We have had a fantastic experience here! The facility is great--the pool and locker rooms are always clean and well maintained. One of the biggest pluses is the water temperature; it's perfectly warm, which makes a huge difference for kids getting into the water. Most importantly, the instructors are incredibly kind and patient. They truly know how to work with children and build their confidence. Highly recommend! read more

My experience at CRA started out great but has gone downhill, and currently, I'm really disappointed. When I started last summer, I had a great instructor and learned a lot. I continued on after the summer, paying $200.00/month for adult small group lessons. Some of the lessons were cancelled due to "black-out dates" or swim meets. Other lessons involved substitute instructors, some good and others who seemed young, inexperienced and lacking in teaching skills. CRA states that "there are occasional dates on which programming is cancelled. These interruptions are taken into account when calculating monthly tuition." So there were at least 9 cancelled classes and it is hard to wrap my head around the math - it seems like a few months, we were paying $100.00/class. I guess the money spent is OK if the instruction is consistently top-notch, but not if it is otherwise. Recently, there was an abrupt change in swimming instructors, and I wanted to talk to someone in management about it. I wrote two emails, waited a week, and was promised a call which I never received. So I'm finishing out my time with CRA since I already paid $200.00 for the final month of May, but as I said, I am SO disappointed and will likely not return. It is a real bummer. Follow-up: The new director of aquatic programming finally called me back and it was one of the most unsatisfying conversations I've ever had. He doesn't listen in an open-minded way and has canned answers. Although I doubt he has taken lessons with the instructors at CRA, I was wrong and ALL the instructors have the same level of expertise and can provide the programming I need. He had no desire to really listen to my concerns. Any nuanced people skills are woefully non-existent. I think CRA has hired the wrong person for the job. read more

Love this pool! Clean pool, ability to reserve a lane, great Masters program..... literally no complaints!

This is the 2nd year my son is swimming at CRA and he simply loves it. It's challenging, fun and exciting. The best part? Coaches. One day my son was so happy after finishing his class. I asked him why. He said: you know mom, coach Chris is so cool. He is also a Harry Potter fan and has read all books! read more

Parents, beware. Their approach means it will be YEARs before they will actually teach your children to swim -- instead they'll tie things up with the same level and the same material over and over, and find ways to justify this protracted and costly "progression" with the idea of olympic perfection. Add to this: churn of instructors and an assembly-line idea of efficiency. You may find find your kid losing instead of gaining confidence as instructors report in to you, right in front of your child, every evidence of shortcomings after each class.Consider only if you are aiming for your child to maybe some day years from now start clocking in on the competitive Swim Meet curcuit. read more

My daughter took a tiny tots class in the fall and she liked it so much that she is taking one in the spring too. We wanted to get her used to the water so she and my husband go in the pool together for the "lessons". The progam is really good for toddlers - the teachers are nice, they do a lot of singing and splashing to the music and have some water toys the kids play with. They also learn the basics of floating and in later classes use noodles and other floatation devices to try and get the hang of them. Basically it does a great job of getting the kids accustomed to and confident in the water. It's a good introductory class. The pool at BU is giant and very, very well-maintained. There are always other levels of swimmers taking lessons in other parts of the pool and all the kids seem very engaged and seem like they are enjoying themselves. The locker rooms leave a bit to be desired. They are not dirty but just a bit old and out-dated. There is not a lot of bench space for all the parents who are trying to get their kids dressed and ready for class or undressed and out the door. It's not terrible - everyone is polite - but just a little close for comfort sometimes. There are no bleachers for family to watch the class - BU is just not outfitted that way - but the waiting area is tiny and cramped. You can see into the pool from the waiting area but not always easily. These two negatives (locker room and waiting room) are not really CRA's fault as they have no control over BU's facility but I felt I should mention them. We are liking the class and that is the important thing. My child is a toddler but I'd definitely send her here to take more classes in the future once she is older if she wants to continue. read more

