My son has been coming here since January, before coming here my son wouldn't get in the water without a life vest. From day 1 Christina has been teaching him how to be comfortable in the water without it. It's such a big step in him learning to swim with confidence. Christina is patient, kind, gentle but also firm with him, she challenges him in every session. He's learned something new every visit. Seeing him learning is amazing & I thank Christina for it. She's great with kids read more

I absolutely love Waterworks. My child has had several great instructors, who have unfortunately left (which is why the 4 star review). Her current instructor, Ms. Christina is AMAZING! She gives the perfect balance of firm instruction and encouragement. I have seen so much growth in just a few short sessions. Waterworks overall, does a great job of hiring people that care for the kids safety and success. read more

The instructors are very nice and polite, and my son completed 13 lessons. I tried to keep him with the same coach for consistency, but unfortunately, that coach missed a few sessions. Because of the limited availability of other instructors, I had to switch him to whoever was available. At one point, my son--who I believe is at a Level 2--was paired with a child who was on their very first lesson. I feel children should be grouped with others at the same skill level, as this impacts both learning pace and overall progress. Each time we switched instructors, the new coach essentially had to start over to get familiar with my son, which felt like a waste of both time and money. At this point, he is still unable to swim. I've reached the point where I'm now looking elsewhere for a private instructor. If your goal is for your child to truly learn how to swim, that may be the better route. In my experience, these programs can feel more focused on keeping you enrolled rather than ensuring real progress. When it comes to a child's safety, consistency and instructor availability are critical--and that's where this program falls short. read more

Waterworks Swim School Downey - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Downey, California

Ms. Christina is my son's instructor and she is AMAZING! We wanted an instructor who had a mix of soft and hard instruction and Ms. Christina has both. She gives my son the space to be a little kid learning something hard, but also keeps challenging him to go further than he did in the last class. And my son can have his own days where he doesn't want to be there and follow instructions and Ms. Christina is in control enough to keep the instruction going even though tough days. Plus all the teachers there are so supportive. If a teacher doesn't have a student yet, they often cheer my son on when he's with Ms. Christina. Also, if ever Ms. Christina isn't available, we've developed some great relationships with other teachers like Ms. Mila, and so we never feel he has to start from scratch just because his main teacher isn't. read more

Teacher Christina and Kaylee are son's favorite teachers. he has never been able to swim until recently. I've seen him blossom and he enjoys coming. We are a S. Central Regional Center client. I will highly recommend people to bring their little ones. It's still worth it. read more

My Daughter was swimming with comfort and confidence within the first two months thanks to her instructor Christina at the Downey site, and this program! I really appreciate how the beginning focus is water safety! Unlike other programs we had tried this one really ensures your child can get themselves to a safe place to exit a pool or float until support comes if needed. The ratios and consistency in teachers is everything as well!!! read more

My daughter, Zoey, is getting more and more comfortable with swimming. The progress she's made has been great with only five lesson. Jeremiah demonstrates and explains the techniques. My daughter looks for forward to the classes. Thank you Jeremaih! read more

As an adult, I have been skeptical about taking swimming lessons. I began as a new fearful/nervous swimmer and my instructor Kylee has been extremely encouraging and motivating. She has been patient with my slow progress and has helped me feel more comdlfortable in the water. Thank you Kylee for being patient. read more

My son feels very comfortable with Jeremiah! He is slow to warm up, and loves being challenged, but Jeremiah finds a way to incorporate both styles and make my son feel comfortable. Jeremiah focuses on technique and i appreciate the amount of effort he puts into my sons lessons read more

I'm new to the area and wanted to get my daughter back on track with her lessons so she didn't lose progress. We are reoccurring with instructor Kylee and she has been a god sent!! My daughter not only hasn't lost progress but has vastly improved compared to our lessons back home in Texas. Thank you waterworks!!! read more

My son has been going here for few months already. He is 3 1/2 and his swimming instructor has been nothing by patient with him. Christina is very loving, patient, caring with his students. He has learned so much with her considering he can be challenging at times, but Christina knows how to make him do what she wants without getting him upset. He loves her, he gets very excited when he sees her. Thank you Christina for all you do with your students read more

We have taken our daughter to swimming lessons at the Pasadena location and Downey location. We love and trust ms. Kylie. She is goal orientated and age appropriate. We recommend her to anyone looking for a swim instructor. read more

Waterworks Swim School Downey - Swimming lesson - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Downey, California

Waterworks is amazing! Our instructor Kylee is so patient and kind with our daughter who has special needs. We were a little skeptical at first but this has been an amazing experience and we couldn't have chosen a better instructor and swim school for our baby read more

