My son has been coming here for almost two years to learn swimming. He has improved tremendously…read morehis courage and also allows him to exercise when it's cold instead of his fingers on the iPad. :) It's a regular school that's been rented out during non-school hours for swim classes. Scheduling is tough but the instructors are great and really care about the kids learning to swim. The facility is very clean even though the bathroom/changing rooms are very small. Parking is never an issue since there are over 50 parking spots. No worry about being cold because the pool is heated. It does get quite crazy during registration because of the limited time slots especially for beginner classes. They are expanding to a new location for the higher levels near Coney Island with a much larger pool which is needed for proper level 4+ training when they learn to glide. They also have adult swim classes on certain times but it's mostly younger kids here and mostly Asian kids. All students are required to have proper gear including a head cap and goggles. They also sell SwimKoi branded ones.

This place is a sinking ship. Constant turnover rate of instructors who don't stay. If you're…read moreseeking warm pool, place that accepts children from 4-5yrs old and dont' mind the constant change , then it may be an option. Otherwise, may need to look elsewhere.. as it's not the same....

Ok guys, this is my scoop on this spot!…read more I'm upgrading my swimming lessons to one day be able to swim In the Ocean or Sea. I don't think you're a real swimmer if u can't swim in the Ocean. U know why? It's bc there are No rails to grab onto. Sink or Swim! Hahahaha. My goal! Lol. I think everyone can improve on their swimming skills. The staff is amazing, the swim instructors are Awesome . So, patient with us. Ohh u can also pay for private lessons too. It's very affordable! If it's 4u as an adult or kids give them a try. Lots of lockers, Large enough pool. I didn't feel rushed, by our instructor Sophie. She's thorough in her lessons. I still had fun. I recommend, Penguin City Swim.

I should have written a review years ago. Well anyway better late than never--just like learning to…read moreswim. I started lessons with Penguin City in my late 40s MY LATE 40s, people! And I'm terrible when it comes to learning how to do new athletic/physical things and even *I* learned to swim. (Now in my mid 50s.) If you're nervous, think you're too old, whatever else--please give it a try; you'll at least learn enough to be comfortable in the water, and the staff are really professional and the time I spent in the water for my lessons was actually really relaxing. Worth it. Give it a try, even if you never get to the point where you swim Olympic pool laps, you will feel competent in a pool and you will find enjoyment.

We've been taking our 2.5 year old son at this Aquabeba location for a few months, and we are…read moregenerally happy. First of all, as these swim classes took place in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, we've been very happy with all the safety precautions: - Classes were limited to 2 students, recently expanded to 3. - Only one parent/guardian and the child are allowed in the building at any time. - The parent/guardian and the child are allowed in the building only 5 minutes before class. - They check temperatures for all. The pool is heated, it is clean, and there are two bathrooms/changing rooms, each one with 6 lockers and one shower. They clean the changing areas in between classes. The instructors are great, and the 30-minute classes we took are intense[1]. Even though the exercises and routines were essentially the same, a lot depends on the energy of the teacher. I feel that the more energetic teachers are actually the more effective. There are a few things to consider: - The pool is not very big. It is certainly large enough for the 3 students plus 3 parents/guardians in the current class, but things could get crowded at full capacity. Also considering that each changing room has only one shower. - There is no priority enrollment for students who are currently enrolled in a class. Once the mass email for new enrollment is sent out, spots are assigned on a first-come-first-serve basis. Basically you only have a few minutes to register your kid. - There is no phone number to call. For anything you need, you have to send an email. The person in charge is nice and will reply, usually within a couple of days, and often within a few hours. However, if you need information quickly, thins is a problem. -------------------- [1] This was the Sea Otters level: 1 year/10 months to 2 yrs/10 months.

We have been going to Aquabeba for sometime (they are great with our older daughter with special…read moreneeds) and we have always been happy. It is detailed and progressive. It took some time to build the skills but they are so concrete now that my son is very comfortable this something we are so grateful for. I write this review because this past weekend at a friend's house our son was knocked into the pool by another child playing. As we ran to jump in he shot to the top of the water and started to the wall. He was not even in his swim suit anymore and managed with a shirt on. We were in and got him very quickly but seeing him not panic and know what to do was something we will never forget.

Ms. Katie is the best instructor for my son. She goes above and beyond to help kids and she is a…read more10/10. We love her to pieces.

This swim program was $278.10 for ten 45 minute lessons, on Saturdays. The instructor, Katie, is…read morean outstanding instructor. She has a group of about 10 students but she manages to give every student her full attention. Katie is adept at making students feel seen and heard and is good at anticipating our individual needs. She is engaging and funny and makes students feel safe in the water. I am in a class of adults. When Katie first meets you, she assesses you then provides instruction based on your skill level. I'm a beginner-beginner. The class meets in the pool of a HS in Brooklyn NY. The pool is large and more than adequate. The venue is a HS so don't expect much from the locker room and showers. The students are not rushed to move to a new skill. They are encouraged to practice drills until they feel comfortable. I invited a friend to join me and she is also enjoying the lessons.

My grandson has had a wonderful experience at this swim school. The instructors are professional,…read morepatient, and truly care about helping each child improve. A special thank you to his coach,Sammi Chan who is an outstanding teacher. She is kind, encouraging, and knows exactly how to work with kids . My grandson has learned so much and has gained a lot of confidence in the water She is doing an excellent job preparing my grandson to join the swim team. We highly recommend this swim school to anyone looking for excellent swimming instruction. Ines Scibetta

Tribeca location... We've been going to this location for…read morethe past 6 years. Alice is absolutely amazing and all 3 kids are very happy but what makes us parents happy is the quality of their work. They have recently opened a play space for the kids while they wait for classes; the locker rooms are now spotless, the place overall in nice and clean and very welcoming for families. Customer service is great, they're very accommodating and flexible. Highly recommend them.

