My son has been going to Goldfish Swim School for 4 years. He has learned how to swim and become completely comfortable in the water. Our overall experience has been wonderful, and my son always enjoys going! read more

we are still going strong years later. We love this place and choose to be at this location because of the great service in teaching. Your location has been opened less than 10 minutes from our home and we still drive to Gaithersburg from Frederick because of the surface and the people my son did not want to try new location because he said he's very comfortable with the people this one's worth he feels the teachers and care about him and his well-being in the pool. We are extremely grateful for such a great location. read more

See all

I don't usually leave negative reviews, but I feel other parents deserve to know our experience so they can make an informed decision. We had been coming to Goldfish Swim School in Gaithersburg for about two years with both of our daughters. There are definitely positive things about this school: a warm pool, a bright and kid-friendly environment, and some instructors who are kind and patient. My children truly loved the water and looked forward to their lessons. However, our experience as a family ended on a very disappointing note. My younger daughter is a playful, energetic six-year-old. She loves to splash, move, and interact with people in the water. Instead of speaking with me about any concerns (I was present at every class), the management decided to remove her from the program, describing her behavior as "aggressive" toward an adult instructor. As a parent and as someone who watched every lesson, I strongly disagree with this interpretation. What I saw was normal, emotional child behavior that could have been redirected by a more experienced teacher. No one approached me during class, no one asked to talk, and there was no warning or attempt to work together. The first and only conversation was an email informing me that she would no longer be allowed to attend. This decision was made right before Thanksgiving, turning what should have been a peaceful family holiday into a very stressful and emotional situation for us. I had to sit down with my six-year-old and explain why she suddenly couldn't go back to the place she loved. Since I cannot take my children to different schools and schedules, I ultimately had to withdraw both of my daughters, including the older one who had no behavioral issues at all. In the end, the school lost two long-term students and a loyal family not because we didn't value swimming, but because of how the situation was handled and how little effort was made to find a solution. I believe this program may work well for very calm, highly focused children who easily follow instructions and don't get too excited or distracted. But if your child is more spirited, emotional, playful, has trouble with concentration, or needs a more flexible teaching style, I would strongly recommend you observe a class carefully and ask specific questions about how they handle different types of behavior, how they communicate with parents, and what steps they take before excluding a child. My hope is that the school will learn from this experience, invest in more training for staff, and improve communication with families. Children deserve understanding, not exclusion -- and parents deserve to be part of the conversation before such drastic decisions are made. read more

I took my baby there, and the experience couldn't have been worse. The instructor was yelling so much that I ended up with a headache. There were about 80 children in the water at the same time, in different lanes, and the noise level was surely above 90 decibels. There were only a few showers with cold water barely dripping -- not enough to rinse off the chlorine or take a proper shower after swimming. It's an experience I won't repeat. A real lack of respect for other people's time and money. read more

My daughter has been attending Goldfish Swim School in Gaithersburg, she has really enjoyed her swim lessons there. Unfortunately, I recently had a very disappointing experience with the facility manager/supervisor Tanisha at the school. She was rude, dismissive, and completely unwilling to work with me or even listen to my concerns about rescheduling one class, because of the way she handled the situation, I actually pulled my daughter out of enrollment. It's frustrating when someone in a management position treats parents this way. What's even more disappointing is that when I called back another day, a different staff member was polite, helpful, and immediately resolved the issue by giving me the day I originally asked for. This shows the problem wasn't the policy -- it was the manager's (Tanisha) attitude and lack of professionalism. It's unfortunate that one negative interaction with a manager (Tanisha) caused us to leave altogether. The program itself is great and my daughter truly enjoyed it, but customer service--especially from leadership-- makes a big difference in a parent's experience. read more

Signed my 4 year old for a trial class. He's very fearful of the water (wouldn't even dip his toes in and was afraid with me not being there in the pool with him) and has no prior swimming experience. I am super appreciative that the deck supervisors recognized that quickly and jumped in to spend 1:1 time to get him acclimated and basically give him a quick private lesson in the water before trying to reintroduce him to the class! Although he's still pretty fearful, I am confident that they can get him more comfortable and meet him where he's at. I also love the changing rooms, front desk, and kid friendly atmosphere. He was so happy to get a ribbon at the end. I pulled him out of a trial class at Rockville Swim Center the week before because they basically ignored my son (even though it was a Fearful Floaters class) since the other two kids were more advanced. That was pretty upsetting to see as a parent but I'm glad we found a better fit! read more

