We signed up in January 2026 for swim lessons and were put on a waiting list. We called EVERY SINGLE DAY and WEEK since then, and nothing. Not only are they unapologetic, but more often than not, downright rude, incommunicative, and squirrely about their programs, classes, availability, etc. Now, it was only $50, and I understand on refunds under any circumstance whatsoever forever and ever amen. But come on, if you don't offer refunds and you don't have availability for the foreseeable future, maybe don't keep on selling classes. I would love a refund or at least an acknowledgement, but nothing. Even Safe Splash offered refunds and were apologetic when their pool broke over March. They notified us right away and kept us in the loop then refunded our money (without us asking). Not sure why pods continuines to enroll new students, but I have to say, I'd recommend staying away. read more

Pods Swimming was a nightmare for us. Enrollment was disorganized, and my daughter was placed in the wrong class. The teacher would not let her out of the pool to use the bathroom, even while she was crying and asking repeatedly. She was forced to do skills she wasn't comfortable with, ignored despite another teacher trying to intervene, and left screaming and visibly distressed. This all happened because Pods enrolled her incorrectly. I did not ask for a refund--only that the remaining classes be saved as a credit. Instead, the director ignored my actual request, copied and pasted the no-refund policy, and advised me that they reserve the right to change teachers at any time--which was not what I was disputing. The issue was their administrative error and how it was handled. She ultimately stopped responding altogether. They kept our $90 and showed zero accountability or concern for a young child's well-being. I absolutely do not recommend Pods Swimming. read more

Pods has been incredible for my kids. They have learned not only how to swim, but also how to be safe in the water and know what to do when they get tired, if they feel unsure, or if they fall in. Being at the pool is not longer a stressful event. 10/10 recommend. read more

Highly recommend Pods! When my daughter's birthday spot canceled on us one week before, Pods moved quickly to arrange for us to have her party there. They went above and beyond and everyone had a blast! read more

Love the water aerobics class. Monday -Friday, 10am-11am. The locker room situation is poor. Yesterday cold showers. This is really a facility for children...very small children learning to swim. So there are screaming, inquisitive tots using the same Locker room as women. Not good. read more

I love it here. The Aqua Aerobics classes are excellent and so fun! Everything is clean as well.

Instructors are awesome. Place is clean. Big downside...Front desk staff (including owners) do not make eye contact and can't even give a simple hello or goodbye to patrons. It's like thanks for all the money but you're not worth talking to unless absolutely necessary. read more

My children have attended Pods for 3 years. We were referred from a friend who used to take her children to a country club before Pods had their own facility. This is the only place that strategically incorporates breathing techniques. I spent some time trying to understand why the children were bumped down into what I deemed easy classes: It all came back down to technique. And that lasted a few classes and they were bumped up to the next level quickly. I have seen my children thrive and became amazing swimmers. It's not 100% their passion but I'd rather have them learn the right technique for breathing and body movement than have spent so many years learning incorrect movement prior to seeking out Pods. There are a maximum of 4 children to 1 instructor in the classes. This way every child gets a fair amount of swim time. I found the online portal hard to navigate at first but the owner answers her emails and sends me full links with instructions. The system is now easy to navigate after being shown how to do it the right way. I love it! I understand the summer swimming sign up is separate from Sept to summer months. They do have a form to hold time slots if you were to take a summer break. I found that accommodating for families who travel or participate in other travel/summer sports. Jamie Pascale and her staff are amazing. We've had John, Molly, Elizabeth, Katie, and Clayton: Now Shawn as well as Jamie, herself. Every instructor is different and we find the ones that work well with the children. They rotate their summer staff with employees who go away for college. It's always nice to see returning faces when I look up the schedule to choose the best fit for my kids based on availability. As a Jr. Squid; my kid is swimming with flippers now and he has more fun in class than ever. See you in the spring! read more

Couldn't be happier with Pods Swimming Lessons. Our son has been going there for a few months now and the level of improvement is astounding. He is two years old for reference. We live in Warwick and were initially going a local swim class but never felt we were getting anything from it. Just singing and splashing. The drive to E.P. is worth it for us. The very first class here, our son was crying and throwing a fit - the instructors were so patient and comforting. He eventually got over it the next few weeks and now actively participates in every segment. Even though there are more kids in the classes, you still get a personalized experience and specific tips for you kid. He looks forward to it and hurries us up on Saturdays to get to class! Thank you PODS! read more

