Getting my kids to learn how to swim has been challenging to say the least. I get some kids are easy going and take to water like fish. NOT my kids. My kids are free spirited and independent and all teachers/instructors eventually talk to me about my kids. They aren't unruly or disruptive, just themselves. We started our eldest at three at the local rec center. She made ZERO progress. It was hard dragging everything way inside and having baby in tow. It was cold in the winter. But I thought that was just what you did. The final straw was when a lifeguard asked me to sign a form. I asked why... at which point it was explained to me that a lifeguard had to jump in to get my daughter. Her instructor had his back turned and my daughter was left unattended. Well, that was that. So I researched and decided on another local place. It was $75 per kid for one thirty minute session per week. Four kids per class. I thought with the price tag and the flashy gimmicks, it would work. We did it for A YEAR. I didn't stop in the winter, I put both kids in it. $150 a month for a YEAR. Guess what? At the end of the year NEITHER of my kids could even float on their back. Now I had an almost six year old who had been in swim lessons for EIGHTEEN MONTHS who couldn't even float on her back. The worst part was she was now in lessons with a young kid and was regressing. My husband came one time and saw it too. She had learned basically to push the instructor around. She didn't want to swim and gave him a hard time and he didn't know what to do with her.At this time we heard about Utah Swim Academy. I was desperate with summer approaching. I live in Sandy, they are in Provo. With no traffic thirty minutes each way. The gal that recommended me said they were the best around. At this point and time, what did I have to lose? Our first lesson was a shock for the girls. They absolutely hated it. So was the second, and the third, and I think even the fourth. They screamed and kicked as I carried them to the pool. They cried the entire time and even a few times the entire drive there and back. It wasn't how the instructors there taught, they were great! My kids just had this double whammy of learning to swim, which was scary, AND they had developed bad habits from the last swim place. They were used to being in charge and now they lost that. My husband came with me one day, which I was thankful for, as they were so upset I wasn't even sure I could get them in the car that day. My eldest was with Chelsea. The lesson went as all had before it and then... bam. It clicked. My daughter floated on her back. I couldn't believe the 180 in her confidence and her attitude. Chelsea now has rockstar status in our house. She wants to go down there every day and swim. A few lessons later and she's learning to go down the slide, dive, and jump in the water. My youngest is still struggling and it's okay. Sydney and Chelsea talked and created a plan for her. She's really a strong willed little kid, she may be little, but she is fierce. She's now two lessons into the new plan and doing amazing. The last lesson, I had to carry her kicking and screaming into the pool. At the end of her lesson with Sydney... I had to pull her out kicking and screaming because she didn't want it to end. My only regret is not finding them or going to them earlier. I have wasted so much money at other places, not to mention time and frustration. They are the absolute best around. I would drive further to see them. read more

My son was older, 5, when I discovered Utah Swim Academy and if I had known about them sooner he would have started as a baby. He did the 10 day boot camp crash course right before we left for Lake Powell this past July, which is where we go every summer, and my son could float for the first time in his life. My son loves the water and as a former Lifeguard and Swim Instructor myself you'd think I'd have the kid that could swim, but with no availability to a pool full-time with some privacy it just never happened. I had him enrolled in Swim Lessons at the Rec Center and pulled him out after 1 lesson because it was a complete joke, too many kids to one teacher. At Utah Swim Academy it's 1 teacher to 1 student and it's amazing. No amount of crying or "I Can't"s stop the teacher from pushing the kid. My son is extremely stubborn, but after 2 lessons of crying and saying he hated it he could float and than began asking what time we were going everyday, he was in his swim suit hours before his lessons. He loved it and he is going to pick his lessons back up for the rest of the winter so when his friends ask him to go swimming he can go with the confidence in his ability to swim and I won't panic if I'm not there. read more

