My daughter has been swimming here for a while now. She has learned a lot and is now swimming! The pool is a bit small but it still works out great and the employees seem organized in getting the kids in and out of the pool timely. read more

We have been going to the Fish Factory for 6 years - we have graduated 3 kids so far and it is simply THE BEST! Practically speaking: the year round classes, the warm pool the amazing curriculum and how they keep track of where each child is skill level wise and building off of that every week, is astonishing. I grew up on a swim team and the way the classes are laid out at the Fish Factory are different - and so much better because of it! Children first learn safety skills. And when they get to the swim strokes it's broken down in such a way that it is far more intuitive for kids. We travel a LOT and my kids are the best swimmers in the water compared to 95% of anyone else and are far younger as well. My littlest knows not to jump into the pool without permission and how to get to the side and pull herself out if she fell in. These classes don't look like the 2 week sessions teens teach. They are taught by adults who are paid an adult salary and the quality shows. Not to mention they all clearly love kids and the water! I can't say enough good things about the Fish Factory - I can say I will literally cry when my youngest graduated and we don't have a reason to come here anymore. read more

AMAZING. I tired a couple of other swimming lesson options for my son before coming to Fish Factory and all were failures. When we joined Fish Factory, I was worried that my son wouldn't want to swim as a result of past poor experiences (elsewhere). I was able to talk to the coaches and discuss my sons fears (about going under water and getting his ears wet). They promised to work at his pace and instill confidence. On the VERY FIRST LESSON, my son went under water with his coach. I know this seems like a small thing, but for us, it was HUGE!!! We are now 3 months into lessons and my son who was super timid at the start, is now swimming the length of the pool, jumping in and "diving" for toys at the bottom of the pool. Fish Factory is worth every penny!!!!! read more

Fish Factory Swim School - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I had a good experience with the parent tot class, kinda hard to go wrong with a parent holding their kid in the water while singing along and playing with toys. As for the 3 year old class. YIKES. I watched my extremely excited and eager child go from being so excited to slumped over sitting on the edge of the pool from instructors belittling them. It's important to note I have a very active 3 year old and he loves to move, with that being said in the 30 minute class he got about 4-6 minutes of swim time. The others in his class were afraid of water so the attention was on them. When I emailed my concerns about how little time my kid was getting learning to swim and being sat on the wall, ignored, and his giggles taken from him and that I hoped in the future we could find a way to engage him in class they emailed back and told me they were dropping not only him from the program but my child in the parent/ tot class too! I would discourage parents from wasting their money at fish factory. If you do decide to attend fish factory be sure to bite your tongue unless you'd like to be kicked out. Major disappointment in this business and it's management. I think it's important to note that most 5 star reviews were from about 6 years ago... I wish I would have looked in to that more. read more

They were great with my young three year old and I have a feeling he'll be progressing quickly. I called ahead to warn them he might be difficult which they appreciated and were prepared for when we arrived. They proved experts at calming scared and wailing children and had me hide and watch from a distance. He calmed down within 5 minutes and began having a blast. During his first lesson I could see them working up to the next step. They got as far as putting his head underwater the first session! Something I haven't been able to accomplish at bath time in years! Over all I'm extremely thrilled with the experience. Also, I'm not sure if there is a "right" way to learn to swim. I'm sure there are many ways you can teach a child to swim and they seem to know more than the average person. read more

Fish Factory Swim School - Working up to going underwater. - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

We have been coming here for two months. It is a nice and clean facility. It has everything that it advertises and the staff is friendly. However, some of the lessons have been inconsistent. One visit, my daughter did little in the pool besides stand and watch. It might have been an over-site, but given the fact this is a pay for service deal, I would expect more. Various levels of engagement with my four-year-old is really my only complaint. Parents are able to quietly watch through glass without the normal mind numbing echos. The chairs are comfortable, and the view is great. The hours are limited and tend to cater to stay at home parents. Because of this, you see a lot of grandparents which is a great concept. Overall worth the money and kids make surprising progress in short bursts. read more

Fish Factory Swim School - Parents area. - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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First, I'll get my one gripe out of the way. I was frustrated that when we left the country for a month this summer we were only allowed to schedule a single make-up lesson. Per policy, you are only allowed to make-up one lesson per month. And because the waitlist is so long (and in nearly all respects, I love this place), I was not willing to just unenroll for that month. That being said, this place is wonderful, and it's worth the money. My 3 kids have all attended. There is a low teacher-student ratio, allowing for maximum amount of instruction and swim time. The pool is warm. The instructors are well trained and enjoy their jobs. The facility is clean and well managed. I consider water safety and swimming competence imperative life skills. My two older children are now there, in no short order due to the excellent instruction provided by Fish Factory. My youngest is comfortable and confident in the water, and well on his way to competence. My 7yo transitioned seamlessly into competitive swim team, and thrived. My youngest (4yo, currently in the guppy program) considers his swim lesson a highlight of his week. He smiles and laughs throughout his lesson. I highly recommend Fish Factory. read more