Place is awesome. Pros - Teachers. We have miss jenna as a swim coach. Maybe thats why i love it so much. She makes everything better. She is great. Technology. Everything is done online. Scheduling, rescheduling, canceled classes, makeup classes, and payments. Its super easy Cleanliness. Place is spotless Cons Price. But you get what you pay for so its really not a con. This is a 1st class environment for your child. Best money i spend read more

We've been a pods family for years and couldn't be happier! My son swims better than I do!! Many of the staff are not for snowflakes, which we like. Yes, floors can we wet, that's what water does - it's wet! Main concern is other families! If your kid is screaming in the waiting area, go outside. Don't let your kids run around! This is why we do the earliest available lessons, to avoid others. read more

My son was taking these classes for a year and has yet to learn to swim. I wouldn't recommend sorry.

This wasn't my favorite place (much different style than our previous school that closed down) but my son wanted to keep going so we were enrolled for maybe a year. Overall, everything was "fine" until the other day when I noticed I was charged for December classes but we didn't take classes. I called to find out if they had opened back up after the pause in December as I never saw any communication. I got Susan [?] on the phone who said they were open and had opened back in December. She said that Jaimie had emailed everyone and she would have Jaimie call me to tell me what the emails said. I told her I didn't need Jaimie to tell me what the emails said as it's a moot point now but was letting HER know I didn't receive any communication. I mentioned I had been charged for classes we couldn't take in December and she immediately got defensive stating I was only charged for the weeks they were open in December. She then tried going into this long drawn out explanation of the Rhode Island pause which I obviously know. I explained his classes in December happened to fall on holidays so they were closed and there were no openings to book a makeup. She explained the only way not to be charged is to withdraw. So I asked if I could do that over the phone and the crap hit the fan. She said I could go online and I said I didn't have access to the online form/website. She then wanted to know how I could go on email to check that I received no communication but not access their web form and if I had a smart phone why I couldn't. She was condescending and rude. I told Susan that her attitude was DISGUSTING and my son would absolutely not be back and I'd be resolving my issue with December charges with my bank to which she said "no that's not what I'm saying". We went back and forth a few more times and I just hung up. When I called that day I only wanted to confirm they were open and that we'd be back to class this week. The 25.00 I was charged for in December wasn't even on my mind to be refunded. It was Susan's attitude that turned this situation into what it was. My son just wants to push his own limits with learning to swim. He has ADHD and anxiety and it's the one "sport" he is able to do pretty well and it has made a huge difference in his confidence. He's not going to be the next Michael Phelps but he enjoyed learning. I don't think it's asking too much to be provided regular updates during this pandemic and, if I have a question related to their business or the services I pay for, to be treated with respect and dignity. Apparently Susan can't do that so there is just no way I can support this business. I had my mother withdraw my son for me online. I received two emails confirming refunds for December and January and one email confirming my son was withdrawn. At the end of the day it's my son who had to lose out on something he enjoyed and will now have to start over at a different school because Susan can't be professional. She needs to get it together! read more

Pods has been awesome for my 7 month old. The place is clean, the pool is clean, Ms Jenna is knowledgable. She explains reasoning behind all the activities and props being used. The staff is all friendly. read more

We enrolled my daughter for swimming lessons here once she turned 6 months as we have heard great things. She is about to turn 15 months and this child is like a mermaid! We have had Marguerite & currently have Jenna as a teacher and I can't say enough great things about them. A couple of little tips, you need to find that sweet spot time to get there for your class - sometimes it's chaotic in the changing areas and finding a locker or place to change can be hard if you are trying to get ready for a class while others get out of one. Also, highly recommend weekends if you are a 9-5er as opposed to weeknights. It's not as crazy, we made up a couple of classes on weeknights and it was a bit overwhelming with the amount of people in and out. They let you cancel and reschedule one class every thirty days and any additional it's a $5 charge. We have only needed to do this when our daughters been sick or we are on vacation. It's easy to manage through their portal or you can email the owner and get a quick response. I highly encourage any parents looking to have their children learn to be comfortable and safe in the water to come here, and the younger the better! I have seen first time older children having a tough time, start them young! read more