Waterworks is the best. My daughter has learned so much from her instructor. My daughter has been with Christina since 2 1/2 years old and is now 4. My daughter is confident in the water. Thank you Christina for always being patient and adjusting to her moods. I would definitely recommend Waterworks and Christina. read more

Ms. Christina is an amazing instructor. She is patient and works really well with children. My son has learned water safety and is on his way to becoming an excellent swimmer. She has brought out his love for the water and made me feel comfortable with his swimming skills as well. Waterworks is definitely the way to go for a personalized learning experience. read more

Another year being more than satisfied with Ms. Christina. She approaches all her lessons with care, love, and has a special relationship with all her students. I have also signed up her big sisters. read more

It's been just one lesson (as of 3/11/22), but I'm already a huge fan of Waterworks Swim School that just made its way to Downey. Classes are private and semi-private. Each class is 20 minutes long. Children as young as 2 1/2-years-old may begin, but I've seen in other cities' reviews how adults have taken sessions to learn. In Downey, the courses are held at the LA Fitness gym which is located in the Downey Landing shopping center. Parking is free and usually not too much of a hassle. You do not need to be a member of LA Fitness to take classes through Waterworks, however, your children need to use the tent pods to change - not the locker rooms. Restrooms are available. Plus there are showers to rinse off in your swimsuit or wetsuits before and afterwards. My two young daughters' first instructor was Kimberly and she couldn't have been a sweeter, patient individual. I really like how they discuss a brief game plan before instruction begins, then they tell you what they did well and what needs to be worked on next time. Their approach to teaching swimming is very hands-on. The instructors are able to help parents and their children set goals and have fun with them right away. I can't wait to see how my children's confidence levels increase even more. Their scheduling system is really nice. Cancellations and reschedules are super easy. Checkout their approach to swimming plus their cancellation policy: https://www.waterworksswim.com/# TIP Now through March 31, 2022, they are offering 20% off lessons. read more

See all

My daughters love to swim. It was tough to let them swim during fall and winter seasons so we had taken swim lessons elsewhere but not consistently. The water was so cold or the class was too full. We found waterworks and love that it's indoor. We go to the LA fitness location in Downey/ lakewood. The girls never have to miss swim and even though they're different levels, they are able to take classes together. I prefer they have one on one lessons though. We originally started with teacher Efrain and he was great but due to schedule changes, we switched to Teacher Ixchel. Both girls have shown a lot of improvement since attending. The older one is 8 years old and didn't even want to put her face in the water. With the help of teacher Ixchel, she moved up to level 5 very quickly. Her confidence in the water is very impressive. We went on vacation just this past week and she was doing flips into the water. She even swam on the deep end. My younger daughter is 3 and she hasn't improved as much but has definitely gotten more confident as well. Both my girls love teacher Ixchel. I highly recommend her. She's very energetic, friendly, and challenges the girls at their own pace. The customer service is also great. Their website can be tricky at times and you're not able to schedule more than a week in advance so they often call me to help me schedule classes or clarify why I'm canceling/ moving classes around. read more

Waterworks Swim School Downey - Floating on her back - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Downey, California

See all

My daughter has been taking lessons here for 6 months now. We've stuck mostly with Christina who is absolutely wonderful with my non verbal autistic daughter. It can be hard to find someone to work with a neurodivergent child especially in a scenario like swimming but Christina is patient and always has a great demeanor when with Ayla even when it seemed to take 5 months to make any progress. There are other instructors who seem great too. Highly recommend read more

Our son was scared of swimming when we rolled him at waterworks in Downey. Luckily his instructor, Ms Christina, was very encouraging and was able to work with him patiently to get over his fears and most importantly kept him excited to go back every week and keep trying. It took patience and effort but it payed off. He is advancing and learning something new every session in a fun and exciting way without feeling pressured. read more

Taking my son who is on the spectrum for classes here with Cristina, and couldn't be happier. She is very patient with him and very understanding of his behaviors, and makes sure he's comfortable. He has been to a couple classes and already I have noticed how comfortable in the water he is. she has been super respectful and on time for our sessions. read more

Very thankful for this place and especially for my daughter's instructor, Christina. She's been so patient and experienced with my five-year-old, and it shows in the progress my daughter has made. Truly grateful! read more