My daughter has been swimming with CRA for over 6 years. CRA is hands down the best swim program for children we have ever participated in. We love that the instructors are in the pool with the kids demonstrating correct technique and encouraging the kids. Our daughter has gone from an enthusiastic doggie-paddler to now working on refining her butterfly stroke. We can not say enough positive things about this program and its staff! read more

My young lad is in his first week of lessons at CRA and loves it! The location (BU Case pool center) is super convenient, the times (4pm) are family friendly and our instructor (Jen) is a natural with the 3 year old age group which she is teaching. The rates are more than reasonable, and the max class size of 4 guarantees that your kiddo will receive ample personal attention. They have a wide array of classes for all skill levels, and all the students seemed to be really enjoying themselves. I'll update when the results are more apparent, but initial indications are resoundingly positive. -1 star because their clocks are 5 mins faster than every other clock in the world, and with short lessons and shorter time allowances to get the kids to the pool, every minute is at a premium. We will likely be enrolling the little swimmer into the next phase of classes as well. read more

Cant believe that this happened, but here it is - i signed up both kids on 7/20/22 way, way ahead of time for the weekly Sunday swimming class starting September 11, 2022 at CRA. I was charged 425 $ on 7/20/22 enrollment fee + September classes. On 9/8/22 (3 days before the first class) i received email from Sarah Kurchian, Chief Administrative Officer, that she is removing both kids from the class solely based on CRA evaluation (that i did not even know had taken place !) 1,5 year ago in April 2021 when both kids attended April school vacation week swimming class at CRA !! They went there to have fun and swim, but apparently they were "evaluated" and stamped for life. When i assured Sarah Kurchian that they are more than ready for the class i signed them up currently as they participated in multiple swim classes elsewhere in the last 1,5 years and asked to bring them in at least for the first class so coach could see how well they can swim Sarah refused.She refused to speak with me, refused to give me the name of the Director - i asked 2 times, then she offered my 13 and 10 y olds who are both not only swimmers, but divers a 4+ beginning swimmers class in a shallow pool. All other classes by now is (of course) filled, so the only other class Sarah offered in monday 9am - noon starting December when both kids are obviously at school. I cant find any swimming classes now for my kids as its almost mid September and everything is filled. I signed up in July - could they tell me then that they dont want us ? Was it fare to my kids who were looking forward to the swimming this year and counting days to their swim lessons to tell 3 days before the lesson that that simply cant come ? Wait almost for 2 months after registration before telling me they they are not welcome ? Was it fare not give them a chance to come at least once, being evaluated by coach and show what they can do ? Offer another class then if they dont qualify for this one ? I just want them to improve strokes and have fun ! We would be fine with whichever class couch would decide, but refusing them any classes is so unbelievably unfair ! CRA went in my account on 9/8/22 and removed without my permission the classes i signed up kids on 7/20/22 so when i logged in it looks like i did not even signed them up. They made this unilateral decision and its "their way or the highway "This is unbelievable ! Zero stars for CRA. Even my kids asked to come for a try outs to prove what they can do - but what can i say to them ? I am hurt and angry. Sarah Kurchian - you don't deserve position you are in. read more

The swimming lessons are great: they take teaching swimming seriously! This is let down by the facilities. The locker rooms are really disgusting. They are dirty and haven't been updated in years. Parents are not allowed onto the pool deck, and there is a tiny, tiny room that all parents get crammed into during the lesson (I'm talking knee to knee, and hip to hip, and that's if you get a spot). The pool has needed maintenance twice in the past month, and instead of them honoring the lessons they provide a free swim (at a time that one cannot necessarily attend). This is not okay. Last, parking is a pain. So, while I think the lessons are great, the whole experience is just too much hard work. read more

