I gave two stars because the swim staff is nice. When we purchased our package, we were told the classes we purchased didn't expire. Fast-forward six months when we had to skip classes due to scheduling over the weekends. We were then told oh we need to re-enroll in order to use those classes. Well, this means you didn't have to go twice a week to make up for what you didn't have the chance to do originally. This is not what we were told when we purchased. I went back back-and-forth, whether I should post or not. We have chosen to go to a different place because we felt lied to and cheated out of a lot of money. I would not recommend this company anymore, and I hope they change their business practices to something more ethical. read more

Our daughter is 5 years old and it's great to see her progressing in her swimming at Goldfish Swim School. She has taken lessons here since she was 5 months old and continues to love swimming. The pool is her happy place! They regularly assess the students to provide feedback and move them up to different levels when they're ready. It's great to see all the new things she learns and can do as she moves up in levels and see her confidence grow. She was able to swim the length of a pool on her own by the time she was 4 and continues to grow as a strong swimmer thanks to the teachers here. The teachers are all friendly and helpful. The pool is big and warm and the facilityare clean. The weekly swim lessons are a great way to help our child get regular exercise and develop as a swimmer. read more

Goldfish Swim School - Cary - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Been going here since it's opening. Obviously there is turnover with staff and as the years progressed, everyone has been great.

My kids have been swimming at GF for about 2.5 years. They have been doing great and love the facility, instructors and front desk staff. We enjoy the fact that the pool is always heated and the lessons are very structured. Even during the pandemic, Goldfish found a way to safely remain open without making things weird for the children. The class sizes are 4:1. I really liked it during the pandemic because it shrunk to 3:1 and gave the kids more time in the pool during their 30 min lessons. They are back to 4:1 now but It's not really a big issue unless one of the kids in your class messes around too much. The managers and owners are really down to earth and easy to talk to if you feel like you have an issue. They take your concerns seriously and understand that sometimes your child might not match well with the instructor scheduled, so moving to another class/time might work better for your child. They offer open swim for members which is great. We live pretty far and don't have access to a pool regularly, so we try to get to open swim when we can. Hopefully, they will add more open swim times and/or bring it back on Saturdays. Overall, 10/10 definitely recommend! read more

Our son has gone to goldfish since he was 3 on and off. This place is the best supportive environment for getting children into swimming and weve noticed great improvements since hes been a student. The staff is always welcoming, friendly, and great with kids and the atmosphere is fun, safe and accomodating for all. read more

Goldfish Swim School - Cary - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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My son has been going to Goldfish for only a few weeks now but he loves it and is already so much happier in the water. Last year it was so hard for him to even want to be in the water without clinging onto my arm. Looking forward to his continued improvement. Thanks Goldfish!! read more

Okay!! Let's start with the location itself BEAUTIFUL!!!!! The sitting area behind the glass was my favorite!! I think this was the catch for me. I love how they have bright colors! The changing areas are always clean. My kids absolutely loved it here. We try it for 2 months but unfortunately it's way to far from us. What I didn't like as much is the time the kids actually spent on the water. It's a 30 mins class but don't think your kid will have all of it. There's 3 or 4 kids in the class and they all need attention from the instructor of course. But they call you in to talk to them like 8-6 mins before the 30 mins are over. Your child have maybe like 10 mins of instruction? The monthly fee it's reasonable . I also didn't like how they charged the yearly fee per child and not per family. However , a 40 mins class would be perfect because there's too much rushing in between!! read more

Goldfish is a really, really nice facility. It's clean, bright, and fun. There's showers available, private restrooms, and private changing rooms. The water is nice and warm, and there's lots of equipment available for the kids to use. The desk staff have been very helpful and welcoming. Really a great first impression. But I hate to say, I've been let down by the quality of instruction for my 8 month old. Last month, we joined the 4-16 month age group. The first week there was a sub instructor which was fine, but he wanted me to dunk my son under the water. I told him he's never done that before, and he said "it's okay." Of course my son started coughing and I was so distraught because I should've followed my gut. The next week, I had a private lesson with a different company and they told me that you should never dunk a baby without conditioning them to do so. They described in detail how I could get my son used to the water. They mentioned he shouldn't be dunked, rather have his face gently placed horizontally on the water so it doesn't go up his nose. They taught me to use cue words (1,2,3!) and to practice just pouring water on his head. Eventually he would know to hold his breath while the water was being poured, and then we could move forward with going under the water in the pool. I researched this at home, and found it to be the case on Aquatot's website as well, it was described in almost exactly the same way. I figured maybe I misunderstood the Goldfish instructor or something and gave it another shot. This time there was another instructor. I'm not even sure of her name.. I don't think I was ever introduced. But I paid close attention the lesson to make sure I was following her instruction. The 4 other babies in the class were being dunked under, and swimming under. So I asked the instructor how I could get my son to that point. And she said to just gradually dunk him. First his mouth, then his nose, then his eyes. But how would he know to hold his breath? She said he just would. But again he kept breathing under and coughing. I'd hope that I don't need to describe the steps I've been told to take to help him get used to being underwater before just dunking him. Maybe this kind of environment isn't right for my son. I'm just struggling to understand how certified instructors would tell someone to just put their coughing baby under the water, without explanation.. like without any method of training him to hold his breath.. like the private instructor and the other local swim school described on their website. They've not done anything "wrong" I would just prefer someone actually teach my son rather than yell directions at me while all the other babies do other things. It's such a high cost for lessons too. I just really expected more, that's all. We won't be attending any longer. read more

