so glad I found this place! I had registered my 6 year-old daughter for first time some lessons at…read moreanother place and was not happy with the experience. Shipman's is great! The burlingame location has convenient parking lot, and it operates out of primetime gym so we have access to the lockers. The pool is a good size. It's basically a lap pool that is covered so it works great for younger kids and prevents them from getting cold. The pool is also warm! The instructors are so patient and knowledgeable! My daughter has enjoyed the past month with her instructor Kylie! I've already noticed a lot of improvement and confidence just being in the water. Highly recommend for private lessons! They also offer semi private lessons for Siblings.

Most of the staff are incredibly kind and good with the children.... but many of them are clearly…read moreuntrained. My girls had wonderful times in the water but I would say 2/3 of their teachers weren't quite sure what to do with them. Many can't perform all 4 strokes well. The scheduling is also inconsistent, with students having different teachers weekly. Coach Stacy is very skilled but unfortunately it doesn't seem that the same skills were passed down to the underage staff. (Most are 15-18) I hope with time they are able to work with their employees regarding curriculum. My two have made immense progress at La Petite in RWC and at a slightly cheaper rate so if you are on the fence, I highly recommend them over Shipman. We loved teachers Sonja and Rose but both have left the school. We were informed by another parent that Zumer had yelled at Rose in front of them and their own two girls. The photos on this site are also incredibly outdated. Seeing all the old reviews from years ago, makes me wonder how things have fallen apart.

An awful place. We have enrolled for courses in the middle…read moreof June. First of all we were charged for the half of month. That sounds good. But the first lesson was cancelled. Then we were charged for the next month. And the second lesson on the June was cancelled. And first two lessons in July are cancelled. And they have no return. We'll receive "tokens" which we have to spend during the month. But I have no another time for lessons. So, they just took money and gave nothing back. Where good business.

We've been taking group lessons here for about 4 years. Progress at the beginning was honestly…read morepretty slow--it took around 2-3 years for my child to move from beginner to intermediate. Part of that was likely due to her being afraid of the water when she started at age 4, limited individual attention in a 30-minute group class, and not practicing much outside of the weekly lesson. Teacher turnover does seem a bit high. That said, once we switched to more experienced instructors who gave immediate feedback and corrections, my daughter's swimming improved a lot over the past year. Her age and increased confidence probably helped too. On the plus side, my child made the swim team this year, so overall the lessons have definitely been effective--it just took some time to get there.

I cannot say enough amazing things about this swim school! My 3 year old started with zero swim…read moreexperience when she started this summer. In less than three months, she is able to swim underwater. Teacher Mike is so good with little ones. He sings while he teaches the whole time and makes her feel at ease in the water. In fact, every morning when we wake up on swim lesson days, my daughter jumps up and down saying how excited she is to go to swim. I would recommend this swim school to anyone!

Angel is a fantastic instructor who is terrific with small children. Our daughter started lessons…read morewith Angel just after turning 2, and she is already confident and knowledgeable about safety in the water after just a few months. Angel takes care to be friendly with our daughter but also emphasizes the importance of water safety. Angel teaches through examples, songs, and games and strikes a difficult balance between challenging our daughter and supporting her. Thank you Angel!

Depending on the time and days for the classes. I know weekends are a bit hectic. Friday they tend…read moreto be booked. BUT, overall our experience had been good. Each instructors teach different levels and help explaining or showing to kids. Even if you have a special need kids, they are wonderful in that as well. My son has been learning different things from different instructors. They try to accommodate everyone on schedule and work around your schedule the best they can. The pool is heated which is good for the children. It is very clean as well. No kids been sick like other places I heard in the past. If the kids have siblings with younger kids, they have a cute play area for them. A kitchen and a little house in the back. Some magazines while the kids have fun.

Excellent place for children. My son has learned very…read morequickly. The instructors are very nice.

Amazing experience with Dianna. My twin 11 year olds learned all four strokes within a few lessons…read more Would highly recommend!

We feel so lucky to have found Ms. Dianna! She has quickly become one of my daughter's absolute…read morefavorite people. From day one, she was incredibly kind and patient, creating such a safe and fun swim environment. In just a short time, my daughter went from knowing nothing about swimming and being nervous to even put her face in the water to confidently swimming from one end of the pool to the other. At only 2 1/2 years old, she can now hold her breath underwater for a long stretch and even jump in the pool and swim across, which is something I never imagined she'd be doing this soon. What I appreciate most is Ms. Dianna's gentle approach and the way she met my daughter where she was at. She truly understands how to encourage progress without pressure, and the results speak for themselves. On top of that, having her come to our home has been such a huge help for our schedule and comfort. If you're looking for a swim instructor who is both professional and genuinely invested in your child's growth, I can't recommend Ms. Dianna enough. She's been an absolute game changer for us!

