My six-year-old child was forcibly pulled out of the pool during this afternoon's swimming lesson by Coach Aldo -- without any communication with the parents -- simply for not following the coach's instructions. He was then ordered to go home immediately, even as the child pleaded desperately for another chance. Since returning home, my child has been in a state of fear and distress, which has been heartbreaking for us as parents. We sincerely hope that Happy Fish will take Coach Aldo's conduct seriously and ensure that such treatment is never again inflicted upon any other child in the future. read more

The teachers are kind but consistent and the training so far has been rigorous. Our 4yo son has been blasting through the levels at a good clip, but he also is gaining appropriate confidence as he goes. read more

Great staff and amazing pool. We did a trail class and our daughter felt comfortable in the water quickly. The coach did a great job challenging her while maintaining a very positive environment. read more

Really happy with the Happy Fish Swim school, really good and caring instructors. My son has been going there from when he was 3 years old and progressed a lot. Special shout out to Master Daniel who was instrumental in my child's swim development. read more

I could not be happier with Happy Fish, my daughter loves attending class every week and her teacher really made her super comfortable in the water. I like that you can select your own teacher and it's super easy to switch classes (just have to make the time work) but chemistry between teacher and student is absolute key. But back to the swimming, at first watching i was thinking how is she ever going to learn, but in about 2 classes she was comfortable, and by week 3 the progress started becoming exponential. The teachers really know what they're doing! I cant wait to sign my other daughter up next summer. (Winters just too cold lol) read more

Happy Fish is a great swim school. My daughter has been going to HF for a few years now and she loves it. Most of the instructors are high school/college students. The instructors change often. My daughter had Mr. Cole for 2-3 months (was her instructor for the longest) and he was very nice. She also likes Miss Gray because she makes swimming really fun for kids. Mr. Scott and Tristen are both very good instructors. Instead of telling the students how to do something, they take the time and show them how to do it correctly. There are some really good swim instructors at HF. Four stars for: Location is easy to get to with ample parking. Facility is clean and spacious. Customer service is good. Good swim instructors If HF could be more understanding when it comes to working with children then I would give them a perfect 5/5. I reduced one star for not being able to provide exception for a make up class credit when a child is sick with a fever the night before class. I scheduled a make up class on Monday for Sunday, but my daughter got sick on Saturday with a fever that evening, so I quickly sent them an email to inform them that she couldn't t attend class the next day, hoping they would be understanding and allow us to reschedule the make class. Long story short, we lost the credit, learned our lesson and moved on. Suggestions for HF: Unforeseen circumstances happen, so it would be nice if each family has at least 2 exceptions per year to reschedule a make up class. Advice for customers: If you ever need to schedule a make up class, don't schedule it too far in advance. read more

I'm so happy my daughters best friends mom recommended Happy Fish. My girls had lessons last year through the city of San Ramon and through the town of Danville. The first lessons they had through San Ramon just didn't cut it. We didn't get feedback and it cost too much. The Town of Danville was great and had feedback but it's only offered in the summer and it's hard to sign up since everyone else is trying to get their kids signed up. On a whim we decided to get our girls lessons before a trip to Hawaii and the mini sessions are perfect! We went to 3 of the 4 classes that week, since we left for Hawaii that Thursday. When we came back we were able to make up that last class on a Saturday so my husband could watch the girls progress. Not many places offer a make up lesson but this was a big factor in deciding on Happy Fish because life happens and you don't want to lose the money you paid for the lessons. Since starting a month ago my oldest has finished the beginner level and my youngest is on the last sublevel of the beginner level. I'm so proud of my girls and they are so proud of themselves! Thank you to Jack, Tristan and Kaiya (and a couple of others I didn't get the names unfortunately) and the staff for a great experience. We'll be back in a few weeks after camps are over to continue their swim lessons. read more

I have 2 boys currently enrolled. My older one seems fine with all his teachers, even though they are sub teachers. My younger one is very happy play in the water. We meet a very nice teacher at the beginning, but he left to Navy. Really missed the other teacher. My younger one has a same sub teacher for 2 weeks. First week, my so. didn't get equal opportunities of teaching, I am fine and not thinking of reporting it. But today's class, Mrs Chole makes me very sad, and give me a nightmare: at the beginning, she is focus on her favorite student, my son is playing water by himself. Not like the other teacher,every student should get equal chances of correcting their positions. This is not the worst! An incident report and request I already email to the institute, hope I will get responses and I will updates after this: When they move to deep water area, I do see all teacher needs to keep an eye for all students for safety issue. Please remember my son is at the most beginning level! She is holding her favorite student at front ( my son is about 3-4 feet behind), my son got drunk in behind , she is not even noticed ! I was so scared, but luckily, my son is able to stand later, and move to touch the edge. She is still not go back and get my son to their destination! First time and would not want my son get to teach from sub teacher Chole again ! Very disappointed and I am shaking at night. If something happens, never forgives! I will see how happy fish response. read more

Good place to learn for the kiddos. Heated inside the pool area and good instructors. .

