We were able to set up a private try-it class with Ocean First (we actually have 3 separate classes). We set it up for our girl scout troop. They were easy and pleasant to work with to get the classes set up. We had our first class today. I attended the class today as well. Our teacher was professional and personable. We did 30 minutes in class room. and then 90 minutes in the pool. I personally deal with some sensory issues and i was able to work through them and was personally very happy with my experience. The girls that were able to go today also all really enjoyed themselves! What a great experience! I can't wait for my other girls to be able to try it. And my daughter is now interested in getting scuba certified as well! Great job Ocean First! Thank you so much for everything! read more

Ocean First - Ready for scuba it-it class - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

I did my Accelerated Open Water Certification Course through Ocean First with Julie Remp here in Boulder and had a stellar experience. Julie was incredibly knowledgeable and made sure to make us all feel comfortable with the variety of skills we needed to know to safely dive for the first time. I felt very prepared from the pool sessions she led to be able to do my open water certification and sessions out in Hawaii. I wasn't able to finish out my certification through Ocean First due to time constraints, but the Dive Instructor out in Hawaii was incredibly impressed with my proficiency underwater, stating that if I hadn't been signed up for the course, they would have assumed I was a much more experienced diver. I lend much of that to the great instruction I had here in the pool. I cannot recommend the course enough and certainly suggest everyone who wants to learn to dive to stop by. read more

Absolutely my favorite dive shop. For ongoing educational classses, dive training my teens, servicing our equipment & on going great equipment for sale. I take my diving seriously for recreational purposes. All 4 of us dive in our family. Ocean First trips led by top notch guides are the best to both domestic & international locations. Their monthly social events on topics we care about make this Local Dive Shop (LDS) our go to place for great gear & information. Don't waste your time buying products on line get outfitted properly @OceanFirst read more

I loved every part of my experience getting certified as an Open Water Diver through Ocean First. My classroom and pool sessions were totally comprehensive, and the instructors were patient and helpful with all of us in the class. They explained things clearly and purposefully, and made it easy to ask questions. The trip they organized to Homestead Crater to complete the certification dives was fun, well-organized, and successful for all of us on it. Every single instructor I've interacted with in class, practice sessions or on the trip - both Bruces, Gary, Dave, and Julie - has been impressively professional and likable. They shared their knowledge and their love of diving and oceans with enthusiasm and joy. I'm so glad I got to work with all of them and recommend Ocean First without any reservations! read more

I just completed the classroom and pool portion of my Dive Guide certification. Instructors Andy and Cathy are fantastic. Experienced, knowledgeable and patient. Great course, facilities and staff. Looking forward to the Open Water portion at the Blue Hole with Andy in April and achieving my first professional dive rating. Thanks Andy and Cathy! read more

We love Oceans First! My daughter was quite nervous about swimming when we came here, but soon became comfortable and confident in the water. I really like that there is no pass/fail system. Your child will advance when the time is right-no pressure just progress. The instructors have the right balance of encouragement and patience, and are Super positive! We tried several other places for swim lessons that just did not work, but now my child LOVES to swim and feels safe in the water! read more

Outstanding experience. Everyone who works here is extremely helpful. I've always been scared to learn to dive, but after completing their training course everything is demystified and I feel comfortable understanding how to do this safely. The course is extremely thorough. It's no 3 hour resort course, they make sure you are confident with anything that could happen while out there. Both Mike the instructor and Michael up front were knowledgeable, easy going, and a good help in getting me outfitted. read more