Can't believe people say this place is great- they use floating frames for the young kids now, it's awful! The whole reason I went there was to avoid floating devices. They also use wetsuits for "buoyancy" but my son could barely move himself in the water and started to hate it. While the instructor was lovely I did not feel the money was worth it or that she was paying attention to my child's needs in the class. It's a crowded, rushed experience and definitely not a place I liked! read more

My daughter has been coming here for about a year. The facility is organized & clean with a great staff! We LOve Jenna. Takes a bit of getting used to how the strict scheduling works. Once I got the swing of it I realized how easy it is to accommodate mine & PODs scheduling system.I plan to have my daughter come here years to come. I'm not a great swimmer so this was important to me have her learn and she's learning from the best! I love watching her with the instructor. She has a blast read more

PSA about Pods Swimming - my son slipped and fell there last week because their dressing rooms are notoriously slippery and always wet! Thankfully, nothing is fractured but I cannot tell you how rude the owner of Pods Swimming was to me when I complained about how slippery the floors always are. Please note, I was not asking for a refund or any kind of monetary compensation! I was just asking that they would consider putting rubber grate/mats on the floor to let the water seep through and prevent people from slipping. She repeatedly told me that wasn't required per the floor manufacturer or the contractor that installed it and although it's slippery and they have constantly complained about it to the contractor, there is nothing more they can do about it other than clean it and squeegee it which they already are doing. She told me that they squeegee it "around the clock" but then when I said I have never seen anyone squeegee it in all the times I have been there, she admitted that they are not allowed to squeegee it if anyone is in the dressing rooms. When you have 50 students rotating in and out of your building for 30 minute classes at a time, the locker room is never empty! That's why it is always wet and always extremely slippery! Clearly the safety of their clientele (and I've been a paying customer there since Hunter was five weeks old) is not their utmost priority. She then proceeded to tell me that she would cancel all of Hunter's upcoming swim classes since I had the nerve to leave negative feedback on their Facebook page! Mind you, my Facebook feedback said that the swim instructors are great but unfortunately the facility is slippery and dangerous and they are doing little to mitigate the problem! I honestly can't imagine any business owner being this ignorant and rude and responding this way to a very valid concern! read more

Pods Swimming - This is my son's face after falling at Pods Swimming, please read my review! - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - East Providence, Rhode Island

My daughter began attending PODS when it first opened and we loved it! Not sure what happened, but I feel the quality of service has declined. First and foremost, local high schools use the building for competitions DURING classes, which make for a living nightmare! Not only is it loud and packed with students/ coaches, the locker rooms aren't even safety compliant! Book bags and belongings everywhere, you can not even walk in the locker room, never mind actually finding a place to change. Also, if your child takes classes in the lap pool, you can't even watch them swim because parents aren't allow in the pool area, so you're forced to watch thru a window from a chair in the (often packed) main hallway which only has a view to half the pool. My daughter will often ask if I saw something she did and I have to pretend I've seen it just to make her feel good. Lastly, I feel the management could be a little more personable. Sometimes they don't say anything other than "Go ahead" when we come in (as in go head and scan your card). When my daughter graduated up to the next class, the owner printed up a certificate and just handed it to me with her standing right next to me. No acknowledgment of her achievements and hard work. Nothing. I really liked pods at first but we had no choice but to find somewhere else. read more

Choosing Pods was the smartest decision we ever made. Our daughter is alive and well because of this incredible place. We wrote the following letter to Pods and we give them our complete endorsement. (Dear Pods), A few weeks ago, my nightmare became reality. My two year old daughter fell into the pool. Picture the murky, ice-tea colored water and a little girl disappearing beneath the surface. My heart stopped and in a flash her father was in the pool beside her. But not as quickly as a hand appeared through the water, followed by a tiny body paddling to the side and starting to cough and monkey crawl to the stairs. We thank God she's okay. But we thank PODS too. Since the onset our daughter learned awareness and survival skills that even at two years old she was able to employ. Our experience was horrendous but instinctively, she knew what to do and how to get to safety. As you preach at PODS, we are never "100% safe." But through what you taught us, we managed to avoid what could have had a tragic ending. We will continue to attend PODS as we see even more the importance for safety and proactiveness. Thank you PODS for all you do. You turned a little baby into a very confident and capable swimmer - at two years old. read more

