We cannot say enough about the amazing experience we've had at Farber Swim School. As a mom who has tried other local swim schools, I noticed the Farber difference immediatly. More impartantly my daughter noticed. At other swim schools my daughter had developed an intense fear of the water. As the parent I too had developed some anxiety around class due to strict policies and a cold clinical teaching methodology. The day we walked into farber all of that changed. Farber is family operated and you feel like family in their amazing space. The culture is welcoming, happy, relaxed and supportive. Specifically teacher Breanna has been an exceptional influence on my daughter as well as all children lucky enough to be in her class. She is so warm and intuitive with each child. Her expertise shines in class as she gets to know each child personally and builds a bond with them. Through this bond she is easily able to establish trust and to notice when they are ready for next steps. She finds a way to help the kids feel comfortable and confident and that is the BEST learning environment. I doubt we will ever find a teacher like her. My daughter now lives for swim class and sings teacher Breanna's name the entire car ride there. its been a beautiful transformation to witness. A transformation I am so grateful for. Breanna turned her fear into her passion with the most gentle confident mentorship. On top of that, Farber is considerably less expensive and more flexible on schedule changes than most swim schools in the area. 10/10 recommend. read more

My daughter had a bad experience with swim lessons at a young age and, as a result, she'd had a really hard time getting comfortable with lessons. It took years on the wait list here BUT it was well worth it! We finally were paired with Salma and she has been nothing short of incredible! My daughter has overcome her fears and is now a very proficient swimmer. Salma's patience, encouragement, and empathy have been a true game changer, and I am forever grateful! Highly recommend! read more

My baby and I both are having so much fun! I don't understand the negative reviews at all. I've had to cancel a few sessions, and haven't had a problem. They do have a little bit of a rigid policy. You need to cancel 48 hours in advance for a full refund, and 24 for a reschedule. I honestly appreciate that they have a consistent, and clearly communicated policy that's the same for everyone. I like knowing what to expect. I'm a Special Education teacher, and while their expertise is definitely more on swimming than child development, I find it to be developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and accessible. They focus on specific skills, which build on each other. They use a lot of repetition, routine, and play, which is all great for early learning and building a sense of confidence and safety. My biggest complaint is with the locker room. I really wish there was some sort of private change area, even a curtain, especially with so many little kids, and there's not always room to accommodate everyone there. read more

Teacher Dana has been the best thing ever for our kids! We love this swim school and now have our toddler and baby enrolled.

We love Farber Swim School! We have been in the baby and me swim lessons for over a year and a half now. My 2 year old knows water safety skills and LOVES the water. Our teacher is Annie and she is AMAZING! Definitely sign up for lessons or even drop in lessons to check it out. Very reasonable priced too! read more

Farber Swim School - Beaverton - Swimming Pools Near Me - Beaverton, Oregon

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We had our first drop in swim class for our 14 month old and she had a blast with teacher Kayla! The wait lists are extremely long since their pool areas are small. Its also really hot in the pool area so if you're coming to sit and watch your kid wear a t-shirt and not too many layers. The staff has been very responsive throughout the process and has been wonderful to work with. We are looking forward to getting a spot in the future. Plenty of parking outside. And they do have locker rooms but they're small with only 2 showers on the girls side which makes it hard when some parents decide to give their kids a full on bath. Overall, we had a lot of fun with the instructor. read more

Customer service is terrible. I was due a refund after completing a month of my son's swim lessons. I read the part where it would take 90 days but I just got my refund check yesterday. I had to both call and email and even a response to my email took weeks. Teachers are great but if you expect a refund you are going to need to work to see any money back. It took 142 days to see a refund check.... read more