The owner tried to get me to delete this review but I think it's important for parents of potential scuba divers to read. Certifying your child is an important decision. If you are getting your child certified for Scuba, this is not the dive shop I would recommend. We had several problems with them. I am already certified so I paid to do a refresher course with my son to provide moral support to him. The instructor seemed threatened by me being there even though I was really eager to learn (it's been a while for me). After my son submerged the first time, we came up and I told my child how awesome he was and the instructor said, "Hey, that's my job!" Then, several times when he was explaining things and it was hard to hear, I would whisper to my son "He said to...." so he would stay engaged. My whispers we literally 5 seconds but the instructor would promptly stop and look at me and say something humiliating to me. After Day 2, I stopped saying anything at all for fear of being embarrassed in front of the class. Several other incidents happened that made me feel uncomfortable. We wanted to just get through it though so we did whatever he asked. Then, on the last night, my son was taking the test and got really stressed so he kept mixing up the order of the bubbles on the test. I had been out of the room but when I came back in, my son was crying. I asked the instructor if he could give us a minute and he said he couldn't leave in case we cheated. WTH??!!!! Ummmm, there's about a 0% chance I'm going to let me kid cheat on anything, let alone a test that assesses whether he is safe to submerge under water in the ocean with nothing but his scuba gear and training to guide him. The instructor refused to leave and sat there hovering over my son the entire time, creating more stress for him. It was terribly insulting but not out of line with many things the instructor did. My biggest problem though is I discovered the instructor was just taking orders from the Assistant Trainer. So, it comes from a little higher up. When I discussed it with the owner, I got the sense she tolerates this type of odd and discomforting behavior. She says she considers them "personality differences". Hmmm...last time I checked humiliating a mother when she is providing moral support to her kid is not a personality difference. Neither is accusing someone of cheating. Really??! Sounds to me like the owner has boundary issues that need to be addressed. As I said, the owner tried to convince me to remove my review. She likely knows now that is not a possibility. Let's see how they treat my son when he needs things for his dive certification. read more

Not great. I would probably go to the other one in Boulder next time. There is a fair amount of bait and switch with these guys. They gave us some terrible rental equipment. Some instructors are great, but at least one of the instructors is really slimy. read more

I purchased 8 pre-paid sessions. I have to say that my first session was fantastic. The staff was great, did not pressure me to partake in cross or up sales. were patient, showed me the facility and I feel have began to teach me what I need for my swimming goal for this summer read more

This is by far the most professional dive store in the state of Colorado .their instructors take the time needed to train you and they keep you diving . I would not go anywhere else for my scuba classes and training read more

Ocean First - Their awesome pool area - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Ocean First is an amazing dive shop and swim school. I've taken multiple classes there including SCUBA, Freediving, and swim lessons. Every instructor I've ever had there has been knowledgable, patient, and very safety-oriented. I just finished Level 1 Freediving and my instructor, Drew, went above and beyond to help me successfully complete my certification. When I first started visiting OF in 2018, I was pretty timid and uncomfortable in the water. Now I can calmly regulate my breathing, swim to 10m, and enjoy the water in ways I never thought I could before. The overall atmosphere at the shop is so fun and I'm already looking forward to my next class there. read more

Got my Open Water Diver Certification through Oceans First. The instructors are great! Personable, Caring, and patient - looking to introduce others into a sport that they love. read more

Love this dive shop in Boulder. Their instructors are top notch. I just finished my open water classroom and pool time here. Bruce was an amazing teacher. He was patient, to the point and fun. Dave and Thea also joined us in the pool and were both great instructors and demonstrators as well. We were able to learn all the scuba skills and procedures in a timely and informative manner. I cannot wait to get diving and join one of their dive trips! read more

A really experience, the classes were great and so was the certification process. Shoutouts to Bruce, Julie, and Shayna, they brought joy and passion for diving that showed in their deep understanding of SCUBA and diving. I plan on taking more classes in the near future. read more

If you really want your kid to learn how to swim, this is the place to go. They have tons of classes on the schedule and are constantly adding more so if you don't see something that works for you right away, call and ask them to keep you posted on openings. They use a specific "method" so every teacher is on the same page about the skills they are teaching and this really helps with consistency and actually learning how to swim. The pool and deck are really warm and there is a play area if you are here with another kid while the other one is swimming. I feel like swimming is one of the most important skills a kid can learn and I'm super happy that this place exists in Boulder! read more

This swim school offers what many (especially Rec centers) don't. They follow a curriculum which guides my child through each class- she moves to the next class once she reaches the skill level necessary. I especially LOVE that she stays with the same instructor throughout the entire length of the class so the instructor becomes very acquainted with my child's strengths and weaknesses and works directly with her no matter where the other kids are in the class. Every child is an individual and the Swim School of Boulder honors that! All the instructors are extremely knowledgeable and great with kids. So far my child has advanced through 4 classes and she feels very confident and loves her experience. They recognize the students achievements and make them feel really special. There really is no need to go anywhere else for swimming lessons. read more

OFD is a great place to get certified. The expert staff made me feel comfortable underwater and with the purchases I made for my diving vacation. OFD is a leader in the eco-friendly scuba business by reducing their pollution where they can and offsetting pollution with wind energy and solar power. read more

