We had my daughter in a few group swim classes and she never really progressed, so I started researching for private swim lessons and am so thankful I found Shipman. We attend their Burlingame location, because they have a heated indoor pool that can be used year round, as well as showers for right afterwards. Since starting here, my daughter went from not wanting to let go of the instructor or put her head underwater to swimming underwater and now doing freestyle! She loves her lessons and it's helped build so much confidence with water, which makes me feel great as a parent, as water safety is one of my biggest concerns. I recommend them to everyone! read more

Most of the staff are incredibly kind and good with the children.... but many of them are clearly untrained. 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 The photos on this site are also incredibly outdated.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. read more

I highly recommend Shipman swim school to anyone looking for swimming lessons for their kids. We've been taking classes with them almost 4 months now and have had a very positive experience and cannot recommend them enough. I especially love their Burlingame location, as its enclosed and heated for swimming lessons. Zumer Shipman has always been very accommodating with makeup up swim lessons if my kids miss a class and always communicating with me directly with any questions I have. Stacy is amazing with my little 2 year old and so patient and knowledgeable, and Kirsten is great and so patient with my 5 year old as well. Worth every penny!!! read more

My family friend recommended this place and I have absolutely no words, the way the teachers were trained was absolutely perfect, my child jumped into the pool before he was ready and now he won't hang out with the family because he spends all of his time in the pool. I tried to sign up for more lessons and Zumer was very kind over the phone. We heard from a parent at our son's school that they pay the workers very well. Amazing. read more

Put all three boys in private lessons at their burlingame location and their strokes immediately and dramatically improved. After a couple months, my boys' swim got strong enough to qualify for a local swim team! Highly recommend. It's worth the investment over larger group swim lessons - you'll save money in the long run because they learn so much more so much faster read more

Easy scheduling, attentive and friendly teachers who know how to coax my reluctant son into making steady progress. The water is heated, the pool is enclosed, and parking is easy. read more

I had a horrendous experience here. They advertise the pool as being 81 degrees, and it was nowhere near that for my son's lesson I brought this up in a phone call with the business owner later after my child was shivering during his lesson and the owner insisted that the pool was 81 degrees. I repeated that it was not even close to that temperature and he told me I was calling him a liar and became extremely confrontational and disrespectful to my family. I encourage those of you researching this school to read other online reviews of this place, particularly on Google maps. There is at least one other horrific story a woman shared about the owner. Stay away, there are better options with businesses that are far more deserving of your money. read more

We have been loving our time at Shipman's. We'd always heard good things about it but had never been able to get in until this year. We have two girls who barely made progress going to a different local swim school for the past 3 years. Both girls now love going to shipman and love their instructors. When we have been out sick or out of town it has been easy to find times for a makeup lesson. Would definitely recommend! read more

An awesome family business providing service to our community! Our daughters learned to swim with Zumer and Stacy, and we are proud supporters as they continue to teach essential skills and provide employment opportunities to former student! Love the Shipman's! read more

My son started taking swim classes at Shipman a couple of weeks ago as a level 3 student, and we could not be happier with the program and the people. My son is learning fast and loves his teacher. The pool is outdoors, large, clean and heated to 80 degrees, which is really nice on those cold mornings. The owners and the staff are professional, super nice, and helpful. We love going to Shipman's every week and it's always fun talking with Zumer (the owner) If you're looking for a new swim school, I highly recommend Shipman. read more

We chose not to go for swim lessons here since the cost of a 25 minute swim group class was equal to a private 30 minute class in a private pool. The cost was prohibitive! read more

We have been SO impressed starting our 3 year old at Shipmans this spring! The instructors are engaging and warm- and it's run so efficiently. Our little guy has made so much progress! read more