We've been attending for a little over a month now, and my son has progressed substantially in his confidence in the water and his swim skills. He loves his swim instructor Gaby! The program itself is very organized and all staff are knowledgeable and fantastic :) read more

We love happy fish! The facility is very clean. Workers are kind and caring! My daughter has had Ms Carly for her teacher, for the past few months and she is very patient she goes above and beyond to make sure the kids are safe and comfortable and having a fun time! read more

I have witnessed first-hand a presumably more tenured but rough and abusive teacher (a Mr Montana) that management refuses to keep accountable for his actions, and obviously this has eroded my trust in this swim school. At the time, other parents acknowledged the situation and treatment, and so I registered a complaint. Examples of what I mean by bad: forcing action through pulling/pushing the student; defending a repeated action by a teacher that was both hurtful and fearful to the student the first time, by saying they could be worse off from getting injured otherwise; instituting fear of water through force/surprise and impatience on the teacher's part; responding to a query on abusive treatment with a "parents aren't allowed beyond the red line" and no further dialogue. The outcome of the complaint I registered: I was told this was the first complaint for the teacher (very surprising) and that it will not happen again. When I asked what if, I was told it won't happen again, period. When I asked if there was a plan wrt accountability, I was told none is needed because it won't happen a second time. (The manager refused to speak with me, the front desk person Maddy (?) told me this, and said no other action would be taken, and that the only thing left for me to do is email their Livermore site office at livermorehappyfish@gmail.com. And so I have.) Needless to say, this should not be comforting to a parent and I would encourage parents to keep an eye for such behavior that can affect even those keenest to learn. read more

Our kids have been coming here for sometime now and love the place and swimming instructors. The staff at desk are friendly as well. They offer flexibility to enroll and drop off classes and it comes in handy specially when there is change in seasons and if you plan to take an extended break. They recently upgraded the locker room and have more changing booths. The different levels work well for learning and kids are motivated to transition from one to the next!! They also have a small indoor play area and some art papers with crayons which keeps the lil ones busy! Highly recommend this place for kids to learn while enjoying swimming. read more

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My eight year old daughter has been coming there for the last month or so and she really enjoys working with Casey and her other instructors as well. We see her very excited every week and hear her tell us about her progress to the next level!! I think it speaks a lot for the instructors when she is left, wanting to train for more time and get the most benefit from the sessions. read more

Plenty of parking. Tried the free trial swim class and was very pleased we decided to continue. My kid loves his swim teachers. He's learning and enjoying each session. Online payment is very convenient. The staff and teachers are courteous and nice unlike the other swim academy in Livermore. The pool is large and divided in a way that students and teachers from different classes don't bump into each other. Their make up policy is reasonable and very accomodating. Overall, I'm so glad we switched to this place. Worth every penny! read more

This school teaches from the basics of swimming to being on a swim team, with fun in every class, I truly recommen.

I am so grateful to Happy Fish Swim School for teaching my special needs kiddo how to swim. My son with autism enrolled in the private lesson class in August 2015 with very little swim experience. In a span of 18 months, he, not only was able to graduate their swim program (mastering all the strokes and learning water safety), he also completed the bonus (Big Fish) level! I cannot thank the instructors & staff enough. Every person we encountered was kind and understanding when working with him. Of course, there were also rough days when he didn't want to get into the pool or had other issues. However, they really did work with us to overcome these challenges. Currently, my younger son is enrolled in the group lessons and when my toddler comes of age, I plan on sending her here as well. Patient and encouraging instructors, generous make up policy (5 sessions per calendar year), clean and well-ventilated bathroom/changing rooms, fun and large play area for kids. What more can you ask for?! To my knowledge, many families drive from Pleasanton and as far as Mountain House to come here. Happy Fish is truly the best swim school in the Livermore area! read more

