South Bay Aquatics Swim School

After only 3 months of swim lessons, my 4 year old daughter was able to float on her back! This is a relief considering I’m afraid of water and never learned to be comfortable in water. This is a much better option than ymca since ymca’s ratio is higher. This is a ratio of 1:3 which is perfect for a 30 minute class!

If I could give a negative I would. My appointment to have my daughter evaluated was today at 10. With the rain we arrived 5 mins late. well after having my daughter change out of her clothes and wait by the pool… one of the front desk women come out to tell me that since we was late she can not be seen… WTF…when making the appointment I should have been told to arrive 10mins or so early or at least been told that the timing was strict. I was told neither… if I was i would not be writing this review. Heck with the weather it would seem that they would still be a little understanding. My daughter is in the car crying as I type this. She keeps telling me «mommy the pool was right there and I was ready to get in.» She asked me if they didn’t like her and if she failed or something. I’m actually passed at this moment and will make it my duty to warn all my friends and family… even strangers about their HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. The lady I spoke with when I called was Vienna and they should make it a practice to give the parents notice of the strict schedule… I didn’t even see anyone else come in for an evaluation while they turn us away… makes you think if it wasn’t for other reasons why they still wouldn’t do the eval… hmmm

I have been taking my son here for over a year. He likes his instructor, Oscar. I like the school. I dont know why people complain. Classes are not expensive. $ 20 per lesson is a good price. Make-​up classes are not hard to schedule. Place is clean. I love the fact that it is in door, perfect all year long!
One thing I dont like is the elevator. Its broken most of the time. I have a younger daughter that I need to bring every time my son goes here. When its time to give him a shower, I need to take the stroller upstairs so my daughter can sit and wait. Would be nice if I can put her in sttoller and use the elevator to go up instead of dragging the stroller up the stairs.

I have been going here since my son was 6 months old (1 year). I will not bore you with the details but we accumulated some make-​up classes, which SB Aquatics said we could use whenever we wanted («they never expire» they claim). However, whenever I try to schedule a make-​up the classes are always full. And they will only allow same-​day make-​up scheduling. If they would have told us this in the first place I would have cancelled the class instead of letting them accumulate. I now have 10 classes I can never make up. They NEVER told me this. Considering how expensive the place is, this is SO unfair. They are thieves and care nothing about customer service. CHRISTINA, I’m talking to you. You should not be allowed to «direct» the school.

We have been going to South Bay Aquatics Swim School for 6 years now, since they opened, between our 2 daughters and have had a great experience!
We love the staff there from the swim instructors to the managers to the front desk staff. They are always friendly, helpful and do their best to accommodate our needs. Since we have been going there for such a long time we have had different swim instructors, but they have all been great and consistent in their teachings! They always give the parent feed back after each swim lesson as to what and how your child did during their lesson.
Some of the great teachers we have had that are still working there are Maddie, Anthony & Adriano!
They also do make ups when you have to miss a class. The make ups don’t expire and they always do their very best to get you one with your child’s teacher whenever possible. All of the instructors teach the same philosophy and follow the same steps in your child’s swim book, so that every teacher would know where your child is in their swim lessons. We have never had a problem getting a make up in when we have missed a class. :)
Christina, one of the swim school managers, has been there since the school opened, along with us, and she is amazing! She is very helpful, informative, friendly and I would consider her a friend after all of these years!
Both of our daughters are not only pool, lake & river safe, but are also great swimmers that love the water and we owe it all to South Bay Aquatics! :)

AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS! High school kids attempt to teach your child and appear to be unqualified to do so. We have had at least 3 teachers, none of which have impressed us. One was not a disciplinarian at all so he let anything go on during the lesson, which was really unfair for the kids who were paying attention. He would also spend an inordinate amount of time with certain kids in the group lesson. The next teacher is so young and involved in events like Prom that she has a substitute in her place all of the time. Most recently, we had a male who brought my child to tears – the antithesis of the one with no discipline. This one is the task master who, as some other reviewers mentioned, has a one size fits all approach. He actually said to my child at one point during the lesson, «Do you understand what I am asking you to do?» Now there is a way to ask that question with no objections from me – it’s a fair question – but his tone was the equivalent of «Hey stupid – do you know what’s going on?» I was appalled. Later in the class, he had him jump in and roll on his back (a common drill that they practice) but the water went straight up his nose – just saying but this never happened with the other teachers – this guy just stressed out my child and was ineffective.
I would also like to note that we had selected a day and time for my child to swim and, after about 6 months, we were told that he needed to find a new date and time because he was not in the correct level class and of course, no one could explain how that happened– I should have run then! The options are slim to none – you are either out of luck or on a wait list.
Make up classes are an absolute joke. Sadly, if your child gets sick and has to miss a class (which in my case happened much more frequently than I had hoped), you can try to make it up – the catch is that there is never a chance to make it up, for the most part. They tell you that you can «call every day to see if someone is calling out.» I don’t know about you but as a full time corporate employee– I don’t have the luxury of calling a swim school every day to check for availability. Additionally, on the times that I succumbed to the clunky process of calling, the staff who answer the phone have no automated way to check for availability. Instead, they thumb through papers and give you the wrong information and say, «Oh wait– sorry, that’s not right!» Today I called the other location to see if we would have any luck doing make-​up lessons there and I was told that you can only do make-​ups at the location where the child takes lessons – How convenient!
As soon as we find a viable alternative, we are done – sadly, until then, I waste $ 80 a month!
If you are reading this review as a way to help you make an informed decision– please LOOK ELSEWHERE – that’s the BEST advice that I can give.

