Management complete CLOWNS!! I have been taking my two kids for months now I decided to book my son a birthday party one month in advance. They couldn't wait two days for the deposit and they give my son's birthday to another family. Complete bullshit complete clowns. I've spent months of money there for my son not to be able to have his birthday party. My wife got a call didn't answer and she returned the call. She left a voicemail and because they didn't see it till the next morning they gave the party to someone else the night before. The service here is not cheap and I expect better customer service somewhere else. Thank you will not be coming back. Please save your time and money don't come here. It's already expensive as hell to not get priority especially when you say to the person on the phone "we do want the spot". read more

If you have a little baby, please do not sign up with instructor "Chewy." We signed our six month old baby up for a class series. In our first class I allowed Chewy to hold the baby and pull her through the water. It was fine, but he got her ears wet inside and she also choked and coughed on some water. So at the top of the second class, I stated I would prefer to hold her myself and copy what he was doing. He grumbled about it, stating that he was the teacher and we have to trust him. I told him it wasn't personal at all, I was just more comfortable holding her myself since she is still so little. I thought everything was fine, but when we entered the pool for the third class, Chewy stated that if we were not going to cooperate and allow him to hold the baby, we could "leave the pool." He kicked us out of the class for wanting to hold our own baby!! I could not believe it. The owner, Jim, was nearby. We went to speak with Jim and he said it was fine to hold our baby and allowed us to continue in the class. Chewy did not look at or speak to us for the rest of our time there. Extremely unprofessional young man and does not understand working with small babies and their parents. We paid $92 for three classes that lasted 25 minutes. I prefer not to spend that kind of money to be treated that way. read more

There are limited places to take your kids in Santa Cruz County for quality swim lessons. We loved teacher Ashlyn and now have teacher Katie who is equally as amazing, kind and patient. If you have the ability the morning times during the week are less full and a bit calmer. Katie has great control over her classes, make them fun and even sent Valentines home with our girls. I like the structure and freedom in the mommy and me class. Some instructors have more experience than others. We really love teacher Katie. read more

Jim Booth Swim School - Mommy and Me class - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Watsonville, California

My 5 year old loves swim class, he's progressed well over the past year and a half so we keep coming. My biggest complaint is the "Tip" envelope. At the end of each month the teachers send home an envelope that has a card with encouragement for your child but the kicker is that it's meant for TIPPING THE TEACHER! I'm sorry... what? The lessons are not cheap so why are we also tipping the teacher? I find this super tacky! Do I tip my kids kindergarten teacher? No. Do I tip a soccer coach? No. I find it super rude that they pass these out asking for tips and put their Venmo/Cashapp on them. Yuck. read more

Great place when your kid is just at the very beginning of learning to swim - like how to stay afloat or be comfy in the water in general. Beyond that they don't do a ton of specialized or specific instruction. Every lesson is basically the same stuff in the same order every time. They also NEVER let them just swim around and have fun! It's on task instruction the entire time from the second it starts until the second it ends. Some positive time just playing in the pool every once in while would go far - but nope they literally do not them do that ever. The worst part is that it's LOUD in there as they have more than one group in the pool at a time. One teacher is yelling in one corner with her 3-4 kids - not even in a mean way, just to be heard over everyone else - and another is yelling in another corner and another doing the same in the other corner with her 3-4 students. For the price there shouldn't be 12+ kids in the pool at one time. It's a bit hectic when the kid is trying to hear what's being said and there's 10 kids and 3 teachers in the same pool all also yelling and trying to be heard. Plus it's an indoor pool which means it echoes and you hear every word everyone is saying. Comes off a little bit like they're trying to make as much per hour as possible even if it means a crowded and loud pool during the lessons, to the detriment of the paying customer and the student. Prices are high but the staff is pretty good though! We even like to have our bday parties here because they provide a lifeguard - although it's an expensive party to throw for just a few hours and the rate seems to go up every year. So my advice is to just expect very basic instruction and also fiddle around with the timing of the lesson until you're able to hopefully find a less crowded one. Otherwise all you'll hear is yelling from 12-13 people all on the one pool at the same. Plus there's often no chairs to sit in as everyone's parents and grandparents seem to not work and come to the lessons instead. They really should put a 1 parent at a time rule or something to help with that because otherwise every single chair is taken. So to sum up - use them to start but don't get complacent and pay high prices for loud lessons for too too long. Do it for a short time then move on... read more

