1. Stride Aquatics

    1. Stride Aquatics

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    North Hollywood, CA

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    Community Service/Non-Profit

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    Photo of V V.
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    1 month ago

    Our children had a fantastic experience with Stride Aquatics and Mr Oswaldo. Oswaldo is very patient and an excellent teacher. Thank you!

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great instructor, small clean pool on a quiet street. Great for swimmers of all ages.

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Paid for lessons I never received. Does not return phone calls. Not impressed by lack of communication.

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    John M.

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    5 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Love Sailfish! Kayla was so great. My daughter absolutely loved it. She had a blast, gained a lot of confidence and learned a ton!

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    6 years ago

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    John M.

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    6 years ago

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    Review Highlights - Stride Aquatics

    My kid talks about the swim lessons all week long and gets so excited when he's in the pool with John.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Lucile Cowle Swim School - They actually have two pools, one that is more shallow

    Lucile Cowle Swim School

    (51 reviews)

    Go anywhere else! Stay away! They are liars and scammers! Completely unethical and unprofessional!…read more Tarrik Daou is the executive director of the Lucile Cowle Swim School (now Daland Swim School). This man has no conscience, no ethical compass, and does business dirty to make a profit. He is unhinged, condescending, and worships money over service, professionalism, and honesty. My child is autistic and is a Regional Center client. Lucile Cowle, also under Daland Swim School, said that they would create an account with a 3rd party payer so that they could be directly paid by the 3rd party vendor with the Lanterman Regional Center. I started communicating with Lucile Cowle Swim School on March 5, 2025. It is now July 2026 (16 months later), and I was finally reimbursed financially after countless calls and emails. The only way that I was paid for adaptive swim lessons was to bypass LC completely, and Aveanna 3rd-party payers conducted a full investigation to unpack their numerous lies. Dealing with this unethical company was so traumatic and all-consuming. Aveanna had to create an internal memo to no longer deal with this company because they would often refuse to respond, say they already did without turning in the necessary paperwork, and they never responded to the Lanterman Regional Center. My Lanterman Regional Center worker constantly reached out to LC, and their statements about when they responded do not align with any of the paper trail. They have made it difficult at every turn. Read my reviews. I never posted a single negative review of a business before today. Even when I get less than stellar service or food/goods-I try to give businesses the benefit of the doubt and don't want to damage their business in chance it was just an off day. However, this took 16 months of my time, and the executive director, Tarrik Daou, was so nasty, condescending, and more fearful of not covering his bases when too many outside parties (not me) came with financial questions than actually providing honest, reputable service or transparent, ethical accounting. I have a long paper trail to back up every claim I make, as opposed to Lucile Cowle (now Daland Swim School), who can't keep records or even finish setting up a business account after 8 months. This is step 1 of any financial accounting. I just can't in any good conscience recommend this awful institution or Tarrik's narcissistic personality as someone you want to deal with. Please. There are other reputable swim schools who won't lie to you. I don't call people liars easily; in fact, I literally never have before in any business review. I had to come up with a long paper trail and unravel his lies because he's such an expert gaslighter; you want to double and triple-check facts to make sure the accounting is done correctly. Please take your business elsewhere. There are swim schools that actually care about your kids, not just the money that comes with it. If your child has any special needs, please stay away. Being a special-needs parent who must advocate for your child's special needs is hard; why add to your load by constantly having to unravel one vendor's outright lies? Your time is precious, and your child can become an agile swimmer at a swim school that loves children and not just sees an opportunity to financially exploit you.

    Took my kid in for a swim assessment today. He was in the water for less than 5 minutes before they…read moredecided he belonged in the Dolphin group. The recommendation? One 30-minute group class per week for $189/month (plus tax), with 4-6 kids in the class. If we wanted a second class each week, the total would jump to about $380/month after tax. Let's break that down: * About 8 classes per month. * 30 minutes per class shared among 4-6 kids. * Realistically, that's only a few minutes of individual attention from the instructor each session. So for nearly $380 per month, you're paying for maybe 30-40 minutes of actual one-on-one attention over the entire month. Am I missing something, or is that an insane amount of money? To make matters worse, the pool smelled like it had more chlorine than water, the facility looked very outdated, and the overall environment didn't feel particularly clean or safe. Curious to hear what other parents are paying for swim lessons these days.

    Swim Day With Jay - Group class- Red light Green light kicks & bubbles game

    Swim Day With Jay

    (57 reviews)

    Toluca Lake

    We signed our 2-year-old up for Swim Day with Jay, half expecting the usual toddler-in-water chaos:…read moretears, clinging, a lot of "maybe next week." Instead we got a kid who now sprints toward the pool yelling "SWIM! SWIM!" before we've even parked. What sets Jay and the team apart is the energy. Every splash gets celebrated, every tiny kick gets a cheer, and somehow all that enthusiasm is wrapped in real patience. And the progression has genuinely surprised us. In a handful of weeks, she's gone from a death grip on my neck, to blowing bubbles, kicking, immersing her head underwater, holding onto the pool noodle, and climbing out of the pool on her own. They break big skills into little wins a two-year-old can actually feel proud of, and it shows. The best part isn't even the swimming, though. It's that she's fallen head over heels in love with the water. Bath time, puddles, the ocean, she's fearless now, and I credit the confidence this class built. If you've got a little one and you're on the fence, go with Jay's stellar swim teachers who are kind, energetic, and clearly love what they do.