I am so grateful for Utah Swim Academy. My children are all strong swimmers, even my toddler. My baby could self-rescue under a year old. There are so many things that can happen to kids that I can't do anything about, but this one I can. The instructors are incredible. They personality match your kids with an instructor that will be the best fit. The unique program they teach is absolutely incredible. With drowning, seconds matter and my kids will have minutes, hours even. They respect the water, they know what to do if they find themselves in water, and they also LOVE to swim. After learning safety skills my kids learned all 4 racing strokes with great form and now can participate in swim team and never get DQd. Even at 5&6 years old. My toddler can swim the length of the pool by himself - both backstroke and front crawl with side breathing. Yes, rec center lessons are cheaper, but they don't actually learn how to swim. Just how to not be afraid of the water.... what a bad combination. I will rave about JoD, Chelsea and Utah Swim Academy forever and ever. You will not find anything better! read more

I've had a great experience here! Would definitely recommend to those who want swim lesson results. It is a time and money investment for sure, but the private lessons help them learn so much faster than the group lessons we tried previously. We have gone to JoD, Chelsea, and Emily and had great experiences with all three. We have been attending for a year, about twice a week. My little boy was 2 when he started, and is now completely water safe and working on strokes and techniques. Full disclosure, It can be hard watching some kids that don't want to start for the first few lessons. They have to struggle a little bit and it's sad to see your kid struggling and scared, but i personally would way rather have a kid that is safe in the water, even if there are some tears to start out with. Make sure to plan ahead and book as far out as possible so you can get teacher consistency. Going to the same instructor every time helps a lot. read more

We have loved the 4 lessons we have had so far at Aquatics Academy! My little boy has mosaic Down syndrome, so I have been nervous with him around water. He doesn't see the risk and is curious. However, he doesn't trust people easily. He is a great judge of character. I was a little nervous doing swimming lessons because I had my swimming savy 6 year old daughter take an intense week long summer course from a very strict, intense teacher. I knew that method wouldnt work for my son. So, we looked for other options. He is floating on his back after 4 lessons! He cried during the first one and the last 3 he has been reluctant and teary at first, but he warms right up after the first 3 minutes. I have had tech issues with their site and his teacher and the owner have been very helpful. I am glad we have spent the money to get him quality private lessons! read more

You are miracle workers! My 4 year old hated having water in his face and cried his eyes out when we did group swim classes when he was 3. From day one, Chelsea has been upbeat and positive with my son and he has loved it! He smiles non-stop through his lessons. Not one single tear! She takes the time to explain things to him and to work with him at his pace so he feels comfortable and happy. He absolutely loves swimming now! He asks me every day if he has swim lessons! He loves his instructor and loves coming. I've been so impressed how quickly he learned to float on his back and now he is learning actual swimming strokes. read more

The lessons were very effective and we loved our teacher Michelle. Once Spring/Summer hit, scheduling all three kids in a row was difficult, as the schedule fills up very quickly, but the quality of the lessons is worth the hassle. Our 18 mo old was floating independently within a couple lessons and our other kids were swimming and floating and learning to dive very quickly. They had been in typical lessons before and never come close to these skills. It is an investment and I was sad they did not have as good of a Black Friday sale as they have in the past, because that is the only way I can stock up on lessons. read more

The only reason I put 4 stars instead of 5 is because there were a couple lessons at the beginning when my girls were scared, crying, and yelling for me, and I really hated it. Instinct told me to go "save" them but logically I understood they needed to be pushed outside of their comfort zones in order to get better. I would recommend spending the first couple lessons in your car, with headphones, on the highest setting. But, my 4 & 5 year-olds can now float for quite a while and my older girls are more confident in the water. The instructors are all so friendly but know when to get down to business. read more

My 3 year old was ready to start learning strokes, but she still hated putting her face in the water. She loved swimming lessons until the end when she needed to get the rings under the water and then she would cry and cry. We found the perfect teacher for my daughter's personality though and she has been able to push her and get her to try new things happily. My daughter now loves every second of swimming lessons and will even dive in to get the rings. She has come so far in just a few lessons. That is what I love most about Utah Swim Academy, there is a perfect teacher for every child! read more

