I highly recommend John. If you are looking for someone with experience and is there to get the job done, then this is your guy. We had an experience with my 3.5 son in a different swim class where he fell off the step at swim (he thought he had the floating device on that they used to help train him to swim), no one saw and I ended up in the water getting him out. Right after that experience my husband and I decided that we did not like the method of teaching him to swim with floaties on his back and removing them as he got stronger. It gave him a false confidence that he shouldn't of had. He needs to have a respect for the water in order to be safe with it. John teaches them to swim on their own with no assistance (besides himself). The kids learn based off of natural instinct and the gentle direction given by John. My son cried the second day, but mostly out of nerves. After a few swims he was better. After that he was happy to go to swim and learn from John. He left the 10 day class feeling confident about his skills. John is a serious guy and he isn't there to chat and entertain your child. He is there to teach them a skill in the short time he has with them. When my son got scared or had concerns, John would comfort him or address him and get right back to business. The kids are there to learn! By day 5 my son could be pushed into the water off a step or off the side of the pool and he would turn to find the wall, swim to it and grab on. By day 10 he was swimming easily 10 feet between my husband and I. We took what John has taught both our son, my husband and I and do our drills at home before we do any pool play time. It is important to continue the training and help them strengthen their swimming. I highly recommend him and already have a few friends that will be looking into using him after see the difference in my sons newly learned skills. read more

Swim2John works. It was hard to watch at first but John is firm and patient and makes sure the child is not in any danger, my son cried and fought for the first few lessons and still whined and cried for the rest of the lessons but he can now swim across the short end of the pool and if he falls in he can turn, swim to and find the side, pull himself up and climb out by himself. amazing progress. That could be the difference between life and drowning. read more

I am beyond satisfied with the methods used by John to teach both of my children to swim. 10 Minutes a day, for 10 day's straight is such an effective way to teach a child the fundamentals of how to 'get safe' in the water and also the basics of swimming. By the end of the 10 day's my daughter was swimming and I was amazed. I have now gone to John three years in a row and the results speak for themselves. I would recommend Swim2John to anyone and everyone! read more

We just finished lessons with John and he is amazing. My five year old daughter and 3 year old son are now swimming on their own and love it. The first few days were a little rough to watch, but by day four both kids woke up in the morning and were excited to go to their swim lesson. I knew going into this class that it would be tough. I don't believe in giving up and I knew if we stuck with it we would see results. By the last day they were able to jump in the pool and swim to the side. This was such a great accomplishment for them. John is wonderful with kids. He praises them and encourages them leaving them with a new sense of confience. He does not by into crying or complaining and as a result the kids have improved on their obedience, listening and respect. He not only teaches them to swim, but he also teaches them how to get to a safe place should they fall into the pool. The last few days of class, both kids could swim the length of the pool. John worked with them on their technique and focused on the breast stroke. I should also mention that John teaches the parents how to continue what the kids have learned after the class is over. One of the reasons I chose this class was the fast results. Many times you will invest lots of money and a whole summer of classes with little results. It is truly amazing to see your child swimming after only two weeks. When we first started the class both kids would say "I can't swim, I don't know how." By the end, they were saying "I did it!". They are both very proud of their accomplishments. John has developed a great technique and it is proven successful. I am so thankful to John for teaching my kids to swim and most of all to be safe in the pool. I highly recommend him. Here is a video of our kids on day 8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRrpOsFUO2U read more

The class only helps kids who get accustomed to John's method of discliplining. It did not help my daughter who was frightened by the entire experience and cried for 5 days. Her time in the pool with the instructor was cut short for 3 days , and the loss in time was never addressed, even when we brought it to the notice of the instructor and the administrator. At the end of the class our daughter has only marginally improved from where she was earlier. We were told that our daughter is "stubborn" and difficult to teach at the end of the course. Well, if that is the case, which I don't agree entirely on, those traits were the reason we enrolled in this course in the first place. Just understand that the superior experiences listed by other parents may not apply to your kid. If you get the feeling that your child is not comfortable with the instructor by day 2, drop the class, it helps avoid all the stress and the loss of money. read more