My son has been taking swim lessons with Shipman for the last 5 years (he's 10 now). Lots of great points: *max of 3 students per class (at the start and end of season, you might only have 2 student) *great facility *Zumer, the owner, is always there; he knows each student's ability and makes sure the student is getting the instruction he/she needs *make-up classes are offered based on availability *I like that they take a winter break; it works for my son, and he's always ready to start back up come spring My son is the youngest in our family of five, and is by far the best swimmer (as far as form and technique). None of us can do the flip turn!! I do wish the higher levels were taught how to dive, but understand that most students are pretty young. Highly recommend this school, especially for younger students. read more

We've only had one class with Shipman Swim so far, and already both the classes and the customer service have been great. I signed my 4 year old son up for a trial class last week. We arrived at the school and were met by Stacy who was very friendly, and lent us a towel as we forgot ours and she usually brings extras. My son participated in the group class (3 kids to one adult), and he was catching on nicely by the end of the 30 mins. The instructor, Ella, was very patient as my son had a hard time focusing for the first 15 min since it was his first swim class ever. I liked how the class went and my son enjoyed it, so I went ahead and signed up to ensure I got the time slot I wanted despite knowing I'd be out of town the following two weeks. Stacy said that was fine and to just email the school to reschedule makeup classes. The response was fast and I got the makeup classes scheduled right away. The first makeup class was today at 4pm, but after having a busy day and being 5 months pregnant, I forgot the 4pm time and thought it was at 4:30. I realized this as we were driving to the school! I felt awful. I went to the school anyway and spoke to Zumer and apologized. By that time my son's class was over, but Zumer was very cool about it, totally understood that life happens and offered to swim with my son at 5pm if we didn't mind waiting around. Not at all! I'm writing this as we are waiting and feeling relieved that the school was so understanding of my mistake. I'm very happy with our experience with Shipman Swim so far! read more

We brought our son to a couple of different swim schools and asked them to please just teach him the basics so that if falls into water he could get out, but all the other schools kept working on various techniques that lead to more advanced swimming but did not teach simply not to drown. In addition the other schools had a ton of turn over and the new teachers would end up starting over or not be very good instructors to begin with. We were very frustrated! But then we spoke to Zummer and Stacey and they promised they would teach our son to swim in no time, and that is exactly what's happened; within a couple of lessons he was swimming on his own enough that if he were to fall in a pool we were confident he'd be fine. We highly recommend Shipman Swim School! read more

This review is way overdo. We started going here 3 years ago with my oldest son and now both of my boys are going here. Zumer and Stacy are awesome! They are both always there and they are both really friendly. All of the swim teachers are sweet and they listen to the kids. Classes are small and the kids have a lot of one on one time. My oldest son can swim and I feel comfortable letting him go to pool parties or just swimming on his own. My younger son is still learning but he's getting there. I would recommend Shipman to anyone who is looking for a swimming school in the area. read more

My 7 year old son started lessons with Shipman this summer. My son is challenging to teach because he is easily distracted. For weeks I watched as he struggled to follow directions given. Zumer patiently repeated the instructions every week and told my son without fail to do as he was asked, all the while being positive. Then it happened! My son was executing freestyle. My son apologies a lot. Zumer says to him, "You don't need to apologize." And compliments my son when he tries his best. He started with a teacher which I felt wasn't right for my son. I told Zumer and he responded right away and switched his instructor to Stacey (his wife and co-owner) and I started to see improvements. And then because a lot of the instructors started back to college etc, Zumer started teaching my son. He called me personally and asked me if my son would like to continue with Stacey or himself. Since my son didn't have a preference, Zumer said he wanted to take on my son. Having my son attend Shipman is one of the best decisions I've made for him. I feel as Zumer is teaching my son more than just how to swim. He is teaching my son to be the best version of himself: to be goal oriented, persistent, and to enjoy the process of learning and improving. Zumer tells my son, "Swimming is fun!" My son recently requested he'd like to go twice a week instead of once. I'm not surprised. I wish every teacher and instructor were more like Zumer and Stacey! read more