In two words, «No Way». This facility does a good job of teaching the kids if they have never been anywhere else. It is not a flexible school and that is consistent throughout. From the teaching to the administration to the rules… It is a place that teaches their way is the right way. Learn their methods and that is the way.
Although we have liked our teachers, I don’t know about the administration since it seems that turnover is high.
If your child gets attached to teachers, don’t come here. We have had about 4 teachers in 2 years and we are lucky for that low of turnover. Almost all of the families that we started with are no longer here because In terms of a neighborhood activity, I would suggest a facility like Lucky Ducks where there is flexibility for the kids to play in the water beforehand.

Let me start by saying I changed my 3 star to 4 rating because of our instructor, Miguel. He is great with our 3 year old and that’s all that I care about.
As for the other negative reviews… I agree. There is no consistency in the quality of service throughout the organization. I’ve dealt with good and bad front desk staff and good and bad instructors.
We started lessons at the Torrance location and that’s where I experienced the inconsistent service. We had 2 instructors that would chat with other instructors during our private 15 minute lesson. You should be focused 100% on my child during the 15 minutes I’m paying you.
If you decide to try out the Torrance location, ask for Jessie. He was a good instructor.
Back to the Redondo Beach location… the facility is small with two indoor heated pools, clean changing area and shower stalls.
My advise… tour the facility and try out different instructors until you find one you guys are comfortable with. Signing up my daughter for swim lessons and knowing that she can save herself by turning onto her back and floating until someone can reach her is one of the best things my husband and I could have ever done.

Don’t dare to step outside or your kid will be kicked out of the pool!
Last night, I took my kid to her instructor, got a phone call and went to my car to answer it, and 10 minutes later, I came back and my kid was involuntarily removed from the pool because the girl said I was not on the premise in violation of their rule. There was no sign displayed in the public areas that you have to be on the premise with your kid (obviously you can’t swim with your kid). There is one sign in the shower stall, but who is gonna see it there?. Were they like the Stasi spying on me to see if I leave or stay in the lobby? And what is their definition of premise, the lobby only, their three parking areas, the bathroom, changing room? Moreover, other parents were sitting in their cars, playing with their smartphones or chatting away with their phones. Why pick on me?
My kid felt humiliated by this strong arm treatment as if we were criminals. When I returned after the call, I became alarmed I didn’t see my kid in the pool, so I asked the front desk and they told me they had removed her because of my sinful violation of their rule. So why they didn’t say anything when I returned if they were so concerned about the safety of my kid – the justification for their sanctimonious rule? They just kick kids out of the pool and don’t say anything when the parents show up for them? Oh yes, now I remember, they were busy recruiting some prospective parents. So much for kids safety!
After being a customer for more than five years with two kids, being disrespected like common criminals is no way to run a business. I told the front desk of what I thought and they kept repeating the same line that rules are the rules like North Korean magistrates, nothing matters except their word. The instructors do all the hard work teaching kids how to swim, but the whole experience is ruined when the front desk treat you like you are beneath them. I’m taking my kid out to the YMCA or to the tennis club in Torrance.
I hope the owners take notice and don’t let this familiar fixture in Redondo Beach get run to the ground by overzealous poorly trained employees.

My daughter took private lessons for about 8 months. She made good progress for awhile, but then started to plateau. We finally had to leave when they changed teachers on us suddenly. The transition was handled poorly. While the new teacher was quite nice, she wasn’t comfortable with him and refused to get in the water. We continued lessons for a few more months before giving up and trying something new (see related review for Swimkids). The new teacher was able to get daughter back on track in a single lesson.