my toddler started at 5 months old. it's amazing to see how much he's learned and how his confidence has been boosted! his favorite teacher is katie but alex, kianna, megan are also awesome! we miss ashlyn & sophia, my son really liked them, too. this is a wonderful year round program for your little ones. the rates are reasonable, staff is all super nice and accommodating. and jim is always stopping by to check up in things which shows he cares about his business, students and teachers. read more

Im so happy with the progress my daughter (4 yrs old) has made with her swim lessons! Going on vacations and seeing her swim ON HER OWN is exciting!! Thank you Teacher Alex! read more

Unfortunately we had a horroble experience at this place. We purchased 2x memberships for our toddlers and we should have had visit them first. We walked in and water was sooooo dirty!!! Teachers had no idea about teaching how to swim. Kids are not tought to be able to act safely in the water. Everyone is flopping around. That wasn't bothering me too much as this was my kids first swimming class experience. Unfortunately my daughter was so traumatized in the first 5 min by being dunked under water (completely and without preparation) that she did not want to put a swimsuit back on for weeks. We have a pool in the house, we hired wonderful instructor and our first lessons are being able to come to sit on the edge of the pool. She loved playing in our pool before! Now she screams bloody murder just looking at it. My son was fine, but my daughter is completely traumatized. Please listen to your children and do yourself a favor do not go there. We are going to have to spend a lot of time and money to undo this damage. Not all children are the same. And to the instructor Alex there who were telling me not to take my daughter out of the water when she was screaming in fear,and telling me what's best for her is to leave her... Holding her in the water when I was trying to get her. You are untrained and unaware that every kid is different and moms know best! I am a mental health counselor and what you did to my daughter you can't undo. I am going to think how else I can spread the word about this wonderful place where kids don't swim but flap like a fish and would not be able to surivive for long in the warer! They also drink water that you can't even see through. Did I mentioned that they did not give us our money back? Please do not take your children here!!! read more

My daughter loved how to swim and all thanks to her teacher and for next time we will come again

Our, son, daughter, and now grandson have all learned to swim at Jim Booth's swim school. The teachers are great and the classes are small. I definitely recommend this school. read more

I am a product of Jim Booth swim class from back in the day. It's this program that built my confidence in the pool and out. This program taught me to respect the water and to be an overall good swimmer. My 6 yo daughter is now at Jim Booth swim school and history repeating! She is confident, learning respect of the water. All the teachers in all levels of learning are hands on and watchful of each child in their care. A 4th generation with my daughter being 5th to SC I want her to join JR guards, to do so I wanted her confident of her ability to swim, and be respectful of the water. You will not be disappointed in the lessons provided by Jim Booth and his team. Over 40+ years in the business speaks for itself. read more

5 stars to Coach Dee 4.5 stars for facility - do wish there were larger pools to work with but understanding the instructors are likely helping pay rent on the facilities they currently have Coach Dee is awesome! ! Our first impression left us apprehensive, but after a couple of months of sticking with it, we noticed dramatic changes and really got a feel of how the instruction is. Coach Dee is completely on it when it comes to consistency, pointing out strengths, working on weaknesses, and really pushi ng my 10 and 13 year old to swim their best. Their slow approach may phase new students out, but you just have to stick with the program. It's like learning most anything. You can't expect perfection after just a month or even a few months of 30 minute classes. They're not just trying to get your child to learn basics and keep them there. They're always working on improving them. Thank you!! read more