    My son absolutely LOVES his swim classes at Coach Jay's! Beyond the excellent instruction, the…read morefacility is incredibly family-friendly. There's always plenty of parking, easy-to-access dressing rooms, a waiting area with toys, and a beautiful pool that's kept at the perfect temperature. As a parent, I especially appreciate that the pool is well shaded. My son is 3 years old and had no prior swim experience. After just one month of lessons, we went swimming over the weekend and I was amazed by his progress. He was confidently climbing in and out of the pool, treading water, blowing bubbles, and even jumping into the pool on his own. A month ago, he wouldn't even put a toe in the water! I truly can't say enough good things about Coach Jay's. The progress, confidence, and excitement my son has gained have been incredible to see. Worth every penny!

    Water Wings Swim School - Restrooms

    Water Wings Swim School

    (41 reviews)

    Sherman Oaks

    Last year, my kids did 1:1 swim lessons at LAVC and a private swim instructor with no success (lots…read moreof crying, not water confident, and didn't learn much). This year, my 2 kids ages 7 and 5 started attending Water Wings (they both attend the same lesson together) and within 1 month, they are not only water confident but they are doing AHHHMAZING and have actually learned how to swim IN ONE MONTH! I have been SO impressed with the quality of swim instructors here. Our instructor, Jake, has been so great with my kids and makes it so fun for them! He even used a slide today with water toys and I just love seeing the excitement in my kids' faces as they're learning! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Jake, you're the best!

    My son successfully completed Parent & Me 1 and was moved into Parent & Me 2. During his fourth…read moreParent & Me 2 class, which unfortunately fell during his usual nap time but was the only class that fit our schedule, he was having a tough day. Instead of showing patience, the instructor's demeanor felt impatient and unwelcoming. She later asked whether he had taken Parent & Me 2 before. When I said yes, she replied, "Interesting" and said he was "not showing 2 skills" and suggested he may have been moved up too early or had regressed. Every toddler has off days, especially when they're tired, and we ultimately left class early because I felt my son was being judged rather than supported. I also don't think the Parent & Me group classes are worth the cost. A significant portion of the 30 minute class is spent waiting while each child takes turns with the instructor. The remaining activities are parent-led, with instructions often called out from across the pool, which can be really difficult to hear. Personally, I think parents would be better off teaching their children these basic skills on their own or investing in smaller group / private lessons if it's within their budget. The facility also feels overcrowded, with multiple classes sharing a small pool and frequent waits for the showers and changing rooms. We canceled our membership after two months. The one bright spot was Kenverley, our Parent & Me 1 instructor. She was incredibly patient, kind, and encouraging, especially on days when my son had cried. She made us feel supported, and I truly appreciated the care she showed my son. Honestly, if it weren't for her, we probably would have canceled sooner. The difference in experience between Parent & Me 1 and Parent & Me 2 was striking.

    Aqua Buddies

    Aqua Buddies

    (115 reviews)

    Sherman Oaks

    I brought my 4-year-old son to Aqua Buddies for swim lessons. At first, everything seemed fine…read more During his initial lesson, he worked with one instructor and learned basic skills like blowing bubbles, which was a positive start. However, as we continued, each lesson was with a different instructor, and that lack of consistency made my son increasingly uncomfortable. At his age, familiarity matters, and it became clear he wasn't settling in the way I had hoped. What ultimately led me to write this review, though, was not the instructors--it was the customer service. My interactions with the scheduler/representative regarding scheduling, missed days, and invoices were unpleasant and rigid. There was very little kindness or willingness to work with me, and the communication felt cutthroat rather than supportive. Because of this inflexibility, my son essentially missed out on continued lessons. Instead of working with me as a parent trying to navigate life with two young kids and a disabled husband, I felt pushed out over a missed appointment. In retrospect, I now see how much that experience negatively impacted my son's relationship with the water. I'm writing this while watching my son thrive at Water Wings, where he is happy, confident, and excited to learn. Seeing the difference has made me realize just how behind he became due to how things were handled at Aqua Buddies. Thankfully, there are other options in this city. I truly wish Aqua Buddies placed more emphasis on compassion, flexibility, and customer service--especially when working with young children and families who may need understanding, not rigidity.

    We had a great experience with Aqua Buddies. I found them on…read moreYelp when I was looking for a swim instructor to come to my home to teach a toddler some basic swim skills. We had a lovely instructor that was kind and patient. Unfortunately, our little one did not take to the lessons and we had to call it quits. Aqua Buddies were very understanding and offered a refund for the lessons we did not use. Next year when our little one is older, we will be calling again to set up lessons.

    Stride Aquatics - swimminglessons - Updated September 2026

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