I love Maddie and her style of teaching. I feel very comfortable leaving my 2 yr old in her hands knowing that she will be loved (most important for me). I give this place 3 stars because 1) the water at times is not warm enough for babies 2) it is impossible to schedule makeups with the same instructor. Initially we started coming here for «mommy and me» classes which quickly I found pretty useless. I wish they would have different levels so once the babies advanced, they could go to a more challenging class with their mommies.

Buyer beware! This school was a total waste of money — they are overpriced and the revolving door of instructors are appalling. We started with a really good one who left and from then on, it was a hit and miss. When I spoke with the owner about it and not getting enough notice on the changes, her response was «they are college kids, this is not a career for them.» Makes you wonder where the money you are paying goes to. Also, their instruction technique is rigidly repetitive and not a good fit for kids who learn quickly and are eager to move on to the next level.

Great Mommy and Me experience. Private lessons are a whole other story though. I won’t give the specific name of the instructor because she seems like a sweet girl. First off on our last Mommy and Me class I went to introduce myself and daughter to her soon to be private instructor. I had just decided to switch to private the week before. Upon introduction the instructor informs me she would be on vacation when we were supposed to start.
So we schedule a new date to start private lessons. Next I get a call saying said instructor has injured herself and will be out for a while. No time frame given. We decide to start with a substitute believing the sub would be consistent. After 2 lessons with the sub I get a call saying there would be another sub. I decided to stop the lessons and wait for the original instructor. My daughter was around 13 months at the time. I really felt strongly about having consistency especially because we were getting close to having another baby and a lot of change was coming. bYou would think that would be it but no! I get a call saying the original instructor was back. Great news! So we schedule lessons again. I get a call a few days later saying the time no longer works for the instructor. The other times they offer don’t fit our schedule. Boo!
Trying again now a few months later with our instructor from Mommy and Me. I have high hopes this time!

My son is just over 2.5 years old and loves the beach and going to the pool, living in SoCal this is going to be a year-​round thing and I want him to be safe. I wish we had started sooner/​younger, but so glad we are doing it now rather than waiting till he’s any older!
Today was our 5^th week of instruction– he is doing the 15min private lesson with Kelsey, 1 day per week.
I read other reviews and I guess people think this place is expensive, but even as a stay-​at-​home-​mom on a super tight budget, for the ability to be water-​safe and the one-​on-​one attention, the price seems totally fair to me.
Week 1, I talked to him EVERYDAY about how he was going to get in solo with the teacher, mommy was not getting in the water, etc.(ps I am 6 months preggo with his sister), when we got there terror set in fast, I’d never seen him afraid of anything before, so I probably got nervous too when I saw he was scared, it took quite a bit to get him in the water. He cried the whole time, it was the longest 15 minutes I’ve lived through in a while. So then we talked about how sometimes we do things that are hard so we get stronger and can be better– I asked him, «was it hard?» he said yes. «did you like it» he said no, «will you go back next week and try again» he said yes. Week two there were a few less tears, but it was still tough. Week 3 he ALMOST pulled my pregnant ass into the pool giving «one more hug» before going in. Last week he was crab-​walkin while smiling ear-​to-​ear and starting to relax a little on his back-​floats. Today… he didn’t even hug me when Kelsey walked in, he hopped off the bench, said «bye mommy!» and waded right into the pool. There are SO many times in life that are like this, we’re scared, uncomfortable, not confident, but sticking with it and TRYING despite all that, and feeling the pride of making progress is amazing. As an adult, I doubt he’ll ever remember not knowing how to swim, or any minute of those first few tough weeks. Kelsey is patient, gives clear direction, and communicates with him in a way that really sticks with him (he tells us «Kelsey said…» while practicing putting his face in the water during bath time!). 5-​stars for Kelsey. I knocked off 1 star because of the missed class/​make-​up policy. It’s mentioned in many of the other reviews. I will say, I get it, the more loose they are with it the tougher it is to keep things as on-​time and well-​oiled-​machine-​y over there, but just because I understand why they do it that way, doesn’t mean I have to like it. I wish there was a way to chose a scheduled make-​up ahead of time if you have a known absence, like a vacation, that would be awesome.

These swimming lessons were completely ineffective with my little one, also very expensive considering you don’t get any kind of free swim time. We lucked out and had nice instructors, but I have heard some not so good stories about others and I lived in fear of getting one of «those.»

Official 2024 Olympic swimming training beginning

Pros: Clean indoor facility. Comfortable year round lessons. Front staff and most of the instructors are nice and friendly.
Cons: Expensive. Rigid in their instruction technique which may be good for some kids, but not for others. No free swim time.
My daughter took lessons for 8 weeks and she improved a lot. My son took lessons for 6 months and barely made progress. He learned more on our trip to Hawaii than all those lessons. To be fair, he had kind of a mean instructor for awhile which set him back. The second instructor he had was much better.
When we were attending, the Torrance facility hadn’t opened yet, but that one seemed like it was gonna have more options for free swimming time.