Jim Booth Swim School - Coach Dee 2015 - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Watsonville, California

We signed our 4 year-old up for the sea otters. We only attended 1 class, and realized that the level wasn't at all appropriate for what our child was ready to handle. When I called to let them know that we wanted to cancel going forward, they were unwilling to refund what we had paid for the annual membership fee and the classes we wouldn't be attending, even though we only attended 1 class and realized it wasn't a good fit. This refund policy wasn't explained at all when I called to sign up for the swim lessons. Moreover, they were unprofessional and rude in the way that they handled this matter. I would not recommend this organization as a business (not customer friendly at all) or as a swim school (not accommodating or understanding of children's differing needs and levels of comfort). read more

My kids have been taking lessons here every winter/spring for the last five or six years. In my opinion swimming is not optional. My children MUST be good, strong swimmers. When I enrolled my son, at six-years-old, in the Capitola Little Guard program, I was shocked and impressed that he was the best swimmer in his age group. He had great form and he had the confidence to jump in for his Dolphin Dives. Fast forward to the next summer, and he was the only kid in his group to attempt a solo-swim. I swam next to him, but he refused to 'hang-on' to the flotation device. My daughter, who happens to be a lot less competative than my son, entered guards as a six-year old. She also showed the same strength and confidence that I have come to believe is a strong selling point for Jim Booth Swim School. As for the complaints about Jim Booth himself. I'd like to point out that Ashlyn, his right hand woman, seems to be taking over most of the Admin of the business. Jim was my swim teacher 25 years ago, and I like the guy. But I haven't seen much of him over the past year. Jim Booth Swim School gets my vote as the BEST in baby and child swim instruction! read more

My 3 year old Granddaughter started swim lessons 3 weeks ago at Jim Booth swim school. In that short time she has achieved confidence in the water at record speed. She went from afraid to to put here head underwater to bobbing underwater for rings which is now her favorite thing to do. She has made great progress in a short period of time. She can't wait till her next swim lesson each week. Thanks to instructor Chase who is very patient and great with kids. read more

I am so glad I sent my daughter to Jim Booth. "Teacher" Leah is amazing and has so much patience with the little ones. Prices are reasonable and everyone has been very professional and helpful. If you forget your goggles, don't worry, they have extras! I will definitely have my daughter continue her lessons until she's a pro read more

The teachers are amazing. Ashlyn has skill and patience that are beyond my comprehension. My son has been here since he was around 8 months, he is now 3.5 yrs old. He isn't Michael Phelps yet but I think he has learned a lot:) The bathrooms, showers and changing area are a little less than ideal....that would be my only change. Oh-and parking can be a challenge, but my son loves his swim friends and Teacher Ashlyn so we go year round. read more

Huge shout out to Ashlyn. My three year old went from scared and crying to excelling his skills in the water within three lessons. You can't put a price on swimming it's worth every damn penny! Beyond grateful and super proud!my husband takes him but he has just progressed so much and I owe it to her compassion and not giving up on him‍ read more

I'm not sure what these people are talking about?!?! JIm Booth swim school is the only swim school in the area ran by a former Olympian. The lessons are well structured, the instructors are excellent and friendly and I have never run into any issues at this school. My baby can now pull himself out of the pool from any part of the pool and my 9 year old did her lessons here and is now doing the swim team for the second season. If you want your kids to learn to swim and build confidence in the water have them go here. I highly recommend Jim Booth swim school!!! read more

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Watsonville swim lessons users beware!!! They do not provide you with the address to the swim lesson location and don't bother looking online as it give Jim Booth's actual home address instead of the swim lesson location. I spent 45 min driving around from his house in Larkin Valley (listed on website) to Green Valley Road to finally have some other company know where they were located, apparently another mother had the same problem. I tried calling their phone number to, once again, only get a machine. Very very frustrating and something that could have been avoided if they HAD IT AVAILABLE ONLINE!!!! Fyi, the address location is 130 Herman Ave, Watsonville. When I called and told them the frustration of this whole thing they didn't care one bit. Also note, this locations pool size maxes out at 4'10". read more

