UPDATE RESPONSE: I'm not surprised you are denying this ever happened. This is NOT a lie but you probably don't remember as you treat children terribly all the time. Lots of unhappy parents to remember all their names. I have all the emails and proof we were at your school in 2023, his name is Ezekiel or "Zeke" and you scarred him for life. You are a horrible human being Joy. This review is long overdue- it's actually been 4 years since we were here but my child is STILL scarred from his experiences with Joy. We were swimming today in a pool and he said, "remember when Miss Joy made me get out of the pool and stand there in front of everyone." It reminded me how terrible she was and I thought I should help people out with a review. If I could give this place 0 stars, I would. Joy should not be anywhere near children, let alone teaching them. RUN, don't walk away from here with your kids. She lacks patience, kindness, and professionalism. She is skilled at swim instruction, I'll give her that- but NOT with children. She should be an adult instructor only. We had swim instruction with her for several weeks and she was VERY rude and harsh with the kids. We finally had the last straw when My son who was 4 years old at the time, (a Covid baby) and still learning to swim had a moment he has never forgotten. Joy YELLED at him and called him a "brat" when he made too big of a splash getting In the water, she made him get out of the water in front of his peers and stand there cold and crying while she made "an example" out of him. She told the other kids, "see if you misbehave like this boy, you don't get to swim." Thank God my husband stood up to her and told her how he felt as she just let my child cry on the steps. We never went back and didn't even bother asking for a refund as I knew we wouldn't get it. read more

Both of my sons have attended Aloha swim school, and have learned swimming skills efficiently. Both Joy and Amy are very experienced, kind and knowledgeable. They do focus on teaching and do their best to accommodate different schedules read more

We've been coming here for years and I don't know how I never left a review. Here's a short and sweet one. We first discovered Aloha Swim a little over 4 years ago with our now 7 year old son. We have our 4 year old who started a year ago. Both my boys are now comfortable swimmers and have grown so much since being taught by Amy & Joy. They're both wonderful swim coaches. read more

Aloha Swimming Classes have helped so much for my Granddaughter!! Her first introduction to swimming was with Amy P. And this year we've enjoyed Kaylee's approach just as much! Excellent teachers and confident builders!! Ready to sign up for the next session because Brightlee is doing so well! Thank you Aloha!! read more

Aloha swimming was honestly the best choice for us! My daughter had taken classes at talega and it was awful within 3 months she didn't learn anything! Besides making bubbles :( We then started classes with Joy after a friends son learned how to swim within a couple months( he use to be petrified of the water and would not place his head in the water at any given time) so we decided to give a try. My daughter then started swimming around on the 3rd month of class!!! And lost all fear of the water! Joys technics work great for my daughter . She is very strict with pool rules. Which is great. Im honestly tired of going to places where kids are running around doing what ever they please and basically throwing the focus out of the ones who want to learn. Joys classes have small groups, making time for each individual child, with free time right after the class too. Thanks Joy! read more

Aloha Swimming In Capo Beach - Practice makes perfect :) - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Capistrano Beach, California

My wife and I signed up our daughter for this swim school, however we were not able to find a class that suited our schedules. When we called the owner to speak with her about getting a refund, she was extremely short and unprofessional with us and even hung up the phone while we were talking. And this was after leaving several messages that were not returned. The owner clearly does not value customer service and I would absolutely not the recommend this place to anyone. read more

Our girls love Aloha Swim School. Amy and Joy our great, fun, and loving. The girls really respond to their style. It's truly our best investment and time spent! read more

Nanny here, and this seems to be a safe high quality facility. I appreciate that the swim instructor wears a COVID friendly face shield. read more

We absolutely love Aloha Swim! Our daughters started out with Amy, who was so sweet and fun when they were just 1 and two years old. Now they are 2 & 3 years old, and swim with Joy! It's amazing to see how fast they progressed. They can both swim across the pool, float on their backs, climb out, and practice multiple types of drills each time! I am so impressed with how both Joy & Amy can manage such little kids with such care, but also with such authority! Thanks to the amazing teachers at Aloha, I'm no longer nervous to take my slam children around pools, and would highly recommend to any one looking for real swim instructions, not just mommy and me play time! read more

We love Joy and we love Aloha Swim. My kids were taught how to swim with such amazing skills and technique that becomes second nature. I recommend her to everyone. We are so happy with their progress and continue attending, thanks to her and her program. read more

Joy is prob the best swimmer in all of Capo Beach! She even taught me how to do the Butterfly Stroke! Thanks Joy!!

