Enough can't be said about Sea Otter's Swim School! I was so impressed with our experience start-to-finish I felt obligated to post a review (in case other Yelp users are on the fence). I called and inquired about private lessons and left a voicemail. I received a call back promptly and courteously. They even had last minute private lessons available at an affordable cost. My six year old daughter has taken 6 months of swim lessons with limited progress. In one lesson with Sea Otter's Rosie was learning how to hold her breath for extended periods of time, flip on her back, and move forward with confidence. I was so impressed with her newly acquired ability but most importantly -- she was thrilled with her progress and abilities! Her instructor was fantastic! And she was so excited to tell me about her experience in the water. This was truly the first time she has been enthusiastic about her swim lessons and what she was able to master in the water. The location is also fantastic and the shaded pool is great but most importantly we were impressed with the staff and swim instructors who (although they maybe young) are truly fantastic and care about the kids they teach, read more

Swim staff is mostly friendly, but management is horrible and their make up policy is despicable. Once my daughter was caught off guard by a male sub instructor and she refused to get in the pool. I kindly asked if we could wait for a female instructor, or return another time for a female instructor. The office told me it was either now with the male or come to family swim. For $60+ for a 20 minute session, I'd expect better service and quality. Won't be returning. read more

I have never left a yelp review on any company before in my life. I felt the need to say something due to the extreme circumstances that I experienced during the sea otter swim lessons. First and foremost, the management was downright disrespectful and you can tell that the employees were being manipulated. During swim lessons I noticed that a staff member was watching my daughters swim teacher while she was teaching. This made mme extremely uncomfortable as the lesson was going well and everything seemed normal, until this I noticed that we were being intensely watched. The employee went as far as criticizing my daughters teacher in front the both of us, causing extreme discomfort. I left the lesson wondering if I should ever bring my daughter back, which I didn't. I would never recommend this place to anyone I know and I would beware of the staff. read more

Absolutely unorganized environment for staff and customers. All of these other reviews talking about the staff being manipulated can be reflected in the environment. The management lacks empathy and has no means of hospitality. They are constantly disregarding their "non favorites" and it shows, they only have about three proficient swim instructors. Not to mention the chaos that just comes with the pool area, yes it is a one-to-one lesson but would your child do well in a screaming overwhelming environment? Not to mention their laundry list of policies that all revolves you'd never guess, them getting more money. Save your time and energy and find an establishment that cares about your family. read more

I usually never leave a reviews. This place is truly a nightmare. I wish I would've read more reviews before ,but I will not be attending my last month of lessons. Which they make you pay for even will charge you extra and make you roll into another month for the "policy". Along with the extremely inconsistent staff from the teachers and even to the front office it seems as if every individual has been manipulated to play a roll in their schemes. The lack of communication the establishment holds is unbelievable, I was told because they have a spot with another teacher for my kid to get their lesson they had no need to contact me that my normal teacher was out. they also do not offer a single refund ever unless you complain immensely, and know these people are just there for your money not to teach your kid how to swim. read more

I just the 2 week swim session for 2yr old in May. I will say I will never refer them to anyone I know. Our frist lesson... we got there early and dress & ready to go. My daughter was so excited to get in the pool. We went to the deck where our instructor was suppose to come get us at 9:40. I was trying to occupy my toddler until our instructor gilli came and got us. After 20minutes had past and no instructor and my toddler was in full meltdown... the office said the instructor came to get and I was not there. That is however false. I did not move from my assigned deck. My toddler had seen everyone get in the pool, but her. All they could offer was credit for the lesson which is better than nothing. I had pee all over me, screaming toddler, no pool, and a babysitter I had been paying for my newborn. I took the credit but after my 2wks were over they have yet to contact about my credit (which I won't be using regardless). Her lessons were a huge waste of my time and money. She had zero pool skills at the end of 2wks. The instructor was not assertive and let my daughter direct the lessons. I feel I was paying to have a stranger bounce my daughter around the pool for 20min. Also, she got sick then showed up with a mask. No one from the office even addressed it with me. How does a mask help in the pool? what a joke. They are the Walmart of swim so I took my daughter to ISR Roseville and she is swimming plus loves lessons!! overall: they are a collect the money type of program and with hardly any care of your Childs pool skills. They also need a major lesson in customer service! read more