My review is based on the coordination and communication with staff members and the enrollment process at Farber Swim School. I added my daughter to a waitlist form provided by staff at the end of March for her to begin classes in May. After no communication in May, I reach out to Farber only to learn that I completed the wrong form (confusing!). I obliged by completing a new form and asked the staff member how soon she felt the waiting period would roughly take. This staff member laughs then says, "To be frank, no one is going to give up their spot during summer, so it is unlikely you'll get a space". So, basically, had I not asked this question I would have been faced with following up again and again with little communication from Farber. Besides, the girl over the phone was super rude. She then continues to tell be that I am "better off" looking at the drop in sessions. I ask her specifically how it works. I follow her directions and complete the form only to learn their site does not update availability as quickly as spots are taken so none of the spots I seem to request are actually available. All of this to say, I encourage this swim school to think about their enrollment procedures and staff communications with potential clients. This might be a nice swim school with great instructors, but I'll never really know... I am thrilled to say I have found an amazing swim school for my daughter in Hillsboro and we absolutely love the staff and her instructor! read more

We just recently started here but will cancel our lessons once an opening pops up at the swim center closer to our home. This swim center is pretty tiny and dingy looking and the locker rooms need major updating, cleaning, and expanding. The Boys locker room is extremely small, having two men in there both changing their babies is a pretty difficult task since there's not much space at all! The Girls locker room is much bigger but it's pretty filthy and run down looking. I have no idea why they have an exterior play area with plastic play structures. They should expand the center so the Men have a decent space to change themselves and their children. The smaller pool where the baby lessons are held is heated but the heat is not evenly distributed throughout the pool. My child is shivering when he gets to the non heated side of the pool during his lessons. This really makes me question how well the pool is maintained especially the cleanliness. read more

Absolutely fantastic. My just turned 5 year-old twins do lessons 1 day a week. They've been going for about 2.5 months now, and each week it is the same instructor. The lessons are just the 2 of them, and their instructor, so the lessons are not planned, but each lesson is done by where the twins are at skill wise. The individual attention is fantastic! The front staff is attentive and helpful. It all seems like a big family. We had the twins 5th birthday at Farber this year, and it was perfect. For the party we had 3 life guards, who helped set up, make sure everyone was safe, and helped to take down the party. We played our own playlist through the speakers, brought our own food, and drinks.... all while having the pools at our disposal, warm and toasty on a cold late fall day. We love Farber! 2018 #21 read more

They have a good teacher to student ratio for baby and me class. My toddler thoroughly enjoyed her class. Her instructor was awesome. They teach lot of techniques and keep the toddler occupied. Towards the end, they get a water slide which is highlight for the kiddos. They have 2 pools and one of them goes from 2 feet to 4 feet so there is plenty of space for toddlers to stand up by themselves and have some fun. 2nd pool is deeper and is mainly for bigger kids/ adults. I enrolled her in the toddler class. There were just 2 kids so the teacher gave a lot of personal attention. My toddler loves water and toys so she had a blast. Overall the first experience here was very good. If you are going to stay in and watch then be aware that swim area is super warm so keep your sweaters and jackets at home. I felt like it was 90 degree so I was getting cooked in my cotton sweater and boots:(. I am looking forward for her next class! read more

Farber Swim School - Beaverton - Swimming Pools Near Me - Beaverton, Oregon

If your child is neurodivergent, then this is not the place for them. I've thought about our experience for a long time, so my review is not impulsive or reactive. My son has sensor processing challenges and I originally thought this place would be a good fit because they listed Sensory Processing in the form we filled out. Several times -- due to high turnover of instructors -- the instructor said they hadn't looked at his file prior to starting lessons with him. One instructor accused him of "lollygagging" because he his processing delays and another was trying to teach him to do dolphin kicks and touched him without asking him first. It led to a meltdown and it was very uncomfortable. When I reached out to the owner about the incident, she said that my son shouldn't be working on dolphin kicks and that particular swim instructor was better with older kids. Isn't that something you'd check before you assigned them to my kid? The communication was poor and disappointing. I don't recommend them, save your money. read more

