Where is the 100 star option?! Water safety is number one in my household and for 2 years of endless private and group swim classes I was starting to lose hope till my friend told me about Patti's swim school. Within one season my kiddo is ready for swim team not just Hawaii ready. Not only are they amazing , clean and efficient the place feels like you are swimming at your families home. I could not be more thankful for Patti and her swim school to be around. read more

We never enrolled at Patti's Swim School, so this isn't a review of the swim lessons. It's about how we were treated as prospective customers and how Patti responded afterward. My family recently moved into the neighborhood. We saw a crane trimming a large tree one morning and drove around the neighborhood to look. When we realized it was through Patti's Swim School, we started talking about possibly enrolling our two young children. The gate was open. The wide driveway and parking area looked like the entrance to a business, and we didn't see anything at the entrance saying "Private Property," "No Trespassing," "Appointment Required" or "Enrolled Families Only." We stopped near the gate and began talking to the neighboring property owner. A man named Michael came outside, told us not to speak with her and ordered us to leave because we were trespassing. His tone and manner felt very aggressive and confrontational. The neighbor disagreed with him and said the area was a public or shared-access easement. We had no idea there was apparently some kind of dispute between them. I can't say who was legally right about the easement, and we weren't there to take sides. Michael told us to leave, so we left. I was very angry afterward, but our realtor told me Patti's a reasonable person and that I shouldn't judge the whole school based on one interaction with Michael. I thought that was fair. I waited a day to cool down and emailed Patti directly. I told her what happened and asked three basic questions: Who is Michael? Does he represent the school? Does she think the way he handled the situation was appropriate? She didn't answer any of them. Instead, Patti compared what we did to parking in someone's driveway and walking into their backyard. I don't think that's a fair comparison at all. We drove through the open gate of an operating business and stayed in what looked like its entrance and parking area. We didn't enter anyone's house or backyard. Of course Patti has the right to control access to her property. We left as soon as we were told to leave. But if nobody's able to enter without being enrolled or having an appointment, that should be clear at the entrance. Patti claimed there were signs around the property saying people couldn't enter unless enrolled. I later took photos from the road and still couldn't find that warning at the entrance. What I did see was a small "Welcome to Patti's Swim School" sign. Her email concluded, "I'm sorry if you took offense," and then informed us that the school had a waiting list and couldn't accommodate our children anyway. That doesn't seem like an apology to me. The waiting-list comment felt like an unnecessary, condescending jab. I made a point of not judging Patti's Swim School based only on Michael. I cooled down, contacted Patti privately and gave her a chance to address it. Her response is what ultimately made the decision for me. Again, I can't speak to the quality of the swimming lessons. I can only say that after this interaction and Patti's response, I wouldn't have the trust needed to leave my children in their care. I'm attaching photos of the entrance and screenshots of our redacted email exchange so people can read Patti's response and decide for themselves. read more

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We are taking our 2 year old grandson here for group swim and/or private swim lessons and Patti is very patient and encouraging to our grandson. It takes him awhile each week to get acclimated but Patti is always patient and firm and gets him motivated. We want him to learn about swim safety at an early age. read more

The instructors are not good, making the kids cry in the water and not able to control. And always so crowded in the water, can see more than 6 kids in the pool at the same time. Very noisy too. We are thinking to find another school now, too expensive! read more

I put my son (3.5 years old) in the intensive course and it's amazing what 4 consecutive classes will achieve. His swim instructor, Nathan, has been fantastic and my son felt confident with him after the first class. My child loves to mess around and rarely takes lessons seriously, so I was impressed with what Nathan was able to accomplish by building trust and a balanced approach. While $95/lesson seemed expensive at first, you really can't put a price on the progress I've seen. We plan to continue bringing our son in for weekly lessons for the foreseeable future. read more

My 2 year old has been going here for over a year. The instructors are friendly and great with kids. My son LOVES it. The owner is very friendly and knowledgeable and always around. I like seeing local businesses where the owner is present and engaged. read more