My 5yo son has been in imagine lessons for over a year in crown heights and has progressed beyond…read moremy expectations. After a negative experience when he was younger, I was delighted at the quality facilities and small class sizes. He went from nearly zero to swimming half the pool and jumping into the deep end, and it's all from the instruction here. It's pricier than some other options but worth it for us. Would be 4.5 - only deduction for pricing model.

CIBBOWS is such a great find and such a supportive group. They worked with the city parks…read moredepartment to make it okay to swim in the ocean at Brighton Beach. (Coming from California, it seems unthinkable to me that the ocean wouldn't be open tot he public. There everything below the tide line is public and must have access without restrictions.) But the lifeguards were worried about people actually swimming the ocean. And they made the park comfortable that people can indeed swim. (That's the story that I've been told.) When you come to the beach, there is usually always a group of swimmers near "Grimaldo's Chair." Grimaldo was the lifeguard that helped work with the park department to make swimming okay. The first time I stumbled onto the beach, someone made sure that I put on a swim cap and googles. Someone offered me a snack coming out. Someone else gave me a tip for getting Glide to deal with the chaffing of the wetsuit. There is usually a variety of friendly people warming up with tea and chatting. Joining the club provides access to open water swim clinics and drill clinics. I've done the open water swim clinic twice. They expect you to already know how to swim and only need to learn about open water skills. I wish I had known that as a new member, you get a swim buoy, cap, and towel because I had already bought all of my gear. CIBBOS has a really cool logo actually. I cherish the stuff that I get from them. I felt a little uncertain about the need for an open water clinic. There is the ocean! Go! (Obviously, know not to fight rip tides.) However, I got a lot of value out of it, which is why I went a second time. The lecture includes all the expected topics like current and tides. There are some drills, e.g. alligator eyes for sighting. The most value that I got out of it was going in a group. Not only, do you get to make friends, but you also get used to swimming in a group. The instructor was really friendly, caring, and supportive. She also addressed all the individual needs of students. People come with a variety of backgrounds, e.g. fear challenges or being really strong in the pool but unfamiliar with the ocean. The races are highly recommendable. Apparently, it's a huge effort to put on a safe swim race. Someone told me that swim races are the most dangerous of races. They had boats and kayaks patrolling. There were swim angels to deal with less emergent issues. I felt super supported during the race. After hearing, the stories from swim angels in how they helped was very inspiring because they got so much joy out of helping people. Each sport has a certain culture around it. Some are more competitive and some are more about sharing the joy of pushing boundaries together. This one is a lot more of the latter.

As part of my triathlon training, I needed to add open water swimming into my regime in order to…read morebecome more confident in my swimming abilities outside of a pool. I searched online and found lots of sites catering to helping people swim, but some places had a cost to them. Thats when I found the Coney Island Brighton Beach Open Water Swimmers or CIBBOWS for short. The swimmers meet on the beach every weekend at Grimaldi's chair. Its basically a lifeguard chair that looks exactly like all the others on the beach. To find the right one, find Volna Cafe on the boardwalk and basically walk straight towards the water and head towards the closest lifeguard chair. There you will see a bunch of people hanging around, putting on wetsuits or just chatting it up. A very friendly group where you can tag along for a swim. They have different distances, so swim at your own risk. If you are a beginner, they have people there to help out. To get better perks, you can join the group as a "member" and enjoy discounted swim races and group parties with fellow swim members. I'm this close to joining as I'm now a lover of swimming. If you have questions, email them as they're super friendly to answer any questions you may have.

They are open 11am-3pm then close for an hour from 3-4pm. At 4pm they reopen til 7pm. While these…read moreare the official hours, they hardly ever open on time. Usually it's about 11:15/11:20am. It is hard to understand why because there are usually a bunch of attendants sitting around in the front at 11am but they never open the entrance gate til around 11:15/11:20am. Sometimes they have to wait for the police attendant to come. Once they do open, it is pretty fast to get inside. They look to make sure you have a lock. They require you to rinse off before going into the pool. On the deck, they don't allow you to wear anything besides a bathing suit or a white tee and flip flops. Not supposed to bring food, books or cell phone out.

I'm an original New Yorker born and raised in Park Slope Brooklyn, I still live in Park Slope, I am…read morevery familiar with this pool, and how it was before all the gentrification, lots of changes at this pool for the better, the pool has definitely improved, the pool is very nice but the staff is the same ol' same ol' NYC City Parks and recreation Staff hospitality, being that it's a city pool, expect to receive the same treatment as if you were in a City Jail, the Pool staff dosent greet you with a "Hello" they greet you with a "Do you have a lock?", "Let me see your swimming Shorts", Bag search, "No phones on the pool deck." The staff makes sure to harass you as much as they can, you aren't allowed to have fun, they have a problem with everything, no running, no jumping, no holding on to each other while swimming, phones must be in the locker and cannot be used in the pool deck. The kiddie pool was closed on this day I visited because someone shit in it. I actually read in the news that they closed the entire pool the week before on one of the hottest days of the summer because someone shit in it. Google it if you don't believe me. The atmosphere has definitely improved, but not worth coming here again since the staff likes to make sure that they manage every little detail and impose each and every rule upon you. You really can't have fun at this pool, everything is a problem, literally my 4 year old daughter was holding on to me while swimming, they said "No holding on to each other while swimming." This place has potential but as long as it's ran by the NYC Parks and recreation it will always be a toilet.