***** Ms. Abigail is the BEST! ***** The easy part was paying for the swimming lessons. The hard part was deciding which instructor to choose from, when there's only a list of names. Pics & bio would be great to have on their website. The 20 min sessions aren't cheap, so I'd like to know who I'm selecting based on their experience and the skills they'd offer my child. They do ask for the child's swimming level & characteristics online, why can't we choose the instructor based on their character & experience as well?‍ Ms. Abigail is not a friend, nor an acquaintance, nor was she recommended by anyone. I just happened to choose her, based on the time slot opened on June 23rd. & let me say that my daughter scored big with this eeny meeny miny moe game. So, I'd like to recommend her to you all. As a teacher myself, I can honestly say that Ms. Abigail offers the skills, experience, and confidence necessary to teach my child to her full potential. She not only tells my 3 year old what to do, but she shows her how to do it. In 3 lessons, she's taught my daughter not to pinch her nose when going under water, taught her how to monkey crawl, how to get out of the pool, how to hold her breath for 5 seconds, how to make bubbles in the water, and how to float on her back. My daughter also had the opportunity to have Ms. Jailyn as her swimming instructor for one class, but Ms. Abigail just happens to be the right fit for us. I don't need to look further. I am extremely satisfied with her work. Hands down, Ms. Abigail is outstanding. She makes my daughter excited for swim class and that brings joy to us. Thank you, Ms. Abigail for your patience and dedication. I look forward to watching my daughter continue to learn and grow as she progresses in your class!! read more

See all

I signed my teen up for 4 courses this summer. I loved the idea that we had options on locations and preferences on instructors, as well as the ability to describe some personal characteristics to help determine the level of learning and sensibility. However, I truly disliked the class duration, interaction or lack there of, and the entire process. I get that 1:1 classes are far more pricier than taking group swim lessons and/or going to your local community center swimming pool. Not to mention they're only 20 minute lessons for nearly $50 each! There's no opportunity for you & your child to get to know the instructor before the first lesson, let alone before or after a lesson. You don't get the chance to speak, meet & greet to feel at ease. There are no profiles set up for the instructors with their pics, background/experience, on the website, and you don't know who is who if there's more than one at the same location. Lessons are booked back to back! Meaning, if my son has a lesson at 9am, he will start and stop a minute or two before and/or on the dot! You will not get a chance to talk about your child's progress, ask questions without being rushed because the next kid in line has a 9:20 am lesson. It's very uncomfortable and awkward when all you do is show up with your kid and let him wait his turn without any questions nor personable interaction. There is no cushion/flexibility between lessons and it does not help because the next kid waiting for his/her lesson is already jumping in the pool. By the third lesson, the instructor resigned and luckily I was able to discuss my son's progress because he was the only student that morning, and she assured me she would take notes for the instructor replacing her. We met the replacement/alternate instructor who had no idea about my son's progress because the previous instructor who quit, did not record any notes as promised! The fourth (last) lesson started a few minutes late and ended a few minutes early. It was brought to the instructor's attention and reluctantly gave him two more minutes before she took her next student. Her indifference left a bad impression. Additionally, the fourth lesson felt like it was ineffective and rushed since the instructor was teaching him differently since there were no notes from his prior lesson and clearly he was not taught age-appropriate level techniques. A supervisor was on-site that day and he was the one who observed and advised her to try a different technique. My son was looking forward to resuming lessons-- as did I. We considered trying a different location and/or instructor; however, after much deliberationI, we did not purchase more lessons because not only are the classes poorly organized, poorly scheduled, poor communication, prices are unreasonable for less than 20 minute swim lessons. And trying another location would have not made a difference. I gave it 3 stars because my son did learn some life saving skills and techniques in just the first three lessons with the first instructor at the Whittier location. No follow-up calls/emails/texts were sent, no attempts to reach out and that told me that this business is simply not as family friendly or based on valuing their customers as I thought. I will need to do better research next time. Lesson learned. read more

Instructors are effective and kind. Moving the students through the levels with clear goals and instruction.

I don't usually write reviews but I thinks if I can help a parent in taking a decision I will. My son has made so much progress and gain so much confidence it's worth every penny! It's only he's 11th class and he's swimming ‍ he's classes with Miss Cristina are a success. Teacher are always nice and on time with lessons and I'm able to sit near the pool and see my son lesson. read more

Waterworks Swim School Downey - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Downey, California

See all

Our family cannot emphasize how much our daughter has developed in her swimming abilities but more importantly... safety in the water. Abigail (Ms. Abigail), truly displays an engaging and fun approach to each of her classes. From the moment Ms. Abigail greets our family until the summary of each class session, she is a consummate professional. Our daughter is consistently requesting to know when her next class with Ms. Abigail will take place. Thank you Ms. Abigail and waterworks swim! read more