I like the instructors in this place, but I will say the policy to not even reschedule with advance notice is disappointing especially for what we pay for. I would not spend money in this place in the long term unless you definitely know you can commit. Better to spend your money on a water park, it's probably less expensive, than when you have to miss a session in this place. I won't be coming to this place again in the future. read more

I need to share with the AMAZING team at Patti's Swim School. My granddaughter is nonverbal with autism and they are experienced in teaching swimming to children with Autism. She is doing SO WELL! Thank you Ms Bebe and the entire staff for all your hard work! If you have a child with special needs please KNOW they are very EXPERIENCED. Such a magnificent experience. My granddaughter is on her way to swimming like a pro!!! read more

After two months here, I've concluded the experience is very dependent on the instructor you get, which shouldnt be the case given the price per lesson ($95 each). Instructors don't use consistent methods or terminology so kids (especially toddlers) get confused. It's also hard to build from one lesson to the next because your primary instructor might need to be out one week or another. Anyone can have conflict in their schedule or get sick which is why staff consistency is important. My 3.5 year old daughter worked with 4 instructors over 8 lessons, so 3 of the 4 were subbing for our primary instructor (who was very gentle with our daughter but did not land any actual skills). We observed strides in progress during one-off sessions with a sub and our daughter had lots of fun with each instructor but only to regress when we came back to our primary instructor - a bit frustrating to be honest. And there's nothing we could realistically do about it. You pay a month in advance from the month you start so we paid in full for January on Dec 1. The makeup policy is pretty stringent so you just get what you get. I'd kindly suggest management focus on instructor quality and training, especially for Saturday instructors who teach during convenient times for many customers. There was a lot of potential here but just not a great fit given the instructors we had great experiences with didn't have availability on Saturday. When I called to book, we were told our daughter would be floating on her back in 3-4 lessons. Unfortunately, even though our daughter loves going and being in the water, that wasn't the experience we are leaving here with. For parents who can go during the week, I highly recommend Aaliyah or Isaac. We also had a sub Sebastian, who was fantastic. read more

Before my son started lessons at Patti's swim School he had no experience swimming and a fear of the water. The staff made my son feel safe and built his confidence up daily. It was wonderful to watch my son grow each lesson with new skills. We have now been attending for 3 weeks and my son has zero fear of the water. He loves to participate in fun jumps and leaps into the water. My son can also swim the distance of the pool in just the short amount of time. I'm really impressed with the staff. So proud of my son! read more

Had a great experience here with my 5 year old. He's taken a few group lessons through HARD, but didn't really learn much other than kicking and floating. Patti's Swim School was significantly more expensive, but the lessons are 30 min. 1:1 and he made a LOT of progress and has had a lot of fun. His teacher is Santiago, who is very patient and does a great job working with small children. I'd like to come back and do more lessons in the future. read more

Don't pay the crazy $$$ for lessons. Your child will not come out learning to swim. We did multiple seasons here. Lessons were cancelled with no notice. The pool was over packed with children swimming on top of each other. Meanwhile mamas & their babies are getting pushed around. Not a safe swim school read more

Receiving staff were polite and courteous. Swim instructors were awesome. I was a bit apprehensive of this place after reading some negative reviews however I was pleasantly surprise. The pool area was not full of kids running around. The pool was felt safe as my 7 month old son took his first swim lesson. I highly recommend this place. read more

My 8yo has come a long way with swim lessons. I wish we started at Patti's earlier. We spent so much time and money in group lessons and other private lessons but nothing compares to Patti's. The quality of instruction is what sets them apart from other places. read more

I am so grateful to have signed my daughter up for swim lesson's here. In just 2 weeks, my 5 year old went from not wanting to put her head under water to fully submerging herself excitedly! 5 weeks later and she is already practicing diving. Because I signed up mid season, we have already had two instructors and it was not an issue at all. They were both sweet, patient, clearly knowledgeable and have made all the difference for my daughter. Daniel is the instructor we had the longest and he is wonderful! The facility is clean, there are two changing rooms, a bathroom and a shower. All the instructors are calm and centered and professional. I trust that our next instructor will be just as effective. Thank you, Patti, for creating this comfortable and safe environment for my little one! read more