Both our kids, ages 5 and 7 have been taking semi-private then private lessons for almost 4 months. They were anti-water splashing on their faces and would scream "I need a towel!" if one drop of water landed on their face. My 7 year old son excelled right away and made tremendous progress with his instructor, Sanjana. He absolutely loves her. She's great with kids, knowledgeable in getting him to learn techniques in a fun and individualized way, and she always has a smile on her face! He is able to swim now and float in such a short amount of time! My daughter took a little longer because I believe she was younger. But she tried at least 2 different instructors before she met her match at Shipmans. This is what I really appreciated. The company always made sure she was making progress and if she wasn't, they would put her with another instructor. I never requested for one either, but this is how awesome they are. They really care about the kids and their goals! Our daughter has found her match, Raquel, who is also amazing with her. She was able to learn to swim in just a few sessions alone with her! Both of our kids instructors are outgoing, friendly, knowledgeable, and fun! We couldn't be happier. They are truly talented. I would highly recommend Shipman's swim school! The owners are very flexible and accommodating to makeups, borrowing supplies such as googles, and very easy to contact and communicate with! read more

We have been to a few of the local swim schools and we have found Shipman swim school to be the best. The teachers are experienced and engaged. They also have a great balance of pushing a child with a lot of good, fun support. I have noticed that the teachers also have a great way of spotting and teaching the little things in a stroke, which can make a big difference in a child's ability to swim and therefore their confidence. Above it all is Zumer, who watches all the teachers and all the students to make sure everyone is getting the right level of practice and attention. I highly recommend this program! read more

We live in San Carlos and we have unsuccessfully tried two different swim schools in San Carlos. Zumer is 100% committed to his school. He's there everyday to give pointers to his teachers, jump in the water to show them, and teach other children too. We had a switch in instructors and Zumer recommended that he teach our son personally instead. Our son is now comfortable in the water and we are very happy with his progress. We will be back in the summer again! read more

First class for both kids: 4 years old attended hers and then my hubby joined 2 years old for his "parents and me" class. They both seemed to enjoy the classes, instructor was very friendly. The owner is also supervising on deck and provide additional advise. Update: My kids attended 4 times so far and huge improvements from when she attended other swim schools. The only thing I don't like is outdoor pool especially in cool weather (if weather forecast less than 76, we purposely miss classes) read more

Comprehensive, careful instruction by kind, caring instructors. The owners are friendly and flexible and communicate well through email. The website scheduling is easy to use and convenient. The pool they teach in is a lovely outdoor pool at the Elk's Lodge. My child loves going to his swim lessons - all around 5 stars! read more

It took only a few classes for my 5yr old to get comfortable in the water. All the teachers here are great with the kids. Owners Zumer and Stacy are great with their teaching style with the students and with how they mentor their teachers. I started my son in January with private lessons and by this summer I got to relax in my lounge chair and watch him play in the pool with confidence. He didn't even want me in the water with him. It is so awesome to be able to have my little guy comfortable in the water without floaties! It is such a great investment and the commitment is so worth it to have given my kids swim lessons with this school. read more

Shipman is by far the best swim school you can get. Zumer and Stacey are wonderful. They are kind and encouraging as well as motivating and challenging. My kids really enjoy swimming with them and it's been an amazing experience for our family. I highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for a great environment for their kids. I would have started sooner if I found them earlier! :) I'm so glad we found them and will be sticking with them for a long time! :) if your concern is the cold weather, your kids will get used to it and it helps them deal with all the other weather conditions you will swim in when you go on vacation or elsewhere! It's a non-issue I promise! read more

After trying many swim schools.. our son is not only learning how to swim but thriving! He is 5 and every morning asks if it's swim school day! We love the teachers, staff and owners. We went from one private to two per week as we're seeing so much progress lesson to lesson. Highly recommend this school for your kids. read more