I'm glad that others have had a good experience here. However, our experience was quite awful. My two young children, 4 and 5 years old, came for their first class this morning and were feeling a bit anxious since it was a new pool for them. After two years of lessons elsewhere, they are not afraid of the water; just afraid of this new pool. Usually, a kind teacher can make them feel at ease, but at no point were they welcomed or greeted by name or made to feel comfortable in a new situation. After only ten(!) minutes, during which I unsuccessfully coaxed my kids to get in the pool, the director literally forced a refund on us and asked us to leave! I was speechless. I did not want a refund. I wanted some gentle assistance in helping my kids feel comfortable. Just for comparison, when they felt similarly fearful of a new teacher at the BU fitrec center, the person in charge made sure the teacher knew that they were afraid, and the teacher was friendly and solicitous in encouraging them to get in the water, which they successfully did within a few minutes. At CRA, when I told a teacher they were feeling anxious, I was just told to leave the pool area until 5 minutes before class and then have them sit on the blue mat. Rules are important. But there is more to swimming than rules, especially when working with young children. Making children feel comfortable and confident should be just as big a priority. I'd say if your kids have any shyness or discomfort with new situations, or if as parents, you like to be treated professionally and courteously, go elsewhere. read more

CRA provides excellent, rigorously-coached swim lessons for kids (and for adults too, but we haven't used them) that have motivated our kids way more than any other program. They run a very tight ship in terms of processing lessons in and out of the old BU pool on 30-minute intervals on Saturday mornings. Excellent communication with instructors and staff. Only downside is the pool and locker room are quite old and cramped, and hassle of making it to BU--however you're that much closer to the Super 88 food court for lunch afterwards! read more

I can swim! Ok, *technically* I could kind of swim before in that I had those lessons when I was a tiny tot approximately 1 million years ago AND can easily beat my 10 year old niece from one side to the other of the pool at her apartment. What I wanted, and got, out of this class was learning the real rhythm and breathing again so that I can consider doing laps at a pool near me. Is it intimidating to take yourself down to BU and jump in a pool with a bunch of strangers? Absolutely! But from the first inquiring email (if I'm comfortable in the water do I really need to start at beginner? no was the answer, and I started at intermediate) to now, with just one class left, I have felt completely confident that I chose the right place. There are only 4 of us in my class (2 men and 2 women), which is just the perfect size, and we have the very best instructor (Tonio=awesome). Classes are at BU's pool, and I have taken the T to every class, but they tell you where to park if you prefer to drive. I really want to take the next level class, but if I can't get in I do feel confident that I can swim at least a lap (freestyle or backstroke) or two for now without looking too silly. This feels great. read more

My child has been swimming with CRA for two years. She started as a level 2 swimmer, and is now close to graduating to level 5. She originally had lessons with the BSC in Watertown and Newton-most of which were fine, and certainly adequate to encouraging a child to love the water, but fell short of my desire for her to truly master her strokes. I was a swimmer, my older child was a competitive swimmer, too. I've spent too much time observing people who had to re-learn proper technique to have patience with the bulk of lessons out there. We may not all be destined to become competitive, but there's nothing particularly good to be said about doing something badly. Even if one's motivation in having a child learn to swim for "safety," think about it: in the unlikely even that one needs to swim to save one's life, one is going to be a lot "safer" with good, efficient, strokes. CRA is a highly structured program that requires true mastery of each level before elevating a child. Body posture in the water, breathing, kick--all elements are taught explicitly and comprehensively, as they should be. Frankly, swimming is a heck of a lot more fun when one does it well. The teachers are pleasant, articulate, and well trained. Individualized updates are offered to each parent after each lesson. The Aquatics Director is a marvel who is also aware of, and pays attention to, each child. It is a very big program, but one's child is never anonymous there. Online enrollment is easy. Makeups are not offered, except as "family swim." Another reviewer mentioned missed classes due to pool maintenance; this past year there were days when CRA could not honor lessons due to BU's turning off the heat--three or four family swim days were offered, and discounts given to future lessons. The circumstances were totally beyond the control of CRA, and they bent over backwards to make it up to families. Parking has been fine for us, and we've had lessons each day of the week at one time or another. Maybe Friday nights during the academic year are a bit difficult. Parents are invited in to observe from the pool deck the final 10 minutes of the final class. Personally, I don't care about the observation room to which parents are relegated at other times. I'm not using her lesson as entertainment for me, and wouldn't particularly want to distract my kiddo regardless. Locker rooms are not luxurious, that is for sure, but they are clean. There are ample showers that few people use. CRA has a particularly lenient policy re. use of opposite gender changing rooms, which is nice for families: IIRC, children up to the age of 7 are welcome. Most places I have been to use a cut off of 3 years old. I've never been to one that had adequate family room space to accommodate that cut off. read more

