TLDR: stay clear of this place, unless you like paying thousands for glorified day care…read more UPDATE - response to owner's (Cheronda A.) reply to this review: Hi Cheronda, I already did exactly what you suggest, before leaving this review I reached out to you directly to raise my concerns, which you refused to address after which you ended our conversation by writing quote; "There will be no further correspondence on this matter.", which now results in your incongruity between your private and public communication being on public display. Original review: British Swim School's Vallejo location, run by Cheronda A. and team, advertise their program as being able to "instilling water survival skills that save lives". After 17 months (64 lessons) and $2500 down the drain, we pulled our son from this program due to it being more akin to an aquatic day care (with you as the parent remaining present) than a swim program. The people at the school are nice enough interpersonally, but these are the red flags to notice: - After an initial few weeks you stop getting feedback, which when given is always verbally and never through skill progress item in the British Swim School's app. If you challenge the owner (Cheronda A.) on this, you will be gaslighted in there being more feedback than there actually is, and that it is their policy to only give verbal feedback versus using the app for what it is intended. - You'll notice your child will have many different instructors throughout lessons, with great variety as seniority as instructors. - You're paying about $40 for a 30min session, but on avg. there are 4 kids per classes, meaning even if you round up that's $40 for 10 minutes of instruction, as in the 64 "lessons" we paid for equates to having paid $2500 for less than 11 hours of instruction. - The lessons are utterly simple snd repetitive, and not lessons at all, the same 4 simple things are just endlessly repeated without any coaching or guidance from the instructors towards the child as to what to do different or how to improve. - The final straw, when you confront them on the inadequacies listed above, they will a) gaslight you in terms of feedback cycles, but much much worse, b) blame the lack of results on your child. In summary, this school will happily take your money for providing very little, and in terms of practical outcomes are operating in opposition of their mission statement.

I can't express how much I love this place! From the customer service reps to the head management,…read morethe entire staff is knowledgeable, patient, and kind. My child absolutely loves coming here--and because of that, so do I! LOL! Highly recommend checking it out.

We had a wonderful experience with Splashtastic Swim School! Audrey, the owner, provides excellent…read morecommunication and runs a very organized program from start to finish. She made scheduling, updates, and the overall experience seamless for our family. Our swim instructor, Chassis, was incredibly kind, patient, and encouraging with our two daughters, ages 7 and 9. She created a positive learning environment that helped both girls feel comfortable and confident in the water. We were amazed by the progress they made in such a short time. Thanks to Chassis's guidance and support, both of our daughters left the program knowing how to swim and with so much more confidence in their abilities. We highly recommend Splashtastic Swim School to any family looking for quality swim instruction!

Chris is a good instructor, very patient and understanding. Definitely recommend him!read more

I spoke with Alicia today and she was very kind and got to the bottom of all of the issues we have…read morebeen having. We are now aligned with new classes and I am hoping that next month we will not run into the same issues with class cancellations. Looking forward to seeing my granddaughter continue her swim lessons! Thank you! Shannon

This is hand down the best swim lesson for young children in Contra Costa County. It's located in…read moreOakley and is top tier for emergency swim lessons. They specialize in swim lessons for first time swimmers. As a parent, I feel so much better knowing my little daughter will be able to float and swim to the edge of the pool if she ever fell in. This is the best introduction to swimming that you could get for a toddler/young child. It is terrifying to think of my kid drowning. Some of my family members have pools at their house and I'm always scared that my kid was going to fall in when I wasn't looking. Now I feel confident if that did happen my daughter would not only float and not drown but also get to the edge and climb out. I am so grateful for this swim school. All the other swim schools in the area are focused on older children learning the different swim strokes like freestyle, breast stroke, etc. which is great for kids that want to be on a competition swim team but this one is the best for introducing kids to swim as a life saving skill. Not that this instructor can't teach the later stages of swim instruction, her own kids are like fish in the water. They are amazing swimmers!

Our children attended this dojo beginning in 2021. While there were positive moments, we…read moreconsistently experienced communication challenges throughout the years. Email responses were often delayed or never received. On multiple occasions, I left messages and was told calls would be returned, but they were not. It was also difficult to address administrative questions during operating hours, as Eli, instructor/manager, was typically running classes and unavailable to discuss billing or membership matters. In April 2025, I emailed requesting a temporary freeze of our membership. After following up and not receiving a written response, we had a verbal conversation and stopped attending in May. In June, the instructor emailed asking if the children were returning, confirming they were on a break. Despite this, recurring charges resumed in July and continued for months while our children did not attend. Multiple written follow-ups and an in-person request for a response have gone unanswered. Additionally, the studio often felt very crowded, and during warmer months the space was quite hot with limited effective air circulation. We would have appreciated clearer communication, more consistent administrative follow-through, and stronger responsiveness to member concerns.

