This is a review for the Toby Wells YMCA Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Program (AFAP). Recently the management at the YMCA decided to lower the temperature of the pool water even further, to "save on the cost of energy". If you are of "senior" age and are considering taking this class, be prepared to excersise in what is now very cold water. The standard by the AF is that the water should be between 84 and 88 degrees F. Although the staff at this facility tell class members that the water is within that range, one can be sure that it is not. A wet shirt at the minimum is now necessary in order to tolerate being in this cold pool for the 45 minute class. The staff also will not close the roof windows anymore to stop the draft, and doors to the pool deck are often propped open, creating a very cold draft. The YMCA slogan is that "it's for everybody", but this does not appear to be the case when it comes to it's senior aged members. I would think twice before joining the YMCA and look for a facility that really does care about the needs of it's senior aged members. read more

You don't know what you got till it's gone!!! I used to work at this YMCA and while I was there I had a free membership. The facility was just awesome. I miss the personal tv screens in front of all of the cardio equipment. All the machines are new, and everything for the most part was in its place, not disorderly. They have cable, so I found myself watching Project Runway during my lunch breaks while going on a run... just bring your own headphones! They also provided orange workout towels, so you don't even need to take one with you. I also miss the combination of mind/body yoga classes and high energy group exercise classes they offer. I also miss the crowd at the YMCA. Family-oriented people who, for the most part, don't care about looking good or impressing anyone at the gym. Now that I have a membership at a for-profit gym that shall go unnamed, I miss the YMCA terribly. read more

So I left the Y after my daughter started Elem. school because it was impossible to leave work, pick her up from school & get to spin class in time...so I just bailed altogether, got a little fat, but I saved a lot of money since I wasn't using my damn membership anymore. Anyway- UPDATE- I'm BAAAAAACK! I've been back for almost 2 months now & I still love it. They only shitty thing is their spin classes are so popular so you HAVE to get there early in order to get a bike. Oh, and we had my daughter's 6th bd there last year. We had exotic animals, so the Y helped me get all the required docs. and insurance stuff taken care of. =) read more

We're members here because it's so close to our home. My daughter has done swim lessons and gymnastics and both have been great. We recently had a gymnastics themed birthday party and it was a great event. The kids got an hour of gym time for our party alone and then a party outside under the gazebo. The staff who helped us were all so kind and the teachers were great. You wouldn't expect to have a kids bday here but it's a great venue and takes the hassle out of planning activities. I definitely recommend it. read more

I love this facility. All the equipment is modern, and in excellent condition- they are easy to use. Toby Wells YMCA is family orientated with a lot of "regular, every-day" people using their facility. The daycare sometimes has a wait list, but I have not waited more than 10-15 mins. The staff is very friendly. At first, I was concerned when I saw how young the "babysitting" staff was, but then I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by them... they took to my 23 month old daughter right away and did their very best to make her happy & comfortable so that I could enjoy my work out. They are really wonderful in so many ways. Me, my husband & my daughter love going. I wish it stayed open later on the weekends, but I will take what I can get. read more

I really can't stand this Y. The staff here are super rude. Why the attitudes? Every time I come in they have an attitude like they don't want to help you or answer your questions. read more

Absolutely horrible lap swim management. Their scheduling during the covid thing sucks. It is next to impossible to ever get time in the lap pool. They allow booking up to 8 days in advance which is stupid and irrational. 48 hours advance would be much better. Instead you have to plan your entire week around this ridiculous system, that is even if you can reserve space...which you cannot, there is almost never anything available. And they fine you if you miss your slot, no warning, just like bureaucrats. Total bullshit. You only get 45 min to swim which isn't enough time. My membership is now just a monthly donation because I'm getting very little if any value out of it now. The only star they get is for having a good staff. The corporate management and the people that approved this policy suck. read more

I love coming to this gym. I live closer to Mission Valley Y.. but like the gym layout and people here. It can get hectic with all the kids, but it is a family gym... and I can appreciate kids living a healthy life. read more