This location is very small. Far to small for the amount of swimmers in the water. They have 2 showers inside bathrooms making it impossible to clean your child off after them being in highly chlorinated water. This one lady takes all 4 children into the one women's bathroom with shower and doesn't come out for 30 minutes or more absolute ridiculous. There should be an open shower room outside of pool for you to be able to rinse your child off in a suit. Also I can not stand that your child's teacher changes every week it is very inconsistent. Some teachers are great others lacking and you never know who you will get. Which means learning is slow your child doesn't know what to expect. I'm sure this is a great option for parent and tot class but once you progress it's very slow learning. Albuquerque really needs another swim school option. read more

Horrible service, there are better places to take your child then this place. The owner Ashley, she handles everything from behind her computer screen, NOT a Professional Bussiness owner and will judge you for simply calling the office to inquire about the waiting list. On that note, the waiting list is horrible and good luck getting in. The service here is totally not worth the money! The excuse of being short staffed was all I ever got, I am glad I was forced to go elsewhere. Not to mentioned I save lots of money by doing so! read more

My daughter has swam here since she was 6 months old (she's now 3) and now my son is swimming there! The parent tot classes are great! My daughter is in the guppy class where she gets to swim with just her instructor (not mommy or daddy) and she LOVES it! She has learned so much and is really a great swimmer for 3 years old! They are very attentive (3 kids max per instructor and 2 deck managers always there as well) both of my kids are always so excited to go! Thank you Fish Factory for giving my kids to have the confidence they need in water and having a great time while doing it! read more

Fish Factory Swim School - Waiting for class! - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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They do a good job with swim lessons. Really like how they limit the students to maybe 3 per instructor. read more

Fish Factory Swim School - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

My daughter and I attend the parent tot class for under 1 years of age and I can't say enough good things about the whole facility! First off, they have a LONG waiting list, so if you want to start your kiddo at 3 months of age, get on the waiting list when they are born! That being said, once you get into a class it's really an amazing program. Everything from the website to the staff are very user friendly. I've only experienced super positive and helpful customer service. Angie is our instructor and she is incredible, helpful, positive, and able to give direction in an easy to understand way. The last is quite an accomplishment in a loud pool area with dozens of kids having the time of their life! I'm a huge fan of the dressing area, which is unisex. Each dressing area comes with a bench and a changing table. You're able to spread out to get kids ready. There is a comfy parent waiting area and small shop with the necessities while kids are in the program. read more

These guys/gals really know how to teach kids swimming! It's not the cheapest but it's worth it to help your kid develop this critical life skill! read more

I am extremely disappointed with the Fish Factory. My son is on a wait list so I called to get an update on his spot and was informed that he's still a few spots out, however capacity was going to be increased to 50% in a week. This sounded like good news, BUT when I asked/made the assumption that additional spots would open up due to increased capacity, I was told it depended on the class because some parents don't want additional students in their child's class so they are paying for an extra empty spot! So, despite the governor/health officials allowing increase capacity the Fish Factory is allowing parents to dictate their program and not giving other student's the opportunity to learn how to swim. This is so greedy of the Fish Factory and clearly they are only in it for the money. I would not recommend this place. read more

The staff is AMAZING!!!! We've been coming here for almost two years I feel so comfortable with my kids in the water. The facility is always clean. Highly recommend Fish Factory. read more

This place is awesome! We've been coming here for over 2 years with 3 boys. My oldest is such a strong swimmer now and has been in endurance training and will be joining swim team now. My 2nd is halfway through fish in progress and he's the hard one who would only dip his ears in the water for the 1st two months of lessons and doing great! The baby talks about going to swim lessons every day. He's progressed more in his one month in parent/tot than my other kiddos when we did JCC or sports and wellness swim lessons. Highly recommended! The staff are kind and caring. My kids look forward to swim every week! Exceeded my expectations! read more