Our 3 year old daughter loves John! And when her 10 lessons were over, she actually cried a little because she wanted to keep coming. Full disclosure, the first couple of days were rough, because she was not able to charm John by her cuteness, and it made her angry that she couldn't manipulate him. That passed by the third or fourth day and she was all smiles and let herself have fun while learning. Now our daughter is a legit swimmer, we know she can get safe if she needs to, and we are seriously considering bringing her back next season to see what else John can teach her. She had done two rounds in other weekly swim programs, where she was in a class with a few other kids, spent more time playing with watering cans and floating flowers than she did actually learning to swim. They were not willing to challenge her, and we knew she was capable of so much more. We are so glad we stopped wasting our time and money there, and made the investment in Swim2John. We give Swim2John our highest recommendation! If you're thinking about it, just do it, stick with it, and you'll be glad you did! read more

Swim2John is an absolutely magnificent way to have your child learn to swim. We had such a great experience with my 3 year old. She picked up swimming so quickly with John. I would recommend this to anyone who wants their child to learn to swim. I only wish I knew about him sooner. Worth every penny! read more

We saw yelp reviews and decided to go with John. But our experience today was shocking. Would like to share it. Today was my son's 9th day of class with John. My son is just 27 months old. He has being going for the class for past 8 days. He still keeps crying and does not want to go. My husband takes him to the class with John everyday. Today I joined them. My son was crying as usual, when his turn came my husband handed him over to John who was in the pool. John did not hold him initially and my son was under water drowning. John had never done this before as per my husband for the first 8 days. After sometime John picked him and handed over to my husband. John asked my husband to hand him over again in the pool and this time again John didn't hold him and my son again drowned and John picked him after sometime and handed over to my husband. My son this time after coming out started to run away with fear from the pool and was profusely crying and trembling with fear. I took him and told John than I am not comfortable with what he did. This might create a permanent fear of swimming in his mind. As soon as I told him this John started screaming on top of his voice saying that "your son is manipulative and keeps crying. Do you know how many kids die and how many funerals you have seen with kids drowning and went on". John was just raising his voice and screaming. He was not willing to listen to me and made a big scene. I tried to tell him a 2 year old is going to cry. We as adults need to make him comfortable and if we use force the kid might have fear. But John kept screaming, he was not even trying to listen to my concern and I decided to leave as this is not the way anyone speaks to a women. Maybe his approach is hard but he cannot lose his temper and start screaming at the parent. He should be calm and try to at least listen to the parents concern and convince them why he is doing this and if the parent is ok. A coach who wants to teach toddlers cannot scream in front of a child like this. 2 year old is very small to understand or even speak up. Toddlers only way to express himself is to cry. That's how they react. You can't loose your temper that its been 8 days and he is still crying and try to drown him to show that yes he can swim. This was our experience and wanted to share it. He may be good at teaching swimming but he sure has temper/ ego issues and a Swim coach cannot take his frustrations on a small kid and his parent. read more

OK, I'm a very "soft" mom who is very sensitive to children crying, especially my own and yet I highly recommend swin2John. I've done it with both my boys. My older son had a blast from the beginning since he wanted to learn to swim and he was swimming within 4 days, the little one, 4 years old, did not like it at first and did cry but on the third day started to listen to John and do everything he was told to do and it's only for 10 minutes. The little one needed some extra lessons at no additional charge. John is a super nice man who loves children and this just works. I tired Floties, YMCA, Noonan all time consuming without results. As a mother who loves water I tell you to try this method. I have seen my older son fall into the pool and my husband jumped fully dressed to rescue him and I had bad dreams of my little one falling into water and drawing. Children need to know how to swim and honestly this is the best way to teach them. read more