This place is horrible . They change my daughters schedule every week! Never called to see if it was ok. When I finally tried to talk to patti she rushed me off the phone told me to find somewhere else for my kid. Told me she would refund me for the three sessions..she sent me $50 dollars. I'm sure she will respond because she knows that it will be better than no response. The bottom line is that the staff is ok but the owner is awful..it's no wonder they have such a high turn over rate.. the staff talks bad about her. She even makes her staff feel obligated to work without taking breaks. Don't believe me? Please email I have prof. Also watch out for her response it will be very condescending Please check the picture below! Still have not gotten my refund read more

I want to leave a review for instructor Jessica. She is simply amazing! My son learned how to swim butterfly in one week with Jessica. I am so impressed. Patti's Swim School is pricy and has stricter refund/reschedule policy compared to others but with the right instructor it is definitely worth it. Sadly Jessica is exploring the option of moving to San Diego, I wish her luck and hoping to see her next Summer again! read more

Patti's Swim School - Report Card - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Bottom line is that you should go somewhere else. We spent two sessions (each session is several weeks) here after 6 months at Ohana. There was one good teacher there out of all of them. The others just carry kids across the pool, pick at their nails or are just ignoring their kids. The school also has kids attempting to do full laps with strokes in a backyard pool without lanes and across the areas where small children and adults are just learning to swim. It's chaotic, poorly managed and extremely expensive. The first session the teacher just carried her back and forth across the pool after she had already been swimming at Ohana. When asked about she muttered something and kept doing it. We gave them a second go around asking for another teacher who we witnessed giving good solid instructions to a kid. She was wonderful. Sadly she broke her arm and couldn't continue the rest of the session. If you want better quality at a lower price go to Ohana in Oakland. The pool is larger, they have more structure and are far more responsive to customers. If you want to pay the same but get extremely better instruction go to American Swim Academy in Walnut Creek. Full lanes, lots of structure and great communication. Skip Patti's. read more

My son (5yo) has Sensory Processing Disorder which can mean some things are hard for him like having his hair or body touched or different temperatures. All that means that we hadn't had a lot of luck with swim school in the past. This was our third try and we'd never made it past a single lesson anywhere else. This time it worked! He wrote this review himself. "I like it. And well Haley is a good teacher. When I did mistakes she asked me to try again and I actually did it. I passed it. They let me take my time getting in. I like pushing off Haley and the stairs. I like putting my eyes under the water. I like it when I have goggles on. It's nice of Haley to put my goggles on for me. I like it when we go to get pizza after swimming lessons!" For anyone with a sensory kid, you know this kind of review is *amazing*. He really loved it and never wants to leave the pool! They were able to accommodate his SPD beautifully. Grateful mom here! read more

Patti's Swim School - Pool at Patti's swim school. - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Castro Valley, California

According to the National Autism Foundation, accidental drowning accounted for 91% total U.S. deaths reported in children with ASD ages 14 and younger subsequent to wandering/elopement in 2009, 2010, and 2011. When I learned that kids on the autism spectrum have such a high risk for drowning and saw my own two-year old autistic grandson so attracted to water, I set out to research the best place for our special needs sweetheart to learn to swim. We are so grateful to have found Patti's Swim School in Castro Valley. Don't be swayed by the fact that this business is in a residential neighborhood and don't worry if you are seeking lessons in the middle of winter. Patti keeps her pool warm and comfortable and has a dome for the cold winter months. Her changing rooms and bathroom are clean and right next to the pool, which is behind Patti's home. My grandson has been taking swim lessons for almost a year, beginning at the age of two, with Jordan, and is closer and closer to being water safe. Jordan has found ways to communicate with him despite his disability and he can now back float, jump into the pool from the diving board, and swim to the steps from Jordan about 10' away. It's just a matter of time and our little guy will be swimming! Jordan is an amazing teacher, but I have also watched the other instructors and they are all great. Each one is a bit different, giving a variety of instructors suitable to different students. Amanda is the scheduler and coordinator and she is a dream to work with - easy-going and friendly and very organized. Patti and her staff have special training for kids with special needs and this grandma of an autistic three-year-old couldn't be happier. Patti, Jordan, Amanda, Ryan - they are angels in our eyes!!! read more