I have 2 children, ages 2 and 4, who had been taking Infant Swim Rescue lessons for 6 months. They were doing wonderfully in continuing these lessons then we moved to Rhode Island and found that there are currently no ISR instructors in this state, so we were advised to try Pods. I liked the Pods facility a lot, it's very new and nicely designed for its purpose. The kids got free Tshirts and we got key tags to swipe in on arrival, there were some toys to play with and it seemed very professional. There wasn't much attempt at assessment of the kids' skills. We showed up for the Cuttlefish class and found that the other participants were basically infants or very young toddlers, and it was focused on getting used to the water - singing songs, moms in the water with kids and getting them used to pouring water on their heads. The teacher was very sweet, but this clearly was not the right class for a kid who is able to swim on his own. Nonetheless, he was kept in the Cuttlefish class for an entire month, although at later classes the teacher would have the rest of the class members doing one thing and my son separately doing something else more advanced. We took my daughter to the Nautilus class and were disappointed to find that it too was well below the level that she had been swimming in the ISR lessons. She had one of the teacher's hands on her at all times, they used flotation devices quite a bit, she never was challenged to swim even one stroke or float on her own. I went into the class after about 5 minutes and told the teachers that my daughter can swim unassisted, but that didn't change things. At the end of the class, they said that they had reassessed her and that she could move up to the next level Nautilus class. So we returned again, and it was almost an identical experience, with minimally more emphasis on independent ability to swim. Again I spoke to the teachers, again nothing changed, again at the end of the class she was 'reassessed' and was moved up to the next level Nautilus class. So we returned for a third time with her and found that even the third class was very hands-on in terms of the teachers' methods with almost no time swimming or floating on her own. I had tried speaking with a manager at the facility, but especially on the weekends, it's a mob scene, there are tons of people checking in and it's really hard to have any conversation either with the teacher or with the person behind the desk. So I spoke with a manager on the phone. The phone conversation was the most disappointing part of the whole experience. I understood that we had different philosophies towards learning to swim, and I would have been fine with just agreeing that this isn't the right school for us and parting ways, but I had the impression that they were treating me like a crazy tiger mom who was trying to push her kids into an activity too hard, which is absolutely not what I'm like, I am just an emergency medicine doctor who is passionate about water safety and survival and doesn't care about whether a 4 year old has great form or 'perfect kicking' (which US Swim School philosophy requires to advance to more independent swimming). I tried to explain I was just frustrated to see them regressing so far from the skills that they had previously had and not being able to practice, and the manager made some negative comments about the ISR method and kind of snarked that "well, after ISR training aren't they supposed to have these skills already" and I responded that no, like any other skill it has to be practiced or it will be lost. She made a few other disparaging sounding remarks about ISR. You know what, I get that ISR is not for everybody, but I absolutely loved it, and it worked out awesomely for my kids - why the attitude? I will say they were very good about processing my cancellation and have a nice web based system. We then transferred over to Ripples Swim School where our experience has been much better. The front desk staff are kind, not condescending, and it is not chaotic or rushed. The facility is a little less flashy, but very similar otherwise, and they have a Keurig for parents, much better toys for waiting siblings, and most importantly, they truly assessed my kids and put them in appropriate classes. A few weeks after leaving Pods, my daughter is swimming the entire length of the pool unassisted at Ripples. My son is back to practicing his swims and floats.I think if you don't really care about having your young child float or swim unassisted, Pods would serve perfectly well, but if you have a toddler or preschooler and want them to seriously swim, I'd strongly recommend Ripples if you can get there. read more

We absolutely love Pods! I started my 1 and 4 year olds with pods just 2 months ago. We originally signed up because my 4 year old was suddenly afraid of the water. Both of their teachers have been wonderful and we have seen so much improvement in my 4 year old already. My 20 month old is already underwater and floating. The facility is always clean and we have literally not a single negative thing to say about our experience with them. read more