I am INCREDIBLY HAPPY with my experience at Utah Swim Academy! The instructors take time to listen to me, and work well with my child. I am so happy that my child now can implement water survival skills learned here. This is the best thing I have ever done for my child, and I encourage all parents to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity of one on one lessons to learn to float, and swim!!! We won't go anywhere else and I'm so appreciative of the FANTASTIC customer service, friendly personalities, and most important.. the incredible swim lessons!! read more

I would absolutely recommend Utah Swim Academy! I loved that the instructors really know what they are doing! They really know how to work with each kid to fit the needs of the kid. They are able to push them in a way that helps them learn quickly and efficiently while still allowing them to feel safe in the water. I loved watching the confidence my daughter gained only after a few lessons! Only after a few weeks of hard work my 2 year old daughter is able to jump in the water by herself, get to her back, and kick to the side of the pool. It's amazing! read more

The instructors have been fantastic, and truly get to know each of my children, their strengths and weaknesses, and how they learn best. They warm them up, and have fun with them, but teach them the importance of safety and skills at the same time. Even though my youngest cries through most of the lesson, she will stop immediately when its play time at the end and give her instructor a hug and kiss goodbye. She and her sister are safe in the water, and they have built long standing relationships with their instructors at Utah Swim Academy. read more

The staff are amazing. They know what they are doing and are quick to figure out how to work best with your child. My son at age 5 had failed the 2 preschool swim lessons at the rec center. He needed the 1 on 1 and some extra pushing to make progress. Going swimming was actually fun this summer and he loved practicing his new skills thanks to Utah Swim Academy. The area is well designed too if you need to wait with siblings- going to swim was fun even for my toddler who wasn't taking lessons. We can't wait to go again. read more

My kids learned so much from swim lessons at Utah Swim Academy. It was hard for all of them to try new things and conquer fears, but their teachers gave them the amount of tough love they needed to grow past their fears. The first week was rough, but by the end of the second week my two older swimmers were so happy we had done swim lessons. I think my younger swimmer needs another week or two of lessons to get more comfortable with swimming, but I know where to go for amazing swim lessons from fabulous teachers! read more

I can't fully express how difficult my daughter was to teach last summer. She feared the water so much and fought Sydney so hard. So many tears and fights. BUT, Sydney handled the situation SO perfectly. She gave her the appropriate amount of tough love while bonding with my daughter and gaining her trust. She went from absolutely hating the water to having a blast at every lesson. I am so grateful to Utah Swim Academy and Sydney and believe that there isn't a child they can't teach to love the water. read more

I absolutely have loved my experience at Utah Swim Academy. The teachers are amazing and do so well with my girls. Whenever I go to my local pool people are so amazed at the ability of my 1 and 3 year olds. More importantly I have confidence that my children will be safe while swimming or in the bathtub. My children are able to flip on their backs when they fall into the water and know how to safely make it to the edge of the swimming pool and exit. Best decision ever! read more

We are thrilled with the progress our 6-year-old daughter has made at Utah Swim Academy. She has sensory processing disorder, and is fearful of many things that wouldn't bother most children. It's been wonderful to see her go from fearing the water to floating, swimming, and diving with joyful abandon. The teachers are patient, firm, and consistent. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Utah Swim Academy to anyone, regardless of their child's needs and temperament. read more

We've been going to Utah Swim Acedemy for one year now and have absolutely loved our experience there. The teachers have all been so great to work with in helping my kids, 4 and 2, trust them, true themselves and learn how to swim. I never thought it was possible for my kids to learn important survival skills so quickly. I will never stop recommending Utah Swim Acedemy to friends and family because it's truly been AMAZING! read more

Utah Swim Academy takes a gentle but firm approach to teaching my kids. One of my children has high-functioning autism, and the other is a toddler who cries through the lessons. Despite these challenges, I feel that the teachers do a great job adapting to each child's individual personality and needs. It's really paying off as far as learning necessary water skills. My husband and I are impressed with Utah Swim Academy! read more