everything in one class. Swimming takes time and consistency, especially if you're just getting comfortable in the water. - Practice makes progress. On non-lesson days, I made it a point to practice. Jesse often checked in to see how I was doing and encouraged me to keep up the routine. He even mentioned that my progress stood out because of my consistency. - Arrive early. Lessons are only 20 minutes, so warming up and stretching beforehand helps maximize that time and prevent injuries. - Follow LA Fitness rules. Take a quick shower before entering the pool. Pop-up changing rooms are available if needed. - Dress comfortably. I wore a rash guard and swim cap for modesty and convenience, especially since many other swimmers were kids. Thank you, Waterworks, and thank you, Jesse, for helping me dive into swimming with confidence. This experience has given me a lifelong skill, and I'm proud to say I finally made some serious waves!

My son started swimming 2 months ago with no experience and being 3 years old. His instructor Dulce…read morehas been such a kind detailed and sweet makes the class fun even a 3 year old can follow rules, so much progress and so little time due to the fact that the teachers really dedicate themselves to teach them

My neighbor introduced me to this school. My daughter had 15 lessons from Waterworks Pasadena,…read moreand she can barely float. After so much time and money spent there with little result, I was desperate to try a different school. I was surprised that even after one lesson, my daughter was able to learn basic moves and not just the starfish floating position in every lessons like she had before. The instructors here are extremely dedicated, friendly, approachable! Her instructor is Benjamin, and we like him a lot! My daughter is on the shy side and he's able to make her feel comfortable and he is excellent with kids! There's one receptionist, Sela. Very friendly and accommodating. She will work with you to help you with your scheduling or any conflicts. She's sweet. We are currently mid-way through our second package, and she's doing so well! This definitely over exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend this location to anyone!

Ivy, the front desk, is very friendly and patient. She showed me different classes and options to…read morealign with my work schedule. I find it very helpful that they offer different options for adults. Would recommend this place to all ages for swim lessons.

Elle Rohs is an exceptional swimming instructor who consistently demonstrates a strong…read moreunderstanding of the material. My daughter has been having lessons with her and I have noticed the consistent improvement. Her enthusiasm and dedication make her a joy to teach. Elle's progress has been remarkable, and she continues to exceed expectations. I highly recommend her! Alexa is an amazing swim instructor! Her patience and expertise have helped my daughter gain confidence in the water. She creates a supportive and fun learning environment, making each lesson enjoyable and productive. I highly recommend Alexa for anyone looking to improve their swimming skills.

Instructors are good until they're not. Had to ask the one instructor to stop tickling my kid in…read morethe water REPEATEDLY. Finally when it sunk in the third time, third lesson, he responded, "but that's how I get his attention..." From then on he would YELL at my 8 yr old son, lol. Secondly, they can cancel on you and make it into a makeup lesson when their own instructor cancels and then I'm blocked out from using that make up lesson unless I can use it right away. THEY are controlling this! And at $72/lesson....for 20 minutes. And now they are telling me Im losing three classes altogether unless I BUY more classes. These guys are not about the parents. Not about the kids. It's just a business. Ridiculous!

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!

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!

So thankful to have completed 6 weeks of ISR with Alina for our almost 2 year old! Alina is so…read moreconfident, caring & patient with these little ones. We don't have a pool at home, but we frequent the beach, family member's pools and are planning to go to hawaii at the end of this year. Every day for 6 weeks is a commitment, but definitely worth it knowing your little one has this survival skill under their belt.

Alina is a great instructor. I was reluctant to put my 6 month old boy in so early but it paid off…read morein the end. He was able to float on his back in 6 week. She was patient and kept the schedule on time. 10 minutes is more than enough for your little one. Will definitely return next season to continue ISR swim classes.

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

The customer service is hit or miss. Some are very friendly and knowledgeable, some are not. It…read moreseems fairly inconsistent depending on when you go and what kind of information you're asking for and from whom. The facility seems very clean, but there are some seating areas that probably need replacement benches and the existing ones shouldn't be in use. There seems to be a good variety of activities to choose from, but the website and app are not very user friendly.

My child takes recurring lessons with Janness. She has been wonderful at getting children…read morecomfortable in the water. Less than a year ago, my daughter hated putting her face in the water. Now, she loves being in the pool and has learned so much. Janness is patient and makes the lessons fun. We've also had good experiences with Zachary and David when we've had to schedule make-up classes.

David is a very Good swim instructor to i like how Patient he is with my child and he is very…read morepolite to

Baby is still a happy kid. He loves him swim school! A stronger swimmer than yesterday!read more

No better swim school. I think every instructor we have had had been excellent. Each had their own…read morestyle but the progress my child made in the private lessons with learning different strokes was phenomenal. The lessons were engaging and fast paced. . Quann, the owner, is really knowledgeable and helpful.