What you see on www.swim2john.com is exactly what you get. John is an EXCELLENT swim teacher. Before John, our 5 year old daughter took 2 summers of "swim lessons" at other schools. Very little improvement since the lessons had included floaties and lots of hand holding. We decided to try swim2john to help our daughter get over her fear of water. For the first 3 days, our daughter (like others) screamed and protested throughout the lesson. Thank goodness John was so patient. By day 4, there was a sudden transformation! She started smiling and gleefully swimming, completely submerged. It was nothing short of a miracle. By day 5, she couldn't wait to go into the pool. We are on our last day of lessons and John is teaching us how to continue training our daughter. We are beyond satisfied with the professionalism of this program. We only wished we had done this 2 years ago instead of wasting our money on other programs. read more

I highly recommend Swim2John (in fact, I want swim lessons)! My daughter of 5 1/2 avoided getting water on her face like the plague. She is now doing 10 minute swim drills with me. John's technique is amazing - straight forward and no-nonsense....firm and kind. After the 2nd lesson, my daughter said "Mommy, I think I can swim." After the 10th lesson, she said, "Mommy, I am proud of myself." We had a wonderful experience! read more

After spending several hundreds of dollars on other lessons....and still my kids were not swimming, we found John. The first day my children were swimming!!! With John's no nonsense style, they quickly knew he could not be manipulated. We have done two years with John and could not be happier. Not only are my 3 children now fish but the second year refines their stroke mechanics. read more

John is the way to go! He's currently teaching my 2nd child to swim with skill (John has already successfully taught my daughter to swim, who never progressed with other methods) and I am looking forward to him being pool safe when we are finished with our 10 days. He by no means "disciplines" his students (and both of my kids started out crying during the first few sessions). His teaching is methodical, yet he tailors instruction to each swimmer. My 2 1/2 year old son has been so proud of himself and says, "I'm amazing!", something John has told him during the last couple of sessions. He is not harsh. John is CONSISTENT, always keeping his word, so that swimmers learn to trust him. He allows for breaks during each 10 min. session and teaches them to "get safe" (find the safe side of the pool). John is also a great resource. After completing a 10 day session he and Kimber send emails on how to maintain and take the next steps with your swimmer. They also encourage you to contact them with any questions. I did not receive that with other companies. There's a reason why John's swimming sessions fill up fast. He's the BEST! read more

We have 33 month old twins and were referred to Swim2John by a friend that completed the program (successfully) with her 22 month old son last summer. Because both of my children loved the pool and were not scared to swim... I thought we would have no tears and this would be a breeze. I was wrong. The first four days were pretty emotional for both kids and me. Keep in mind, this program is different that traditional swim lessons. Its not 'mommy and me'. Its not about seeing your child play in the water and laugh. This class teachs your child 'where to get safe' should they fall into water. It also teachs the parents quick drills to help their children become stronger swimmers. After the first four days, we had no more tears! The kids were actually fighting on who would to 'swim to john' first (they had back to back lessons). Thanks to John, i now have two kids that have basic swimming skills and parents that are more comfortable around water. I cannot express how amazing John is. His program works. I would highly recommend this class to anyone read more