We are so-o happy to have found the Toby Wells YMCA. The staff are extremely pleasant and helpful. Everyone that we've met seems to be happy to work there too. Right now our favorite thing is the Toddler Gymnastics. I searched a lot of options on line for getting my 2 year old into tumbling class and this one is the most affordable, closest to central san diego, and more than we expected. Jenae, who teaches our section has been in gymnastics herself since she was three and has always had a love for the sport. Faciltity is very clean, new, and bright. They also have a huge foam pit where toddlers and their momma's can jump in! Yaaay! Love that they have a couple hours a week of open gym time, which could come in very handy on bad weather days when the little guys still need to get their wiggles out. read more

Due to a series of unfortunate events I was not able to use or cancel my membership for 3 months. They would not issue a refund whatsoever. This is absurd! Will NOT be recommending or using any YMCA facility again. read more

Not bad, not bad... But I'm still a loyalist to my Friars location. I took a Pilates class here this morning, and it was OK. I definitely have had better, but I might do it again. My husband said it wasn't as much of a fight to get a treadmill as it can be at the Friars location (our norm), and the room was a lot more modern looking. That said, the people at Friars seem to be more friendly & the atmosphere feels better to me. Overall, though, I'm a fan of the Y in general, and I'd come back to Toby Wells in the future. They have more classes than Friars, which is nice... PS: This location seems VERY kid friendly! The gym is really awesome & they have a water slide! Can't wait until we have little ones so we can bring them here :) read more

I love the Toby Wells YMCA!!! I used to be a member of LA Fitness, which was a nice gym, but I started getting tired watching the bad TV they had going on while I was on the treadmill. When I discovered that the YMCA had individual TVs in front of each treadmill, bike, and elliptical, I was sold!!! I decided the more pricey monthly fee was worth it if I would spend more time at the gym. As someone else mentioned, it's also super nice that the YMCA provides towels for everyone, so you never have to worry about bringing your own! Everyone is really nice at the Y and there are people of all ages working out there. I don't feel like it's a meat market at all there, which is really refreshing. The facilities are super clean too. The only minor drawback is that their hours are a little more limiting than a place like 24 Hour Fitness. I think they close at 9PM on weeknights and around 6PM on the weekends. read more

The YMCA rules. The staff is friendly and they are not after your wallet. The patrons tend to be more mature and less douche-y than the other gyms in this area. There is a TV on every cardio machine. I can justify the $38/month fee by choosing not to have cable at home, so I am forced to go to the gym to watch good shows. The best work out plan ever! Several times a year, they offer "No sign up fee" specials. That way you pay only the month to month membership. I believe they just had one, and they usually do it in December as well. Even so, the sign up fee is around $100. They don't have a confusing array of options for membership, just single, family, senior, student. And the YMCA uses its funds to help send underprivileged kids to camp. Another good way to justify that membership fee! read more

DO NOT SIGN UP YOURSELF OR YOUR CHILD FOR A SPORT! -I've been threaten with violence by the staff. I contacted one of the directors and I was told "tough luck" -the staff is extremely lazy and does not fulfill any request you ask -schedules are sent out the day of the first game. - the athletic director (kiersten) is never available to answer your calls and does not respond to her voicemails -the coed adult soccer league is extremely under managed and the referee does not protect the players on the field. *i would spend your money at another YMCA 10 mins down the road. read more

This is a review of their indoor soccer. I play in a co-ed league on Mondays/Tuesdays and have to admit, it's quite a blast. The "indoor" soccer is actually played in what reminds me of a hockey rink, but it's actually outside. Nothing wrong with playing soccer under the stars. The refs are OK (not a huge fan, but I'm a VERY physical player), and they do a great job maintaining the turf and keeping it clean. Someone below me mentioned problems with the scoreboard and leaves on the field, and both of these issues appear to have been fixed. read more

Love this place.. I am so glad I joined !! They offer so many classes , great daycare..and very clean !!