Our initial experience at Pods was great. That quickly changed as soon as we actually had to deal with management. When my son progressed to Nautilus, he had FOUR instructor changes in the time span of about two months. Toddlers thrive on consistency, and as soon as my son got familiar with an instructor, a new one would take their place. The most frustrating part about that was that with each new instructor, my son had to start back at square 1 with what he was being taught. Each instructor would start back up at the beginning. This was a complete waste of time and money. I brought this up to the lady at the front desk VERY kindly and simply suggested that the transition should be smoother where the instructor picks up where the previous one left off. I was told that the new instructor needs to familiarize themselves with each kid's skill level. However, if this was a one-time occurrence, that would have been fine. But again this happened 4 times in 2 months. That's at least 4 classes I paid for going to waste. With that being said, I one day asked the third instructor (Margaruite) when she thinks his class progress sheet that they have listed on their online portal would be updated so that I may know what he has and what he hasn't learned so far. She surprisingly instead tells me that she thinks he's ready to move to the next Nautilus level and that next week she would have John (who has the authority to move kids up because I've witnessed him do so several times) come by and give the ok. Next class comes and she clearly completely and totally forgot ever saying that to me. With the number of students these instructors teach, I can see why she would forget. So I simply came up to her and reminded her of what it was she said to me. She looks at me like I have 4 heads, confusedly says ok and calls over the lady at the front desk to take videos of him to send to Jamie who will then approve or disapprove of him moving up. She did not call John over. The following week comes and Margaruite calls me over before class begins. She proceeds to talk to me as if I'm this tiger mom who is pushing for her kid to move up a level when I, in no way shape or form, suggested he should. She says "He's not even three yet he's obviously not ready" with the most snarky attitude. Again, I never asked to have him move up. And anyway, shouldn't she have checked his age BEFORE telling me she thinks he's ready? Now the FOURTH instructor begins to teach my son. A week or two go by, and then after class, the instructor dismisses the other kids and keeps mine behind. She calls over John and shows him my sons skills to get his ok for him to move up. He approves. I'm called over and told he's ready to move to Nautilus II and that I should go to the front desk to get his certificate. I'm told to email Jamie to let her know and to have her assign him to a Nautilus II class. Sometime later that day I email her. I also notice a voicemail from Pods telling me to call them back regarding his moving up. I'm YET AGAIN told, "he's not even 3 yet". ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME. How does this happen twice? I'm clearly annoyed by now and make it clear to Suzan, the owner of Pods, thinking surely she would care if a parent had a bad experience. Nope, she doesn't. I'm again treated like some psycho whos pushing her child to a level he's not ready for. When again, this was not my idea. I'm told the instructor is new and overstepped her boundaries, and that John doesn't even have the authority to move kids up. Which is a complete lie A bit later, we had to book a makeup class for my son. We book it with a woman who's never taught him before. During the class, I see the woman telling another instructor that he's ready to move up and to call Jamie over to see. Jamie takes one look at my son, knowing who he is by now, turns around and says no. By now I am BAFFLED. THREE different instructors believed my son is able to move up. So I decided to try and talk to Jamie myself and get a better understanding of what it is, other than age, that seems to be holding him back from moving up. I request to speak to her. For whatever reason, instead of speaking to me, she takes it upon herself to go watch my son and see if she decides to move him up. While this is going on, my wife is standing at the window with several other parents who are standing to watch their kids. At the end of her (voluntary) observation she, with the most disrespect I've ever seen, turns to her at the window and says "NO!". I stop her before she gets to her office and talk to her about how absolutely ridiculous this all has gotten. She tries to write it off as a "misunderstanding" and says she'll move him up first thing next month as if that is supposed to compensate for all the rudeness that's transpired. I would not recommend this place to a single parent in all of Rhode Island!!! Run, don't walk, to Ripple Swim School in West Warwick instead. read more

We have been with pods for 6 years! Can't say enough great things about the instructors and results I have seen in my three children! The new facility is beautiful, clean, and warm! There are 5 classes in the teaching pool at one time. Lots of excitement and instruction. It is truly amazing how far and how much work went into creating a space just for this amazing program! The instructors are kind, positive, and enthusiastic! Come visit and see the results... my two older children can swim confidently and we owe it to this program!! There is no price you can put on your child's safety and ability to swim! I'd tell anyone this is the place to be to learn to swim! Come see for yourself! read more

Most experienced instructors in the state with a beautiful new facility that offers a flexible open swim schedule!