We spent a year at another swim school and my son made no progress. I advocated at the other place and received little to no support. We finally made the switch to Goldfish and I am thrilled by the experience. My sensory sensitive child is now able to put his head under the water with support from the amazing manager. I explained the situation and she worked directly with him and his teacher to ensure that he was making progress. The staff are all friendly and responsive and their facilities are clean and inviting. read more

They're ok. The lessons are definitely shorter than advertised. (A 30 minute lesson is about 22 in our experience). Seems safe though which is what really matters. read more

I have been coming here for 3+ months. They have such a great program and have been doing so well with COVID protocols. My son has a hard time with getting his face on the water but they keep encouraging and exposing him carefully where it's not traumatizing. While he cries in the sessions which is to be expected he has been more adventurous in shower times with getting his head and face wet! He had a sub teacher Ms. Tatiana (I probably misspelled it) who was awesome and developed such a connection that we actually switched to her class since he's now 5. If you are hesitant I encourage you to give it a try you won't be disappointed. read more

See all

I answered your questions multiple times. Never once did i decline to answer a single question. I told you I was being honest, up front and not hiding anything. You even acknowledged, "I know". So, to turn around and say I denied everything is a total embellishment of what really happened. The dogs WERE in a bag and harnessed. You Nagged that they needed to be tethered or leashed. But now, you're saying it is either OR, so they were in compliance with your only rule for service dogs in your facility to begin. I cannot confirm what the other person did, who is NOT my husband. So you assumed incorrectly again. We don't even have the same last name in your system. You need to bring it up with that person, not take it out on someone else. Your facility is not friendly for people with disabilities. You wouldn't even let a father who had a son with developmental disabilities support his son during his swimming lessons and they walked out before class was even over. And this isn't even related to me or my story. Just another incident in your facility with your manager with ANOTHER disabled family. Do better. Shaming people publicly isn't the way to earn business. Save your time and go to British Swim School. read more

I truly love the instructor and the front desk staff is phenomenal.. my issue is : four kids per class and one instructor is completely unfair for 42 dollar a class . My daughter got dipped in the water for that amount of time . They should change the policy to have two on two . They are theives in my opinion . My daughter have been there for six month and no progress at all . read more

If you're not going to take your kid to Lifetime or the County for swim lessons or teach them yourself, you are kind of stuck with this place. So here is my mixed bag for Goldfish Gaithersburg Pros: - Easy rescheduling and makeup of classes, if there's a conflict. - Changing rooms and 2 wet clothing spinners. Cons: - For a 30 min class, they often don't start classes on time and end at least 4-5 min early. On top of that, I find some instructors needing to chit chat with other instructors more, which then takes away more time. So for a 30 min class, with the lost time and the time they have to cycle through each kid, your kid is really only swimming for 10-12 min max. So progression of skills is not quick. - They do Not have a 3:1 rule like most places (3 kids to 1 instructor). My kids often have 4 kids to 1 instructor. Again, just more money parents are paying for for less time. - You can fully shower your kids there after class (open showers right next to the pool; they require you to shower kids full clothed), but most parents just take the kids home as is because of this, so you know, livin in that chlorine gunk more. - Teachers are high school and college kids. Not sure if they even get much training (outside of CPR) in how to handle children because it does not appear they do. One of the instructors dunked my 3-year old into the water for 2 seconds too long (2 extra seconds for a young child who is still learning and doesn't know how to swim is long btw) and traumatized my little one. She loves the water but has now started crying hysterically the minute the doors open and we've cancelled coming here for her. - Most of the teachers spend more time with the "best swimmer" or favorite in each class, so no doubt your child will get their turn, but they won't get any progression or care. - Staff - Most of the front desk are unknowledgeable and seem like it is a huge bother when you have a question. The most interest/excitement I've seen them take is when a parent forgets to check in and just walks in. It is what it is here- churn and burn. As long as you know that then you are good to go. read more

Words can't express how much I love the staff and experience at Goldfish! My sister in law recommended bringing my son to swim and said the Gaithersburg location is the best. Honestly one of the best decisions I've made! My son started swim class last year at 15 months. He has so much fun swimming in class and I can tell he is learning important water safety too! He feels so comfortable with Mr. Zachery, which says a lot since he can be shy. The staff are so friendly and always greet him by name every time. The environment is also super clean! Since I'm a nurse, I was worried about bring him because of covid. But because of the protocols they have in place, I felt safe bringing him. Overall, I definitely recommend Goldfish especially the Gaithersburg location. You definitely won't be disappointed! read more

Goldfish Swim School - Gaithersburg - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