We have been taking our kids here for 2 years now, and LOVE Joy and Amy! My daughter had classes with Amy when she was little (1-2yrs) and now that she is 4 and is swimming, she is with Joy. I came from another popular swim school in the area to here and man I will tell you the difference was immediate and very obvious. My daughter is now a good swimmer, the facilities are nice and clean. I appreciate Joy and her diligence with cleanliness and safety. Our kids love her and always have fun in their lessons, and always leave tired! read more

If you kid can't swim: you have to try it to believe it!!! Results are amazing and incomparable!!!! My 2 kids (now 2 and 4) went to different swiming schools in the past years and they did "ok". When I moved to San Juan Capistrano I decided to look for a closer swiming school and came across Aloha, decided to give it a try for 1 month (as it was just close to my new house) and my jaw literally dropped after the first month of lessons!!! My 2 kids (2 different ages/times to start lessons and both terrified of getting any water on their heads or ears-- to a point were it was painful to even wash their hairs in the bathtub) are now very comfortable in the water: my 4 years old is swiming on her own the full length of large pool (after 6 months of lessons) and my 2 years old is not screaming anymore in terror when diving under water (after just 1 month of lessons!!). I can't wait to see where he is at this coming summer after 4-6 months of more lessons. Super grateful with Miss Joy and Lisa for their spot on teaching abilities. Keep up the good work! Many more kids to teach how to safely and joyfully get in the pools. Loa, Albert and happy mommy. read more

Run, don't walk, away from this place. Take your kid anywhere else on earth. We had the most stressful experience ever with this person Joy, similar to all the other negative reviews. The way that they schedule classes is - they don't tell you what the schedule is until after you pay~! I thought I was fine after calling her and she ASSURED me that they won't keep my check if they can't find me a class. I couldn't find a time that worked so asked for the check back and the story changed completely. "No, I never said that!!" She wouldn't even return my calls! I caught her on the phone one time and she hung up on me!!! I emailed her repeatedly asking her to call me and she literally wrote, "Why so you can yell at me?" Literally. I went through their documents and found where it was written that they will refund if they can't find you a class and still she fought me! I showed her the language from the document and she still fought me and not even that, but she was so insanely rude about it. In emails she repeatedly wrote "I don't have time for this" and still refused to just give me the check back. DO NOT take your kid here. We took our kid to Goldfish and it is night and day difference, they treat you very nicely there, answer the phones (what a novel concept), and its very professional. read more

My 5 year old son has taken swim lessons with Amy here for the summer and she has done so well with him. He started with some fear of the water and has overcome and progressed so much. He is so much more confident in the water and now when we go to the pool he's swimming all over like a little fish. They do sometimes have some scheduling mishaps but they're always quick to fix it and apologetic. I'm very pleased with our lessons here and plan to return next summer to continue. read more

I will give credit where credit is due: Joy is a very good instructor. That being said, the level of professionalism is subpar. The accounting and scheduling is unorganized and convoluted. Joy is very rude and lacks any understanding of the concept of customer service. If you don't mind the frustration of e-mails getting "lost" or your payment being unaccounted for come scheduling time or being poorly spoken to then this swim school is for you! read more

Joy is seriously amazing! We live in San Clemente and had been going to another swim school and since switching to Aloha, Joy has literally done more in 2-weeks of lessons than what we saw over a year. Pool is amazing, my kids Love swimming and are also learning and improving with every class. So worth the money and drive! read more

We've attended 6-8 sessions with Joy, the owner, and were impressed. Her yelling didn't bother me at first. But it got out of hand. She exploded in my 10 yr old son's face and shoved him in the chest. Then angrily yelled at my other son to "get out of my pool" when he didn't understand right away what she was asking. We won't be going back. read more

My daughter learned a lot from Joy and excelled at swimming after a summer session, but the owner Joy has the WORST customer service. When I called to ask questions about pricing, she quickly responded with attitude "did you check the website?" Well, yes. It was confusing. Hence the call to clarify. She yelled at my husband and I both, on separate occasions. Then accused me of lying and told me she was going to "check the cameras" (to see if my daughter had been swimming over 10 minute free swim time). I was speechless and angry. Other parents expressed their sympathy at how she treated me. She later apologized to my husband and said she was wrong, because she did check the cameras!!! I've also seen her get angry and short with the older kids, but not in a constructive way. Such a terrible experience for my husband and I, only reason I gave it 2 stars was that my daughter did learn a lot. read more