I had the pleasure of photographing little swimmers during Farber Swim School's Easter Swim. The experience exceeded my expectations. The staff was welcoming and made the event feel like a family gathering. I loved seeing the smiles of the parents and kiddos while playing together in the pool. The pool area was perfect for all levels of swimmers. I can see why one of the little swimmers wanted her birthday party to be at the pool! It's a perfect place for fun and making new memories. I sure wish I had taken swimming lessons when I was that young! read more

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The classes are so good for the babies to learn water safety. That is their priority. And routinely doing the same exercises with the babies to get them used to the water and best practices for accidents. . they have women and men's room and a family changing area. The rooms are always heated and so is the water. Plenty of toys in the water for babies to play with. I love their open swim as well. They have a great online system. They are up to date online with lessons and drop in availability. They have convenient forms online to fill out. Their payments and cancelation forms can be made online too. They consistently pick up their phones. Extremely helpful over the phone. One time, I had a question and they were willing to get a teacher on the phone to talk me through my questions. They're also very understanding and willing to work with you. read more

I am not sure I would give this place a 1 star other than the instructors are great with the kids. The administration office is terrible. I cancelled more than 24 hours before a lesson but less than 48 hours so I was told to "follow the rules" and I had to use the $41 I paid for the lesson towards a DROP IN that didn't even have convenient drop in times for a 4 year old. Drop ins are primarily Baby Classes. So I LOST my $41 - gift to them. When they state that they have to follow the rules for cancellations, however do not need to follow the rules - they have called me twice in the past 90 days with 2-4 hour notice of cancellation of our private lessons. They do not have to follow their 24-48 hour rule policy. Then we had about 6-7 weeks where our private lesson was eaten into as their PeeWee class "ran over". I sent complaints to the office with NO RESPONSE and that ate up about 30-40 minutes of our private lesson time without reimbursement. We have been a 4 month out pre-paying customer for 1.5 years now and this is their customer service methodology. It is GREAT for customers who are desperate to get their kiddo into a class and don't care if the service is of poor quality. You better watch your invoices like a hawk. They have lost a customer for life. read more

We had a class this morning with the owner. He was so amazing and really explained how what my 6 month baby is learning is how to survive if she fell into a pool or water. Plus she has so much fun and so do I! The pool is waist deep and very warm for the little ones. The locker room is small but you get used to it. Not sure why there are bad reviews because the staff has always been helpful and friendly. I had to reschedule due to illness and it was easy. Yes the website is a little confusing but read carefully and it all makes sense. Plus the wonderful staff will also explain it all. Love it here and so does my daughter! It's also my secret to tiring her out and she always takes a super long nap after!!! What's better than that...? read more

Yes, this place is run down and odd. But it's hard to keep up something that is always being used and always wet. It's hot in there, so dress appropriately. The pool is a nice temperature. They have chairs for adults and littles along the deck. There is one family changing area on deck. They do have places to put your littles (a wall chair, and playpen) if you need to change, or help change big kids. We love the drop-in private lessons for my two big kids. $44 for 30 minute lesson. It's easy to look a day or up to a couple weeks in advance and snag a spot that fits our schedule. I prefer it so don't have to worry about paying for a chunk of classes and my kids not being able to attend and thus wasting money. Shantel was great with my 3 year old, and made it really fun for her after seeing she was hesitant to hop in the pool. Ethan worked well with my 6 year old, who needed convincing with almost every activity. Will update when my kids start learning something. At this point, I really just want them to be comfortable being in the water. read more

We have semiprivate lessons for our son with Down syndrome. His instructor is excellent and understands his needs, tailoring instruction to his ability. The wait list time was long but is so worth it. We love teacher Dana! read more

We have been delighted by the quality of care we have received at this school! We know that it's been a long pandemic, and that the odds of being able to score weekly lessons right off the bat - would be difficult. It only took a couple clarifying emails (I'm easily confused and even with reading the website info am careful to ask Q's - they always have emailed back w/ answers w/I a day) to determine that we would likely sit on the waitlist for a while, BUT they also offer drop-in classes on an ongoing basis. This system actually turned out to work super well for us! Some weeks our schedule is busier than others, so simply looking at available slots ea. wk. and picking them up as we went...worked super well while we were waiting. Our kid LOVES their lessons here, and I find the staff to be very personable. Very highly recommend! read more