8/12/17 I was very excited to have my son (almost 3) take swim lessons from John. I did my research, read reviews, and decided that while pricey, his method seemed effective. On our third day of lessons (Wednesday), John asked if we could all do a lesson Saturday instead of the following Friday to accommodate his travel plans. That meant my son would go Mon-Sat, then Mon-Thurs instead of the usual Mon-Fri, Mon-Fri. While it meant canceling our kidfit reservation for my children (which we pay for), we were happy to make the change. Saturday morning, our ten minute time slot was at 8:10. We arrived at 8 to find the student before us waiting saying John was not there. I checked my email thinking maybe he'd cancelled. No email. I tried calling the number on the website and leaving a message. No response. Me along with the other students, many of whom had shown up at this time (John had a student scheduled every 10 minutes from 8-10AM), waited until about 8:45 with no word before making our way back home. About half way home, I get a text from his wife (his assistant), asking us to please go back, John was on his way. I responded that I would come back, but I was very unhappy, and would like to schedule a time to speak with her or John. With screaming toddler and baby in tow, we turned around, got back into our swim clothes, and went back. By the time we got there, around 9:15, there were about 6 students waiting (their normal time), plus the students from earlier that had come back. There was no protocol or plan for who was going to go first/etc. By the time it was my son's turn, another kid who'd been waiting too long, had a tantrum, so John had the kid come do his lesson with my son. We signed up to pay $50 per 10 minute lesson, so that my son could get one-on-one instruction. John did the 10 minute lesson with both boys, so my son's time essentially got cut in half, not to mention the frustration from the whole morning. John called me at 1:30 that Saturday. I had had time to calm down, my kids were napping, and I nicely/calmly told him about my frustrations. I said I thought it was fair if we were refunded the $50 for today's lesson, and I also wanted a makeup lesson for my son since he'd done my son's lesson with another child. I should note that John mentioned he'd overslept and that was the reason for being late. He did not like my proposal, asked "How is that fair for John?" I said we signed up for private lessons, today's lesson was not private, and I'd like to be compensated for my time and inconvenience. He raised his voice and said, "You know what, I'm done with you. I'm done with your son. I'm not going to PIDDLE with you! I will no longer provide instruction to your son, and he's not welcome back. Email my wife and she'll send you a refund." "I taught your son to swim for free, you're welcome!" (My son was making progress, but did not learn to swim during this time). I got off the phone shocked and confused at what had just transpired. Nine out of ten small business owners go out of their way to correct any issues. Granted I did receive my refund after 3 weeks, I was greatly disappointed by how the issue was handled, and more importantly, how disrespectfully John spoke to me. There are reasons why facilities such as Waterworks and YMCAs continue to operated and teach children how to swim. They conduct their business professionally, and work with the customer to make sure they are happy and satisfied. Unfortunately, I cannot say that about the Swim2John business. read more

I don't understand the 2 negative reviews. It is VERY clear what kind of program this is. If you don't agree with it don't sign up, it's as simple as that. John even has videos on his website that show exactly what takes place. Moving on, My daughter will complete her 2 week course tomorrow, at times it was hard to watch but she is swimming at 22 months. I would rather have my daughter know how to swim that drown which is the #1 cause of death in children under 5 in California... ps: if you can get past the first couple classes it's much easier. Of the 4 children in the class 3 didn't cry at all after the 2nd class. read more

In reading John's website he is crystal clear about his "no nonsense" approach and I have to admit I thought I was on board til my kid puked in the pool 4x on day 2. I struggled continuing w the class but will say it's the best thing we could have ever done for our 3 year old girl. At first it was terrifying and I wondered if I was doing the best thing for her but now I can confidently say I was. By day 3 she started to warm up to it all and by day 4 she was excited to go. If I had written this review on day 2, I'd have to admit it would have been very different. But we stuck with it and thank god we did. We have a very STRONG kid and have struggled w swim coaches in the past. John was the only one that was able to get through to her and he truly taught her to be safe in a pool. Now I have little to no concerns over her drowning. All thanks to John! He is very skilled at what he does and extremely confident in the results he produces and should be! My kid has always loved the water but didn't understand the danger it can pose. Because of him, she is definitely more aware and has a different outlook. I am so incredibly grateful to him for this! I can't say enough good things about him but will say it's not for the faint of heart. This was difficult to endure the first couple of days but now I understand the necessity. We've been through 2 other swim classes w our daughter and this is the only one that has produced any sort of results. Despite my experience the first couple of days, I will be sending my younger daughter there next year and may even send my eldest daughter back to enhance her swimming capabilities as she loved it so much in the end. The results are undeniable and the security it provides me as a parent knowing she can get to safety if she were to fall or get pushed into a pool is everything as the latter is completely unfathomable to me. Thank you John! You sill def be seeing us again!!! read more

We have had such a wonderful experience. Our 29 month old was swimming by day 4 out of the 10 days. I am truly amazed by his progress. I am so thankful that we decided to move forward and use John. I couldn't be happier and would recommend him to anyone I know. read more