So let me help you make your list of swim lesson options a little bit shorter... We were very excited about our nearly 3 year old little boy going to swim lessons. He is scared of the water so we wanted him to learn to be comfortable when he has the opportunity to go swimming. Our excitement dwindled quickly after choosing Aloha Swimming in Capo Beach as his first lessons. I would say if you don't like to deal with drunk people I would recommend not being a bartender. If you don't like food I probably wouldn't recommend being a chef. That being said Joy (swim teacher)... If you can't stand a toddler crying because they are scared of the water, I wouldn't recommend being a swim teacher! Joy was extremely rude to our little one and others at the swim classes. She even told us if our little one wouldn't stop crying then we should not come back for our last swim lesson (which we didn't, even though we paid for) If you want someone to scold your child, hush them loudly in their ear, or question the way you parent at home because your little one is crying- well then Joy is the teacher for you. But... I probably wouldn't recommend that. There are plenty of other options out there and I would skip over Aloha Swimming if I were given that choice again. read more

Our family is SO happy with the swim instruction/environment at Aloha Swimming. Our son started swim lessons for the first time very late, at 5 years old. He started a month ago with an intense fear of getting his head wet. We were tentative about how he would respond to "swim school." We are SO proud to say that today, he swam in the deep end for the first time! Joy is an expert at coaching kids at their level and adjusting her coaching style to meet each child's specific needs. Joy and Amy, another swim instructor, worked brilliantly with our son to break through the water fears he had in a way we could never do as parents. The group lessons are awesome, and the private lessons really help the kids swim so quickly! Thank you Aloha Swim School! The Vantol family :) read more

We are incredibly grateful to have found Aloha swim. We started my two boys(ages 3 and 5) last year and within a month my oldest went from being terrified of the water to jumping in. A year later they swim laps, dive in and effortlessly do the back float when they tire out. We just got back from a family vacation in Hawaii where they were going down waterslides- the lifeguards were impressed with their skill level for their ages. Joy will not coddle your child but her style is very effective. read more

We love, love, love Kim... I was only going to do 1 session but my daughter was doing so well that I signed up for a second. My kids adore her and have learned so much. I highly recommend Kim at Aloha Swimming. read more

Joy, the owner and head teacher, was brusque and rude. I have seen her yell at her students, her employees and even the parents. The other instructors were inexperienced and unable to teach children even the basics. The pool, while large and warm, is very crowded and disorganized in the afternoons-with two classes, free swim, and no clearly defined areas for any of these activities... read more

Joy is the example that all swim instructors should look to. She had my 2 year old swimming to her in a couple of lessons after a whole session of him making zero progress at another local swim school. The poor kid would sit on the stairs and cry the whole time. We made the switch to Joy after worrying that he would develop a fear of the water. I am so very grateful we did, at the end of his first session he was a fish and loves the water and his "special swim teacher Joy". I can not recommend her and her technique enough. read more

Joy (the head teacher and owner) is FANTASTIC. Both of my boys have gone through a couple sessions and we're blown away by their transformation into incredible swimmers. I note one reviewer commented on Joy's "tough" style - don't be deceived. She is absolutely great with her students, having fun along the way, but always reinforcing safe pool habits--when you're talking swim and pool safety in general, I, for one, want nothing less. This is serious stuff and she takes it seriously, in the best of ways. Can't recommend this splendid school enough! read more

When we met Joy, we had an 8yr old who was swimming, but not super efficiently. We also had 5yr old twins - one was nervous in the water, the other was terrified. Swim classes elsewhere were providing little improvement and our son's fear of the water was actually increasing. So when Joy had our oldest gliding through the water and the twins traversing the deep end after just a month of lessons, we were absolutely blown away. Obviously the 8yr old just needed some solid instruction on her strokes, but the twins were an unimaginable feat. How did she get them comfortable in the water so quickly? Maybe magic. But maybe it's because she carefully balances a directive tone with re-assurance. She explains what to do and sets them in motion -- there is no room for reluctance or fear to build. Yet she pushes just the right amount and is always is there with support. My children skew towards the sensitive side yet were never afraid or panicked. Joy quickly builds confidence and appropriate skill sets. Not even a year later, we are the proud parents of three little fish who love the water and who have learned the foundations of all swim strokes. We cannot thank her enough for her years of expertise and unique gift was a teacher. read more