My daughters started lessons this past session and love it. As a result, I felt compelled to write after reading the other reviews. Yes, the locker rooms situation is not ideal but remember, CRA rents the space. It is actually BUs responsibility for the upkeep and from what I understand, the CRA staff is constantly trying to get them to improve the conditions. Regarding the staff, the instructors are all TRAINED and actually TEACH your kids how to swim. They don't take themselves seriously; they take their job seriously. The rules are clear: No parents on pool deck. If you know that, why would they have to be flexible for you when there are many others of us who would rather watch from below as well? You have to draw the line somewhere. As far as the children go, CRA states that if your child can't be separated from you, then just wait to begin the program. There is no rush. The instructors are kind but if there are 3 kids waiting for a lesson to begin and one child crying, then it isn't fair to the other three kids. This happened to us for the Level 1 lesson. I watched from the observation room as the instructor did her best to get the crying child into the water, but ultimately I am really happy that the child was removed from the class by the deck monitor so the teacher could begin the class. After bringing the child to his mother, she consoled him and he was brought back to class, still crying a bit, and HE GOT IN AND SWAM. Afterwards, he was all smiles and so was his mother. I think some parents need to ask themselves if they are the hovering type. When are you going to separate from your child? My daughter is incredibly shy but I walked her to the mat, gave her a kiss, told her that I would be watching from the room, and left her in the hands of the instructor. If I had looked back, she may have started crying. But I snuck a look from the door and then watched from above. The instructor held the hands of two children and walked them down. They were nervous but after the class, my daughter asked when she was swimming again. One more thing about the lessons...they teach differently. It is not to prepare everyone to be an Olympic swimmer, but it IS to prepare kids for proper technique in case they want to continue with swimming or water polo as a sport in the future (or if they need it for lifeguarding, sailing or crew). A CRA level 3 is like a level 5 or 6 in other programs. Don't get hung up on the numbers. Assume your child is a level 1 and just look at the descriptions and move up from there. From what was explained to me, the fastest swimmers in the world make it look easy because they are so efficient. What CRA does is takes that perfect stroke and breaks it down to the basics because when you are efficient, you can survive for longer in case of an accident/emergency. Head up swimming is exhausting and the only people who can do that and cross a river are those in the movies. I'm giving them 5 stars based on the program (not the locker room which isn't under their control.) It takes guts to teach differently from everyone else and while you can't please everyone as noted from other posts, they must be doing something right as I sat in front of my computer refreshing my screen for sign ups last week along with a good number of other people. If you want your kids to learn how to swim, then let the experts do it and get yourself to the observation room. read more

CRA is outstanding....My 7 and 8 year old have been with the group for 3 years. They worked hard and are very proud of what they accomplished. One child is level 5 the other child is level 7. This is one of the best run programs in the city. I will always be grateful for the life long lesson and training they received from CRA and the instructors. Thank you CRA for a job well done! RTH read more

Our son is 14 years old and joined the swim team 3 years ago. He joined the CRA Dragons after leaving another USA swim team in the area and could not be happier on the Dragons. He has worked hard and earned a place on their National team, swimming for Head Coach, Chris Sheppard. During the past 2 years, he has had multiple opportunties to travel to Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, CT, VT, RI, NH, NJ, NY for meets to compete. He has had the incredible opportunity to be in meets with Ryan Lochte (on multiple occasions) as well as other Olympian and World Record holders; meet renouned swim coaches; race swimmers who are incredibly fast; receive instruction & motivation at the teams BU practice pool with a visit from Olympian Rebecca Soni' and receive immeasuable support from all of the CRA Dragon coaching staff Our son has learnt the importance and experienced the joy that comes from team work, while swimming as part of a relay team; the thought process involved in setting individual goals and time management; and is balancing his commitment to swim, while contining to be a very good student. He has not only improved his technique and speed in the pool, but more importantly is part of an organization that values, and insists on demonstrated respect in and out of the pool from each member of the team; and hears a consistent message from Coach Chris about the importance of family, doing well in school and charting a path of goals to reach their dreams. read more

