We cannot recommend Coach Dave from Shark Swim Lessons enough! When my son first started, he had very little swimming experience. In just 8 sessions, Coach Dave helped him learn the foundations of swimming with so much patience, encouragement, and professionalism. We continued lessons with him, and 6 months later Archer is now like a little fish in the water What really stands out is Coach Dave's dedication and ability to connect with kids. He makes lessons fun while still building strong technique, confidence, and water safety skills. You can genuinely tell he cares about every child's progress. read more

Shark Swim Lessons - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Dave is a guru genius who taught me, an unteachable adult onset swimmer, to be comfortable and enjoy swimming. I could do fine in water - could easily swim, as in not die when thrown in deep water. But I wanted to learn to swim laps/distance for triathlons and exercise and just could not figure it out. And I just could not find the right swim instructor or class for this. There's brand-new-to-water classes that teach you not to die in the water. And then there are classes that teach you to improve your technique in certain strokes. I was stuck in the middle - just could not figure out how to do the freestyle breathing right to even start swimming laps. I tried a couple different instructors, both of whom were probably good college swimmers, and they just had no real insight or experience with struggling to breathe. Enter Dave. In one session, he'd taught me 3x as much as multiple sessions with previous instructors and solo practice had taken me. By session 2, was up to being able to at least swim some short back-and-forths. Things got easier each session, and I left the initial package of lessons I bought feeling comfortable in the pool. Have since made a lot of progress, including some long open-water swims in the ocean. All thanks to Dave's great instruction. read more

I started swimming lessons with Dave as a complete beginner with a serious fear of water. From day one, he's been incredibly patient, kind, and motivating. He never rushes you, but somehow always knows how to push you just the right amount to help you grow. His calm teaching style and positive attitude truly helped me overcome my fear -- something I never thought was possible! My brother and I took lessons together, and Dave was always on time, flexible with scheduling, and super easy to communicate with. Every lesson felt productive and fun at the same time. If you're an adult who's never swum before or feels nervous around water, I can't recommend Dave enough. He makes learning to swim feel achievable and even exciting. I'm already looking forward to coming back to keep improving! read more

Shark Swim Lessons - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - San Diego, California

Dave is a lifesaver--literally. 10 stars if Yelp would allow me. lol I only had one lesson package with him, and by the end of it, I was confidently swimming in the ocean. It's worth every single penny! It's a surviving skills and I'm so grateful I found him. Dave goes above and beyond, not just with teaching technique, but also in the way he adapts to your comfort level and learning style. He makes you feel safe, supported, and capable--especially if you're a beginner like I was. I highly recommend him to anyone who wants to truly learn how to swim with confidence. Thank you, Dave! read more

Dave was amazing with my 8 year old daughter! She started with no experience swimming and being scared to getting in the pool to now confidently being able to swim. I would recommend Dave to all my family and friends! read more

My 6yo was doggy paddling and just three lessons later, now she knows five strokes and how to breathe to the side. Dave makes the lessons fun and exciting: he has kid-targeted mnemonics to help them break down and understand the mechanics of swimming. Huge improvement, looking forward to more. read more

Dave was recommended to us by a wonderful neighbor. My son overcame the fear of having water on his face. Dave is creative in his approach and is able to pass on the confidence to his students. He also has given us great flexibility for booking classes and keeps lessons challenging and entertaining. read more

Shark Swim Lessons - Awesome Swimming lessons - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - San Diego, California

I have completed 7 swim lessons with Dave, and I can say he is GREAT. I'm a 39 year old male that could only do the elementary backstroke and not for very long at that. Dave now has me treading water, doing multiple swim strokes, and comfort levels in the water are through the roof. I highly recommend coach Dave read more

Dave is a fantastic coach! I tried numerous other swim instructors and classes and never could get past the fear that I had. We had the first class and Dave had me floating easily - I took a full summer of classes from him and couldn't be happier with being able to get in a pool without going straight to the bottom! He is well worth the cost, and can help you improve from any status you are at - no skill or skilled! read more

We have used David for two summers now and highly recommend him! He is great both for beginning swimmers and for older kids looking to get stronger in preparation for Jr Lifeguards. We've used several other swim instructors in the past but none compare to Dave. 10/10 read more

We started with him when my daughter was 5 years old and stayed with him for 3 years. He built a strong foundation in her swimming. Thanks to his guidance, she was well-prepared to join a swim team and is now proudly part of the RSD team. Highly recommend! read more

We highly recommend coach Dave. We have a 10 yr old boy who was afraid of water and used to send him to a swim school when he was younger. But even after sending him to the class for a while, he could barely float. Surprisingly, he is able to swim just after three sessions with coach Dave! Coach Dave has a good balance between being fun and being serious. I can hear my son giggle every now and then and enjoy the class while Dave becomes serious when it comes to teaching important skills. I like that Dave has his own unique coaching skills and his solid philosophy. His sessions are not like something ordinary as you would find in Youtube channels. He uses dolls and toys to make my son understand how he can float and uses metaphors to help young children connect the dots. My son is making so much progress every week! We feel very lucky to have found him and look forward to having him back in the spring! read more