Great place to work out. They have a really friendly staff. The equipment is very clean.

Just joined the Y and so far it's been great. The facility is well kept and clean. Lockers have built in locks. I have yet to try any of the group classes but am planning to soon. I usually try to get there by 4 pm to work out for an hour. By the time I leave, the parking lot is usually a mess. read more

The staff is so rude trying to call to talk to a supervisor is the worst thing half of the time they don't even answer the phone

I am writing this review from the viewpoint of a single person without kids. I have no review of the childcare or kids programs as I have never used. With that said I love the Y. When I was attempting to choice a gym two years ago to get back in shape I tried all the free days I could at 24 hour fitness, LA fitness, Chuze and some random boot camps. I was really torn between 24 hour and YMCA both are about the same price per month with similar group classes and facilities. What tipped me toward the Y is the fact that my monthly gym amount isn't just going toward a corporation just about gym memberships but that the Y actually helps our community so I figured hey why not. I have worked out at Mission Valley, Copley, Dan McKinney and Toby Wells. All have plenty of parking, clean locker rooms and shower areas. Huge plus in my opinion. Here is my two cents on the differences between the four locations Mission Valley has the largest locker rooms and shower area. I never had to worry about finding a machine to workout on, cycle room feels on the small size, group classes get super crowded during peak times. Dan McKinney feels like I am in a country club, small locker room and not many group classes. Try working out on the patio area overlooking the splash pad during sunset it is awesome view. Copley has plenty of group classes with a great group of regulars but can get super crowded also at peak times. Toby wells is my favorite of the Ys to workout at. Fantastic group classes (shout out to Janis cycle class and any of Megan's classes- you won't be disappointed) great group of people in the Bodypump classes. Not as large an area of machines as Mission Valley and there have definitely been times when it was busy that I couldn't get a machine. Pro tip: during busy times park in the University behind the Y the last two rows are okay to park in. The gate is open to walk up by the soccer fields. read more

I'm writing this review to let parents know what the toddler gymnastics is like. Overall, this facility is pretty awesome. It has a great gymnastics gym, filled with nice equipment in a large space. The instructors are also very kind and very patient with kids. The issue that I have is that the class that my 4 year old niece takes is just way too rigid. I was a competitive gymnast for many years and so was my Dad, so we were extra proud that we had a third generation gymnast in the family. My niece loves jumping off stuff, climbing stuff, flipping, spinning, etc. So when she turned three we took her to Toby Wells to take a gymnastics class. After going for about 8 months now, once a week, she hates it. Each class is structured with 5-10 minutes of stretching, followed by doing a circuit of training moves around a kiddie gym, and then switching over to another, just as boring, circuit of other training moves, also in the kiddie gym. Aside from technical complaints I have, such as the fact they they make these kids stretch before warming up, my main issue with Toby Wells gymnastics is that they treat this class like its Olympic training. It's too structured, too rigid, has too little fun in it, and is teaching my niece to hate gymnastics. These little girls in the class never get to have any fun! If any of the girls looks up while doing their forward fold during stretches, they all have to start all over. Once they reach the final count without anyone looking up they can move on to the next stretch. After stretching, they are made to go through this little training circuit, first they climb up a ladder, then a rope, then they walk across a beam, or do a back roll off a mat. For 45 minutes, it is a constant droning boring circuit around these things. Every other week, they get to walk into the big gym and spend about 10 minutes using the tumble track and marshmallow pit. Which of course is the only reason any of these kids likes to take the class. There is never free time scheduled in, which would allow them to, yes, dare I say it, PLAY on any of the equipment. These girls are 3 and 4 years old for goodness sake! Let them have a minute to enjoy life. They don't need to be training like they are elite gymnasts! I asked one of the instructors one time why the class is so rigid. I said something like.... It's not like this is Olympic training, but you guys approach it that way, isn't it possible to have a little bit more fun and foster a sense of enjoyment in these little gymnasts? The instructor replied that I would be surprised how seriously people take this, and that the girls do need to be trained in this rigid way for their own good, and that play time is not appropriate. Okay Bela Kerolyi. So. If you want to teach your kid to hate sports, this is how to do it. read more