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I wanted to wait a few classes before leaving a review but in all honesty from day 1 my baby loved it! She's only 6 months and has learned so much! Patty is super nice, informative and well experienced with teaching kids to swim, Julia the receptionist was very informative when it came to the pricing, classes and what it included. I'm also noticing that now when we go to the pool my baby is super comfortable and will immediately want to float, I love it! You are definitely getting what you're paying for, I recommend this place definitely a 10/10 if we could give more I would I've already recommended this place to multiple of my friends it's just that great! Parking is really easy and accessible, the pool is very clean and so are the dressing rooms it's just a great place for you and your little to learn to swim! read more

Friendly, very accommodating and Ryan is awesome! Great instructor!! Felt comfortable and my son loves it! read more

The swim instructors here are excellent. My daughter loved taking classes and she became more comfortable with water. However, I'm giving this school 2 stars because they did not honor their reschedule policy and I lost money because of that. Their website says rescheduling incurs $25 fee. I needed to reschedule my daughters class. They told me that they were completely booked and couldn't reschedule. I was not offered a refund after that. So I paid for services that I never received. This is not a good way to treat your customers. ETA: Patti claims below that "On our website and in every email correspondence we clearly state we have a no make up policy." I'm going to copy and paste the policy so that, as she states, I can continue to make people aware of the school's makeup policy. The policy states, "Makeup Lessons: If you're unable to attend your scheduled swimming lesson, you will be able to makeup that lesson and be charged a $25 rescheduling fee or gift that lesson to a friend or family member. Please also email us whenever you're unable to make your scheduled lessons, so our instructors are aware." read more

My two girls were afraid of water before taking the course but can now enjoy having fun. Teacher Isaac is so patient and helpful, my little ones gained the confidence they need to have a safe and fun summer by the water. read more

We have been coming for a few years now. My boys learned how to confidently swim in one summer doing the Summer Intensives. We now have our 18month old learning water safety and the basics. Highly recommend this place to all my friends! read more

Absolutely the best staff! I had the best swimming instructor, Isaac a true gentleman that helped me overcome my fear of swimming as an adult. He had so much patience with me and helped me overcome my fear of swimming. Excellent praise to the Owner, Patti, Carl at the front, and entire staff for all the encouragement they gave me during my lessons. I would highly recommend Patti's Swim School and whoever you have as your instructor will be wonderful. read more

Patti's Swim School - Isaac my wonderful swimming instructor! - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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We are so grateful for Patti's. The instructors are skilled, friendly, and have helped my 5YO become a confident swimmer. The warm pool, 1:1 instruction, and swim intensives have made us returning customers for a second year in a row. Whenever my parent friends ask for a swim school referral, I always refer them to Patti's read more

We love this swim school! When it gets cold, they put up a dome around the pool to make it warm for the kids and to keep the pool water warm. It gets taken down when the weather is nice and hot out. Lots of seats to sit. A bathroom right near the pool and two changing rooms. Mrs. Patti and her staff are very friendly and all the swimming instructor's the child has had in the past are so informative when it comes to what level she's at and where she needs to be. Been coming here for nearly 2 years now. We love Jordan! read more

Patti's Swim School - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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The instructors don't seem very organized and are all young. Pool was crowded with other lessons going on. Pool is heated but the changing rooms were not and were freezing. read more