We arrived late to our first class and, rather than have us come back another day so our son could be with kids his age, they put him into a class with kids two years older than him. We were walked to the locker room and left with no instruction, only that we would be allowed in the pool shortly. Once in the pool our son was visibly upset and cried. Most of the class was spent consoling him with very minimal interaction with the instructor. The activities the other kids were doing was well beyond what our son is capable of and the instruction provided was poor. Before our next class I called asking to cancel the additional two classes I had booked because I knew he wasn't ready and that Pods was not the place. The pool we were in was very crowded and loud: 4 swim lanes, each with at least 6-8 kids. I was repeatedly told they do not offer refunds and are a "swim school" meaning they do not offer single classes, trials, or anything to educate you on their program beyond what you find on their website. I expected that a 1 year old's first class would have been well structured with a walk-through of the program, an introduction to the instructor, and a slow and fun class. I recognize we were late, but they should have just told us to come back next week. Overall we were very unhappy with the result, especially considering how much our son loves the pool, and also unhappy that they are unwilling to offer a refund for a child who only attended one class and had a terrible time; this is what makes me think it's more about the money than the students. My advice is to find a different program for your child. read more

Before making a commitment to Pods I would strongly urge you to visit the facility on a Saturday or Sunday at peak time and judge for yourself if this is the right swim program for your child. We signed up based on the positive reviews and had a very disappointing experience. Our two primary concerns were overcrowding of the facility/pool and actual swim instruction time with each child. On the day of our lesson, the smaller of the pools had over 30 parents, kids, and instructors hosting 6-7 classes. The program design (at least for Nautilus 1) had 4 children to a class with 1 instructor and 1 assistant. Swim instruction was given to 1 child at a time, while the other 3 remained on a platform and played with a squeeze toy. In a 30 minute lesson that amounted to 7 minutes of actual instruction. It was clear at the end of the lesson that this wasn't the right program for our child, and I emailed the company to ask for a refund of the next lesson we'd prepaid along with the registration fee. A day went by with no response, so I followed with a phone call. The person I spoke with was short with me on the phone and suggested that someone would respond to my concerns, which they did. In short, Pods agreed to refund the future prepaid class but not the registration fee. They explained that the program was designed by a USSSA instructor and they did not believe my concerns were valid. I will say that the new facility is beautiful, modern and clean, and the short time the instructor did spend with my child was positive and engaging. If Pods simply reduced the number of classes in a given day and provided more instruction time per class, it would be a great place. Perhaps weekday lessons are different. One other note, they place your credit card on file, and automatically renew the next months lessons if you don't dis-enroll (much like a gym membership). Just something to be aware of. UPDATE 3/23/2017: Pods reached out to me, offered a refund of the registration fee, and an opportunity to give them another try with a complimentary class. As noted in my review, our visit happened to be on their opening day, so perhaps that explained our experience. They do have very loyal and satisfied families, that's what attracted us to their swim program. If you're looking for a swim program in the area I'd recommend you give them a try. read more

Before we had children we always knew we wanted them to be comfortable in the water. We started at pods in the learn time swim program with our oldest child. She has now advanced onto a swim team which is something I never anticipated prior to starting lessons. Pods has given us so much more than water safety. The friendships my husband and I and our four children have made are irreplaceable. Thank you pods for all you have done and continue to do! read more

State-of-the-art facility from a family-owned group that makes everyone feel special. Both of our kids have received instruction for years and we were thrilled that they now have a beautiful place to learn. The staff is always friendly and supportive, the app and website are pretty robust for scheduling, and Jamie does an outstanding job accommodating changes with a swift reply. The instructors are all exceptional people with a true instructor's nature: demanding with a heart. Clean facilities including those UV-treated pools, makes you feel comfortable that your children and the adults are being kept safe. I highly recommend this program if you want to insure that your child are both safe and enjoy swimming. I have previous YMCA and Red Cross instruction and can honestly safe I prefer this method for beginning swimmers. read more