As a child, I was traumatized in the pool so being in a pool was just not something I did or got into. I felt like I needed to do something about it since swimming is an essential part of being human, especially during emergencies. After talking myself out of it for years, I finally did it and took swimming lessons with Dave. After several lessons, the fear of the wall of the pool isn't so scary anymore. I can float and swim across the pool without fear, and I get a semi-personal experience with the instructor, allowing me to learn better. I'd definitely recommend taking this if you're like me and has always had a fear of open water. After 5-7 classes, you'll be much more confident. read more

I met Dave on a daily swim at my gym doing laps last week. After a quick chat about swimming gear, the conversation turned into proper form and breath control. Dave took the time to do a few drills with me and significantly correct and improve my confidence with timing my breaths without relying on a snorkel, which I was accustomed to. His 15 minute clear explanation and monitoring of my form has completely changed the way I aproach and practice my swimming now. I can only imagine how beneficial Dave's full lessons can be for swimmers of all levels and ages. He truly is sincere and skilled in his passion for swimming lessons. Thanks again Dave!! read more

When I was a child, I nearly drowned in a swimming pool, and subsequently as an adult, have a few times here and there, tried various swim classes, but they didn't work out well: inattentive instructors, embarassment of being the only adult in class, not feeling confident learning from college or high school students, large classes, etc. But Dave (Adult Swimming Lessons) is a wonderful instructor and therefore I feel I am VERY comfortable with his swim instruction. He has a flexible schedule, patience, and a wonderful ability to explain and build upon the basics of swimming, vs. just the kicks and arms.. but also breathing, floating, the MECHANICS behind how to swim properly and how to recover so that we can build confidence in the water and independently. I KNOW I will be swimming confidently in a deep pool very soon, and hope over time I can do so in open water, eventually learning so that I can kayak, paddle, snorkel independently! For ADULT instruction that is not child or teen focused, (but I believe he teaches children too) nor taught by a 'kid', Dave is the one for your adult swim instruction. I am recommending him to family and colleagues. (My sister will regret flaking out of our shared swim lessons with him= ) read more

So many of my friends tried hard for 2yrs to make me swim. Every time I use to drown & ask for help. Finally they gave up and asked me to get trained from Mr.Phelps coach like person. :D I like to swim but was really disappointed. Someone at my work referred Dave. This guy is a perfect trainer. I can swim now, so you'll do. I never had fear of water & was very excited to swim. Dave has techniques to teach for everyone & very easy to understand. His timings are also very flexible. Everyone can teach, but pointing your mistakes and making you learn from them can be possible only from real trainers. Dave is a real trainer. Be a shark but not a puppy. :D read more

It is so hard to learn swimming as an adult! Yes, me n my hubby are one of the few folks who never learnt swimming while growing up :( Was skeptical joining a swim class for various reasons like fear of water, embarrasment :P But it all changed once i went to shark swim lessons with Dave! Dave is very professional and he has great patience and good teaching skills! Dave was referred to me by a few co-workers of mine, who dint learn swimming during childhood either :D I'm glad we are learning to swim with Dave.. within 5 classes already I've developed confidence being in the water! I know it is still long way to go, but Dave makes it fun learning activity for us. Thanks Dave for your perseverance with us and helping me learn something that I've always dreaded for! I've seen him teaching very young kids and they seem to have fun too with him :-) His rates are reasonable and i recommend sharing the lessons/sessions with a friend to make it both fun and less price as well! read more

I couldn't thank Dave enough that every time I get into the pool I always think about him on how he made an impact in my life. This summer was the first time I was able to enjoy bodies of water and to top it off, I LOST WEIGHT! lol it's a magical thing that happens when you start being active and do the things you like ..like "swimming" My summer was composed of BEACHed around and POOLed around. I did a beach tour and San Diego Community Pool tour in progress. SNORKELING will be next. Pacific Beach Allied gardens pool Aquatica Bahia Point Resort Carlsbad Tamarack Beach Coronado Beach Del Mar City South Beach Del Mar North Beach Dive Pool Fletcher Cove Beach Gwen's Pool Imperial Beach La Jolla Shores Mission Bay Beach Moonlight State Beach Ned Baumer Pool Oceanside Beach Point Loma Tide Pool read more

Coach Dave is so awesome. My son and I learned many skills in few days. I am so lucky that I can take this swimming lesson with Coach Dave! read more

My young/beginning swimmers (2 sons & a daughter) love Dave. He makes the lessons fun and caters to their abilities while making it challenging. They can't wait for swim class each week. We were with Dave last summer and were anxious for this spring season to begin. My kids have really progressed and gained confidence with Dave's instruction. Thanks, Shark Swim! read more