From the day my first child was born, I began to have nightmares of my child drowning. When my girlfriend told me about Swim 2 John and my second son was only 18 months, I decided that it would be good to know that my child could get out of a pool IF he fell in. It was very hard to sit through the lessons but John had my 18 month old boy swimming to the side of a pool within the 10 days. Fast forward several years and we had a house with a pool. We had John teach at our pool and I was again in awe of the results of each child. My favorite one was my neighbor who has a 8 yr old boy who is handicapped from birth. He is non verbal and spends a lot of time in a pool with his family and through the school he attends. This lil boy, "Bobby" has always worn a life vest in the water because he showed incompetence in the pool even though he received many lessons. He couldn't even hold on to the side of the pool. I asked my neighbor if she would like to see him able to swim and her response was, "That would be a miracle. I don't believe it is possible." John offered to give them free lessons because he wanted to, "make it easier for them since they give so much to raise Bobby." Within in 5 lessons John had "Bobby" swimming to the side of the pool and holding on. He was able to throw "Bobby" in the pool as if he had fallen in and "Bobby" would swim to the side and hold on. The mom wept at the pool side because, "this was a miracle." Most of the children that I have seen John teach, cry the first couple days. But every single child I have seen was able to swim to the side safely and climb out. Most of the children become excited to show mom and dad what they have learned. He has taught the babies, young toddlers, older children, handicapped and autistic. He loves the kids and honestly does this work to save a life. I want my child to know that there are things that are hard and unpleasant in life. I will help them through these times but I can not prevent them from discomfort, because if I do, they will not be prepared for their adult life. Life isn't easy. Because my parents allowed me to suffer at times through those things which I thought were impossible, I learned how to succeed. They stood by my side and smiled, encouraging me to keep at it, just like the parents should be at the pool side for Swim 2 John's classes. read more

My son Zico just completed John's ten day course and I am really happy with his program. My son is only two years old and John has taught him the basics on how to swim and taught me how to continue to develop his skill. Most importantly, I feel that if my boy were ever to fall into a pool or some body of water, he now knows what to do to save himself from drowning. This is priceless for me. I have another son who is five months old and I would like to have him take John's swim class as soon as he's ready. This is totally worth your time and money. John is an excellent instructor for both kids and parents. read more

We were absolutely thrilled with the results John produced in our 5 year old and 3 year old boys. After the ten day session, my boys were both swimming pretty confidently and knew how to get back to the wall or the stairs if they were thrown in or fell in. They were also able to swim pretty far under water in a proper streamline position. We had tried other lessons in the past at big swim schools and the boys still were not water safe - I felt like they just collected our money every month and "played with the kids in the water." John's methods are extremely efficient - he just gets the job done !! John is also confident and reassuring - very fatherly - and my boys really took to him ! read more

John is an excellent swim instructor. With his no nonsense approach, he should probably teach parenting classes too. I have a high energy 3 year old boy who can be a bit of a challenge. By the end of week 1 he was swimming to/from John and by end of week 2 he pretty much swam the width of the pool. He could also jump into the deep end by himself, turn and swim to the wall for safety. It was amazing! Don't get me wrong, the first couple days were rough. For us, day 2 was especially tough. But it was definitely worth it now that he has this life saving skill. Two weeks ago, my son wouldn't even put his face in the water. Yesterday we went to a pool party and he was swimming around feeling comfortable and confident in the water. It was a good experience for both my son and myself. I think it was day 4 or 5 I asked my son if he was scared of John and he said "No, John's a nice guy!" I recommend Swim2John to any parent with little ones. My daughter will definitely go when she's old enough. read more

I took my 2 daughters to John (ages 6 and 4) with hopes that they would learn water safety. We had tried Floaties, and after 9 months my girls had learned nothing but how to play in the pool, they were unable to swim, or have basic life saving skills. I will admit that after the first day I was hesitant, but I had to bring them back. I am so glad that I did! Everyday it got easier for me and for them as well. They quickly learned to trust John, and followed his instructions. By the end of the two weeks my girls did not want to get out of the pool and asked for extra time with him. We left with the skills to continue to teach them on our own, and develop the skills. John is an excellent teacher and great with the kids. He has amazing patience, and seems to really love what he does. I would take additional lessons with him, and recommend him to anyone. Put all your fears, doubts and worry aside and finish the two weeks. It is well worth your time and money. read more