We have had a great experience at PODs from the start. My older son, who is now 4, started at about 2 years old. He is a very cautious kid and has always been nervous about swimming but his teachers at PODS have built strong, trusting relationships with him, and he has done great! My younger son started at about 16 months and has loved every single class. When my older son started pre-K, we were unable to find a class at PODS that worked with his schedule, so we switched to another local swim school. That was when we realized just how special a place PODS is. The other school was a decent facility and the staff were kind, but they simply were not as skilled in building relationships or teaching. (On a side note, the water and air temperature at PODS are always comfortable; this was not the case at the other school.) We gave it several weeks, but things were not improving, and we are so happy that Jaime was able to find a spot for both our boys. We drive from Warwick to East Providence twice on Mondays (because those were the only classes available), and it is 100% worth it. PODS has top-quality swim instruction from top-quality, well-trained teachers. They not only know how to teach swimming, but they know how to teach kids. read more

I am updating my review from over a year ago. We rejoined Pods a couple of months after my first Pods review when a slot became available. We also experienced pods through Wheeler Summer program 2018. Our experience in swimming instruction and care has improved significantly since then. And its been exciting to watch my daughter's progression. Pods has done a wonderful job of teaching her how to swim, including incorporating our previous feedback. I am thankful to Pods for working with my family and teaching my daughter this very important life skill set: swimming safely, correctly and with confidence (while having fun). I am looking forward to enrolling my son in lessons soon. read more

The best decision we've made was to start swimming classes here. They teach children the fundamentals for swimming as well as water safety. Only con I can think of is the parking lot is sometimes full. read more

My twin-granddaughters have been taking swimming lessons at PODS Swimming since 2018 and they love it there. It has been an awesome educational and fun place for them weekly. The facility is state of the art. Clean and parents and grandparents can watch the children swim behind a huge glass window and the children can also see their parents and grandparents watching them. The Swim Instructors are very engaged with the students. The ratio of instructor to children is small, which enables the instructors to give the children their full attention while keeping them safe in the pool. The staff are incredibly nice, respectful and knowledgeable......always ready to help. I have dealt mostly with Vinny and Jamie and one word describes them "Outstanding." Another bonus is that PODS Swimming provides an assortment of toys, coloring papers and pens to keep children entertained and explore before their swimming session begins. PODS Swimming is a fantabulous swimming facility for children and adults and on a scale of 1-10, I give it a perfect 10 on all the aforementioned categories......Tafa read more

We registered for the classes online based on the website descriptions and were called a day before by the lady from pods. She declared that we signed for all the wrong classes and what she thinks the classes the kids should be in (although she has never seen them and they did have swimming classes before) but there is no way we can get in those because they all full and there is extensive wait list and so there is no freaking way we can be accommodated in evenings and or week ends; so the bottom line they don't want us and or our kids and our money. Very unwelcoming, stressful and unprofessional. Why would you run your business that way? May be have some registration and evaluation times reserved for new kids? Just bad attitude. read more

I read all the reviews and hesitantly signed up and after 5 weeks. My concerns were that it seemed very strict and I wasn't sure about signing up for a class in perpetuity. Happy to report that we love the classes. I never learned to swim properly and it was important to me that my 22 month old learn. When she would get upset about rinsing her hair in the bathtub because of the water in her face, I knew it was time we got this going. PROS: -Beautiful and clean new facility in East Providence. -Family changing rooms with showers. Warm water in the pool for the parents who take classes with infants-toddlers. -They have thoughtful games and activities that make being in the pool fun, and have tips for practicing things at bath time so that they don't forget new skills during the week. -I wasn't so sure about the no-floaties method, but I liked the idea of it. I find that I love it in practice. She doesn't need floaties in the pool because she never used them regularly. -We have been to 5 classes, and our almost 2 year old is now ok about having her head under the water. She doesn't speak in full sentences, but she knows to close her eyes and hold her breath when going under because she's been taught. -She loves class and cried last time class was over. -On the other hand, 30 minutes actually turns out to be a perfect amount of time for a 2 year old and a mom who would like to co-nap post class. CONS: -It's a bit pricier than other options - $20 per week for a 30 minute lesson with several other children. -They charge you in advance for the month using your credit card on file. If you want to cancel, there are some administrative hoops you have to jump through. -We take a Saturday morning class and the parking lot is always full. -They have a very strict attendance policy, you can make up one class per month with no fee, after that it is $5 per class change. -It is fairly slippery on the floors Sat morning but there are a lot of wet feet padding in and out of the pool, just be aware. Ultimately we signed up for this to have a daughter who 1) can more safely be in water and 2) can have this activity open to her at a later age, for fun or fitness. This meets both of those goals. Will update if any issues. read more