I was never going to leave a review but recently was asked about this place and had to retell all the mishaps that happened here. So I thought I'd leave a review for more people than just my friend who asked. Both my kids attended swim lessons here for months. I was dissatisfied the entire time with the level of attentiveness of the teenagers working here that were more interested in talking to each other than paying attention to my toddler who was literally in water. On multiple occasions the instructor had her back to my toddler who was fully in the water and didn't realize she had slipped under until I yelled or the other instructor caught it before I did. Regardless of she was a good swimmer or not I expect the instructors to have their eyes on my children at all times. And that doesn't happen here. It's been years since I've been there but I hope they train their staff better. In hopes no one has the experience I did and doesn't feel safe bringing their kids here. read more

Our little swimmers love this swim school and Ms Kylie is the best! Very good with all levels of swimmers and my son and daughter love taking lessons with her. The facilities are top notch with lots of open room for classes and individual lessons. The kids love the slide and let me tell you, they get right after getting the kids use to getting their heads and eyes underwater. The levels and systems they have in place are fantastic Downside is that it is a bit pricey. read more

Sea Otter Swim Lessons - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Loomis, California

See all

Overall, the instructors are solid and the pool setup is fairly nice. Staff is friendly enough. My oldest son really enjoyed his lessons but my youngest son was overwhelmed and did not want to go back. Minus two stars because of the high cost of lessons, plus they have a strict cancellation policy that can be quite expensive if you're not totally aware of the policy. You must give a 30-day notice on their website to cancel lessons. Realizing this 15 days too late cost us a fair amount of money for lessons that won't even be used. I understand that the school needs to schedule and staff lessons ahead of time but 30 days seems excessive. So, be warned of the strict cancellation policy. Because of the high cost and inflexible policy, we are not likely to return. read more

My daughter started here about 2 weeks ago doing semi-private lessons (which is her and another little girl with one teacher). After not wanting to even get her face in the water, she is now an amazing swimmer after just two weeks. Her teacher is Cami and she is an amazing teacher. Very patient but also gives her the nudge that she needs to know what to do in unplanned situations. The facility is great and very cute! After every class, the teachers will do a breakdown of what they worked on that particular day which is great! The price is great compared to some of the other facilities in the area. Would definitely recommend this facility and of course, teacher Cami! read more

I've been taking my kids here for about 7 months and they love it. Special shot out to teacher Skylar she is amazing always friendly and helps my kid feel comfortable and safe in the water. read more

This place is great. The staff are awesome and super friendly. They are so accommodating with the heaters inside and tarp for the cold/rainy season. Looking forward to getting our son back in lessons in a few months. read more

Amazing place if your little one is new to water! Great activities to engage the little ones and make them excited for the experience. Would not recommend group classes if you're seeking in depth swim lessons. The staff notified me group classes are for introducing water and 1:1's are for in depth purposes. read more

Cami was an amazing instructor with my kids! They have noticeably improved their swimming in such little time.

I took my son here last year and this year. Last year was great. This year the customer service was lacking. Couldn't cancel classes in person because their ipad didn't work, my son was accidentally put into a private lesson instead of parent tot, and when we were switched to parent tot his lesson was shortened if other kids didn't show up and he was the only one there. It was disappointing read more

Very dissatisfied with my sons experience here. He is a absolute beginner swimmer And they insisted that he put his whole head in the water on every lesson. After pulling him off the side of the pool on several occasions and him sputtering water they had the nerve to get irritated at him for not putting his face in the water. They told us that he would have to "get over it". When I called and spoke with the office and asked for a different instructor they told me that this was standard that all children have to put their head in the water during every lesson. Will not be taking my child back. read more

I can't say enough good things about this swim school. My son is 5 and was so scared when I told him he was going to swim. Now swim is all he talks about. They have amazing teachers and their system teaches both swimming and water safety skills. They have different levels based on skill sets and kids get a cute little bracelet when they graduate from level to level. so worth the money!!!! read more

We are enjoying our lessons here weekly. My only complaint is as a bystander watching the lessons it is HOTTER and HUMID as hell under that tent. They had a few cheap fans going to no relief. They really need to invest in some large fans for cross ventilation under there. It was miserable for my infant and I. We have stopped going because it is not Enjoyable to watch. read more