See all

Goldfish Swim School has been a huge blessing for our family. Our kids have learned how to help themselves if there was to be an accident and fall into water. They have also learned how to swim at a fast rate with the Jump Start classes over the summer. They absolutely love coming to swim. The coaches enthusiasm, energy and passion make a huge impact on the success of their program. Love Coach Angel, Alyssa and Doel. The manager, Zachary, is so kind, easy to work with, and looks out for the safety and best interest of the children to learn and swim. He has always been very accommodating and tries to make things work the best he can. My daughter loves when she's able to get into the Minis swim class with Mr. Zachary. Hands down the best swim school experience we've had! If you ever have any questions about your child's progress or what they need to accomplish before moving to the next level, the deck guards are always willing to talk from my experience. Scheduling and rescheduling online is easy, but if not you can always email or call and the front desk staff have always been willing to help. The facility is always clean and smells clean. Students can shower/rinse off after leaving the pool before exiting to the changing rooms and bathrooms. My kids also always love drying their hair with the hair dryers before leaving. I'm thankful for the bathing suit spinners to dry the suits. Cannot recommend this facility enough! read more

Our kids have been attending goldfish since they were four months old. We started in Ellicott City as the Gaithersburg location wasn't open. We switched to Gaithersburg when it opened since it's closer to us. Our now five year old can swim like a champ and our daughter that just three years old is also swimming on her own. The staff is phenomenal and the instructors are wonderful with the kids. It's always very clean as well! As a paramedic it was very important to me that our kids could swim. Goldfish helped us accomplish this and made our kids favorite thing swimming. read more

We have been coming here since the opening of the pool. Our two girls (ages 5 and 6) have a lot of experience and are learning many swimming skills. The teachers are very friendly and patient with the children. Both of our young swimmers feel happy and comfortable in the water. Our girls have moved from one level to the next with great confidence and we always see sparks in their eyes with encouragement to do better and better. Words cannot express how much our children love the staff and experience at Goldfish If you are hesitant, I suggest you give it a try and you won't be disappointed. read more

We were approached by the manager on our first day there if our animal is a registered service dog, to which we replied yes. After that day I brought my children to class alone and still brought my service dog with me, NEVER ONCE did the manager come and speak to me.  It is not my responsibility to approach the manager to explain it to him.  That responsibility falls on the manager of your establishment. I also have a federally approved service dog registration under my name with the dog I brought in. I witnessed him get into a loud verbal altercation with a father who has a son with developmental disabilities and making him leave.  Showing this behavior is not isolated to just us. It appears tabs and notes have been kept about my activities within your facility. With such good reporting and communication by your staff members, it is unbelievable that nobody took the initiative to question me during any one of the instances described by your manager. All of this could have been avoided if he simply came and talked to me and asked me all the questions on the first day. There are holes and inconsistent remarks being made from your organization about what really happened. Classes are not even 30 minutes as advertised since the kids are out of the pool after 25 minutes. read more

Excellent staff and beautiful facility. Located right in the Kentlands. Highly recommend!

This place is amazing . We have our 9 month old here in the mini classes and she loves it . The teacher mister Zach is amazing Can't recommend this enough to people . read more

I was nervous about making a commitment to a new school with so few reviews, however, I have to say I've been thrilled with Goldfish Swim School. It's clean, well organized, and their staff has been nothing but helpful. They have a small pool with swim lanes and 1-2 teachers per 2-3 max students and 2 life guards.. They start promptly, go over the core skills, and have fun while doing it. Our daughter is notoriously shy, but took to her teachers right away because they let her ease into the lesson and encouraged her to have fun. The have items like swimsuits, goggles, light snacks, stuffies, and more for sale which comes in handy as well. read more

It seems more like a conveyor belt than a swim school. So many kids going in and out. There is no warmth or customer service. When you walk in there are no greetings. I took my daughter to class today. As I watch everyone freely walk through the doors and enter their class, my family were asked questions regarding signing in or the lane my daughter was supposed to be in. I'm all for people doing their job, but it should be asked of everyone, especially if you aren't going to greet us. read more

Goldfish in a Gaithersburg is awesome! I love participating in the mini 2 classes with my granddaughter! We actually started at the Rockville location when she was 6 months and then moved on to the Gaithersburg location once it opened. I can't say enough good things about the Goldfish program and the staff. Top notch all the way! read more