After attending this studio for many years, I feel it's important to share my honest experience so…read moreothers know what they may be getting into. I would leave a negative star rating if that were possible. Over time, the owner has consistently shown a lack of professionalism and accountability. Classes often start late without any notice, and when this is brought up, responsibility is deflected rather than acknowledged. Communication and consideration for students' time are ongoing issues. I have personally witnessed the owner tell children that school is not important and insert his opinions about how parents should raise their kids, despite not having children himself. I have also witnessed a child being yelled at in the parking lot, which was very uncomfortable and disturbing to see. Because of this behavior, many instructors and long-term students have left and ended their programs early. A common reason shared was feeling uncomfortable with the owner's presence and attitude. It became clear over time that long-term students were not valued, and the focus felt more centered on the business rather than student well-being and development. There are many martial arts gyms in the area that are far more respectful, organized, and supportive. I strongly encourage parents and prospective students to explore other options before committing here.

Everything about this educational class went well just like the first time I took this class…read more Austin the instructor was patient and answered all the questions everyone had. He even got back to me right before I left about a question regarding how to give CPR to a concave chest. Austin was clear when he spoke and when answering questions. I have already recommended this class to a close friend and will continue to recommend it to anyone who asks. The location was great. The room was clean as well as the tables and the equipment we used for the hands on training. Thank you again!

I had forgotten that my BLS was expiring till the last minute. Josh was so responsive and went out…read moreof his way to help me out. He was really kind and professional. I found my renewal guy! Thanks so much for helping me out.

First time coming to this pool & on the first day open for summer ! free swim let's get into it …read more Besides me being an avid seafood lover, I am also a fish out of water lol ! I am literally a mermaid when it comes to swimming. I've been swimming all my life from public pools, private pools to beaches, rivers and lakes , being involved with lifeguarding as a teenager as well . I love swimming. I love being in the water, and I know the rules when it comes to public pools so this is where my honest opinion comes into play. So first of all, I will say this . As a mom I always do my research before I go anywhere , talk about anything , or judge. I've read a lot of mixed reviews about this place. This is what I have to say. I did my research and they said the following: pool is open from 11 to 6. There is a swim test required to go in the deep end and go off the diving board. You are not to wear regular clothes or cut off clothes in the pool. of course no running and etc. when I got there none of the rules were being followed. I even brought kids with me , not one kid was tested to get in the deep end , all life guards watched. and this is the first day opening so I can't go off of "Oh they might know this child" No ! your job as a lifeguard is to make sure no one is going under your watch. I feel like the young team staff thinks that since their parents are with them. there's no need for a swim test .... with my experience with swimming It's very important !including adults ! because just because a parent is an adult doesn't mean they have the best swim skills and if something were to happen, it is your job as the lifeguard to step in . so that stood out to me ( luckily me and mines know how so we were alright) I even taught a young lady how to dive ( she was a gymnastics girly and her mom was present ) and even thanked me for helping because she doesn't know how to dive so how can she teach !! But also as well as people breaking the rules with clothing, you have to remember this is a public space when you jump in the pool you're jumping in and sharing with everything so it was kind of disheartening to see a lot of rules being broken. Besides my personal observation of the rules and conduct of the employees , overall the pool is nice. It goes from 3 feet to about 13 feet deep on the deep end with the diving board. They also have a kid pool as well. They have tables that you can rent out for parties as well as a little shaded area, but you are allowed to bring your own lawn chairs and find your own spot if space is available around the pool , I brought two of mines . came from 11 to 5. The website says 11 to 6. They need to update it cause on the first day. I was expecting to stay the whole day . It was a 90 degree day . And they made us get out at 4:45 because they closed at 5 . I even brought it to one of the guards attention about the hours needing to be updated ( he said it's only for Friday , it was a Friday lol ?! He didn't know what he was talking about ) They have a snack bar, but it's trash honestly I've been and grew up in so many different pools. You could bring your own food and they will not bother you. Save your dollars and pack picnic style for the pool if you decide to stay here all day. Overall me personally, I have no complaints. I know what I will and will not do coming here, but just to appreciate the pool. We had a good day . little details I noticed, but if I come prepared, it's things I don't have to worry about . this is a nice pool . I suggest staff be more aware as well as parents and bring your own food..... that's my opinion.

Very cute place ! Water is very warm with a diving board .. it's a bit hidden and a very low price…read more. $3 per person . I would totally recommend

Coach Heidi is the best swim coach and teacher I've ever seen. She is incredibly cheerful and…read morekind, while keeping things fun AND educational. The younger kids learn to swim without noticing, they're just having a blast! Her range of expertise is incredible, she'll hop in the water with a toddler for a learn to swim session, help a scared child overcome their fear and learn to love the water, and then five minutes later she'll be coaching an elite 18 year old competitive swimmer on how to drop a millisecond from their best event in order to qualify for some big meet. Heidi has been coaching for over 25 years, and her ability to connect with all different personality types, kids who are shy or worried, kids with excessive confidence, kids with learning differences - you name it and she's encountered it successfully and with grace. I cannot recommend her program enough, and anyone on her staff embodies the same approach. She coaches her teachers on how she wants the lessons to operate and every situation is tailored to that unique swimmer's needs. Coach Heidi is also the head coach for Woodlands Swim Team, and that is where her lessons take place. She is incredible, you won't be disappointed.