So, I guess this business system works for a lot of people, which is great, it's great the service Sea Otter Swim provides to the community, but let me tell you all the reasons why it didn't work out for our family. 1) they don't answer the phone. They only call back when messages are left. I didn't know this and after more than a few attempts over the course of a few weeks when I preferred to just speak to someone in Person, I finally left a message, which then led to them calling ME back and leaving a message, which then led to me calling and having to leave another message and next thing you know it's nearly a month of trying to schedule lessons, which were then booked to start almost a month later due to scheduling. And this was with having 7 days a week of availability on our end. 2) we arrive for our first session for our younger two. Since it's our first time we check in with the front office to find out what the procedure is and thank god we arrived 20 minutes early because it took all 20 minutes to check us in. It was almost like the woman had 50 different windows open on the computer with another 20 different ways she needed to input our names and who knows what else she kept having to click. My kids were restless. In reflection, no one told me to check in and Im not sure we even had to check in. The swim instructors simply call out the names and I suppose we could have just walked in and waited for them to call our name. But no one told us this. 3) the pool fence is so obnoxious it almost hurts my eyes. You can't see your kid swim cause the fence postings are so thick so you have to walk right up to it and peer thru it to actually see your kid if you want to watch or record or take a picture. Which also brings me to #4 4) this fence is the business. I don't consider myself a helicopter mom but there was more than a few instances where the instructor turned her back to my wobbly 3 year old to help the other student and I started to wonder how I'd save my kid if he slipped down into the water with her not watching him. I can't hop a 6 ft fence, and there is a locked code to get in. 5) we signed up for semi-private lessons. I thought I signed both kids up for lessons at the same time, which would have been a nice reprieve but about 20 minutes in, the instructor brought my 6 year old out. What? What's this? Does she have to go to the bathroom? No. Surprise! Turns out the other kid didn't show up, so my daughters lesson gets cut in half. It wasn't all that fun explaining to my 6 year old that she wasn't in trouble, that she couldn't keep swimming and why her 3 year old brother is getting to have longer fun. Fairness is a big deal when you are 6 and she felt cheated. I kind of did too. 6) These lessons are Use it or lose it. No make ups, no rescheduling. Which kind of sucked for us because we were redeeming a gift certificate of only 5 lessons so to "lose" 1/5 is a bigger deal and I'm already on the fence of if I want to continue this and it's kind of leaning towards no. 7. So now I've called because the lessons we had a time scheduled for just are not going to work with all the summer events we as a family are obligated to. I ask to reschedule them for a different day and after 20 minutes of me being thoroughly confused as to what I am signing Up for and what I am paying for it, it looks like the final three Private lessons won't get to continue until a month from now. I guess there truly is no difference between private and semi-private because not only were we signed up for semi-private yet by default getting private (but paying for Semi private) but now we are signed up for private and will have money left over and at this rate, I'd give them the left over money just to never deal with this ever again. I mean, what in the holy heck is a 20 minute lesson anyway? It's a rip off, that's what it is. I've never been to a swim school where the lesson was a short 20 minutes. 8. so, we had our 5 lessons now that I write this and I can confirm that for all 5 lessons we had 5 different instructors and with each lesson the instructor kindly told me it was "just an assessment." My issue isn't with the instructors but with the entire messed up system that Sea Otter Swim is for anyone with more than one kid wanting to have swim lessons at the same time. That seemed to be the biggest issue, the concept that I wanted to show up and have both my kids have a lesson and not be spending my days going back and forth for a 20 minute dip in the pool. This was by far the worst money spent, we absolutely did not get the value of our gift certificate at all. read more

Went to watch the grandkids swim lesson and was very pleased with the whole process. Very professional and thorough in their teachings. Also super happy their parents are making them eater safe read more

if I could I give this place no stars. I paid up front for diving private lessons for my granddaughter. It was $35 for 20 minutes. after her 1st lesson she was getting the hang of diving. Not perfect but good. Her second lesson the teacher was teaching her a total different style plus being touchy feely according to my granddaughter . I called to complain and was told I would be contacted the following day by a manager. it never happened. the next day Thursday during her third and final lesson I went into the office to ask about why someone never contacted me the gal behind the desk said she would have a manager come over to me. so while I was watching my granddaughter dive (with the first instructor). here comes a training manager she listened to my complaint and she defended the teacher. which she taught. and she didn't care at all about the situation. I will never go back there again. She was unprofessional and uncaring and never even tried to make it right. I'll drive to Roseville next time. read more

My twin boys (4yo) have been taking lessons with Heidi for the past 8 months and we LOVE her. They are learning both swimming and safety skills which is important to me. They also have fun! Tent is hot in the summer, but other than that we love Sea Otter and recommend it to friends all the time. read more

We love Sea Otters! Our daughters gained confidence in their swim skills and as parents, we gained the peace of mind that they will be safer in the water. The staff is fantastic; constantly encouraging and pushing our children while teaching the swim fundamentals. Our kids come home beaming with pride as they graduate and progress to each advanced level, learning new skills. If you're looking for a place to introduce your kids to the water, this Family Run place is where it's at! Thanks Sea Otters! read more