My daughter has been taking swim classes at the Santa Cruz location since she was 5 months old (she is currently 11 months) and she loves it! They get her comfortable with the water, practice holding her breath, back floats, blowing bubbles, and have worked her up to staying under the water doing "dives" for longer and longer periods of time as the classes progressed through the summer. She has a great time and plus its good quality time with Daddy since he is the one who usually goes in the pool with her. We will definitely sign her up again next year. read more

We've been brining our daughter to Jim Booth Swim School since she was 4 months old. Despite screaming and crying through class the first two sessions, the teachers were patient and caring in their instruction. To be fair, she was screaming and crying through bath time at home at that point as well. Now she is 9 months old and loves to splash in the pool (and the bath tub) and will even go under water, dunking herself sometimes even. The parent/baby classes are a great way to introduce your baby to swimming and the shallow pool at the Duncan Holbert pool location in Watsonville means kids as young as 2 can reach the bottom and can feel more confident and independent in the pool. read more

Very kind, have goggles available if you forget. Patient instructors. Indoor pool great for unpredictable Santa Cruz weather.

This whole experience has been amazing, my son loves it and loves his teacher. He's so comfortable and has made great progress . He looks forward to his next lesson every time . read more

Jim Booth Swim School - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Watsonville, California

I had a bad experience with them when I signed up my two kids. My three year old daughter and two year old son were signed up. My daughter, who is a very sensitive little person- started to cry on the first day. Instead of telling her it was okay and letting her take it slowly, they basically demanded that I leave her with the teacher and the other kids and ''take a walk''. I was upset with this- she is my daughter, I know her best, and me walking away and leaving her was NOT what she needed. I felt like I was pressured into leaving the pool area, which made me uncomfortable. We went once. I decided to forfeit the $218 or whatever it was for two kids signed up, than go back and put my daughter in an uncomfortable position. We will sign up at the other local pool- WAY cheaper, the teachers are way better, and they will allow me to stay near my daughter. And it wasn't like I wanted to be in the pool with her- I just wanted to make sure she could see me. Ugh. Bad experience. read more

I sent my 6, 7 and 8 year old to private lessons and the teacher took the approach of shaming and comparing them to point out how to improve. "Your sister can do it, why can't you?" "I'm going to give them a cannonball when they are done, but you're not getting one. You know why? Huh? You know why?" The child was trying his best, he's just not a natural swimmer and came out of the pool in tears. She asked me to move two of the kids down a level (in front of them) and I was paying for a private swim lesson. (?) Have called, and received no response from Jim Booth. The other teacher has spent her entire class time talking about her boyfriend. My first ever one star rating -- and I'm hoping that it help other people find better options. read more

I am seriously surprised to see any negative reviews about this school. My 4 year old son just completed his first month and loves it. They were very professional over the phone when I called to ask questions. They followed up before and after his lessons. He even received a personal note from his teacher and a certificate of completion that made him feel empowered and accomplished. His teacher Ashlyn is patient, kind and makes the classes fun. He can't wait to go back next month. The facility in Watsonville is clean and parents are welcomed to watch the lesson as chairs are provided around the pool. The dressing rooms include showers and changing areas for both boys and girls. They even have a small play area to keep other children entertained while siblings are in lessons. I can't think of one negative thing to say about this school and I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone considering swim lessons! read more

Don't know why Jim Booths is only one star. Our 3 year old has come from nervous to exuberant in the first 2 lessons. She loves her instructor and the pool is warm and inviting. read more

have to disagree with previous review. my child has been going to Jim Booth since she was 2 and she's 8 now and is an unbelievably strong swimmer. And what's better, she hasn't lost her enthusiasm or interest in it...and she loves Jim and Ashlyn and Mike, they've all been great. She has learned a respect for the water and just keeps getting better and better. While the facilities at Spa Fitness may be lacking, that's not Jim's fault. read more