Absolutely love farber great prices great staff. My sons instructor is great he really breaks down everything and not only that but pushes us to feel comfortable with our child. read more

Farber Swim School - Beaverton - Swimming Pools Near Me - Beaverton, Oregon

This is a great place to take your babies for swim lessons. The instructors are very patient and good with kids. The saline pool is not harsh on the baby's skin and doesn't burn their eyes. They have TONS of baby toys and swim equipment to keep them engaged. The routine is consistent and my daughter loves it. What a wonderful facility. The building is older, but they keep it pretty clean. I can't imagine how much the salt eats everything up in there, but they do a good job maintaining it. read more

The instructor has no problem - my child and I actually liked her. However, the facilities are horrible. If the changing room is visibly dirty, it's easy to imagine the amount of germs exist in there. The pool area is nothing better. The water has a weird color, and the pool is very small. My child got extremely sick after a 30-minute class. There is nothing else to blame but the insanitary condition of this place. Looking at the instructors' schedule, I feel that this is a sweatshop operation. One instructor can teach back to back for hours without any rest, not even five minutes in between. There is no way for parents to communicate with the instructor about the child's progress. I can't blame the instructor but the "school" for this. It's not about teaching, but sucking money out of people's pockets. Seriously, I don't know how people can give five-star reviews to this thing. Maybe I live in a parallel universe. I would give zero star if I could. Parents should avoid it at all cost. read more

I'm wondering what all the complaining of chlorine smells comes from as it's a saline pool so... I mean, there's an apartment building across the street and I can smell the chlorine from that in the summer, maybe people are confused by this? Sure, the facilities are aging. I'm aware that management is looking at continuing to upgrade. The instructors and their attention to their swimmers make it easy to overlook the tiny faults this place may have. I absolutely love the assorted activities the school puts on throughout the year. read more

We LOVE Farber swim!! Our son has been getting lessons for little less than a year now and his teachers who are patient, attentive and kind. This family owned business makes you feel heard, important and linked up with the teacher to best serve your child's needs. We had a few trial runs to find the best fit and we know we can't get that everywhere. I would recommend this for infant babies up to your master level swimmers. Great place!! read more

Great swim school! Between my 3 kids, we've been going here for YEARS. We don't even live nearby anymore and still drive to Beaverton. Goal-oriented lessons that are fun for kids. Sign up, you'll be happy you did. read more

I know many parents who love bringing their babies to swim here but it's really not for us. We signed up for the Easter swim with our four month old, but when we got there we took one look around and decided to leave. The entire place is tiny and the locker rooms are very small and crowded - basically not usable. The pool is also small, crowded and doesn't look very clean. The whole thing just gave me bad vibes as a parent. SHARC in Hillsboro is a much nicer facility. They also do baby/kid swim lessons in a warm pool and their lessons cost 50% less than Farber. read more

The facility itself was ok. The swim school is located in the same building as soccer plex and dance studio. The women's locker room is located on the second floor and they have few shower stalls and plenty of lockers. The pool (and the room) is heated towards the warmer side (like around 80s something) than normal indoor lap pools and it kind of helps when you have to wait for your class in swimming suit :) What makes this place awesome is the staff. From the first phone call that I made, Nick has made the process of matching instructor less painful. He asked many questions: your goals, what to expect, options, etc and try to match you with an instructor that will help you achieve your goals. I was paired up with Abby and she is amazing. She makes swimming easy and fun. I recommend this place for kids and adults who want to learn swimming. read more