Shark Swim Lessons - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I had some experience in the water but I wanted to learn how to swim properly for a triathlon. Working with Dave was amazing. He was very patient and explained things very thoroughly. I needed the proper foundation and now I have officially accomplished my goal! First triathlon in the books, hopefully many more to come. Thanks Dave! read more

I have to leave a feedback specially because Dave have change my life. As a child I almost die drowned in the ocean, causing me a HUGE fobia for big amounts of water around me. My parents tried several private and public swim lessons after my accident that ended just making my fobia even WORST. They gave up after all my panic attacks every time I was close to a pool. As an adult I always stayed away from pools, beach even big Jacuzzis because of my fear to the water. I recently decided to bare my fears and do something about it, but just the idea of me in the water caused me anxiety! I did LOTS of research for ADULT swimming lessons, and I really FOCUS in someone that could understand my situation and my FEARS without judging me or laugh at me. (Too embarrassing already just to be an adult ) DAVE is an EXCELLENT, PATIENCE AND UNDERSTANDABLE instructor. In my 1st class I was dead scare, shaking, over breathing in the pool getting all dizzy and crazy. DAVE was so NICE AND CALM that with his explanations make me feel VERY COMFORTABLE and little by little comfortable in the water. His teaching techiques are unbelievable amazing! I cant believe that with all his visuals in water (tools), and his explanations of how your body can float by its own just having the right position have make me see water in another way. In my 2nd class I was swimming in my back by myself with no tools or any help !!! 25 yards! ! I know im still half way there but very confident that by the end of my sessions I will be swimming confortably all the ways bymyself. By the way, the lessons are really private, nobody is there just watching you making you feel uncomfortable, and the pool is heated!! read more

I took adult swimming lessons with Dave over the spring and had a great experience. My lessons were private and took place in his heated community pool. Dave is organized, friendly, knowledgable and modified his curriculum based on my swim level. I sought out Dave's company because I wanted to be a more confident ocean swimmer. read more

My daughter has been taking swim lessons at shark swim lessons and has made great progress. I would highly recommend any one to use this service. read more

I am a 30 year old man that subsequently has forgotten how to swim. Embarrassingly enough, I needed to learn if I ever wanted to be a true San Diegan on a surfboard. I am very grateful to have found Dave as an instructor. He is professional, positive, fun, and an overall pleasure to learn from. I have the outmost confidence in his abilities to teach and get me to a place where I will be become a strong swimmer so I can finally take my surf board out, thanx Dave! read more

We tried other swim lesdons for our daughter and the instructors could not get her to stop clinging to them or the wall. In her fisrt one on one lesson with Sharks she was over that fear! Her instructor has great teachiing techniques for breaking down the components of each stroke style, so that kids can really understand and perfect thier swimming. Our daughter now swims so well i would not be surprised if she began swimming competitive! We even started lessons for our son, who is quickly improving as well. They have great fun and lean quickly in a very safe environment . It every thing we could want for our kids! read more

Its awesome. My 5 years old son is now not afraid of water and can swim without any help

Dave has a great way working with kids and getting great results. We have been with Dave for less than two months, and my 31/2 year old has made an amazing improvement. read more

Fantastic swim teacher. Top-notch instruction delivered clearly and with a terrific sense of fun. Dave knows how to motivate children of all ages, and is easy to work with (for both kids and the parents). He helped my son pass the junior guards test on his first try. Don't hesitate to sign up. I'm planning to get another 5 lesson pack so Dave can work his magic with both of my kids. read more

we were planning to register our kid to recreational center swimming class. One night before, Dave sent us an e-mail to announce that shark swim lessons will be open and asked us about our desired time and our cell phones to contact us back but he never did. After couple of days, we sent another reminder e-mail but he never replied or called back. We missed the recreation center regsitration. read more

Dave has truly changed my life. I wanted to learn how to swim mainly so I can have fun with my kids in the pool (both are on their way to being good swimmers). I didn't want to just sit on the side of the pool any longer. It turns out that learning how to swim is one of the best things I have done for myself. I seldom (as in never) exercise but I can see myself using swimming as exercise for the rest of my life. Now I love doing laps and really enjoy swimming. I really couldn't have gotten where I am if it weren't for Dave. Unlike my kids who have no fear of water so learning how to swim is easier for them, I was terrified of the water. I couldn't even put my face in the water without having a mini panic attack. Learning how to swim as an adult is definitely a huge challenge because all the ingrained fears I had. Dave was so patient and is such a great teacher. I was able to get across the pool by the third lesson! I never considered myself truly swimming until I could do the proper freestyle and I was able to do that in a few months with Dave's help. Each lesson, I showed up really excited to learn and left feeling like I really got better. I still have a way to go and Dave has given my the confidence to continue practicing to become a better swimmer. After 3 short months I went from not being able to put my face in the water to consistently swimming 20-30 laps each week. I would highly recommend him to anyone who wants to learn how to swim! - Diane Y. (Steve's wife) read more