We love the Jim Booth Swim School. The Instructors are fantastic and so suportive of our son. Lessons are developmentally appropriate and our son now loves swimming. Thanks Jim Booth and teacher Anna. read more

I have been suggesting to all who may want their children to become good swimmer, not adequate, but safe good swimmers to go to JIm Booth Swim school in Watsonville. I have had both my grandchildren their since they were babies. Now they are 5 and 7 and everyone asks where they learned to be such great swimmers. We were at a party at Simpkins pool center when I was approached by one of their swim instructors and asked who had taught my grandchildren. I asked why? They told me how great swimmers they were. They don't see that much progression with such young kids. Jim's crew is especially patient and caring with children who are frightened of water. I have seen such care with these children. And they never forget a child's name. They push the child only so much, it seems like they just know how to move and motivate. I liked being in the pool with my babies in the beginning, it really was a great bonding for us and taught the parent a lot about what their children were capable of. I continue to tell all about this school. Jim Booth cares about his community. read more

Excellent. We've had nothing but great experiences for the last two years here with Teacher Becca! My daughter has made great progress and can't wait for her class every Saturday. read more

My review is based on my child being in classes from 4 months old to now 2 years old... We have had Teacher Ashlyn almost exclusively since my daughter was 2 months old (except for literally 2 classes, amazing if you ask me). All classes my daughter has been in have required either my wife or myself be in the water with her, i personally think this is the best setup for kids this age. They cant swim on their own and what better way to creat a safe learning environment to learn to swim than with the parents participating?! I cannot speak more highly of Teacher Ashlyn, she, in my opinion, is a master at what she does. I can confidently say that my 2 year old daughter is more comfortable in the water that kids twice, three times, her age. My daughter talks non stop about class, "dive for rings!" "slide!" "splash teacher ashlyn" "airplane arms" are just a few of the phrases she repeats week after week. Even now, my daughter, the instant she touches water, even if just to wash her hands, she practices her airplane arms. I credit half of this to the teachers at Jim Booth, the other half i credit to my wife and myself for BEING HANDS ON IN THE TRAINING! Remember, the age group i am rating is for classes that require parents to participate, if you want to drop your kids off at a day care swim class, dont go to Jim Booth. Our daughter has advanced leaps and bounds with the help of these teachers and our active involvement. My daughter will soon be advancing to the next level of classes where we wont be in the pool with her anymore, she will be able to hold her own in the next stage of classes and i have full confidence in the teachers at Jim Booth. I have seen multiple kids cry for a long time in the water and i havent seen any teachers treat them poorly as a result, I have seen many instances of the teachers encouraging the kids to continue in class and get past the fear of the water, or parents not being with them or whatever is makign them cry. With the exception of one teacher that i believe is a bit aggressive/stern with the kids in other classes i love the staff there. I strongly recommend you talk with the staff there before signing up so you understand how their school works. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND JIM BOOTH SWIM SCHOOL TO ALL AGES OF KIDS, MY DAUGHTER WILL ONLY LEARN TO SWIM THERE! read more

I have has my five year old son and two year old daughter at Jim booth for almost a year and they love it the teachers are very kind and good with my children my son is almost diving he is perfecting his swim and the confidence he has in the pool. Is fabulous to see! As for my two year old I also experienced the hardship of the first time in the pool with out mom by her side as a parent you always want to be there for your children but sometimes as parents we have a hard time dealing with the reality that we will not always be there!!!! I trust in the staff at Jim booth . So i has to deal with the crying for two sections. Then guess what she was back to her smiley self And with the confidence and comfort that she was ok without mom in the pool she is also thriving in the pool. And let me also add that they do give credit when my children are sick or can't make it to swim school . Look we have our bad days and people are very fast at reacting to the negative and making sure we all hear about our bad experiences. Well let me make it very clear we are very happy with Jim booth swim school and I strongly recommend that anyone who reads this to bring there children to this school that has been around longer then most swim schools mentioned read more