My son (4 yrs) has been attending Shipman Swim School since it first opened its doors (previously owned by King's Swim Academy). It's been a great place for him to develop, swim, and stay engaged. My experience as a parent has been equally great! No more hustling through the crowded parking lot and zipping in and out of the over packed pool. Zumer and Stacy (owners) take the time to get to know the students (along with their personalities) and the approach has been positive. They truly work with the students and parents to make the swim experience effective! My son enjoys the class taught by Mariah. She's friendly and pays close attention to her students. It's wonderful to see him build his confidence in the water (while having fun)!! read more

A few months ago, we decided to bring our kids to Shipman Swim School for lessons in San Mateo. We initially liked the school because of the convenient location and ease of finding a good class time/day without first being on a waiting list. In the short time since our girls started having swimming lessons with Stacy, we've seen an unusually rapid progress in both of their abilities as swimmers. We've also been happy with the friendly and helpful staff. The kids are improving at a rapid clip, and also clearly enjoy swimming there. We really like the business as well as the people and we highly recommend Shipman Swim School. Its a great place for kids to learn how to swim. read more

Yes folks this swim school IS as good as it gets! This is my 6 y/o second season and just absolutely LOVES to swim. She was attending both the San Mateo and San Carlos location of King's Swim Academy since she was 4 y/o but it didn't work out of her. I believe partly b/c she wasn't ready to do more/progress and partly b/c she didn't build trust with her last teacher. We love Shipman! It is the right fit for my kids' needs. Zumer (the owner) is personable and friendly. We love the coaches as they encourage the kids but does not push where the child feels pressured. They encourage by being assertive yet playful to a child who is afraid of the water. My other child is 4 y/o who just started 5 weeks ago and loves it. Zumer and his wife Stacey (she also teaches) are such friendly people. Stacey is always in the pool teaching while Zumer overlooks the entire pool and swim activities. Zumer constantly is talking to parents and always providing feedback to parents about their child. Zumer almost always his shades on and just when I think he's not paying attention - he sure is. For example, one early morning session, my 4 y/o jumped in the pool prematurely (mind you that my child has only been at week 3 of swim lessons) and cannot swim. My 4 y/o's coach immediately saw him and pulled him to her. Then from excitement, my son had jumped off the pool platform before his coach instructed him swim to her. Zumer immediately saw this and made the call to have my 4 y/o be moved to another coach who was teaching only one student. I really appreciated how attentive and quick Zumer was in recognizing and responding to such situations. I certainly see the progress of especially my 6 y/o and when she begs to stay in the pool, I know her lessons are worth it here at Shipmans. I love that there are make-up classes. I love that the pool is huge, clean, and spacious. But I have to keep it real, it is an outdoor swimming pool so in those early Spring months it can get cold in early morning lessons so prepare by purchasing a wetsuit for your child. Also, this school is NOT open all year around b/c it is an outdoor swimming pool. Otherwise, I am very happy with the financial investment we've put in our children's lessons. read more

We've had our 5-year old at Shipman for a couple of months now and he is making great progress. He's a high-energy kid and needs a lot of interaction to stay interested and both Stacey and Mariah have done a great job keeping both his focus and interest. He starts class with a smile and leaves with an even bigger smile. This is definitely the place to go to if you want your kid to love swimming. Also, they have adult classes on weekday evenings! read more

I love this school. The owner, the teachers and the facility are all great. After just 2 lessons I can already tell my 3 year old will learn how to swim in just a few months. Easy parking, great location, and very personal atmosphere. The personalized attention, even in a group class (max of 3 kids) is fantastic. Feels so much less commercial and "factory like" than some of the alternatives. Everything is super clean and safe too. read more

Shipman Swim School is is a wonderful school if you really want your child to learn how to swim. Because of the small class size 9only 3 kids per class) the child actually gets to swim a lot. Our kids progressed tremendously in a short period of time. The pool is not crowded at all, compared to the other school that we checked around the area. Owners, Stacy and Zumer, are very nice people. Stacy is an excellent swim teacher, our kids enjoy working with her. The facility is nice and clean, perfect location too. read more