We've been a pods family for 2.5 years now, and followed the program all over the state. The new facility is beautiful, they have clearly learned what worked and didn't work from the other facilities they had rented space from in the past. Common sense tells a parent to watch wet kids and tile floors, we practice 'walking feet' with my 3 year old, and if it's crowded I wrap her in a towel and carry her. My daughter started with PODS at 6mos old, she cried the entire time and I didn't think we would make it through the summer.... but at the recommendation of the staff we persisted and she continued on with the parent child classes loving it! When she graduated and mom got to watch from the sidelines, she again cried and carried on for several classes. Her teachers and the deck staff were great, and after a few weeks she had a breakthrough and had been a little fish ever since! A week ago we were at a cookout, I was in the pool, about 4 feet from the side, and my daughter was on the patio next to my husband. The party hosts dog came running by and my daughter panicked and jumped in the pool (without a floaty) to escape as I took the 3 large steps to grab her, her head popped up, and she turned to grab the side, and started to climb out 'elbow elbow tummy knee' knowing that could have been tragic in a split second, my husband and I both said that was swim lessons have been worth every penny! We will continue with PODS, and continue to recommend other families. They teach kids to be comfortable in the water and they simulate falling in. Skills that have proven so valuable to us. read more

Staff is great with the kids and knowledgeable, prices are very reasonable. We are looking forward to using the new facility in East Providence (we were taking classes in the swansea facility which was far too small!) When my daughter was sick Jamie was kind enough to offer us one of the other classes for her age group that was meeting later that week so she wouldn't fall behind. read more

The lessons are great! Instructors are patient and genuine. I have been very pleased with my daughters progress thus far! read more

Pods Swimming - 6 lanes! beautiful facility! - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - East Providence, Rhode Island

They have a great swim program BUT beware of the rest for the sake of your child's safety. We have been going here for over a year and last week my daughter fell in the locker room at their new facility. That started to unveil the company and staff. I stood with my daughter naked in the lobby while their staff had no idea what to do. I asked if they should call the EMT and they said I'd be better to bring her to the ER myself because she "wasn't unconscious" (issue 1). While I am freaked out and trying to console her they were only worried about getting my information for the accident report and making sure that it was filled out right (issue 2). I asked the program director how high the bench she slipped from was from the ground as I thought they would ask at the hospital and she disappeared and never came back (issue 3). After coming back from the ER and letting it all sit with me for a while I emailed to share my concerns about the fact that kids slip every single week on their floors in the hall and locker room and about the staff having no idea what to even do. They did offer a refund at my request but would not comment on whether or not they have any improvements planned (they added some mats in some halls so I was hopeful they would) or if staff was even trained in an emergency (issue 4) (note, after 3 emails they finally answered that yes they are trained although I saw no evidence of this). Keep in mind I don't expect them to give medical advice, but being a swim factory with kids in water I do expect that they know an emergency and what to do in one. I explained my concerns and expressed that I like the program and wanted to get her back in asap once I felt it was safe. I tried with 3 emails. I really like and believe in the swim program itself but I do not believe that they care about the kids and/or safety after this. I really hesitate to even write this review as I think the program is good, but NOT at the expense of her safety. She is my #1 and I will NOT risk her life for a swim program. I really hope that they revisit how they address concerns with parents, how their staff handles safety and most importantly the lack of safety at their facility. Take a trip there if you want to see for yourself...and listen to how many parents hold their kids hands or tell them to be careful that the floors are "slippery" or "slick". We will be looking for a similar program at another facility who also focuses on the child outside of the water. read more

I signed my son up for swimming lessons and we only lasted one month. The swim teachers are very young and don't have much experience or patience with the kiddos. Theydon't look like they want to be there and yawn more then smile. read more