We've had a great experience with Kings swimming academy. The facility is always clean,…read morewell-maintained, and welcoming. The instructors are friendly, patient, and knowledgeable, making lessons enjoyable and effective.

My daughter did a free trial class here. She is considered level 6, beginner, and the class ratio…read morewas 4 students to 1 instructor for 30 mins which sounded reasonable. Upon arrival the parking lot was convenient and they are located right off 101. I was surprised at how large the lobby/viewing area was! Basically you sit in the viewing area while your kid is in class, rather than entering the actual pool area which makes sense. You can easily see your kid through the glass. There is a decent size play area for siblings/friends to play in while classes are in session. The lesson: My daughter had a great time and Mike was a great instructor. However for me I was a bit overwhelmed about the number of classes going on at the same time. The pool is divided up in multiple small sections so it was rather loud in there with each instructor leading their own class. Also, because the kids had to take turns, I felt like my kid spent a good chunk of 30 mins waiting their turn to swim. We are exploring private lesson options, however, it looks like they have limited availability. Overall would recommend for a trial to see if it is a good fit for your family. The facilities and changing rooms were great and prices are comparable to local schools.

My daughter enjoyed her class today with Rachael. Got her to be more comfortable in the water as…read morethe lesson went on. Rachael is so kind and gentle. Took her time with my daughters level of comfort and by the end of the class they were best friends. Thank you, girl! You rock!

I had to update my review. I still stand by the quality which is what begets the 2 stars. They're…read moreclean and well maintained. However I thought their practices around the fee structure were extremely shady. First of all, for a community center you charge a crazy amount. It's meant to be accessible and not an elite club which is what this has turned into. A name change should be well in order if they're not serving the community they belong to. Please note they are a non profit organization. Secondly they will charge you an arm and a leg for classes and membership, they will update your pricing and not give you notice. I think the fact that they don't list their prices on their website are true testament to my statement. I dropped my membership as it stopped being worth the $500 I was paying for me and the kids per month (only one of my kids was doing swim lessons) their swim classes helped for a little and then the teachers were replaced with new ones who didn't care much about the students. I ended up quitting and unless their pricing is more transparent and less elitist I'd rather drive a little bit longer.

Clean, well run facilities, great staff and incredible programs…read more For all ages- toddlers to seniors.

Cool spot! I will definitely be back during to hot Bay Area days. It's in a beautiful building and…read morearea. Very residential.

Amazing toddler swim lessons. Pools are top notch and the instructors are organized and well…read moreequipped to inspire nervous swimmers

FLEXIBLE. WITH. MAKEUPS. That is almost all you need to know, but it's such a big deal. Between…read morebirthday parties and graduation ceremonies and my giving birth, we've probably missed as many or more classes than we've taken. Heck, we missed a MAKEUP that we scheduled!!! And let's not forget this weekend, where my son got all the way to the pool before announcing that he was just too tired to swim. Instead of being draconian about it, they just graciously give you the chance to make it up later using the app, with a few months' grace to do so. We have mostly seen Mr. Hart as a teacher and he has a wonderful demeanor, does ask the kids to do things but is encouraging rather than demanding. So progress might be slow but at least my son isn't dreading or fearing the water or class. I definitely recommend this school for beginning swimmers, especially if they're a bit timid.

My 2 year old was enrolled for 4 months - he didn't progress relative to advances he's made at…read moreother swim schools. We don't recommend and won't be returning for the below cons, but want to provide a balanced review as they do have pros relative to other schools on the Peninsula. Cons: inconsistent instructors week to week (not good for toddlers who want consistency); instructors are good at following the book but most weren't able to adapt their style and approach for our son who loves the water but didn't love songs/class (even when we was the only one there. At other swim schools, they've been able to try different techniques); we tried 4 different locations and all pools were very cold; price per class is higher vs competitors but I don't see higher quality Pros: unlimited makeup classes; 1:4 teacher to student ratio (often smaller); lots of weekend class availability; pools are quieter/less chaotic than competitors'