HORRIBLE TERRIBLE SCHOOL. Pricing is steep and the lack of scheduling flexibility sucks, but the actual instruction was completely ineffective, not to mention the lack of compassion that I had from my particular instructor.
I don’t even think this place deserves one star. I’ve been looking for a place to learn to swim and finally get over my fear of water. My decision to try the South Bay Aquatics place came from one of the reviews on Unilocal where another adult claimed that he learned how to swim through this school, so I basically ignored all the bad reviews of this place in my eagerness to find a swim instructor. Now reading back at all these reviews where instructors taunted the children or didn’t show any compassion, really doesn’t surprise me, and I wish I took some of these other reviews into consideration before giving them my money.
This is how my experience went. On the phone while booking my private lessons, I explained that I was completely terrified of water and needed an instructor who could help me build confidence in the water as well as technique. The lady on the phone said she made note of that, and that all their instructors are really good.
So then I arrived there. The front desk was chaotic. They told me that since it was in the middle of the month, I was only going to be charged about $ 129 dollars for the registration fee and 2 more weeks left for this month. I was fine with that. I went to the change room area only to find there was no privacy, as men, women and children were walking all over the shower/​locker areas. Fail number one.
When I got to the pool and found that I was in the middle lane, i went in the water and met my instructor who looked like he was barely out of high school. He asked me what i wanted to learn, and I said: «I want to learn how to swim… I’m afraid of water and want to conquor that fear.»
He nodds, thinks for a bit, then pointed to the deeper part of the lane we were in (which was over my head as I am only 5 feet tall) and said «ok, swim to the edge of the pool so I can see what your swim level is.» Fail number two.
I looked at him in disbelief and repeated: «I am here to learn how to swim… I can’t go in that deep water without knowing what I’m doing, not to mention my fear of water».
So he looked surprised, and then almost uncomfortable, like he didn’t know what to say next. I was floored by his lack of compassion. Here I was, afraid of water, and then being told in a casual, insensitive way to swim to the end of the deep end. Fail number three.
Then he says that he will teach me arm strokes in the shallow end of the pool. Fail number three. As a side note, after this horrible experience, I have since spoken to numerous swim instructors who were all completely surprised that arm strokes was what he was starting a non-​swimmer on. He didn’t even ask me to wet my face, or even ask if I know how to float.
So then he describes how he wanted me to do the arm strokes and kicks. I waited for him to demonstrate, but he didnt. I cant believe that I actually had to ask him to give me a demonstration. You’d think a descent instructor would just do it. Fail number four.
So he demonstrated kicking with his legs and stroking with his arms and told me to do it. At this point, I hadn’t even put my face in the water. Fail number five.
The rest of the ½ hour lesson was about as ridiculous as the description above so I won’t go into it. I called to cancel my second lesson, and was told I can make it up but of course, as their policy states, I cannot get a refund. That’s fine. I take responsibility for risking my money, but what a waste of money it was.

I took my children to South Bay Aquatics for about a year. They lucked out with a fantastic instructor who they stayed with until she left. My children have become amazing swimmers in this time! I couldn’t be happier.
The downside is the cost and the way the scheduling works. You are locked into the day you choose and pay by the month, not per actual session. There is no wiggle room, and a make up can only be done once every 8 weeks. If a holiday falls within a particular weekend, the ENTIRE weekend is shot– you lose out on a lesson… no make ups for that. So sometimes you are paying the monthly fee for only 3 lessons instead of 4 for the month. As a consumer, I don’t believe this is an ethical way to run a business, and I really hope they change this.

My daughter has been going here for 1 year now. I’ve seen great progress in her ability to swim and feel comfortable in the water. Since she is only 4, I’m not expecting her to swim at a competitive level… yet. But that would be awesome.
We have had various swim coaches here, but the best is Miss ASHLEY. She is patient, but can be pushy – in a good way. Just enough push to have my somewhat bratty girl scared just enough.
The only downside is the cost! For 15 minutes of private lessons, it costs $ 104. Yes… you read right. One-​hundred-​four dollars for fifteen minutes of private lessons. Really?! Yes it’s true!
The best deal is their 30 minute semi-​private lessons at $ 20 for 30 minutes. The semi-​private lessons is up to 3 kids per instructor.
Stay tuned for their new location in Torrance. It’s a Multi-​pool facility. This should be interesting.