Tim Oliver Swimming

The 2 stars are for the instructors who work here. However, as a parent I have to say that the presence of Tim around the pool is so toxic, that we will not be going back there. Yes, the drop-​in for parents and their babies is a nice idea. However, it’s really only worth your while the first or maybe second time, to get a few tips from the roving instructors. Otherwise, it is pretty much you on your own with your child, and for this it isn’t worth putting up with being in the environment of such a mean tyrant. As with many people, the first thing setting foot in the dome I was greeted by a rude comment and chiding for not minding the signs properly (allowing our son too much time in the doorway — hey Tim, CHILL OUT !! if you’re going to be running anything with kids you need to allow for some chaos). Anyway, he has a generally poor attitude towards people especially his employees, which is terrible to see, and seems very queer unfriendly (I can say this from direct experience). As I say, knowing this kind of toxic person is not just present but the actual head/​owner of this place sours the experience enough to keep us away.

I love the instructors here and your child will learn to swim quickly. I have had two children attend lessons here. Currently my son is taking swim lessons with the instructor January, who is wonderful. It’s a great program.

This review is only for the parent-​child swim class on sat am. $ 12 per session, all ages babies. I like the concept – free swim with instructors floating around checking in w/​each family. HOWEVER there needs to be a limit on how many kids/​parents get in the pool per session. I kid you not, everyone is packed in like sardines. I don’t see how a child can really learn to swim if they can’t even stretch without knocking into another person. It wasn’t a pleasant experience for the parent. I tried to make my partner take my 16 mos old son after I did a few sessions and he refused too. The pool itself is pretty small, similar to a house pool but it’s a cozy facility with friendly instructors.

My 5 Year old son has been swimming at Tim Oliver Swimming for 2 years.
Pros:
95% of the instructors are great, they are young (20 — 30), have a great attitude with kids — not too soft but not too strict, and are technically sound.
The ‘office’ Karen, is so flexible when trying to arrange your class, and working around vacations/​camps and the general complexity of life
The pool is warm
You don’t have to sign up for 3 or more lessons a week like many other swim schools
Cons:
Tim is the rudest man you are every likely to meet in Oakland. He is rude to you and the way he talks to the instructors in front of you, it’s not nice.
The dome in the winter gets sooooo hot its unbearable to sit and watch your child swim. Also if you have a 2yr old to wrangle whilst watching you’re not allowed any food inside.
They do not run a parent/​tot class during the week — wouldn’t it make sense to do this???
The changing rooms could really do with some money spent on them
I am changing swim schools because I just can’t stand the way Tim is with his staff and the kids anymore — but I’m doing so with a heavy heart as the actual instructors are great.

We went to the drop-​in parent-​baby swim class on Sat. 10 — 11 am.
We love that it’s a drop-​in, since having a little one makes showing up for things on time difficult. We were discouraged to sign up for swimming class before due to the possibility of losing money on missed lessons. So, Tim Oliver Swimming makes things easy. You can sign up for 4 lessons or pay as you go. Just bring $ 12 cash when you show up. No need to pay extra for adults and both parents/​caregivers are encouraged to participate.
The pool is very warm — the warmest pool I’ve ever been in. 3 instructors roamed about and gave tips but it’s very unstructured. I’m not sure if I will call this a lesson. It’s more like a parent-​child /​family recreational swimming in a warm pool with some toys and if you wanted to learn, you could ask for tips and things to do with the instructors but you are not forced to «teach» kids any skills. It’s really what you make of it. If you want to push your baby to learn skills, ask the instructor for help and they will work with you. If you just want to get comfortable being in the water with your baby, go ahead and just play and have fun.
It was quite crowded and we bumped into other people but no one cared and no one minded. We actually liked being in a pool full of parents and kids and it was nice having our 21 month old toddler see other kids being brave and doing more advanced things. And it was encouraging seeing so many parents being brave with the kids. I am personally petrified of dipping my baby under water! But I’m working on getting over the fear…
One big tip: There is no sign anywhere that says Tim Oliver swimming. You have to look for a maroon sign that says «East Hills Community Church». Once you drive up, you will see a parking lot and a pool on your right. There is usually a person by the cash box. You check in with the person handling the cash box.
Another tip: Bring towels and set yourselves near the grass area. Much nicer to change baby’s clothes and diaper on the grass than on the cement. There is a bathroom/​change room, but most just change outside. No need to show up right at 10 am but the pool does need to be cleared out at 10:50 am.
Needless to say, you should also bring water and snacks for the little one. Swimming makes you hungry and thirsty.

our two year old amazes everyone when they see him in the pool actually swimming. tim and his crew and wonderful and we really liked the saturday family swim lessons that allowed us to get our kiddo not only comfortable in the water, but actually swimming. the pool is heated which is great and it is year round! we also liked that you could do drop in and did not have to commit. just a wonderful experience!