The LAST THING I expected was what happened there: Our 3 year old granddaughter was traumatized by her 1st (and LAST) swim lesson @ JBSS. When she quit crying (about being held by a stranger in the water), the teacher put her head under the water! We were promised ahead of time, "We don't do that!" I called immediately to talk to the receptionist, who was ignoring my attempts to get her to come talk to us; and Jim Booth answered. He was SO RUDE! He INSISTED that we could not have seen that, because they would never do such a thing. I insisted we had seen it. He hung up on me! SO MANY CHOICES out there. SKIP JBSS. read more

This is a very shady business! I would never in a million years recommend Jim Booth to anyone for any reason...please allow me to elaborate: My wife very thoughtfully wanted to reserve the Harvey West Pool in Santa Cruz for our daughters 5th birthday party. She called and was told to mail in a check for $200 to "reserve" the pool for our desired date in September. We were never given any documentation, follow up, receipt, policies, cancellation procedures, weather contingencies, facilities accommodations... NOTHING. Nothing verbal. Nothing written. Similarly, and suspiciously, their is nothing posted on their website. Sure enough, it rained the entire day of our scheduled party, we attempted continuously throughout the day to get in touch with anyone at the # listed, to no avail. We were just told they have a "no refund" policy and that all policies are clearly explained over the phone---Jim Booth is "on the honor system and verbal" (?)...ARE YOU KIDDING ME? So now we're out $200 dollars and my daughter had no party...and why? Why wouldn't they just reschedule or refund our money? Truly bizarre for a service business who's motto is "a gentler way"... JIM BOOTH IS A SCAM! I implore everyone to boycott this unfriendly business on behalf of my adorable daughter who will learn to swim at ANY OTHER great pool in Santa Cruz County. good luck!!! read more

I've been taking my 17 month old toddler since he was 8 months. We decided to enroll him, because we felt he needed to know what to do just in case he was around a pool. He has really improved, and loves the water. It has really made by toddler look forward to Monday's and Wednesday's. It has also allowed us to meet other parents and develop relationships. My only complaint is they don't have enough showers. read more

Great school! Great friendly staff! Love Ashlyn!!! My daughter loves her class. Next month my baby will start his classes!!! Love the Saturday open swim for everyone in the community! read more

My daughter went to Jim Booth at the Harvey West location. She is 4. I felt the lessons were just repetitive and boring and I wasn't impressed with the instructors. They appear to be high-school age girls and my opinion, as a mom of two, is they are over-bossy and controlling. They spend a good deal of the lesson demanding that they kids follow every direction to the T, otherwise they get a "time out." For example, "put your hand on the wall" while you're waiting for your turn. If the kid is standing next to the wall, but without his hand on it, they make a big deal out of it. Also, they absoultely refuse to let parents sit on the bleachers over the pool because it "distracts" the kids... however if I stand five feet to the right, it's ok. This made it very difficult for me because my 2 year old likes to play on the bleachers and there was zero tolerance about this rule. I would not recommend Jim Booth swim school. read more

My kids have been in Jim Booth Swim School for over 4 years now. My family loves it! We started with the parent/baby class and it was great to be in the water with my son and have Becca showing me how to help my son be comfortable in the pool. As my kids have moved up they've had teachers Ashlyn, Anna S., Anna J., Delena, Mika and Mike. I know that no matter what teacher we get, they will be knowledgeable, kind, patient and respectful. I recommend Jim Booth Swim School. The teachers and Jim will greet you and your children with a smile and be ready to teach them how to be safe in the water. read more