I wish I could give this place ZERO stars. DO NOT SEND YOUR KIDS HERE. Go anywhere else - literally. My 4 year old son took lessons here with his cousin. It was both their first time, and they had the kids sit on a step. The teacher would take one kid out at a time, turning her back to other kids and being a lot farther than arms reach away. There were NO lifeguards on duty. The kids would play and slip, and multiple times I had to get up and grab my kid. They weren't misbehaving, they were just normal wiggly preschoolers on a step. One day I was holding my baby and had to physically STEP INTO THE POOL to pull my son up from under the water. The teacher didn't notice that he was DROWNING. The worst part? When I went to ask the man at the entry table why there weren't lifeguards on duty, he rudely responded that it wasn't necessary. So I politely told him what happened. He ROLLED HIS EYES at me and said, "It takes 2 minutes to drown, your son was NOT drowning" First of all, that information is incorrect. It takes 60 seconds for an adult and 20 seconds for a child. This kind of response is NOT appropriate for a place teaching children to swim. What if I had been in the restroom?? Would my child have inhaled water into their lungs before the teacher noticed? This school is not safe, and the quality of swim lessons is not worth it. You'd be better off going to American Swim Academy (curriculum & price are the same), or saving money and going to the Hayward Plunge or Castro Valley High. read more

My son had a non-fatal drowning incident when he was about three years old that required hospitalization in P-ICU for a few days. It took a while for him to feel confident in the water again. The pandemic hit and there were no classes. December 2020, we made it a priority to get him to learn how to swim. He had great instructors. First Lawrence, who acclimated him back into the water and my son was able to get in without tears or fear. Then we were introduced to Ryan and my son has been working with him since. My son went from fearing the water to doing laps within a matter of a couple months. What I appreciate the most is the bond Ryan formed with my son. My son thoroughly enjoys going to swim class and looks up to Ryan so much. I cannot thank Patti's Swim School enough for teaching my son an important life skill and reassuring his safety around water. They've done this in a way that he enjoys going to lessons every time. read more

So, here's the thing, when you write a review on a swim school... you're reviewing the entire experience. Not just the instructor. If I was solely reviewing my instructor, I'd give 5 stars all day. O'Hara helped me get over a debilitating fear of deep water. My fear was so bad, I cried hysterically the first day I saw the pool and how deep it was. O'Hara was patient and nonjudgmental. She was flexible with my learning curve and let me explore the deep water at my own pace. By the end of the winter session, I was diving in the deep end and floating without hyperventilating. Big deal for me. But, as much as I love O'Hara, I still have to give 3 stars for the vibe and energy I got from the overall experience. Primarily, I think Patti's swim school should address a lack of diversity. I don't believe they have any non-white staff. Considering that swimming has been historically deprived from the African American community, I think my experience would have been a lot better had there been at least 1 employee who looks like me. Additionally, I notice a pattern in some of the reviews. I think cultural sensitivity might be lacking in this environment. The school is located in a residential backyard of a 2 acre lot. The location alone creates dynamics of exclusion. My experience also felt like I was taking part in something that others are excluded from. I am not being 100% specific about the microaggressions I experienced here. The point is, diversity will offset that tremendously. read more

Absolutely amazing! My 5 year old went from not wanting to get her face wet to fully submerging her head during the second lesson. A few lessons later she wants to "cannonball" off the deep end. The instructors are patient, but also gently pushing the boundaries of my daughter's comfort level to get her to constantly try new things. It is her favorite activity during the week. Thank you for making swimming so much fun! read more

My daughter and I took the baby and me swim classes in the summer of 2021. The pool had several lessons happening at once and it had no lanes and no real organization. The first instructor had no idea how to engage with the babies and the class was a real let down. The second instructor was much better however the overcrowded pool made it difficult for me and my daughter. My daughter also had a fear of going under and I don't feel the instructors really knew how to deal with it. Now that we are in swimming lessons in a new location I am reflecting on how poorly the lessons at Patti's were for us. I hope this review helps you make the best decision for your child. read more

I am so thankful to have found this gem of a place. My 5-year-old is building such a confident, rewarding relationship with water under James' calm and caring guidance. She is a cautious kiddo, and wasn't super thrilled by the concept of swimming lessons. Thanks to James, she counts down the days to each lesson. read more