I usually just use the pool, but today I decided to try a group exercise. I walked out of my first Pilates class at the ymca. The instructor, Fiona asked me if I was new, then proceeded to chat for 20 minutes with 2 other women about their weekends, husbands, neighbors renovations. When I rolled up my mat, she asked if I was okay. I told her that I came here to relax...she then proceeded to tell me how we are about to lay down for legs. I've been practicing Pilates for over two years, but I was so annoyed that I could not keep my balance. I told her that they talk too much. I was almost confused because I never experienced such nonsense. No instructions, no directions, it was as if they were out for coffee and chatting up a storm about their boring lives. I was so disappointed because I finally mustered up the courage to take a class and add more structure to my exercise routine. I wound up popping in a Pilates, then a yoga dvd when I got home. I forgot to mention that the front desk just laughed it off. read more

Thank you to the staff at Toby Wells YMCA. We had our granddaughter's pool party and the staff was helpful.

LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. Free child care for members, up to date equipment and educated staff ! Great group exercise classes and a wonderful atmosphere. I give this place 5 stars for great everything ! read more

This review is for the Zumba class taught by Fleeta on Thursday's at the Toby Wells YMCA from 6:30-7:40pm. Ok, so first of all, I've been doing Zumba for about 2 years now. I know there are many different routines and dance styles out there and I have enjoyed them all but this class was a complete disappointment. Totally unprofessional. If the creator of Zumba knew this was going on he would probably ban her from renewing her certification. My best friend got so frustrated that she ran to get her iPod and headed for the cardio room. The class is held in the dark. I could barley see the instructor. I started dancing, then lost sight of the instructor. She had disappeared! I finally found her 20 feet away at the stereo, going through her personal bag. She was chatting away on the mic but only about not having the CD that she wanted. Then she said she would have to choose another song. So she switched songs and we started another routine. This did not go well either. She started instructing us but then ran back to the stereo again! I have no idea what she was doing. Mind you, there is no stage, and again, it's dark, I had a hard time seeing her. She eventually returned and we managed to make it through one routine. If I didn't have any experience with Zumba I would not have even been able to make it through that one routine. Once that routine was complete she ran back over to the stereo as she asked people for inputs on what they wanted to do next. What? No choreographed routine? No plan for what you are going to instruct? It seemed she just was not prepared to teach this class at all. Heck, considering her lack of direction and poor planning, I wonder if she is certified at all... This lack of planning lead to a 3-4 minute break where the class was not doing anything. I was patient and waited quietly as she again fumbled through her bag for more music. Eventually, after not getting very many recommendations from the class on what to do next, she found a song and we resumed. This one was a routine that got my blood pumping a bit and we successfully completed it. Okay, so maybe my patience has paid off and the next 40 minutes would be better. Nope, wrong! The next routine was a slow song with moves normally reserved for cool down stretching! I don't know about the others in the class but I came to sweat and I could not afford to waste my workout time any longer so I left and headed straight to the cardio machines. I will never again attend her "class". She was completely unprepared and unprofessional. I'd rather do Zumba on the Wii! read more