I've been taking my 5 year old daughter here for the last 8 months. In that time she's been able to move up 5 levels and her proficiency and confidence in the water is amazing! I've been impressed with the entire staff's professionalism, friendliness and the consistency of the class delivery. We had tried other swim programs previously, but this one has been by far the best. I also give kudos to the clean and organized areas for parents to sit during class, it makes for a pleasant experience while waiting. read more

Do not bring your child here. There has been 3 different occasions where I've showed up ready to swim with my 2 year old and had already paid for the class and it's canceled or the teacher doesn't show up!! They give zero warning. I received an email once saying class was canceled 10 minutes before class started. The level of unprofessionalism here is unreal. Most of the class feels like free time and my child doesn't learn anything. Awful experience don't recommend read more

I'll start with the positives: -The teachers were always very sweet to my boys. -My 5-year old did improve this summer. Now onto the not-so-positives: -My 3-year old made ZERO progress. I asked the teacher to be a little more agressive but that didn't happen. My child spent the better part of every lesson playing with water toys. That's what he does in the bathtub at home...for free. -A little girl in my 5-year old's class slipped under the water and her dad had to rush through the doorway and jump into the pool to rescue her. The teachers and the lifeguard were oblivious. -When I signed up, I thought I was paying $70 for 4 classes, but not necessarily 4 classes in a row. With it being summertime, we wouldn't be around for every single class. Thanks to good old automatic deductions, I was charged for every single week. When I called to complain, they offered me the fantastic option of coming in and reading the contract. Good thing the contract didn't offer them my firstborn because I probably would have missed that, too! -Also, to cancel you have to go to Happy Fish IN PERSON and give your two week's notice. Phone calls are apparently suspect. While I am happy that my oldest child is showing improved swimming skills, Happy Fish makes things too difficult. We won't be back. read more

We have been sending our daughter to this school for almost two months and we are very happy with the quality of the teachers and the facility but there are a few drawbacks in the general operation of the swim school. First the positives: the teachers are excellent! In the short stint we have been there we have cycled through four teachers and we have been very impressed with all of them. The facility is not fancy but they put the money where it is the most needed: quality teachers, heated swimming pool, clean changing rooms, attentive lifeguards, and activities for siblings. The pool is well designed with lots of room for each class. I have been lucky to have knowledgable and capable staff assist me in getting placements in classes and refunds (when appropriate). This brings me to the negatives. Though the emails and signage explicitly say that you can sign up for classes by calling, registering online or visiting in person, I have been told by several staffers that I am supposed to register online (and when they helped me register they made it seem like they were doing me a BIG favor). I dislike using the website because it is not user friendly (it is unclear which levels the classes are for and it doesn't specify which teachers will be teaching the classes). Also it is difficult to find open classes without scrolling through multiple pages of class listings. And when it didn't accept my promotion code, so I had to call in my registration anyway. read more

Happy Fish Swim School - Several connected swimming spaces offer lots of flexibility and space for teaching students. - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Livermore, California

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This is based on what I saw few weeks ago, my son is enrolled he is not able to do back float, i saw other kids also stuck on same issue but they were in next level and my son is in a level below. Some kids don't need to go and pick those toys under water where some may. I wonder how it works in evaluating and passing the kids to next level. when i asked instructor how come other kids are in next level he mentioned they were re-joining from their break and that is why they are in that level. I spoke to those kids parent they mentioned it was just a make class and not coming back from any long break. It seems I am getting robbed here due to child not progressing along. Then how come other kids are in next level, unable to back float and also scared to jump in 3-4 feet?? Don't like to compare .. but coaches/swim schools must focus on specific areas for longer time. otherwise they will never be able to progress along and credit cards will continue to get charged :( read more

The one star is for the clean and not-crowded facility. The classes are a combination of two levels. So if your kid is ahead of other kids in the same class, he/she is not promoted to the next level. My daughter has already acquired all the skills for at least 4 to 5 weeks already but the teacher Aldo has not tested her yet. He keeps saying that she does not want to blow bubbles. (She already knew how to blow bubbles 2 summers ago in the classes from another school). She has already started learning these skills for at least 2 months. Every time, the same things are taught. No matter whether it was the old system (the ribbons) or the new system (the skills cards and the ribbons), if you do not plan to put your kid in these lessons for over a year or so, the teachers are not going to advance/promote them to the next level. Honestly we do not care about the "levels" that she is in, please teach her some new stuff if you are not going to advance her anyways. She keeps learning the old stuff and then she went from "not scared" in the water to "scared" being in the water. We were having a very high expectation on this place and the instructors before we enrolled our daughter. This was very disappointing because afterall it is all about your long term enrollment in their school. read more