Anna at Hall Swim Academy is an excellent teacher…read more Two years ago, my son (who was 7 at the time) was going to another swim school and was doing ok but advancing slowly. As part of that school's safety training, they threw him in the water wearing street clothes. He was doing ok for about 30 seconds but then panicked and started to sink so one of the teachers had to jump in and pull him out. (It was partially my fault since I mistakenly had him wear long pants that absorbed water). Anyhow, he freaked out and got very scared. We continued to go to that school for several more weeks but he stagnated with his training and the teacher became frustrated and tried to push him too hard so he had a melt down. Fast forward two years, I started taking him to the Hall Swim Academy west LA location about 2 months ago and he started trying again to learn how to swim with Anna. Anna is extremely kind and patient with kids. She demonstrates what she wants him to do and corrects mistakes in his floating and swim strokes and has him repeat as necessary. She is able to recognize how much to push and when to give him more space and repeats instructions as necessary. He loves going to swim class with Anna and is motivated to learn so he can swim with his friends at summer camp. Yesterday, he had two major breakthroughs. He spent most of the class in the pool without wearing goggles which he previously refused to do. Then, on his own, he decided he wanted to try the swim test. So, he put on street clothes over his swim suit, jumped in the water, floated on his back for 20 seconds and then easily swam to the side of the pool and climbed out on his own. He was so proud of himself for overcoming his fear and is now looking forward to his next class with Anna. I am very grateful to Anna for her kindness, professionalism, excellent teaching skills and being such a good motivator. Thank you!!

Bene and her team are the best! We are so incredibly grateful for Elena and cannot recommend her…read morehighly enough. Prior to working with her, we had spent nearly a year taking our son to another swim class where he consistently refused to participate and often became tearful. Swimming had become a source of stress rather than confidence. From the very first session, Elena immediately put him at ease. Through her kindness, patience, and gentle approach, she helped him feel safe and supported in the water. Remarkably quickly, he went from avoiding the pool to swimming competently and confidently; and even more meaningful, he began to love swim lessons and looked forward to going each week. Elena has a rare ability to be calm, warm, and reassuring while also instilling confidence and encouraging kids to work through skills that feel challenging, rather than avoiding them. She empowered our son, helped him trust himself, and created an environment where he felt secure enough to try, grow, and succeed. I truly can't express my appreciation and regard for Elena enough. She made an enormous difference for our son, and we are so thankful for the care and skill she brings to her teaching. Thank you to Bene for all her help scheduling and pairing him with Elena!

Came here a few times. It's not bad. The elliptical works well. At least one of them wasn't working…read morethough. Not a super huge space and can get crowded. Didn't have to wait to use any of the weights and machines though (around 5:30-6pm week days). There's a free parking structure. It can get pretty packed.

I swear this 24 hrs gym keeps finding ways to make my workout experience more frustrating and…read moreannoying. This gym started to put away all the 10lb, 5lb, and 2.5lb weight plates. They now require members to check out these plates in order to use them (you need to trade in your ID, keys, etc.) because they claim that people keep stealing them. This is the only 24 hours gym I know that does this, treating their members like thiefs. Don't understand why they can't just replace and get more plates and dumbbells. Other 24 hr locations have abundant of weight plates and dumbbells. This gym is always busy and overcrowded so pretty sure they always have new members signing up. Don't get why they are so stingy in replacing missing equipments and get more weights and dumbbells. Since the renovation last year, their new dumbbells racks have no labels as to where the dumbbells should go so people are just leaving them all over the place, there is absolutely no organization system. Prior to the renovations, there were labels on each dumbbells rack and people know where to return them. When asked why they don't just put on labels, they gave me the most brain dead answer "because corporate says so". They absolutely refuse to tell me the reason why corporate is prohibiting them to put labels on the dumbbells racks. Does it even make sense that corporate is the one not allowing this gym to put labels on the dumbbells racks??? Is it that difficult to put a sticker and write a number on it? Other 24 hours gym have labels on their dumbbells racks... I see none of the staffs work out at this gym where they work at so they don't see the frustrations and inconveniences the members have to deal with. They probably gonna look at this review and follow up with another braindead copy and paste response like "sorry you have a bad experience and we are actively trying to improve blah blah blah..." I've been to this gym since it's inception and actively see it getting worse and worse with each new General Manager and high turnover of staffs so your words are meaningless. I am used to the dirty and smelly restrooms, dusty floors, and overflowing trash cans at this gym. I don't care about those things, sadly anymore cause that's just normal now for this gym... I just want to have easy access to dumbbells, weight plates, and equipments without having to check them out like I'm at the library and having to do scavenger hunts every few minutes. Please also get more lighter dumbbells, 5, 10, 15lb etc. There are only 1-2 sets of each for this overly crowded gym... You have more than enough empty spaces on the dumbbells racks to have more of those since your gym refuses to label them and ok with people leaving dumbbells everywhere.