This place stinks, parking is terrible, they don't stagger classes so everyone is coming and going at once and spots are very limited as is. They also over book the teeny tiny little pool they have (think little backyard kidney shaped family pool), my kid has been bumped into by both kids and adults on multiple occasions, WAY too many people in at once for this tiny pool. No fewer than 6-7 students plus instructors for each student in at once when we've had lessons. On another occasion, our instructor didn't even come back from the bathroom until 3-4 minutes after class was scheduled to start, missing st least 10% of our lesson time, and at their crazy high prices, I guess I expected more for our money. Instructors also socializing amongst themselves a lot while kids seem to just sit idle. Save your money (a LOT of money) and just book at HARD, San Lorenzo or someplace else. read more

Water safety is something that is a very important skill to have. Being a mom of two littles, this was high on my list of skills they must learn. As a child my parents made this very important too. When looking at swim schools, I didn't even think twice about it and knew that my children would be going to Patti's Swim school in Castro Valley. This is where I went as a child, and to think that after 30 some years later, it is still going strong is a testament in itself. Patti's swim school is a great place for your child or even yourself to learn how to swim. During these past couple of months, I've been bringing my 2.5 year old son there, and it has been a joy to see his confidence grow around water. We LOVE teacher Ryan, but while watching all the other teachers teach, everyone is very skilled and friendly. As an elementary teacher myself, I see that each instructor takes the time to scaffold lessons to meet the needs of each swimmer. I can not wait for my 5 month old to start her swim journey there as well. I highly recommend Patti's Swim School! read more

I reviewed Patti's two years ago and gave a raving review. I take it all back. Post COVID, this Castro Valley institution has gone down the drain. I enrolled both my daughters (ages 2.5 and 7 months) in parent-assist lessons. Lessons for the little one are not consistent and I've had to suggest we sing and do "humpty dumpties" to management and instructor. He is a nice guy, however, it seems he receives no instruction from management on how to engage such small kids. Lots of potential to teach him- you can see he truly cares. The bigger issue has been with signing up my 2.5 year old for group classes. She was initially placed with 1 year to 18 month olds- WAY too slow paced for someone who is walking and talking. She was bored and the class was wasted. I asked for her credits to be transferred to private lessons but the private class the following week was cancelled due to several instructors calling out sick. We didn't receive an option for a make-up, just a refund. Last week, her originally booked time slot wasn't available either and Patti herself told me that "the 10am instructor is better than the 1130am instructor." I wouldn't know because she was moved again this week as well. I am working full time and have to arrange my schedule to take my daughter to lessons as it's a matter of safety, not just splashing around. Why am I paying such a premium for individual lessons for a worse instructor? Why am I paying such a high price period (prices went up considerably)? Why am I paying for such poor customer service? Last week, as I was waiting for a lesson with one of my daughters, Patti started yelling at her staff in the pool for leaving toys floating around and that they need to have the kids play with toys "one at a time." I assume they get stuck in the drain system and that would be hazardous to the pool, however, yelling at your staff who are in lessons is not OK. Yelling period is not OK. The other parents I was sitting with had a similar reaction I did: shock. Furthermore, I am constantly emailing and calling Patti's because I receive reminder notices for classes that my daughters aren't enrolled in. I know this is a tech issue, but fix it. I never receive call backs and have only received one email response since we started. Allison and especially Amanda are kind and try their best to be accommodating, but it just seems like a disorganized mess of a pool. I am sad that this is my experience. I am sad that I am not able to find what I am looking for there. I used to love Patti's but the last month has made me upset and disappointed. read more

Patti's Swim School literally changed my life. My swim-loving husband and I are moving to Hawaii at the end of the year ... but I was terrified of water because of two near-drowning experiences. I didn't want to live in Hawaii for the rest of my life and be unable to go in the ocean! I searched and searched for somewhere that would help adults with a significant fear of water, and eventually I found Patti's. After 12 lessons with Jenna, I find myself not only feeling safe in the water but actively enjoying it. I look forward to literally decades of ocean swimming when we live in Kauai, and it's all thanks to Patti's. read more

Our son has been really enjoying lessons here. The instructors work very well with the children. I highly recommend Patti's! The only challenge I've experienced is parking. It's quite dark in the vicinity and, if it's a busy evening with lots of cars in the drive, it's easy to get blocked in. read more