Joy is a master at what she does. If you want your child to be safe in the water and thrive as a swimmer, You want Aloha to be your first and last stop for swim school. read more

From our parent perspective: What we liked most about Aloha swim (apart from the beautiful surroundings and wonderfully clean, warm pool!) is that Ms. Joy and Ms. Amy encouraged our son (7yrs old) to work hard at everything he did in the pool, so that he continued to progress and learn, even when it was hard for him. At times, it was VERY hard for him (not an athlete by nature) - once, he looked like he was about to cry from swimming so hard. We wondered if we should intervene as parents, but we continued to trust the instructors and their system, and just at that moment, Ms. Joy instinctively floated our son on his back for a break, explained to him in age-appropriate terms how he was challenging his body's limits, which would help it become stronger, then told him that once he was ready, to complete the remainder of his assigned laps. He rested for a few more moments, then finished strong. If she had let him stop when it became challenging, he would never have improved, and he and we were proud of his hard work. The hardest part for us as parents during the lessons was that a few times, we thought we should introduce a tip or recommendation to our son when we thought he wasn't doing the strokes correctly, but we would consistently find at the very next lesson our son being instructed to complete a drill that focused on that very specific stroke component, aimed to correct it. Even though progress seems to come slowly when you're watching your child do laps over and over "incorrectly" per your definition, but both Amy and Joy ARE paying attention to everything going on; they just have to triage what to work on first. We had taken for granted how "easy" it should be to teach a kid to swim, but we realize that parent's aren't teachers, and that the teachers here are paying attention to the big AND detailed pictures, and putting everything together through the progression of several lessons. Parents just have to trust the system, and they will see progress. In the end, our son attended 10 lessons, and told us this about his lessons: "It was really good because I learned a lot, and I have advanced so much. I started by doggie paddling, and now I can do the crawl, breast stroke, butterfly, back stroke, and tread water. The lessons were hard, and all I wanted to do was go home and go to sleep because I was so tired. But I liked going, and feel like I can go wherever I want in the water now, instead of holding onto the side after my doggie paddle." As parents, we feel so proud watching him glide across the pool, launch off from the side, and retrieve things at the bottom of the pool, very comfortably. Our son will continue happily to attend lessons at Aloha, and we know it will mean hard work, which is what it takes to achieve results. We appreciate Ms. Joy and Amy creating such a positive learning environment, giving out encouragement and praise when (and only when) the kids earn it, AND telling them when their stroke was poor (they need to know so they can improve!), and for allowing the kids to play before and after lessons in the pool and for supervising this play to avoid it interfering with our son's lessons being taught at the same time (Ms. Joy has had to tell children to be quieter when she can't communicate with the child she is teaching; we respect this, as the main reason we are there is to have our son learn!) For the other helicopter parents like us :) - our recommendation is to trust the instructors, don't talk to your child while they're in the lesson (a thumb's up seemed appropriate on occasion when our son needed some encouragement AND when had been trying hard), and trust that progress will come. read more

Aloha swimming is the best! We love what Joy has done for our shy 3 year old toddler. We were a little nervous at first because our toddler is often difficult but Joy managed him super well and got him to listen and focus quickly. It seems he's learned more than just swimming. As for the swimming, it's amazing how quickly he's become comfortable and capable in the water. Joy's no nonsense approach is very appreciated considering how important learning to swim is and how important it is to listen when in the water. We just can't believe how fast he's starting to be able to swim on his own. Thanks Joy! read more

We love Aloha Swimming!! My 5 year old and 3 year old have improved so much in just one short session. Joy is phenomenal. My 3 year old cried the first 5-minutes of the first two lessons, but she was great at distracting him and getting him to relax in the water. There was no coddling, just distraction which was perfect for us! Now, 3 weeks in he's completely comfortable (with her and with the water) and can work on his strokes. She knows just the right time to push the kids so they can grow into strong swimmers. Thanks Aloha! read more