Charles River Aquatics - Charles River Aquatic Dragons at Buffalo Swim Meet... - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Wellesley, Massachusetts

Our kids (5 years and 8 years) favorite place to learn how to swim. Coaches are truly wonderful and teach swimming techniques intensively and make it fun too. They both have never enjoyed swimming so much till they came to Charles River Aquatic. So proud that they are both learning so fast with this swim center. The pool is a salted pool and has perfect water temperature and conducive environment. Will highly recommend parents who want to have their kids to learn the right techniques from the start! This is the place. No tears learning at all. All kids are so happy to jump in! read more

CRA is the best. We've tried other swim programs for our daughters but they were more about playing in the pool and not learning to swim. At CRA our 4 year old is learning strokes, and swim techniques and also having a blast. The staff/instructors are amazing. Our 3 year old just started lessons and within a month she is already a different and better swimmer. We love it and would highly recommend!! read more

Our child, a kindergartner, began this program promisingly, but the experience declined very badly. From a happy and motivated new swimmer who worked hard to gain foundational skills and took pride in his progress we came eventually to have a demoralized kid who did not want to attend class. There are some nice folk on the staff. The aquatics directors are personable and work to develop a rapport with the kids. The swim instructors assigned to our son were almost all engaging and pleasant or at least pleasant enough. The executive director is rough, with poor people skills or no interest in exercising them, but we rarely had to deal with her so no big deal. Unfortunately the good nature and reasonable competence of most of the people we dealt with cannot overcome the basic failures of the program. The program takes great pride in what it considers a unique method of training. That fixation on what it touts as a singular method comes at the expense of a focus on children and the best way to teach them. The unique CRA method is, very simply, a strictly linear acquisition of precisely defined skills. If you have perfected skills A B C D E F and G, say, you may move up to the next level, and start on a new set of skills. If you have perfected all of the skills listed except for one, you must repeat the level. As many times as it takes. No new skill for you unless you get the full set exactly right. Imagine learning to write in this way. After much effort, your A and B and C and D and E and F are fine, but your G is crooked, just keeps coming out crooked. Well, too bad, kid. No H for you, or for that matter any other letter, until you get that G just right. If it takes all year and longer you will write that A-to-G set out, over and again, until ALL of them are just exactly right. Don't like it? Well, now, isn't that a GREAT reason to work harder and get to that next level? Amazing, but that last question is actually the response we were given when we tried, for the final time, to advocate for our son. He had been kept at the same level for the better part of a school year. Again, we are talking about a kindergartner. Most seriously, we are also talking about a child trying to gain a basic survival skill. Bluntly put, this is program that will not teach your child how to use his arms until he works his legs exactly, but exactly, so. Though some parents seemed impressed by the program's claims that perfect swimming form is key to water survival, this argument boggles the mind. Our youngest are the most vulnerable to drowning accidents. The most humane approach would seem to equip them with basic survival capabilities first, and emphasize refinements second. Important to note, as much as CRA is wedded to presenting itself as a strictly methodical program, in practice their work is inconsistent and subjective. If your child signs on for two classes in a session, with two different instructors, he may receive two entirely different performance evaluations. This happened to us. Then, session after session, our child's report cards showed steady progress, getting closer and closer to a completed roster--EXCEPT that every instructor defined different skills as achieved or needing improvement. Trying to get explanations for this was akin to talking to a wall, even if usually a smiling one. We remained optimistic. Quantitatively, anyway, our child WAS getting closer to a completed roster, and we could see his progress as he propelled himself across the pool. Soon he would be allowed to let go of the flotation device and figure out what to do with his arms. Only one box left to check off. But then -- wham, back a few steps. Why? No explanation given. We were told only that the current evaluation was correct. Hitting a communicational wall was a constant feature of the CRA experience. Very little value seems to be placed on clarity, comprehensibility, and transparency. As another example of this, decisions to advance a child to a next level are given at the end of each session. However, parents must register for each session weeks before that decision is made. To register, you must select a level. Don't yet know your child's next level? Of course you don't. That decision will be given at the end of the session. I witnessed a parent whose child was finally advanced, she felt due in part to pressure from her, but by then the registration period had come and gone and the next level's class was filled. In short, this seems to be a program with an autocratic bent that trumps their educational purpose, oriented toward upholding its own interests and image first. It's not a great place for a child to learn. read more