We love Tim Oliver, the instructors and the pool. My son has taken 5 lessons so far and is doing great! The pool is fabulous (no chlorine) and warm. The instructors are really fantastic with the kids. I would have given 5 stars, but have found scheduling the lessons with Karen via email to be difficult. It seems to me that one quick phone call would have sorted out all the details and diminished the confusion. It took a week and a half to get on the schedule. I was told they are very busy this time of year and they are a small operation. I gave three days notice that we would need to reschedule our last lesson and still have not heard back (its now been 5 days). When I originally contacted Karen to schedule, the idea was to get 6 lessons in over a two week period before we went on vacation (we will be swimming a lot on our vacation). I called today and was told to be patient (I think I have, five days of patient) and that if they can’t get us in this week, we can take the last lesson when we get back (kinda defeats the purpose) or receive a refund. I don’t want a refund, I would like one more lesson before we go. We plan to sign up for more lessons because we really love the program, but I am hesitant due to the difficulty in communications regarding scheduling. I have 20 years in the business of reception/​customer service/​scheduling (plumbing-​heating dispatch, hair salon, dentist, doctor) and feel that perhaps they need to revamp their scheduling procedure.
I would HIGHLY recommend the program, just be prepared to be more than patient with the scheduling.

My 4 yo son has been taking lesson since the Spring and we are very happy with the classes here. We’ve taken lessons at Berkeley Warm pool when he was an infant, Roberts East Bay Parks, through the Oakland Parks and Rec, and «tried’ to sign up for a class with Aquatech (which was such an adminstrative cluster— that it turned me off). I wish I found Tim Oliver Swimming a lot sooner. It surpasses them all.
First of all, the pool is heated well. The pools elsewhere have been too cold for my son to the point that he was focusing on how cold he was rather than how he was swimming. Plus, they dome-​cover the pool in the winter months so the parents/​caretakers aren’t in the cold either.
Secondly, the pool is not chlorinated, but rather brominated. Don’t ask me the chemical differences, but it is supposed to be safer, and the kids and their suits don’t reek of chlorine afterward.
Most importantly, the classes are geared to teach kids how to swim at their pace. Instructors ease kids into swimming rather than force-​dunking them in the water.
My son looks forward to lessons every week and although he has fun, he is also working hard and learning how to swim.

This is a really great hidden treasure of Oakland. Teach your baby how to swim! good times.

My 4 ½ year old has improved in leaps and bounds since starting classes here. He was not learning at all in his previous class, but started improving immediately upon starting here. The teachers are patient, clear and supportive to the kids. Highly recommend.

Great place to have your kids learn to swim and to learn to love the water. Tim taught our first child to swim over 10 years ago. Since then he has taught all four of our kids to swim, to exercise, and to love the water. His style is patient, firm, and persistent. He wants the kids to be comfortable in the water, to learn the strokes, and to be fit. He adjusts his teaching style to the maturity of each child. If you want your kids to splash around and NOT really learn to swim, go somewhere else. If you want your kids to swim and enjoy the water, go to Tim and his staff. Thanks Tim! Andy

I have observed lessons run at the pool for almost a year now, and as a swim instructor I would not recommend Tim Oliver swim school.
Although he does hire a few great instructors, he should not be teaching kids to swim himself. Not only have I witnessed him yelling and shaking students who are sobbing because they don’t want to get in the water, but I have also had multiple students come to me where I work mentioning that his behavior made their kids petrified of the water (hence the switch of swim schools). I also disagree with some of his methods, but I know that each instructor has their own opinions about what is effective. He also puts kids at entirely different levels into semiprivate lessons which, in my experience, is frustrating for parents, kids, and the swim instructor. The whole point of swim lessons is to get a child to swim safely, beautifully, and quickly. Some of the methods there don’t fit in with that idea.
Additionally, I noticed a suspicious flux in instructors in the last few months. Some got a rash from the pool that would not go away unless they got out of the water. My brother (who used to swim there until we just switched) also developed the rash, and he was only in the water for a half hour each week. This is something to watch out for because apparently Tim Oliver was not doing much about the problem. His pool also breaks down a lot — meaning every once in a while the pool will be out of commission for a whole week.
Perhaps he’s changed things quite a bit in the past month, but given what I’ve heard from some of my clients I doubt it.