We've completed seven weeks of one-on-one classes and I am astonished at my kids' progress. They have a great time and their new-found confidence just makes me smile. They've gotten ribbons and developed skills in a completely fun, encouraging environment. Lessons are not cheap, but my daughters have made much more progress in these lessons than they did in the city classes of the same level. Could not be happier with our experience. As other reviewers mention, the classes are non-refundable. If your child needs to miss a lesson, they offer your family a voucher for a family swim time. If their teachers need to miss, they find a sub. Seems like a reasonable solution to me. read more

We love our swim teacher! My toddler can float on her back independently, and loves to go underwater, jump in/dive, and is learning freestyle. I completely trust her to push my daughter, yet still be extremely safe and effective. We have been coming here for 2 years on and off. Our instructor has been teaching forever and is extremely knowledgeable, and clearly loves children and teaching, but that is not the case with all the instructors. Make sure when you sign up to check and see how long your teacher has been teaching and what qualifications (like lifeguard certification, etc) they have. Otherwise I would rate 5 stars. Additionally, the water is warm enough to go through the winter comfortably. The kids are never cold! read more

We have been taking my son, Henry, to Sea Otter Swim for almost two years. We started in the toddler/parent class with Miss Jordan (whom we absolutely loved). Henry has since graduated to the private 1:1 lessons. We loved his first 1:1 teacher and were sad when she left the company; we are now getting acquainted with his new teacher, Mr. Cameron. The instructors challenge and encourage the kids at every lesson. Henry seems to be getting more comfortable in the water and has learned a lot about water safety. He practices his "kickers," "scoops," and "back floats," and is getting better! The staff is friendly and the facility is cozy and clean. We often recommend Sea Otter to our friends and family. read more

If you want a good swim teacher go to Cameron. He is very good at what he does. My 4 year old was terrified of the water and Cameron has done wonders with him in a year or less. He's always there and you can tell he loves his job! read more

My kids just had their first swim lessons with Sea Otter and I was very impressed! The staff is extremely helpful and confident. There are toys and space to play for the kids waiting to swim. It's nice and shaded and you get to sit so close to the pool to cheer your little one on! My three year old was hesitant at first, but Mr. Ken was great with him and my son quickly did things in the water I haven't seen him do! My daughter had Natalie and she was super friendly! Both instructors knew what they were doing. Both of my kids Ended their lesson with a slide into the water! so fun! I'm happy to have my kids taking lessons with a place that also promotes water safety. Yay sea otter! read more

Sea Otter Swim Lessons - Happy after his first swim lesson! - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Loomis, California

See all

Absolutely the best place in the region for swim lessons! My kids started with Celeste and Andreya a few months ago and week after week they show AMAZING improvement. What I thought would be a few sessions with a Groupon have turned into lessons with no end date. :). Their method of teaching is spot on! The staff is extremely friendly. Andreya is a perfect match for my son. And my daughter loves Celeste. Couldn't be happier, 5 stars, bravo Sea Otters! read more

See all

We took our older daughter here to learn to swim. We now have returned with our 18 month old daughter. Wonderful, caring staff. read more

Sea Otter Swim Lessons - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Loomis, California

My daughter was lucky enough to get a spot at Sea Otter Swim School over the fall and winter. I was so impressed with the quality of lessons she received, I couldn't have been happier. Our instructor was Paul...he was always patient with my daughter...and believe me, that sometimes is difficult even for my partner and me, Paul took her from knowing little more than knowing how to swim underwater, to learning the basics about strokes, back floats, and breathing techniques.Because of the time she spent with Paul, she is a much more confident swimmer this summer. She enjoyed it so much, she can't wait for our pool to be too cold to swim in...she wants to go back and swim with Paul. We would recommend Sea Otter to anyone looking to improve the confidence of children that already can swim, those who just need some help on learning the mechanics of swimming, and those children who have never been in the water and are learning for the first time. For us it was all about our daughter's safety...something we feel much better about today. read more

Don't cancel a lesson because your kid came home from school with a fever.......your going to get charged full price anyway......so I guess you should take your sick kids there and let then containment everyone else and puke in the pool........this just took the place from a 5 star rating to a 2 star rating read more

Purchased a groupon for private lessons for my 4 year old son. The lesson lasted only 15min when it was supposed to last 20! The instructor was cold, terse, and distracted and several times during the lesson I feared for my son's safety, as the instructor wasn't paying enough attention. She didn't seem to even try to engage with him beyond curt commands. Instructors: If you don't like kids, please at least pretend like you do!!! The facilities were dirty and unkept. The parent waiting area is horribly hot with just one small fan in the corner and ineffective misters. My son had lessons during the summer through the city of Roseville at Mike Shellito pool and everything was far superior!! I'm going back to Roseville. read more