They are fine until there are problems. Then, WATCH OUT! Terrible customer service when it comes to their policies. I've been sending my daughter to camp here and to Mission Valley YMCA for years. Generally, my daughter has a fun time at their camps. This year I was going to register again for camps, and I was excited by this email I received on Feb 15 since we are not currently members: "On Saturday, March 9th, we're opening registration for Summer Camp. Members who use the code and sign-up online or in the building on March 9th will receive $10 off per camp week; non-members will receive member prices. ONE DAY ONLY!" However, now, on March 9, the people responsible for the camp programs have been directed by corporate to not honor member prices for non-members. They say it was a mistake. I understand mistakes are sometimes made, but did they send any emails out after this issuing a correction? Did they post a correction on their website? NO!!! They had 3 WEEKS to correct what they say is a mistake, but they did nothing except wait till people tried to register & tell them NO. Now, I understand them not honoring a 1c price or something that any thinking person would realize is truly an error, but this deal sounds reasonable (after all, it's the price that many campers pay). Why they are choosing to not honor these prices is beyond me, but it tells you something about the organization. I am going to complain to the corporate office, but Yelpers should be aware that if there are any problems, they are likely to take a bull-headed and un-customer friendly position. I also saw another review talking about their poor service. Apparently this is not an isolated problem. read more

Great gym! I usually do my morning workouts here or lunch hour workouts. For my morning workouts, I usually opt to take class. I hate doing cardio, so showing up to a class and having someone tell me to do it, is what usually gets the job done. My favorite morning classes are cycle and bootcamp. Those morning classes go from 5:30 - 6:30 AM. I can't think of a time where they were completely packed that I didn't get a spot, which is nice. So if you're running a few minutes late, no worries. The lunch time and afternoon classes are what books up the fastest. Since there are gymnastics here, the afternoons are always crazy busy and parking can really be a challenge. So here's a quick rundown of what I love about this YMCA gym: - Great classes! Everything from TRX, cycle, bootcamp, swim, to body pump. They got you covered. And there are classes all throughout the day! You're bound to find something that fits your schedule - Updated, clean, and user friendly equipment. Their equipment is state of the art and so nice! They always update it and I've never seen a machine out of service. - Clean facilities! Weight room, stretch area, gymnastics room, swimming pool, Jacuzzi, full locker rooms, and child care room. They've thought of it all. - Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Only challenge can be parking at times, but that just depends when you go. read more

Terrible customer service and very irresponsible management. Their classes are pathetic and they doesn't know how to treat people basically.

They have no concept of loyalty in a customer and only care about money. I want a gym that cares about the health of individual that walks through their door and I feel the exact opposite at the Y. Almost every interaction I have had with the employees in condescending and I for one am sick of it. I am going to spend my hard earned money somewhere else and I suggest you do the same. read more

If you like to be treated like you are a customer and with respect-beware.! Very careless staff and treat you poorly.

Interesting experience at this ymca, mostly with their child watch. I was told they do not enforce their sick policy. People are dying from the flu and you can't enforce some rules? I understand parents are mostly to blame for this, but sometimes the customer isn't right, let's be professional here. Nobody was smiling or happy to welcome our kid. Nobody seemed to care about their job working w children at all. They all stood around waiting for that 10 minute mark of crying so they could get the parent. This isn't a private nanny service, I get that, but I've also worked at a gym daycare before and I truly wanted to engage the little ones and keep them happy. Copley YMCA staff was AMAZING and cared about trying to give us a positive experience. Besides that, Toby gym is mostly clean, easy to park at midday, and I love the gymnastics room! read more

This gym is near work and is a good alternative when I don't make it to the larger Mission Valley YMCA. A membership here works at the larger Mission Valley Y and the newly opened Copley-Price YMCA. I've never had to wait for equipment and the facility is clean and well-maintained. Please note that there's a large gymnastics program at this YMCA, and the hallways can get crowded now and then, but they've got their own section of the facility and doesn't impact the weight room or cardio areas at all. The staff is friendly and there's a full suite of classes to take advantage of. It's a great place to get in shape! read more

I registered my son for Reptile Camp in March. Paid online. They lost the registration and would not let him into the class; stated the class was full and they had paid the vendor, so tough luck. I am standing there in line with my son for 45 minutes waiting for terrible customer service. Literally there is a line of 18 people with 2 people working the desk; meanwhile, you can see about 8 other people in the offices right behind the front desk doing nothing but surfing the internet. My son is crying, screaming, because he was so excited for Reptile Camp. They "allow" him to attend Gym Camp; but the other kids were horribly mean to him, stated: We already have friends so we won't be friends with you. When I told the camp counselor about it, he said, well, that's just kids. I said, Helloooo....my son is crying!!! My son begs me to never take him there again. I won't. I asked for a refund, and have not gotten one yet. I am calling their HQ office today to demand one right away. Terrible, mean people. Horrific customer service. read more