We call Tim «The Swim Whisperer.» My kids have developed a love of the water thanks to his patient but firm approach. My youngest child went from total fear of the water and crying at the start of the first lesson, to swimming unassisted by the end of the third lesson.
Tim has high standards when it comes to behavior, and commands respect. I believe this sets the correct tone around water and pool safety. It’s really important for kids, especially non-​swimmers, to know that following the rules around water is not negotiable. My kids trust Tim and his staff completely, which enables them to relax and learn in a safe, quiet and predicable environment. Tim also keeps the water nice and warm, which makes the whole experience more enjoyable for the kids.

Both of my kids (5 and 3) have been learning how to swim here and we all look forward to swim class. Tim is a wonderful teacher and so are his entire staff of instructors.
The class sizes are small so I know my kids are getting the personal attention they need to really learn how to swim. We were initially drawn to the non-​chlorine, heated pool since one of my kids has a chlorine allergy. There are also shower facilities and plenty of free parking.
Even though the pool is outdoors, lessons run year-​round since they put up an inflatable bubble dome during the cold months. It’s steamy in there, but you get to swim through winter.
As others have alluded to, this is for swim classes, not day care, so calibrate your expectations accordingly.

My 13 month old daughter loves her swimming lessons here. It was one of the few pools that we could find with 87 degree water. I’m a 20 year veteran of teaching American Red Cross swimming, and I would recommend Tim Oliver’s swimming classes.

Here’s the deal with Tim: He’s a great teacher who will absolutely teach your child to swim — but if you’re expecting someone to coddle your kids, put up with their bratty behavior or let them just goof off instead of actually learning something, then he’s not for you.
We had our 3-​year-​old daughter at another swim school where she basically learned nothing. Within just a few lessons with Tim, she was learning strokes, how to flip to her back and float and more. We have total confidence that Tim is actually teaching our daughter — we see the results at every class.
Tim knows what he’s doing and does a great job. We’d happily recommend him to anyone who really wants their kids learning to swim.

I took my daughter here last night for her «first swim lesson.» How fun, right? I get there after much confusion on where this place is located.
FYI, its at the East Hills Church. After we find the place we wait for the class to start and one of the instructors tells me they are no longer doing parent child swim on Thursdays.
The excuse was they just haven’t been able to get it off the website, they took it down and it magically reappeared! And they’ve known about it for over 2 F’ing years.
My daughter was very upset as i had built up the class for her to be excited about. I saw parents shelling out $ 300 checks for classes…
My advice, go spend $ 100 and have a web designer fix your problem. My 2yr old daughters heart was broken; thus making me a permanent adversary!

If there was a zero star I would give it to this place. The owner is rude, inappropriate and should not be teaching kids. While there are multiple instructors at this place, whom I have heard good things about, the owner, who also is an instructor, shouldn’t be allowed within 10 feet of a child. Zero patience, terrible attitude and only «puts on a fake smile» when the parents come to check out how instruction is going with their child. Not only that, he has said inappropriate things to our nanny who brought our kids to their lessons. Stay Away!!!

My now five year old daughter has been taking swimming with Tim since she was three years old. Tim truly has the gift of understanding children and the entire process of learning how to swim. With my daughter, he began with discussing the physics of sinking and floating (by using a pool toy) and then moved towards teaching the actual skills to do so. She is already confident, comfortable and most importantly, safe in the water.
One issue is that lesson scheduling and other communication is done through email which can sometimes be frustrating. I have, however always received a response. It just may take a few days.

Tim Oliver is an institution for teaching swimming in the East Bay for over 20 years. He’s a very patient and thoughtful teacher who made swimming lessons enjoyable for my boys (ages 5 and 8) as well as allowed them to make great strides in learning the different strokes and how to breathe while swimming.
This year, Tim installed a dome during the colder seasons, which allows for the instructions to continue un-​interrupted throughout the year. The only other place that offered winter swimming is the YMCA, and both my kids and myself prefer Tim’s style of teaching.