Hands down the BEST swim program in the Birmingham area!…read more After trying several other swim options, I can confidently say nothing compares to this one in Birmingham. Katie is truly a gem--so loving, patient, and gifted at what she does. My kids look forward to swim lessons every year because of the joyful, confidence-building experience she creates. From the start, Katie clearly communicates expectations and guidelines via email, so you always know what to expect. She's amazing with kids--gentle yet effective--and by the end of the week, they're swimming! Most importantly, Katie genuinely cares about each child's safety and progress. I'm incredibly grateful for the way she's taught my kids to swim and for the peace of mind that comes with knowing they're in such good hands.

I signed up for private lessons with the owner. I paid $150 for 5 lessons upfront. This was a big…read moremistake. I recommend to pay as you go. I pre-paid for 5 lessons and for 4 out of the 5 lessons there was always an issue with time. One lesson was totally forgotten by the owner and I was left sitting next to the pool calling and texting. Finally, I received a call saying he turned off his phone and forgot about me. He apologized when he called me 30 minutes after the appointment once he read my email. Which was my last attempt at reaching out to him that day. The lessons were fine once we started each time. I learned a lot of the basic concepts of swimming. However, I felt stressed out after each lesson. Sometimes there were words of encouragement along with great criticism. I had to ignore the critical negative tone to allow myself to learn which was stressful at times. Outside of the pool I did not receive professionalism or good customer service. For the 5th lesson I called and texted the owner to make sure he would show up. He never called me back. Our lesson was at 10 a.m. and at 10:45 a.m. he texted me saying he didn't see me so he left. I asked for a refund because I was tired of all of the miscommunication with meeting times. I was told that I would not be receiving my refund for the last time. I told him to just keep it even though he said we can try next time. I didn't want to argue over $50 and this whole experience was about to become something I didn't want--drama. This last interaction has depleted my trust with him in the pool. If you choose to work with this person, don't pay up front, expect timeliness issues with lessons and the lack of professional courtesy. You will learn how to swim but will feel stressed out in the process. It was not a great experience interacting with the instructor. However it was awesome learning how to swim. I recommend using a different instructor if possible.

Absolutely amazing instructor who is perfect with the kiddos. This is definitely an advanced swim…read moreclass and believes he starts are 12 months. My little girl is 2 years old and was at gold fish but she has clearly grown more skills and comfort in the water after being in this class. I HIGHLY Recommend him! Plus he has been doing it for 40 years and so fun to watch!

My daughter began Alabama Swim School at two years old. She was trained for safety and swim basics!…read moreIt was a relief to be at a pool and know she could swim to the side when necessary. We kept her swimming as she started swimming competitively on her community summer swim and branched into year round swimming. she learned to be competitive and confident in her strokes-became a regional swimmer at 8 years old! She is now a Division I College athlete in another sport. She feels like the discipline and training she learned at a young age gave her more opportunities to develop as an athlete. She is a lifeguard and coaches summer swim when she is on summer break. I am thankful for the decision we made to start her in a swim class at a young age. It has benefited our family in building a good foundation for our daughter.

Aqua tots is in the business of making money and not actually teaching your kids to swim. We went…read moreto the Hoover location and we talked to parents that their kids had stayed in level 3 for 5 months and never progressed even though they looked like they should of been in level 4 or level 5. Also they can cancel appointments and not give you your money back. If you dont want to come back for example and you signed up for the buy 5 months and get one free and you say dont want to come back and only did one month and you dont want to get anymore lessons because it isnt adequate for you or they cancel too much, well you cant cancel and get your money back. If you sign up for 5 months and only do one month then youll still pay for 4 months of the lessons even if your not want to get lessons any longer. Just not good business. Also when we signed up I thought that ONLY certified instructors with 40 plus hours were going to instruct the kids, one of our lessons was instructed by someone that wasnt certified and only had 10 hours of training.

From the owner: Aqua-Tots Swim Schools is the industry leader in swimming instruction because of its world-class…read morecurriculum, highly trained swim instructors, family friendly environment, and state-of-the-art year-round facilities. Our motto, "Safety First, Fun Every Second" embodies our guiding philosophy that learning to swim is an essential life skill - one that can save a life and be enjoyed over a lifetime! Our mission is to prevent drownings by working with the community to provide a standard of excellence in teaching children water safety. At Aqua-Tots Swim Schools, we teach swimming techniques that provide a safe and fun experience for everyone.

I've been going to this particular location of orange theory for almost 2 years now and wow, I…read morecan't begin to explain just how monumental finding this gym has been in my life. I originally joined to get in shape for my wedding but ended up staying for the long haul because THIS WORKS YALL. Downtown OTF is, in my opinion, the superior one in the Birmingham area. Coach Avana and Nigel have what it takes to keep me engaged in class and always pushing to be better. I go 3 times a week, sometimes more and I saw results quickly. I'm no longer embarrassed to show my arms in sleeveless dresses and tops, and my muscles are more defined. I will caution you though, you get what you put into it. If you only come once a week you probably won't see results. This is something you have to work for (as is any workout facility). Going as much as I do has yielded a long term loss in body fat, toned legs and arms, and endurance IVE NEVER HAD, even when I played college soccer. I can run 5ks without even thinking about it now AND I AM NOT SOMEONE WHO LOVES TO RUN. Favorite things about OTF DOWNTOWN- there are so many classes to choose from that you don't get at other OTF or any other studio of any sort. The coaches and staff are top notch. It is always clean and in the showers they even provide hair dryers, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. They have complimentary hygiene products in all bathrooms for that day you forget your pony tail holder, deodorant, or tampon. First class is free so why not try it out?

I would have loved to have given OT 5 stars, because I absolutely loved the staff, facilities, and…read morethe workout. I tried OT while I was traveling through Birmingham, and I've been wanting to try an OT studio in my hometown of Miami. I signed up for a class and was told to come in 45 minute prior to class, which going to other studios I knew that was way too much time. When I questioned it, they said 30 minutes prior was ok. I showed up before class and they completed paperwork, got me setup for a heart rate monitor, did a studio tour, and then introduced me to the coach (Avana) who showed me how the equipment worked and gave a brief overview of today's workout. Avana was an amazing coach, checked on you throughout the workout and kept you motivated along the way. So why not a complete 5 star experience? The heart rate system didn't work throughout the entire workout. The coach and the front desk team checked their system to see why it wasn't working and they couldn't remedy the problem. It really defeated the purpose of the OT system and workout because of the technical problem. It's hard to figure out how you need to modify how you are performing in your workout if their systems aren't working as they should be. Would I come back to OT? Probably, but it is for the staff alone. I don't fault them for faulty equipment.. but I do fault management for not keeping their systems up to date and maintained.