When we came to Swim School of Boulder my son Nicholas was 4 years old and still did not know how to swim. He is a little on the shy side and I was worried that he may not take to it very well. Wow was I wrong! Nicholas loves his teacher Laura and after only two lessons has put his face under the water while blowing bubbles! I could never get him to do that myself! The best part for me is that during the lessons he is laughing and having fun! His confidence is booming and I could not be more proud of him! I highly recommend this program and my only regret is that I wish we had started sooner read more

We brought our two kids to their first lesson. Our son was with the little kids. There were four kids in the class. The result of the design of this pool is that the water is too deep for the smaller kids, so they cannot practicing their skills alone in the water when the instructor is working with another student. This meant that the kids sat on the edge of the pool, waiting to take their turn with the instructor. So, 75% of each kid's class time is spent sitting on the edge of the pool. For a half hour lesson, each kid got 7-1/2 minutes of instruction, and I think that for the money and time we're putting into this, that is pretty bad. Larger classes work when all the students are swimming and working on their skills. The instructor can stop individual students to give instruction, and during that time, the other students are still doing something. Our daughter was in this situation, and it was good. But the set up for the class for the little ones is terrible here and after Day 1 I am thinking it was pretty much a total waste of time and money. read more

I took their Open Water certification class last year with Ocean First Divers. I thought our dive instructor was very knowledgable and brought his dive experience to the classroom which really made the lessons more relevant for me. I also liked that the classroom was right next to the dive pool. The staff is very friendly and helpful too. Planning on taking a dive refresher here before my next trip to Mexico! read more

We have been using Ocean First for swim lessons, kids dive certifications, refresher dive courses and a specialty dive course (customers for about 7 years). I have always felt they are extremely professional and provide great service. Most recently, I just completed my stress and rescue class with Bruce, and not only does he have amazing knowledge and passion for diving, his primary focus is safety and that students master the skills and have a solid understanding of what he is teaching. Highly recommend Ocean First for swim and scuba lessons! read more

LOVE Ocean First! They made our whole experience so special, especially the owner, (Graham?) who knew more about what we were going to see than any book I read. Trips are special enough for a honeymoon - and it's rare that I would recommend that! If you want people who care without the pretenses, this is the place. Wish I was going back for another trip soon! read more

After considering a few swim school alternatives for our son, my husband and I decided that Ocean first swim school was the right place for our toddler. We wanted to join a swim school that would allow us as parents to interact with our baby. This is a place with a great environment, wonderful instructors and staff. We are very happy with our decision! read more

After several attempts at swimming lessons in the local recreation centers and having no success with my child swimming independently, I enrolled my son at Ocean First. I was amazed that he was swimming on his own after the third lesson. I love the small class size, individualized attention, and focus on safety. I would recommend this swim school hands down if you want your child to learn quickly and in a caring, professional environment. read more

be aware that this place has very limited scheduling, especially if you have a job. I got a gift card here for baby and me swim lessons and can't use it because all classes are m-th with the latest starting at 5 p.m. saw "we can accommodate almost any schedule" on the website so emailed to find out if they ever offer anything for parents who, you know, actually work and was told they do not. read more

My 10 year old, his two buddies and dad just did the Try Scuba class and LOVED it! The instructors were fantastic, explained all the skills thoroughly, and were patient and helpful when any of them had questions or needed extra assistance. I highly recommend Ocean First for any scuba or swim classes. All of the staff were extremely friendly and provided great customer service all around. read more

I'm afraid that SSofB was a flop. The methodology is far too forceful for shy children - the manager on duty (I'll omit his name here) even suggested that I physically force my child to do something that the toddler didn't wish to/was afraid to do. The manager (who is something of a close-talker, making it very easy to guess that he'd really tied one on the night before) quickly countered with a cursory "but you're the parent" line, but this clearly wasn't genuine, and he rapidly began lobbying passive aggressive comments- I won't fill in the rest of these details. Suffice it to say that he displayed little, if any, compassion for or understanding of small children, favoring instead a domineering and ungenerous approach. In the summers during college, I successfully taught very young children as well as adults how to swim, and I understand that a child is often quite responsive to the atmosphere of swim class (rather than simply swimming with parents) - I've never seen anything like the atmosphere at SSofB. Beyond this, the school model isn't terribly well-structured. While it may at first seem convenient that classes begin on a rolling basis (your child begins class the week that you sign up), this is a misfire - the teacher has no time to ease new students into the classes or the water. Imagine suggesting to a very young child, who cannot swim, to jump right into the arms of a stranger standing in deep (to the child) water... read more

Not impressed. Not worth the money. My kids started here and it was so disorganized I had to quit.