Still my favorite swim school!!!! I've seen great progress with my kids. All the teachers are awesome. Great make up policy And very comfortable for parents while we wait read more

This is a parents dream swim school. My kids have been going here over a year. Once u enroll in a class you are not obligated to stay in the same class for months like the other place. As our kids activities come up we can change their class schedules. They also allow 5 makeup's each year, which is truly a makeup in the same class level they missed. Not a babysitting class. One of my 2 daughters just completed the swim program and now is doing their swim team prep class. Love this place read more

Very disappointed with the customer service. They just never answer the phone. I signed my daughter up for the "swim team prep" which I realized she was too behind for because of Not having swim lessons in 2 years. So the instructor said I could sign her up for the advanced class so she could get personal instruction. The lady at the desk is honestly pretty rude even though I was trying to get information and become a customer. No one really explained anything just that they are "impacted" and short staffed. I signed her up for the Class that started the next day which we attended and no one said a word to me about her level being wrong. The instructor said bye to me so I didn't know there was a concern. Today I got an email that she was dropped from the class with no explanation. Again, I tried to call and no one answers the phone. I emailed back asking why she was dropped and they said it was the wrong level and they had sent an email to explain. I did not get any emails about it. It looks like there is nothing available for her level and we were still charged for the class even though she won't be able to continue. I also asked about a private lesson for my son just to inquire because he has special needs. Her answer was "we just don't have time for that." Sadly, This whole place just leaves a bad impression. I'm hoping to find swim lessons elsewhere. read more

We settled on Happy Fish after checking out a few of the other swim schools in the area. Unlike the others, this one seemed to just be setup better: the pool's shape (sort of like an H-shape with an extra half H-shape) allow several groups to learn at the same time without having to wait for one another. Our 17-month old is far more comfortable in the pool after maybe a month now; she enjoys her trips to the twice-weekly "splash splash" class, the instructor is great with the kids, and the school itself is toddler-friendly in their waiting/observation area, and even has a few tables and some coloring supplies to distract little hands until class begins. read more

Happy Fish is open again! Very happy to be back to swimming after a few months All the teachers wear face shields, there is a temperature check and they sanitize. The class sizes are small too. read more

As a kid, I started learning swimming but it well apart and I never really got it back. I had a small drowning incident few years back which stopped me to get into waters again. Fast forward - I decided to overcome that fear and ended up taking adult beginner classes at Happy Fish Swim School. This is an indoor pool and heated water - well maintained and joyful staff. Above all, my swim instructor - Casey is amazing! She is there every Tuesday and with every class of hers, I could see some improvements in me. I am so glad that I am working with her. She takes personal care to go over mistakes and teaches the right ways to swim better and faster. The time just flies in her class. I just wish she had another class in a week - that would speed up my swimming ability. I just can't wait for every Tuesday to be in her class. I highly recommend Casey as THE instructor for swim classes and Happy Fish to be your swim school - kids and ADULTS. read more

My kids have been coming for over a month and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. The teachers are really nice and very patient. They work in groups of 4 children or less. Since we've been coming, both kids have moved up a level or two. The best part for me being a busy working mom is that they offer evening and weekend classes to fit nicely into my schedule. Another plus is their very clean bathrooms and changing rooms. They have several benches and tables/chairs for parents to see their children's progress behind a glass window, and a little seating area for siblings to watch a movie. read more

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We absolutely love this place! The staff is amazing and very kind & patient with kids. Their summer sessions are awesome with great pricing. My daughter started in the beginners class & after 5 months is now in the advance class. They advance each child based on their abilities. They don't hold your child back just because someone else in the class is having difficulty. I've had this issue at another swim academy. Their adult classes are awesome too. They make you feel really comfortable and no judgements if you lack skills in certain areas. Would highly recommend this place to everyone. read more