My son who is 8 years old has struggled with learning to swim. I have put him in various classes (local Park and Rec, semi-private, etc.) around town, with not much success. Then, it all changed when I signed him up to Farber Swim School. He was fortunate to click with his male teacher, Gavin, who made swim lessons fun and engaging. He went from fighting me on going to swim classes to actually wanting to go! After about a year of lessons now, and with a change in teacher, my son is now swimming laps and is working on crawl, breastroke and backstroke. I am so happy with how far he's come with Farber Swim School. I could not recommend them enough, especially with kids who are "fighting" lessons. read more

My son attended weekly swim classes from 15 mos to 3 yrs and LOVED IT! It was our favorite weekly ritual. We were with Annie - who taught us both so much about swimming technique and water safety and gave us both so much confidence in my child's swimming abilities. They teach safety here, valuable skills. This isn't a soft class that's just for fun- it's a real education! When my son swims in public people are always impressed and comment on it. Yes - their website sucks but the people are great and the water is warm! Highly recommend! read more

Took my son to a properly ran swim school in Lake Oswego. After this new school school, I must give Faber school a big fat 1 star. Don't waste your time or money here. I pay a whole lot less and my son is learning quickly. read more

Unbelievably horrible customer service!!!! I communicated with Farber via email to set up and schedule my daughters swimming lessons, and received great customer care. Although when it came to cancelling appointments and ultimately all of our upcoming lessons with them, I received no response, and only received one when I was billed for missed appointments. I was unaware of their policy to fill out an exit form on their website, and figured that since email had been an efficient way of communicating with them when I was trying to schedule appointments, it would have also been an acceptable way to cancel. They acknowledged that they received my email to cancel 3 weeks after I had sent it, but that I'd still have to be charged for my missed appointment (that day) because I didn't fill out an exit form (that they failed to mention I'd have to fill out to cancel lessons and ultimately to avoid any missed appointment fees). So bizarre. The pool being warm is nice, and that's about it. The changing rooms are cramped and dirty, the front desk staff doesn't even acknowledge customers walking in, and unless you're a new client looking to make an appointment, they clearly don't prioritize your email, or take the time to properly coach their clients on how their operating system works. So disappointed! I think with a little locker room love, and coaching of their customer care staff, it would have been a great place for us. read more

Wonderful instructor Lindsey we absolutely love her. Great front desk staff. Nice cozy and warm pool. The kids love the play pool. read more

Took my 7 month old for his first swim lesson and will not be returning. We were supposed to have instructor Adam but he was sick so we had Jessie. This is our first class so I had no idea what to do so I just tried to follow the other moms since the instructor sat there. No encouragement or reassurance. I didn't want my baby going under water for his first lesson but felt pressured to. As a former EMT and cpr instructor this seems very unsafe. You want parents feeling confident before submerging them. I did not feel confident. The instructor was more concerned about singing songs than teaching hand placement or how to get your wiggly baby to float. Halfway home my baby vomited everywhere. Will be taking my business and recommendations elsewhere. Also, women's bathrooms was gross. read more

My 2 boys take lessons here. They have been able to take our boys farther than we could have on our own in a very short period of time. We can't wait to have some boys who will be able to swim without clinging to mom and dad this summer! I can't say enough about the instructors AND the pool. Who wouldn't want to swim in a super heated swimming pool and play in the hot tub while you wait? The kids can't wait each week and count down the days until wed. read more

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We've been coming to garner for three years, and have worked with four different instructors. The reason we keep coming back is because our kids get a lot out of the instruction, they have a very flexible schedule, and there rates are really affordable. We are looking forward to many more years of swim lessons and hopefully join the club as well. The only downside we have experienced is the turnover is kind of high, and as I stated above, we have been through four instructors, also including two time changes. read more

DO NOT GO HERE!!!!! Horrible customer service and National Origin Discrimination. There was three swimmers in one pool. As my daughter's instructor was getting ready to make another lane in the pool. Christina, one of the instructors there told my daughter's instructor to get her out of the pool that she was currently and go to the other one while the other two can stay there. I asked for an explanation and apologies to my daughter and I. Front desk staff and instructor Christina didn't seem to care. There is no manager on site or anyone that runs the place. I was told the owner will call to follow up, but I have never received the call. I am very disappointing and hurt to experience this. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!!!!!! Parents, please be aware, you and your child will not be treated equally if you are appear to be of a certain ethnic background!!!!!! read more

