Swim lessons with openings for 11yo
Looking for swim lessons for our 11 year old. We’ve tried the large group lessons at the Y but they aren’t super helpful. Ohana and Cal youth are totally booked. Open to small group or private but seems hard to find availability
May 18, 2023
Parent Replies
It's incredibly hard around here to get a child to water proficiency without spending a small fortune, since lessons fill up so quickly. I have been to all the local pools from Berkeley north, but I think what finally got each of them over the hurdle to basic competence was a few consecutive summers of a week of private lessons up in my hometown (outside of the Bay Area), where we were visiting anyway and it was sooooo much cheaper. If you are going out of town this summer, work in private lessons for less! Of all the local pools, we've had meh experiences at the Berkeley Y, El Cerrito, and Canyon, and a bad experience at Albany.
We like British Swim School, which has a location in El Cerrito.
Oaklantis just emailed with new spots! We are so impressed with the teaching there.
Try Sherman Swim School in Lafayette. Private or semi-private (2 kids), great instructors, warm pool, and totally worth the drive thru the tunnel. It's always sunny in Lafayette! :)
There’s a local woman who will teach private lessons at the open swim times at local public pools. She’s super affordable and got my son to blow bubbles (huge step for a water-nervous kid). I contacted her through her Facebook group swim with bri.
I read somewhere that kids need about 30 hours of swim instruction to become proficient at swimming. So 1-2 times a week of 30-minute lessons will take a LONG time, and it's good to set expectations accordingly. I'd suggest summer camps where your child is swimming daily for several weeks. Oakland Town Camp + Swim Session has daily swimming (my daughter improved a lot after one month there), and may have some openings at some locations: https://cityofoakland.perfectmind.com.
Not sure where you live, but Alameda Parks & Rec does swim lessons all summer that are really good. Group, semi-private, and private have all been offered in the past. There are non-resident rates.
Yes, it's exhausting trying to get your kid into swimming lessons. Emeryville has relatively cheap private lessons if you can get in. Otherwise, the advice I've been given is to drive through the tunnel. Or Castro Valley/Hayward. There are lots of well-reviewed places in these locations if you are willing to make the drive.
British Swim School is excellent but not inexpensive.