My 4 yr old son had taken lessons there before, but my wife had brought him. In the car he complained he didn't want to go to that place again, and he usually loves everything. I quickly learned there are a lot of rules, for kids and adults. Aparently an important one is no adults in the pool area, like not even for a minute. I was bossed out of the area 3 times in 10 minutes, the last time kicked out with my son. Rules are rules, but treating patrons with respect and dignity is pretty important too. read more

My daughter has been taking lessons here for almost 6 months. Initially we started out with one lesson a week on Saturday mornings. The 6 days in between lessons for a new swimmer was a little problematic for her. It took her about two sessions to get comfortable in the water. Then for the summer months we signed up for the summer session that is two weeks of lessons. Four lessons one week and four lessons the following week. This went wonderfully. Although my daughter is still in level one after several sessions I am fine with this. CRA is taking the time to teach her how to be a good swimmer. Initially I was frustrated by the fact that she was taking so long to move up to the next level. I now understand perfectly why this is. I want my daughter to be able to do more than just manage in the water. She needs to be able to know how to do more than float. I want her to be a competent swimmer. While this may be taking longer than I would like I am fine with it since the end result may save her life in the future. A previous reviewer is correct. CRA does require that each skill at each level be mastered before a swimmer can move to the next level. I am learning why this is so important. It is easier to learn one skill at a time than to worry about straight leg kicks while also doing side breathing. If you want your child to learn proper swim technique and learn how to swim CRA is definitely the place where you want them. read more

Started off well, but messed up in the end. My daughter just finished her second year at CRA. Although the program started real well, by the time she reached level 3 it sort of unraveled. The first couple of sessions at level 3 went real well, as she had an excellent instructor and kids were at about the same skill level. In the two sessions after that, things started going backwards. There were new instructors that seemed inexperienced and did not really know the skill level of each kid. Kids were put in groups more in terms of schedule convenience rather than skill level. As a result, my daughter actually regressed in her swimming after the third and fourth sessions at level 3. In her last session, she happened to have the same instructor that she had in the first two, and she was really surprised how thoroughly the two intervening sessions had undone all the earlier hard work. Management has probably good intentions to run a thorough program, but this is not working. Needless to say, our comments to CRA management were not well received. So, although my daughter still enjoys swimming there, I don't think that this program serves her best. Time to look for another program where people who run it care more about the kids rather than about their rules and egos. read more

They take swimming and themselves quite seriously. Its not a "fun" place, but there is something to be said for the old-school mentality at times. If your kid (and you) can put up with an ex-Marine who thinks he's training kids for the Olympics, your kid will do some growing up physically and mentally. The one time I felt a line was crossed was when the swim director implied that my child was not progressing as fast as she ought because of some character deficiency or lack of will rather than what goes on with many kids - the muscle memory and mind were just not quite there yet (she's 8 and athletically is firmly in the middle-of-the-pack). read more

My daughter was enrolled for one session and I can't say that she benefited much from CRA. It seems that the instructors care more about what is pretty than what is practical in terms of aquatic skills. I would recommend a cheaper and less rigid program. read more