Wow... this YMCA is soo cool!!!. It was my first time at this location since I just moved from escondido so my home branch is palomar YMCA and I like that one too. Everyone is so friendly over there and the place is always clean but like I said I moved so I was looking for a YMCA closer to my new home. I went yesterday to the one location in Rancho Peñasquitos and it has been the worst location I've been too. Super duty, small, there is not a parking lot so u need to park on the street and the child watch is small and you have to Walk up the hill to check in your kids, walk down again to go to the gym and when you are done again go up the hill to pick them up. So I tried this YMCA today and I really liked it :), except for some girls that work at the gym are so rude, they won't even smile back at you, they are just standing there doing nothing with a long face but other than that I love it!! read more

I love this Y! It's always clean, the staff is friendly, and my kids love all the childcare workers. They have a good selection of fitness classes. The only downsides are that I wish they had more than 2 squat racks and it can be a pain to find parking at certain times of the day. Otherwise, we love coming here. read more

Great family outlet for workouts and athletic programs. I go back and forth from the Mission Valley Y -- college kid crowd -- to La Jolla -- the seniors haven -- and Toby Wells, which is the most family-oriented. Very clean and well-kept center with state-of-the-art equipment. Great gymnastics program for kids. Indoor soccer and swimming programs also available and the staff really seems to enjoy working with the kids. Pilates, dance, and boot-camp organized groups are very well attended but my favorite are the spin classes. Modern cycles with terrific instructors also the music can vary according to instructors' tastes from oldies to rap but that's not a big deal when you're working up a big sweat. Best thing about the spin classes is that several are offered in mornings, one at noon and a couple each weekday evening plus a couple each weekend day. It gives you incredible flexibility to always squeeze a workout into your schedule. Only problem with the facility is that it closes down at 6 pm on weekends. Parking can sometimes be an issue at peak rush hours. read more

I love this place. But I am going to give them one star because I was in a state of emergency! I called them to page my husband and whoever answered the phone told me they don't have a paging system nor do they have enough staff to look up my his face and let me him to get home now. Whoever was on the phone then transferred me straight to voicemail when they said the person she would be transferring me to might be able to help me. read more

I am giving this place five stars just because they have spin classes everyday! I am in cardio heaven, the bikes are new and the two classes I've took so far were pretty good, I wish the music the instructors played was a little better but still two killer classes. They gym area has new equipment and I love how I can watch all my favorite Bravo tv shows while I sweat on the elliptical. I also like the fact that they have bright orange towels for their member to use. read more

After requesting to see the station manager (Jessica Garcia), in regards of a small issue/question I had, which needed some clarification, this particular 'manager' not only was not interested in much of what I had to say, but proceeded to go get a membership cancellation form for me to fill out, after brushing against me on her way to the reception desk, in a most inappropiate way, after I mentioned that, maybe, I should cancel my membership. I must say, that I don't recall ever feeling so insulted in my entire life, especially, when my family and I have been members (paying) of the Y for many years. I haven't been paying over $80 per month, for years, to be insulted by some young millenial, who definitely does not know the difference between customer service and customer insulting. I hope that the Y does something about it. I definitely don't think that someone endowed wit such a disposition should work in a Customer service environment, no less hold the manager's position. Meanwhile, I, and all other members of my family, will not set foot in the San Diego Toby Wells Y. Thank you and regards. read more

Classes are awesome, facility is very clean and tidy! I can always find a machine and rarely have a problem getting a spot in class. I drive extra to go to toby wells over santee because the facility is much nicer and classes are way better! My son loves the gymnastics too! They even have a great playground outside read more