Disappointing. It's good for kids under 3 when parents get to swim with them but over 3 they have four kids per lane in a 25 minute session, so they each get 6 minutes in the water. The teachers often change so they don't get to know the kids. There is no start or end to the class so you have kids who have been at a level for a week in with kids who have been at that level for more than a year, yet they do the exact same teaching whether you've been there a day or a year. They don't work on the things that are needed to move up and you have to really push hard for them to do that. Also, kids can only swim up and back in lanes. Swimming isn't just forward and back, it's side to side but there isn't enough room to swim side to side. read more

The assistant general manager of this place is extremely rude and disrespectful. Been coming here for 2 years, don't think I'm coming back after my encounter with her. read more

We've had a positive experience at Goldfish in the Mini 2 and Junior 1 class. Staff is very supportive, helpful and makes the class fun. Both our young swimmers feel excited and comfortable in the water. Easy to schedule makeups and cancel or change classes through the app. Also easy to see progress/evaluations. Wish they had more time in the water - pre covid some locations had classes for 45 mins. Overall, we are pleased! read more

What a beautiful ambiance!! New and clean. I love the instructors. The sessions are 30 minutes which are divided by how ever many kids are in that lane. Wish they had a little bit more one on one time but the kids enjoy being in the water! read more

My son has been swimming since he was 3 years old, we took a break this year and just recently started back up. It took alot to convince my son to start swimming again, he is now 7 years old. We decided to start back up in Gaithersburg because of the quality of lessons, we live in Baltimore county and used to swim in a Goldish in that area. I drive an hour just to have my sons swim here. The 1st class my son did with Mr. Angel, he came out so excited and told me this is the best class he has ever had. Thanks to him he brought the joy of swimming back to my son. I also have a 3 year old son enrolled here and he is having so much fun and most of all loving it ! We are so happy with this school, the staff is amazing, teachers are so professional and the facility is clean. Definitely recommend enrolling your child here for swim lessons! read more

I accidentally chose the wrong start date for my son and immediately called to explain my mistake. Instead of a refund, they gave me tokens. What they didn't make clear is that you can't use tokens during the same class day and time, you need to schedule additional lessons. I hadn't even had the first class for my son, and already I had to pay extra. When I was trying to understand the cancellation policies, etc., I was pretty frustrated and was bounced around to staff and finally a manager who was not briefed on the situation. When I reached the end of my rope re-explaining what happened and what I wanted, he told me to "lower my voice" and was very condescending. I started off excited about lessons for Braydon and ended up never wanting to step foot in this chain ever again. Instead of expressing empathy about my frustration, he chose to school me on my tone of voice. Maybe they are great classes and a great location - we will never know because the manager's communication skills killed the deal for me. read more

I started bringing my daughter at 10 months to the Rockville location. & I'll be honest, I thought I was only going to take her for a trial. Try something new with her. Being Covid scared wasn't making it easy but I had to give it a try. Temps were checked, sanitizing all the time, face shields, & best of all the nicest staff. She enjoyed the water so much that I just knew I had to bring her back. She was always greeted by name. I gotta say big thanks to Mr. Zackary or "Tio" (Uncle), as she called him every week. She gained so much trust in him, also Miss Whitney. Which she also called "Tia" (Aunt). Mr.Zachary & Ms. Whitney had moved to the Gaithersburg location to open and manage. I just had to transfer my daughter to Gaithersburg, so yes I made that trip because it was worth the happiness & care my daughter was getting from Goldfish Swim School. Every week pulling into the parking lot, she would see the big Goldfish sign & yell "Fish! Fish!" & start singing the kicking and pulling song. She learned so many safety techniques. I had bought a small pool & she's had some falls into it. But the way she doesn't panic & gets back up just shows me how much these swim lessons are worth it. She's only 2 now. Unfortunately I had to end her enrollment for personal reasons. But I can't wait to take her back! Goldfish Swim School was the best choice I could've given my daughter. I highly recommend this place! & if you go to Gaithersburg you have to meet Mr. Zack, Ms. Whitney & Ms.Nicole who is assistant manager. read more

Goldfish Swim School - Gaithersburg - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Extremely disappointing. Highly unprofessional instructors. My child spent most of the class sitting on the side of the pool. My child says he's bored. I talked to management to try to fix the situation and was assured by Connor that the initial experience we had would not happen again. The next class was actually worse than the prior one. One of the students in class had goggles that needed fixing every time it was his turn to swim. The instructor wasted a considerable amount of time tending to goggles during the entire class (not just once or twice), again taking away from actual swim time. The front desk felt it was perfectly acceptable to spend the class fixing goggles. Prior to trying Goldfish, my child has been swimming for 4 years. We've never experienced such unprofessional instruction and it's shocking for my child to spend such little time in the pool. He's used to spending most of the in pool. Hence why he's bored. read more