Best swim school ever!!! We saw a difference in the third lesson! Aloha Swimming is the place to go. Swimming is a life lesson that can save lives. If you are looking to give your child the skill to survive in the water and have fun then Aloha Swimming should be your choice. Our instructor Joy has taught our little one water safety and incorporates fun. It's important to remember that safety comes first. Joy has the ability to teach the children how to be responsible and safe in the water while still laughing and having fun. Thank you Joy and Aloha Swim for teaching our daughter water safety, beginner swim, and a team environment. We look forward to many years of swim with you! read more

Whatever age your child is, look no further. This is the place for swim lessons. Aloha was recommended by a friend when I complained that my 9 (!) year old was still a reluctant swimmer. We had taken him to a few sessions at Waterbabies downtown SC at age 5, but he had outgrown their school, was unfortunately still not confident in the water, and yet not ready for the big community pool with the large group classes. My daughter was 13 at the time with good swim skills and an interest in trying out for a swim team. I put the two of them together in a private lesson with Joy for a few weeks (because my son would only agree if his older sis was there). From the first lesson, her technique and teaching style worked wonders. I watched in amazement as my sports-averse, reluctant boy bloomed into a confident, eager swimmer. She even uncovered a competitive streak! Joy, I believe, was a swim team coach and water polo coach in past years, and it's obvious she really understands how to motivate kids. Her combination of warm encouragement and humor together with high expectations and a touch of strictness (when warranted) is the best way to get results. She knew exactly how to help my daughter polish up her swim strokes and improve her speed, even in that small pool, and taught her kick-turns and got her in great shape to make the swim team (which she did, and then moved on to water polo). After that first session my son no longer needed his older sister there, which said a lot; he was ready to continue in a group lesson with Joy. He continued to improve and after two summers of lessons at Aloha he recently moved into an intermediate swim class at the city pool, which will prepare him for junior lifeguards and for his own swim team tryout next year. I give Joy all the credit for his success, and am so glad we found Aloha. Worth every penny. read more

Aloha Swim School is awesome. When we started with our then 5 yo and then 2 yo this past summer, neither one was close to swimming. In fact, my eldest was resistant to even putting her head under water. Within the first session, she was willingly going under water, and you could see her confidence building. We started with Kathy, who is so nurturing and empowering to the little ones. Due to our schedule changing, we are now with Joy. Joy has my kids happily jumping into the deep end and swimming to the step on their own. Watching as my children's skills have developed has been awe-inspiring. Joy is stern, but caring. The students are expected to listen and do as they are instructed. She treats the kids like people and talks to them as such, vs coddling them. It can be an intimidating situation learning a new skill in an uncertain environment. Joy is empathetic to that fact, but pushes them to be competent and safe. I believe her stern manner reassures the kids and builds trust between them. Joy empowers and builds confidence in the kids by continuously pointing out and celebrating when they accomplish something on their own. Water safety is paramount and should be treated seriously. Learning it takes practice and skill. Swim class isn't a place to goof off and play. Joy and her teachers do not allow them to do so. The kids are allowed time before and after class to just play and have fun. All the kids I have witnessed understand the difference. When they are in class, they are there to learn. Aloha is the place to go if you want your child(ren) to learn this life-saving skill in a structured, empowering environment. read more

Aloha Swimming is not just for kids. Joy is a truly talented instructor for the children, and it turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks. I'm an older adult and wanted to take up swimming for exercise. Before training with Joy I could barely get from one end of the pool to the other. In a very short time Joy has gotten me to being able to swim all 4 strokes and able to swim laps for exercise. Thank you Joy. Oh .... And another goody, Aloha's pool is always the perfect temp .... Not to hot, not too cold .... Just right read more

Aloha Swimming is the best! Our 4 year old is difficult and not easy. Joy makes it fun and keeps him engaged. He looks forward to his lessons with Joy. We appreciate her time and everything she has taught our son. Joy is fair, punctual and good at what she does. read more

Joy is a very experienced swim teacher and has taught all 3 of my children to be water safe at a very young age. Joy will get your kids swimming! read more

Aloha swimming is a wonderful facility! Joy had our 3 year old son swimming in less rhan 3 months. She is patient and good with the kids. We are so glad we found Aloha Swimming! read more

We really love this place. Joy is amazing! She gets straight to the point with the students so they learn how swim safety and properly. After coming hear for year and half we are looking forward to many more years of swim with Aloha!! read more

Whatever the are doing works! My 2.5 year old has been swimming here for a year and is doing great. He learns something new each week.