We've been going Goldfish since they opened. I met the owner during Holly Days and felt she and her husband had a good business going. We started my son with one day a week and now he's up to two x 30 min lessons. He's a scrawny 5.5, but determined, and I like the instructors' attention they give the kids, even with 4 in. There are always instructors walking around in case one of the "water bound" ones needs some assistance. I felt the instructors are patient and encouraging, even though my son is not the most coordinated. He loves swimming and wants to learn, and I'm grateful Goldfish fosters that spirit with strong instructors and a well defined progression. We did summer lessons at another pool last year and I was getting frustrated with the instructors' lack of engagement and consistency. After 5 months, I'm confident my son could fall into the water and float or kick to get out--definitely the most important lesson! read more

My 9 month old son loves his swim lessons. He gets excited for it and it's the highlight of our week. The facility is very clean, the pool is heated perfectly, and the showers are even pleasant to use. Everyone who works there is very friendly and helpful, and they strive to make their customers happy. This is why we keep going, even with the 40 min drive to get there... it's worth it. read more

They say third time's a charm, and I really really hope this place continues to be such a positive experience for my kiddo. I drove by one night to inquire about classes and while they were not officially open yet (which I didn't know at the time) the staff welcomed me and showed me around. I fell in love with the location, as did my son. We tried two other swim schools throughout the past two years. One was redundant (and I know repetition is important for young swimmers) but it was hard as a parent to get motivated to go (and pay) for something I was capable of doing with my child on my own. And the other place, while the staff was very kind and patient, the venue was not kid friendly. It was loud and overwhelming and shared with other people not part of the swim school. Goldfish stands apart from the rest in that while there is repetition, there are new things each week as well, and my son is learning through play and fun and games that keep his attention. The murals on the wall make a warm environment (as does the heated pool) and the the waiting room is kid friendly with toys, plenty of chairs, and a fish tank allowing parents and kids to see the pool but keeping the noise out making for a really serene experience. Every time we go to class, it feels more like 'ahhh this is great' as opposed to 'ARUGH what is happening?!' I also LOVE that there are several well sized changing rooms with benches and racks and bumbos to help corral your little ones if necessary. As well as hair dryers, cubbies to hold your things, a bathing suit dryer and coffee. Yes, coffee! They also have fun family swim times as well. The price is higher than other swim schools in the area, but for a fun, educational and serene experience, to me it's worth it. read more

They have been absolutely amazing with my kids; working at my kids' pace and confidence. They are also very flexible with scheduling and accommodating. read more

This place came highly recommended by a friend and I can see why. The facilities are amazing as are the swim instructors. The owner goes above and beyond to ensure the kids have a great experience and spent more time than I would have ever expected helping us sort out a class time that would work for us. read more

We have been going to goldfish since January and have been extremely pleased with the facility and staff. Our daughter loves it and 30 mins is the perfect amount of time for a weekly lesson. Only one small suggestion I have is that they start allowing a waitlist for classes bc as your child suddenly moves up and changes classes you are left with what ever slot is not already taken which could be a totally different day than your original time. You can change the slot once one becomes available but it's up to you to check in daily online to find out if one is available so it's very easy to miss out. A wait list would help solve this problem. read more

We've been taking my son to GSS for nearly a year now. He loves the classes, so even though we've moved 40mins away, we make the drive weekly. However, the school is becoming a victim of its own success. While a new and well-maintained facility, it is simply too small for the amount of people they pack in. We gave up a coveted weekend class because the place is overcrowded. Even though they keep to a 6:1 teacher/child ratio, they split the pool so you only have half the width of the pool to do the drills. With parents and littles stacked shoulder to shoulder, we are constantly bumping into one another, as well as with those on the other side of the pool trying to do the same drills. We moved to a week night, hoping it would be less crowded, and they again added a 2nd infant class and split the pool. This is not an Olympic-sized pool! The older kids have full lanes, so if your child is older, space shouldn't be a problem during class. However, there is always a line for showers and changing rooms during popular class times. The franchise is doing well, but they need to address the overcrowding issue rather than focus on bringing in more revenue. If they don't, the customers will evaporate and so will the revenue. read more

We just took our 4 year old daughter here for the first time tonight. She was not happy to go (to put it mildly). She was crying from the time we entered and Danielle greeted us. She pulled out all the stops to calm her and make her feel comfortable. She offered to sit by the side of the pool during the entire lesson. Lainey was her instructor and was very sweet and gentle with my daughter and Within 5 minutes my daughter was in the pool swimming with the rest of the kids with an ear to ear smile on her face. The agreement between my daughter and Danielle headed in was that she only had to put her feet in but that she didn't have to do anything she wasn't comfortable with. I was completely blown away with the patience and careful hand holding all of the staff have here. I can't wait to see what the rest of our time here will look like. My daughter walked out saying she wanted to go to goldfish every day! I am just so happy and impressed!! Five stars all the way! Thank you Danielle, Lainey and everyone who helped today! read more