I chose Swim 2 John because my son NEEDS to know how to swim to the side and get himself out of a pool by himself. Not because he needs a new hobby or i'm bored and chic and think that swimming lessons are the best trend for a 3 year old, next to polo. I read statistics on kids and drownings. They happen with adults watching; with lifeguards watching! And it only takes few minutes. My son is rambunctious, curious, mischievous, defiant, strong and strong willed, and now he is a happy swimmer! John has an awesome demeanor perfectly suited for this work. He takes kids who don't know they can swim and transforms them into confident swimmers. John is consistent with the kids and builds trust with them quickly; because very early on his students realize they can't change his mind by crying to him. John isn't there to cuddle and console, or convince kids it's a good idea to put their face in the water. John isn't warm and fuzzy and singing songs either. He's there to teach your kid to save his own life if he needs to. For me, the fun my son will have splashing around the pool with friends this summer is only a secondary benefit. I'm so, so grateful and excited I found Swim 2 John! read more

I highly recommend Swim2John. Both of my kids took Swim2John around age 4. Both had taken classes at a big swim school but just couldn't get to the point of being independent swimmers. John cured that quickly. His method is very direct and effective. While firm with the kids, he is very patient, encouraging and never raises his voice. He just doesn't listen to the crying and negotiating that the kids use to get mom and dad to do what they want. He keeps the message simple and the lessons short and the kids really seem to pick things up very quickly. They accomplish a ton each 10 minute session. My daughter took to his method immediately and the results were amazing. My son was like a lot of the kids in the video where the first day or so he was putting on the waterworks. About halfway through the second day, it was like someone flipped a switch. He stopped whining and started swimming. By day 4 he was swimming to John from the steps. By day 5 he was sad that it was the weekend because he wouldn't have Swim2John in the morning. After finishing day 10, his abilities and confidence were through the roof. While day 1 and 2 may be painful (John is very upfront about this fact), the program is great and it works just as advertised. read more

Words cannot express how happy I am. As a former teacher, I know that in order to establish respect and an ability to have the student follow directions, you must be firm and stern at first. Because John has very little time to get your child/athlete swimming safely in the pool, the first few days are tough for the parent to watch, yes. But, necessary. For those parents who gave John less than 5 stars obviously are missing out on a wonderful experience and perhaps might be a little too lenient with their own children... I have 3 children under the age of 6. I had all enrolled, none of which were thrilled to be taking lessons again. I have had them all in swimming lessons since birth, none could swim. The older two (5.5 and 3.5) wouldn't even put their face in the water after all of those lessons. The youngest, 2, would, but nobody ever attempted to get him swimming or teach him how to get to safety. After one lesson; all were swimming, by day 5 all were willing to swim without complaint (my oldest was the most verbal- poor John- handled him perfectly- I actually learned a thing or two on how to deal with my son!) by day 10, they didn't want to get out of the water and had smiles the whole time. Both my husband and myself are no longer worried to be around a pool for fear of what may happen if one fell in. We have already been to the pool twice since ending the class less than 5 days ago and the kids keep asking to swim each day. The smiles on their faces and hearing, "Mr. John would be so proud of me!" Make it all worth every penny! We are so blessed to have found him. Both he and his wife are wonderful and willing to help or answer any questions at any time. read more

I cannot recommend John highly enough. My three year old daughter is on day four of ten, and she is swimming across the pool on her own, with no prior swim experience. John is kind, respectful, engaged, and no nonsense. He has a way with children, earning their trust and respect. My daughter tends to be shy, and she warmed right up to John. I noticed a recent reviewer stated that John's discipline tactics are "disturbing," and I could not disagree more. I have never seen any such harsh tactics utilized, and I have the utmost respect for John's techniques. He does not allow kids to manipulate him by crying, and instead continues on with the lesson gently and firmly. He is a great example to us parents of how to approach discipline, and to be the authority figure that our children crave, while exhibiting kindness and encouragement. If you want your child to learn to swim, look no further than John. My daughter is so proud of her new skill. This summer will be a blast in the water -- thank you, John! read more