$52 for 18 minutes at an LA Fitness pool were gross sweaty adults are swimming. Purchased 2 classes before knowing the time and place. One class fulfilled the second I cancelled bc my daughter was sick. Could not reschedule unless you purchased a new class or a package. read more

100% recommend this swim school. Ms. Cristina has been fantastic with my son. She really understands when to challenge my child and when to exhibit patience. Originally registered him for safety- she taught him to float in the first few classes. We decided to keep him coming to see her as she earned his trust in the water. In 2 months of classes 2x/week my son has learned substantially more than I anticipated. The steps in the program make for great target/goals. Keeps my son motivated and striving to get his next ribbon. Scheduling is easy and when needing to schedule a make up class the phone staff has been very helpful. read more

I really like how the instructors work with my son, who has come such a long way. This boy use to shower with a towel nearby to dry his face every time it got wet during his shower. All his instructors have been kind and patient. The only reason I didn't give a 5 star review is because of the high turnaround rate of the instructors. My son has gone through four instructors already. I hope this last one doesn't leave anytime soon. read more

I love this place! I am soo pleased with the staff! They are very professional, knowledgeable and courteous. I definitely recommend coming here for all of your swimming needs. I also want to compliment my daughter's instructor Abigail. I love the way she works with her, she's really helped her with her confidence and form. Again, Thankyou and I just can't say enough good things about Waterworks! I'm soo grateful to have found them! read more

Waterworks Swim School Downey - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Downey, California

Christina and Abigail are amazing! Our boys gravitated towards the ladies after their first session. Our oldest has a harder time with directions and being in the water. Christina knew exactly what to do to make things easier on him and understood him and his emotions right away. As a parent this made my anxiety go away and I enjoy going to their swim classes and seeing them thrive. Highly recommend them I wish I would have found them sooner. read more

Unfortunately our little one had a scary incident in a pool that left him very hesitant to be anywhere near water. However, we know how important is for him to be comfortable in the water and to learn to swim. We did a ton of research knowing that we needed him to be with someone who would be patient and supportive. We were so fortunate to have found Cristina. She is amazing! She takes her time with every child and learns about them so she can customize their lessons and learning. We are so lucky to have her so close to our home but even if she were far, we would travel to her. read more

My daughter loves to swim but is easily distracted. Coach Anya and Coach Christina do an amazing job keeping her focused. She has improved so much and loves coming to swim class! Lessons are expensive, but having the scholarship helps make it more affordable. read more

Waterworks Swim School is great! They know how to properly run a swim school. My daughter was initially taking classes in Santa Monica, but the teachers were inconsistent. At first the experience was good. When they changed teacher who was obviously inexperienced, caused a traumatic experience for my daughter. But here at waterworks, they get it from the get go and understand the importance of a consistent teacher to build that trust. Christina, my daughters swim coach is very good, caring and amazing with my daughter! Also, there management and online assistance on the account dashboard were great and very understanding! We really enjoy having our daughter swim here and hope that she can grow her swimming skills here at Waterworks! read more

Waterworks Swim School Downey - Swimming lesson - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Downey, California

How do you overcome 36 years of trauma-fueled fear of water? One word: Abigail. Ms. Abigail, a masterful teacher, has been supportive, positive, knowledgeable, and professional from the day we met. Focusing on attainable goals like "blow bubbles," always willing to model or choosing the best cues to foster confidence, her skill-based approach gently guided me through the process of losing my fear of water. Without a doubt, I will be back to Waterworks Swim School this fall for a second round of classes. Thank you! read more

We've been bringing our 5 year old here weekly for about 8 months. All the instructors have been great and our son's confidence and ability has improved drastically over that time. We're currently with Christina and she is very patient as she teaches and corrects our son in his technique. I highly recommend Waterworks. read more

Coach Cristina is amazing! My daughter has been swimming with her for four months and has made so much growth. My daughter enjoys coming to swim classes because Cristina always finds new ways to keep Emi focused and having fun. read more

I have been bringing my kids for swim lessons for a few months now and it is definitely the best decision ever. They have learned so much from their instructor Christina, she's wonderful! My kids love learning from her and always look forward to their lessons. Before my son started lessons he had such anxiety to get in the water but thanks to Christina he has gotten over that fear and has learned so much. Recommend waterworks 100% read more

Instructor Christina is amazing. We had previously taken lessons through waterworks but stopped when my son became very fearful after an incident at a family pool. We recently resumed lessons and my son has already made great progress. She makes him feel comfortable in the water while also challenging him to reach his goals. Thank you Christina! read more

Waterworks Swim School Downey - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Downey, California