Wow Glad I am not the only one who thinks the same of the CRA Staff on Yelp. I agree absolutely with the reviewer who stated the following: "I find the staff for this program to be incredibly rude and dismissive. Since there is such a demand for their lessons, apparently the people who run this program feel no obligation or even human decency to treat parents with concern, flexibility or respect. While I understand the need for rules and regulations, there is ABSOLUTELY NO FLEXIBILITY or show of understanding on their part. Parents are not allowed on the pool deck and in fact if you come into the pool area even 1 minute early, you are sternly asked to leave. And the way they speak to parents is with some amount of "civility" but just enough to be passably civil, but with an underlying attitude of rudeness and condenscension. They take themselves WAY to seriously. Maybe they think they are training children for the Olympics, but they are still children after all....and should really have more sensitivity towards children who are still working through their fears of learning how to swim. " I feel this was well stated and accurate so I do not feel I had to reword it a bit. Only other thing I would add is BE WARNED if you have little kids: 1) If you have young children of the opposite sex and have to change them at the facility. The facilities are old and unattended and the older boys run around in the locker room unattended playing in the showers and scared my 5 year old daughter. 2) Also the same goes if they have to go the bathroom you have to go through the pool down a staircase through the locker room and through a few more doors to make it to the bathroom. 3) They do not offer changing facilities for families. Also since you can not watch the kids by the pool you have to go up to this closet of a room that has 5-6 folding chairs to look out a small window to see your kids. If you do not get in the seating area very early no way you are going to see your child. I also used Boston University Fit Rec classes and it is worlds different and see why they won "Best Swim Lessons" by Boston Parents Paper in the Best of the Best for 2014. To give some credit to them I did feel the instructors were nice and provided good feedback for the few classes we did attend before switching back to BU FitRec. read more

I brought my 6-year-old daughter here for two private lessons last week and was extremely happy with her instructor -- Rachel -- and CRA in general. To start, my daughter is absolutely petrified of putting her head in the water. After taking lessons at BU FitRec, our town pool, a summer camp, and Boston Sports Club (where she had an absolutely awful experience), I was at my wits end about what to do. Before I registered her, I had a long conversation with Marilyn, the director, who listened carefully to my concerns and recommended lessons with Rachel. She also provided great information about strategies that we could use in the bathtub that would help with my daughter's fear of the water. When we got to CRA for the first lesson, Rachel came right up to my daughter and was completely warm and friendly. Once the lesson started, Rachel was wonderful. She used all kinds of strategies to gain my daughter's trust and make her feel comfortable in the water. By the end of the second lesson, my daughter was swimming from the shallow end to the deep end without Rachel's help (but with a swimming "motorcycle") and blowing bubbles in the water. I know this doesn't sound like much but when you're dealing with a child who is deathly afraid of the water, it's a huge step. I will absolutely register her for regular lessons when the next session opens. I understand that some reviewers say CRA is strict and, honestly, I can't speak from personal experience about the group lessons. While my daughter was taking her second lesson I observed two other children having private lessons and spent a while talking to their moms. Both of their children had taken many group lessons and it was obvious from watching them, that they were strong swimmers. CRA is different from most places that offer swimming instruction in that their instructors are professionals. In comparison, we just completed four semi-private lessons at Boston Sports Club where the instructor teaching my 8-year-old never stepped foot in the water. In the end, I don't expect my child to be an Olympic swimmer but it's very important to me that she feels safe in the water and she is a good, strong swimmer. Some reviewers complained about the outdated locker rooms and the small area for observing the kids during lessons. Personally, my biggest concern is the quality of the lessons. Based on my experience at five different swimming facilities, there's no place that comes close to the instruction that you get at CRA. read more

charles river aquatics sucks. the pool is not well kept at all. it goes from being hot to cold to very cold within a week. the chemicals are not well kept either. the ph level is either high or low and the chlorine level is all over the place. management sucks. just because a child swims with a little bit of a high head they cant move up. thats terrible they just want your money. kids puke in the pool and they do not follow protocol. they continue on as if you can not get sick from that. i used to work at a hospital you should not have contact with anyone else's throw up. you have to clear out the pool for atleast 30 minutes. read more