My 3 year old daughter is very cautious by nature and has taken her sweet time getting comfortable in the water. We have a long way to go but her instructor (Sierra) has been sensitive to my daughters fears all the while being firm along with giving lots and lots of positive affirmations. We've gone from crying and begging to not have to get in the water to smiling and laughing. It has been worth every penny to watch my daughter's confidence sky rocket not to mention the peace of mind that she is learning a potentially life saving skill. read more

Our oldest went to Sea Otter off and on for three years. He has ADHD and can be very unfocused, but the staff here were very patient with him. They were able to get him to focus enough that he learned to swim ... and he had fun in the process. At the end of the swim session, there was always a fun activity as a reward, such as going down the slide or picking up rings on the bottom of the pool. The teachers have always been very professional and work great with young kids. When the city of Roseville opened a new indoor pool a couple minutes from our house we decided to give that a try for our youngest, because it saved us the drive to Loomis. Mistake! Kicking myself over that bad decision. On day two of beginning lessons, they surprised dunked our daughter under the water and she's now afraid of the water. We're starting up at Sea Otter again, knowing from experience they'd never do anything like that and hoping they can help her overcome her new fear of the water. read more

So far we've only done two lessons with our 8 month old and I'm quite happy so far. We are doing the parent-tot class and there are four other mommies and babies in our class. I chose the parent-tot because it was more reasonable on the cost plus my baby is quite young- a little too young to fully understand swimming now- but we put her in to get her used to the water. Our instructor is very pleasant. She remembers our daughter's name and is always cheerful and explains things clearly. I don't know about how much our daughter will actually learn as far as how to swim, but I think when she gets a little older and understands better I would like to put her in the 1 on 1 class. All in all, it is clean and a nice place. I'd definitely recommend it. read more

Absolutely love Sea Otters! My husband and I are first time parents, so our danger-radar is on high alert all the time So that being said, we found the facilities to be very easy to access. Bathrooms, showers and a quite changing room are all very well kept (changing room even has wipes to use if you forget!) Their swimsuits and diapers are pricy, but unless you are a ding bat and forget the cloth diapers, you know they have them there The parent-tot instructor is amazing! She is so laid back and makes it fun for the children My daughter is very sensitive to people's emotions and she also felt relaxed and laid back, thanks to the instructor I feel that the lessons are very reasonably priced ($63 for a month of half hour lessons) I HIGHLY recommend this for parents with young children! read more

Last year I began looking for a swimming class that I could take with my six month old son. Most places I looked at were extremely expensive or either had insanely long waiting lists. Even though Loomis is a bit of a ways from me, I decided to give Sea Otter a call. The receptionist was extremely friendly over the phone and offered to let me try one of the classes before registering. The instructor was great with children and we enjoyed the class. We registered for the summer session and we had a blast! The instructor definitely knows how to work with children and makes every activity fun for the children. Pool safety is taught also which was a plus for me! The facilities are a little cramped in terms of changing areas and yes, the pool is outside underneath a tent. But it is heated and well maintained. Overall I am was more than pleased and can't wait to return this summer. read more

I have not had the opportunity to experience swim lessons withe them, but I had my son's 5th birthday party there today and was very impressed. LeAnn worked with me through the whole process and the party was amazing. The kids and parents had a great time. We had a slight delay on the pizza delivery for the kids, not any fault of Sea Otter, and they were very accommodating with that even letting us go over our time limit slightly to accommodate the rest of the party. I would for sure make another party there. The only complaint I have is the time constraint. The parties are held on Saturdays from 3PM to 5PM with a half hour before for set-up. I wish we could have had an extra hour in order to accommodate everyone without feeling rushed. Two hours is tight when dealing with small children. I will be starting swimming lessons for my son there very soon. I am sure I will be happy with the services. I have some friends who's children took swimming lessons with them 13 years ago and loved it then. Many parents I talk to love the staff and the instructors. As far as a party venue...thumbs up Sea Otter! But look into a little more time for the parties. An hour would be great. But even an extra half hour would make a big difference! read more

Great instructors and I love the venue. I love that they work 1:1 with each kid. I love that they gave my 4yo little award ribbons about how brave she is and "I love the water." Cute and she hung them on her wall. I found the staff easy to work with and very helpful in getting 3 different kids at 3 different levels in timeslots that were close in time. I do wish it cost less but, that's just the limits of my budget... it is worth the money. read more