We just started lessons for our 9 month old a few weeks ago and have been happy with Farber. Our instructor is great-- she did a good job acclimating our son to the water. The facilities are small, however they make the most of the space. read more

I wanted to write this review about the incredible Pee Wee Penguins swim team program there at Farber Swim School. I was not a swimmer growing up, so I didn't know quite what to expect as far as beginner swim teams go, but I can say this program is unique from what I've seen in the area and I can't recommend it enough if you think your child is interested in swim team. Penguins helped prepare my kids for bigger swim teams. I mean, I know that is the point of the Penguins, but it really was an invaluable experience. We joined a more formal swim team this Fall, I can say for sure that neither kid would be doing what they're doing without the Penguin experience. I have one on a junior team which doesn't go to meets but she is swimming the full 25 yd pool in a lane with 4-5 other kids without a coach in the water and doing it with confidence. Never would she have been able to start out in that situation without the skills she gained at Penguin practice. Everything from how long is a 50yd set to circle swimming to flip turns, etc...for her, having all those things familiar made it possible to transition to a larger group with less supervision. IE, no coaches in the water and lots of kids on the team. I have another child on an intermediate team. She appears to be on the younger side but she is keeping up. And she has known exactly what to do when asked to do drills like catch up stroke and that one where you tap the water in the back and was she was even used as an example of how to do it, which I credit to having you guys as coaches IN THE WATER at Penguins to get the kids off on a solid foundation. Having a low ratio of coaches to kids and having the coaches in the water is what I've found to be unique for little kid swim team and what makes the Pee Wee Penguins such a fantastic experience. read more

Facilities are worn down. Locker rooms are small, filthy, and someplace you won't want to be in with your children. Expensive. Steer clear.

My son took classes at Farber for over a year, and we really wanted to love it because it is so close to our house. But after three strikes, we're officially done with this place. My children will go elsewhere from now on! Strike 1: A few months into lessons, my son broke his arm and had to wear a cast for 6 weeks. He broke it during the first week of the month, and I'd already pre-paid for the entire month of classes. We missed the first class while we were at the hospital, and I called the next day to ask for a refund for the remainder of the month. (Mind you, not for the class we'd already missed, but for future classes in the next few weeks we now couldn't attend with his cast.) They actually said NO! Strike 2: Loved our first instructor, Jade. She was fabulous and my son did great with her. But a few months in, Jade left and we had a new instructor, Cici. Her style and personality were quite different - more stern and less warm - and my son and his friend both did NOT take to Cici. She seems to know her swim technique but maybe isn't the best fit for a baby class? Thinking it was maybe just a fluke, I took my other son to two classes with her - same reaction. He was quite uncomfortable with her. Later I took both kids to the Beaverton Swim Center instead - different instructor - and both kids did fabulous! I've heard from other parents that the instructor turnover there is high, and this was a disappointment for us. Strike 3: Took a break from lessons after my most recent baby was born and couldn't swim with both kids. More than a year later, I got an email from Farber saying they will be sending my account to a collections agency because they show I owe them $12. Seriously?!?? I would have gladly paid any money I owed them, as I had always paid for all our lessons in advance. I was shocked and disappointed that they didn't bother to contact me for A YEAR, with the exception of one email addressed to another child - which we assumed was sent to the wrong email address. After being loyal customers for over a year, I would have appreciated an email or phone call to simply let me know they show I owe $12, and we could have taken care of it like friendly human beings. I really wanted to love this place. But with so many other options in the area, most of them less expensive than Farber, I suggest going elsewhere. We already are and are having a much better experience elsewhere - for cheaper!! read more