Everyone here is fabulous! My granddaughter is over confident in the water and they are giving her the skills to be safe and learn technique at the same time. We have loved the semi private model as it allows all the student in the class to woek on their individual skull set. She also did the mermaid and shark class and had ohhh so much fun swimming like a mermaid! Definitely worth the money! read more

Our kids love it, they are always excited to go. The instructors and office staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable. It is a great facility /always very clean. The room and pool are warm so the kids are always comfortable. We have recommended SSOB to all of our friends. read more

if you want professional service, support, and high quality training then go to Ocean First. The staff and facility are the best regardless of your experience level. Gary is one of the best instructors I have ever experienced in my career and he stresses safety and having fun. Whatever course you decide to take, he will get you to master the skills and have fun doing it in a safe manner. If you are not certified, I recommend visiting them and taking an introductory course. If you are certified, check out one of the advanced courses, The rebreather course won't disappoint if you want to experience something very cool - Bryn read more

Love this dive shop. I did my open water classes in their onsite heated indoor pool. It was nice to have the classroom and pool so conveniently located in Boulder. The facility was great and my instructor really took the time to make sure I was calm ready for each new skill. I finished my open water certification on their group trip to Fiji with the same instructor. It was really helpful for me to have someone I trusted in the open water for the first time. It was a well organized trip with great accommodations and the underwater experience was one I will never forget. I will be training and traveling again with them soon! read more

Best swim school around! Both of our children (8 and 11 yrs old) have taken lessons at the swim school for over a year and have learned more during that time than all the numerous previous years combined at other facilities. The water is warm and the classes are small. The instructors are caring, attentive, and follow a set curriculum that focuses on teaching accurate technique. They have offered free water safety classes where among other things, your child jumps in the pool with their clothing on and is instructed on what to do to safely get back to the wall. Scheduling is flexible and you are able to sign up month to month. Best of all, our children feel safe, confident and love the water. read more

We have tried other swim schools and this one is our favorite! I love how they progress your child the moment they are ready for the next level. You don't get stuck at a level for the remainder of the session. The staff is very professional and kind. If you want your child to actually learn how to swim, skip the Rec Center and go here! read more

Our 3.5 year old daughter has been going to the Aquatikes classes for a short time now, about 2 months. Her water skills (and more importantly her confidence) have improved greatly! We could not be more pleased and feel this is one of the best things we have done for her in a very long time. She loves going, she loves her teacher (Reese) and every morning she asks us if it is a "swim class" day. The facility is nice and clean. The staff is very friendly and helpful and professional. We are so happy we found Ocean First! read more

After taking a 20 year break from SCUBA diving, I am again hooked due in large part to the exceptional training, service and community found at Ocean First! Last year, my college student son asked me to become (re)certified with him so he could start to experience scuba diving and we could have some fun adventures together. We decided on Ocean First after speaking with their very knowledgeable and friendly staff. We are so glad we did. Their Open Water Certification classes were very organized and enjoyable! Cathy C. did a fantastic job presenting the materials in class and the pool sessions were very relaxed and informative. The repetition of several important skills in the pool made the Open Water checkout dives with Scott G. and Bruce G. in Homestead, UT fun and stress free. My son and I will absolutely be going on Ocean First hosted dive trips in the future. So many cool exotic destinations being offered like Fiji for New Years!. Since becoming certified, we have taken 3 specialty courses at Ocean First, which were also very educational and helpful. I highly recommend the Perfect Buoyancy classes for divers of all skill levels! The dive shop staff are very knowledgeable about the gear they sell and definitely take the time to explain features and options to the customer. Dive equipment can be expensive so its nice to hear their expert opinions before making purchases. I just purchased a SeaLife underwater camera and light from Kellon S after he spent a lot of time going through the pros, cons and features of them. He is an accomplished underwater photographer so he has plenty of hands on experience to share. He even offered to schedule a training session in their pool to teach me how to use the camera properly. That's exceptional customer service!!! Finally, I love the community feel and involvement at Ocean First. They host many events that bring the dive community together to educate, socialize and give back. read more

We have been swimming at Ocean First for 3 year now. The staff and great with the children and really work towards each childs individual needs to help them learn to swim. They are also very flexible when it comes to scheduling lessons and super friendly :) read more