My children had been attending Fish Factory Swim School prior to COVID-19. They were forced to close down and during this time Fish Factory communicated sparsely through the parent portal and email. The email that was sent in May 2020 stated that they would be opening with a different business model die to COVID-19 restrictions, but the children that had been enrolled prior to the COVID-19 shutdown with remain enrolled and have space for them when they were able to reopen. In a conversation I was told that people that had been trying to get into Fish Factory were finally being enrolled. I called Fish Factory to find out the status. We left several messages and finally we were able to get a hold of someone. The person that answered the phone said that they were back open and that our kids would have to get on the waitlist. This is not what was stated in the May 2020 email. This is unprofessional, poor business management and poor communication on Fish Factory's part. After reading response from the business owners on negative reviews, they really don't care that they have lost business and have no intention on making it right, as long as there are still families willing to do business with them. read more

Generally we love this place. The instructors are wonderful, and very patient with reluctant swimmers. I greatly appreciate not having to strap on a suit and go in with my kids, who in addition to gaining skills and a love of the water, are learning independence and flexibility. The methods are top-notch, and I recommend FFSS to everyone. That said, the hours are frustrating, as others have noted. Additionally, I desperately wish they'd hose down the bathrooms more often, as by later in the day many, many child visitors leave the floor mats soaked and stinking--not just with the over-chlorinated pool water. I take two kids for back-to-back sessions, and on the regular occasions that the toddler insists that he needs to go just as the five-year-old is getting out of her lesson, we've had to all squeeze in there so he can pee while she changes. Major yuck. read more

This is a fantastic program as indicated by their long wait lists to get in. I have tried many programs with my son, but he never learned to swim until starting Fish Factory. They are so wonderful with children and the front desk staff is so patient and accommodating. read more

We love Fish Factory and have been coming here for a few years now. The instructors all do a great job, the program is run efficiently, and my kids love it! The facilities are great and the staff is friendly and helpful. read more

This is the absolute BEST swim school EVER!! I have 3 children that have attended these wonderful lessons!! They have single-handedly taught all 3 of my children to be efficient and effective swimmers! My children have had multiple different swim instructors throughout the last 2 years, and they have positively connected with each and every one of them!! I am constantly recommending this school to my friends, and then I find out that they are already attending Fish Factory and absolutely LOVE it too!! This swim school is the product of many many years of dedication to a life-saving skill and wonderful sport. The owners are truly wonderful people who only hire wonderful employees!! They are very meticulous about how their school is maintained and operated!! This is a must experience for anyone who is looking to enroll their child(ren) in swimming lessons. read more

Would NEVER recommend this school to anyone. The "curriculum" does not teach any child how to actually swim. I've seen other places teach swim lessons that are twice as effective. On a plus, both owners, both ladies that work the front desk, and most of the employees are wonderful. There are a few that seem to micromanage the other employees and it is always the same employees that help clean up while others just sit around. read more

Fish Factory has been SO wonderful for my son with special needs. Jordan is a patient and incredible instructor who has really made a difference in my son's life. The staff at Fish Factory has gone above and beyond to work with our family while my kiddo has undergone emergency surgery and has taken a long time to heal. They have been so understanding about waiting and rescheduling with us to ensure we don't risk infection. In the mean time, I was even able to convince my friend Dani to bring her little girl here, who also absolutely loves it! Thank you SO much for waiting for our kiddo to heal properly and for being so patient with our family, we look forward to spending the next several years with you! To anyone experiencing being waitlisted: it's worth it!! They do the best they can to accommodate you! We have been waitlisted for over 1.5 years for aquatic therapy through Carrie Tingley, and Fish Factory has more than succeeded at filling that void. read more

After all the glowing reviews and recommendations for this school, we waited to get on the wait list, and finally did get into a class here. My daughter was really looking forward to her first swim class and was very excited. Unfortunately, I have never been so shocked and disappointed. They surprisingly lack the skills here to help a child be comfortable in the water! The only "technique" that was used was physically overpowering my daughter (she's only 4 after all), and dunking her under the water when she most clearly and obviously was not comfortable with that. Multiple times. The teacher even told my daughter, "If you be quiet, the class will be over faster." This is NOT what I expected from a swim school. My daughter's statement after the class was quite telling: "I guess I shouldn't have been excited about going to swimming school because it was so scary." Their advertising says they haven't yet met a kid they couldn't win over - that's definitely not true in my case. After watching them disrespect her and her physical boundaries, they will not get another chance to "win her over." When I was expressing my frustrations and withdrawing her from the class, I was told about all the successes and happy customers they have (that changes the way they treated my daughter... how?!?!) and then told, "My grandson cried for his first three lessons and then he was fine..." Wow. Maybe if they had put THAT in their advertising I would have known more about their "teaching methods" from the beginning. What a horrible experience. read more