The facility itself: very child friendly and great set up given many families have more than one child with varying ages so its wonderful that there is a great big play area with play houses, a table with crayons and paper for coloring, a train table, benches to sit on to view your child swim.. and that's just on one side. Then on the other side is plenty of tables, chairs and benches for sitting to see your child swim. Also in the corner is some benches and a TV playing a child friendly movie. Plenty of changing rooms and restrooms. Colorful inside. A nice area for the child to take a picture when they receive a ribbon. Pool is big and uniquely shaped for holding lessons. Parking - plenty of parking! Staff - great friendly staff! My child attends weekly lessons and I also had her do two of the mini sessions this summer. The fact that the different teachers remembered my child's name and acknowledged her by name alone (whether she was over by the showers or walking over to her class) is great. Even one who was more front desk/supervising staff was very friendly and engaging with my child. That's more than I can say for the other place I took her for swimming lessons in town! Lessons themselves - skills are on their individual cards to be checked off as they are progressing through class. The teachers are great when class is over and you're picking up your child, at telling each parent how the child is doing and what they need to work on. My 3 year old has fun and looks forward to swim lesson every week. She knows to be safe around the water and has come along way with her skills. read more

I love everything about Happy Fish Livermore!! From every instructor we had in the 3 years my two daughters took swim lessons, to the generous makeup policy, to the kind emails alerting us when we would be having a substitute instructor - every interaction was pleasant and professional. The employees are clearly treated well because there doesn't seem to be much turnover. I'm a little sad our swim lesson days are over. We really did become happy fish thanks to Happy Fish! read more

The best school to teach your kids to swim. I had before at LTC, and my kids finish the three sessions with no ability to make one lap and had learn only the free style. Here in Happy Fish they not only could do a lap at the very beginning but also learn all styles of swimming. I was more than satisfied with the program. Now my daughter had moved to swim team. read more

My son has just finished all of his swimming levels at the Livermore site. We have had a great experience at Happy Fish. The lessons are well structured and organized. The teachers and staff are all very nice. I think their lessons are effective and my son makes steady progress in the past year. I highly recommend Happy Fish Swimming School for learning swimming. read more

The person I talked to while signing up was not professional and had to keep walking back to their manager to get the answer to my questions... I should have just talked to that person! Very frustrating.... My student did not progress in the two months I was there. Instructor did not push them nor did they work on any new skills. I talked to management about issue a few times and they assured me things would improve each time... But they never did! It is frustrating watching your child do the same thing over and over. In the end my child got bored and didn't want to continue. I'm waiting until next summer and enrolling them in another swim school read more

Highly recommend! Both our kids attended another swim school in Livermore and it just wasn't the fit for us. We switched to Happy Fish, and honestly couldn't be happier. The parking lot has plenty of space, as does the waiting room. The staff is friendly and accommodating; between them and the website, it's easy to book classes, see what is available, and schedule makeups. All the instructors we've experienced are fantastic. The level cards they provide convey the expectations, and the progress is marked off each session. The kids see how they are progressing and are motivated to keep learning. Both kids have excelled. This is the place to go! read more

We were in the water babies class for two months and liked the instructors and the class. Here are my two issues with the place and why I plan to try another school. After some time both my daughter and I got itchy red spots. My were under my arms, down my rib cage and my daughter got them on her legs and back. They seemed to have gotten better when the water wasn't so hot but totally went away after we stopped going. We were signed up for the 10:45am Monday class in August and my credit card was charged. Showed up and the place was closed. A sign said opening at 1:00pm. I was never notified of this. I checked her enrollment online and it said it was canceled as of August 12th. What did they cancel the class half way through the month? Now I want my money back. We were told in July they were going to change the schedule in September and have to water babies class at 1:30 which is dumb because that is naptime. read more

My son started off at another swim school in Dublin. He cried every session. So we quit and took a break. We decided to change schools. Happy Fish has been an awesome experience so far. The staff is very friendly. My son loves his swim instructors. He is having a great time in the Happy Fish pool. Thank you! read more

My husband and I have been swimming at Happy Fish since May this year and are quite satisfied with the classes. Our Instructor, Tyler, is the best person we could have had as a teacher (Adult session). She is a sporty person, always smiling and willing to teach you some real basic swimming techniques and some not-so-traditional tips/tricks to make you feel the fun being in water. I had enrolled myself at Happy Fish last year for Mondays 6:45 (don't exactly remember) and in two months with 4 classes every month, all I could do was "front and back floats"! I went looking for swimming classes again this year at all places starting from Dublin community pool classes to American Swim Academy but eventually came back to Happy Fish because they have a better set-up, nice facility, pleasant staff and its not too crowded like other places. It does get crowded inside the pool at times and you have to wait for that area to be cleared by the kids and their trainers but I think its manageable, at least for now! I plan to continue my training here and wish Tyler stays for long. read more