My 8 yo took swimming lessons with this fabulous family oriented school. It is owned by a husband and wife team. My daughter has taken swim lessons in the past but forgot how to swim. She just took 1 week of classes with Stacy (owner) and Mariah (eight 30 minute classes) and can now swim. In addition to the basics, she was taught the breast stroke, dolphin style, treading water and back float!!! All this in one week!! Zumer (owner) has great energy; he walks back and forth the whole time monitoring the children and facility so I felt safe leaving to run errands. My daughter totally enjoyed her lessons. In her words...."they were the MOST AWESOME!" read more

Such a nice and friendly place! Teachers are absolutely amazing. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw my grandson swimming after just a few lessons. read more

My three kids needed swimming lessons. They took lessons from other places but never were really interested in pursuing them long-term. Then we tried Shipman. From day one, all three kids had the time of their lives, and they would not stop talking about their experience and excitement for swimming. We ended up signing them up for additional sessions every week. Thanks, Shipman, for instilling encouragement, excitement, and interest in swimming for my kids! read more

My husband and I are REALLY impressed with the instructors and with the progress that our kids have shown in such a short amount of time. My 2yr old wanted nothing to do with the baby pool on Father's Day. My husband decided right then and there that he wanted to get our two younger ones in swim lessons this summer. I looked around but I really didn't want to go in the pool to take lessons. A few days later a friend of ours recommended Shipman's Swim School at the ELKS Lodge. Ironically, my husband just joined The ELKS two weeks prior to the recommendation. (You don't have to be a member to take lessons their) Long story short...we signed up. Registering online was simple. They started lessons the very next day! I had to work but my husband sent me a video so I could see them at their lesson...I was not prepared for what I was about to watch. He sent a video of our 2yr old going under the water...and it looked like she was attempting to hold her breath prior to going under. I've never seen this before. I was amazed. It has been 3wks and my girls LOVE to swim. I can't get the 2yr old out of the baby pool now. She puts her own face under the water. It's super cute to watch her hold onto a noodle and kick her way around. Our 4year old loves swimming with her big sister in the big pool. She loves to practice and show us all that she has been learning. She can also swim about 3-4 ft with her head under water. Again, only after 3wks of lessons. I really can't say enough positive things about our experience with Shipman's. read more

I cannot say enough about this school. Their approach to teaching is absolutely brilliant. They took my 5 yr old who was so scared of water and refused to even have her hair washed out of fear for getting water on her face and turned her into a little fish ;) Private lessons with Stacy and she is using her rocket arms and going under water coming up with a smile and being super proud of herself. She wishes she had class everyday. I am eternally grateful to this school. The owners truly care about all the kids and just want them to learn and do the best they can. Thank you so much! read more

Wonderful swim school! My children are 4 and 2 and enrolled twice a week for swim lessons. Shipman provides a quality service!!

We've been with Shipman Swim School since they've opened their San Mateo location. I've been very pleased with the swim instructor Stacey and their teaching philosophy, which is individual attention to each student. The student and teacher ratio for group lessons is fantastic right now (1:1). I definitely see a lot of progress since my kid has been with Shipman. Since Shipman do not want to overpack the pool, we do not need to fight for street parking blocks away and spots are open at the lot itself. It's a refreshing change from KSA. read more

The best swim school on the peninsula! They helped both my kids become swim safe. Especially for my daughter who was once deathly afraid to put her head beneath the surface, seeing her learn the breast stroke was unbelievable! Added bonus, super friendly about make ups! read more

Zumer and his wife Stacey run a great program and hire excellent instructors!! Our 4-year-old has been attending Shipman's for almost 2 years now. They make sure to get your child comfortable in the water and truly teach them how to swim and push them to exceed. I saw immediate results after the first lesson. If you want your child to learn how to swim and get taught the proper way, I HIGHLY recommend sending them to Shipman's! read more