It’s that time of year: parents are looking for swim lessons. We’ve rounded up some of the swimming schools and pools currently offering lessons to children.
Thank you to our sponsor, Patti’s Swim School in Castro Valley. Founded by Patti O’Brien, mother of six children, Patti’s Swim School reflects her insightful parent perspective on what is important to and for children of all ages and their parents.
East Bay swimming programs that will help teach your child how to swim
We arranged our East Bay swimming lesson list roughly from the South to the North. If you don’t see your local favorite, let us know. Our best advice is to sign up early!
Fremont Swim Lessons
American Swim Academy, Fremont
Swimmers as young as 4 months old learn through a structured, consistent program that builds progressively from basic swimming techniques to more advanced and challenging skills. Five East Bay locations including Newark in the (510). Find out more >
Happy Fish Swim School, Fremont or Livermore
Swim lessons for water babies, children, and adults. They offer a free trial class for all new students. Summer swim team and Spring swim clinics are also available. Find out more >
SafeSplash Swim School, Fremont
Super close to Rockin’ Jump, this swim school offers lessons for babies through adults in session-based classes. Nice warm water, and free trial classes available. They also offer a cute medal progression program highlighting kindness, dedication, and passion. Visit website >
Swimming Lessons in Hayward
Hayward Plunge, Hayward
An indoor pool that offers lots of swim lesson options, from tots to advanced. Lessons fill up quickly though, so sign up early! Check the recreation guide for more information >
Waterworks Swim School, Hayward
Swim classes are available for ages 2.5+ at the Waterworks Swim School with three locations in Hayward. They also offer more advanced stroke clinics and adult classes. Register here >
Swim Lessons in Castro Valley
Patti’s Swim School, Castro Valley
Swim lessons at this private pool are effective, efficient, and fun! At Patti’s Swim School, students are instructed in a supportive, compassionate, focused environment with lots of individualized attention and success in learning and mastering new swimming skills.
A warm saline pool and low teacher-to-student ratios are highlights at this swimming school. Patti’s has developmentally appropriate classes for ages 5 months old through adults and specializes in students with anxiety disorder, learning differences, and Autism. Professional instructors are highly trained and effective.
To register, call (510) 331 – 6610 or sign up online >
Fun fact: Swimming is fantastic for brain health! The bilateral cross-patterning movement of swimming helps cognition, eases learning, and benefits overall academic performance.
Chabot Swim Academy, Castro Valley
Chabot Swim Academy serves swimmers aged 4 to 15 years old. They offer small semi-private classes and believe in creating an atmosphere where the kids feel safe but also understand they are there to achieve. Find more information here >
Swimming Lessons in Alameda, CA
AquaTech Swim School, Alameda
AquaTech has parent/child lessons and bigger kid lessons, available on both a perpetual (for a monthly rate). Perpetual lessons are ongoing year-round; a child can join at any time. Note that there is usually a waitlist for these lessons. Private lessons are also available. See details >
Encinal and Emma Hood Swim Centers, Alameda
The City of Alameda offers youth and child swim classes at Encinal Swim Center. From Baby and Me classes to tot and more advanced lessons, you’ll swim at either Encinal or Emma Hood depending on the class. More information here >
Swim Lessons in Oakland
Oakland Hills Tennis Club
Nestled in the Oakland Hills, the Oakland Hills Tennis Club has an outdoor pool and typically offers 30-minute private, semi-private, and private classes. They also have a swim team. Pricing is different for members/non-members. For 2024, you’ll want to call or email to arrange for registration. Find out more >
Ohana Aquatics, Oakland
This independent swim school in a tranquil forest setting offers sessions for babies and toddlers, plus 8-session group and private lessons for all levels and ages. Sign up online and they’ll send you available days and times. No drop-in sessions are available at this time. In the late fall/winter they put up an industrial protective dome cover, and the pool is heated to an average of 90 degrees! More information here >
Downtown Oakland YMCA
Session-based swim lessons for children start every couple of months. All swim lesson sessions run on either a Monday / Wednesday schedule or a Tuesday / Thursday schedule. Swim Lessons are offered at Downtown Berkeley (indoors), Oakland (indoors), and Pleasant Hill (outdoors) branches at different times throughout the year. More information here >
Roberts Pool, Oakland
Open for the 2024 season (starting in April), this newly renovated pool is a local favorite. East Bay Regional Park District offers frequent swim lessons at the outdoor pool in Roberts Regional Park. From 6 months to 3 years, parents will get in the pool with their child. More details >
City of Oakland community pools
The City of Oakland operates five pools with swimming lessons: Defremery Pool, East Oakland Sports Center, Fremont Pool (at Fremont High), Lions Pool (at Dimond Park, expected to reopen at the end of June), and Temescal Pool (at Oakland Technical High School). Visit the Oakland Parks and Rec activities catalog online and register for an account. Then you can search for the location and lessons you want. Good luck navigating!
Piedmont Swim Team Swim School at Montclair Swim Club, Oakland
Families can join Montclair Swim Club as a seasonal activity and enjoy the pool at their leisure, or register for swim lessons through Piedmont Swim Team. For ages 4+, with emphasis on a pre-competitive program. More information here >
Swimming Lessons in Emeryville
Emeryville Community Pool
Lessons at Emeryville Community Pool typically are a 25-minute group or private 1:1 sessions with a certified American Red Cross Instructor. Available Monday-Thursday and Saturdays. Upon completion of all swim levels, Emeryville Swim Center also has a swim team for kids who want to take it to the next level. The summer session is June – August. More information here >
Swimming Lessons in Berkeley
Swimming lessons at UC Berkeley
The beautiful Strawberry Canyon Recreation Area offers lessons for babies, toddlers, and big kids as part of UC Berkeley Cal Recreation. Babies from 6 months to 3 years will get in the pool with their parents. Private, semi-private, and group lessons are available. Open for 2024 summer registration. More information here >
King Swim Center, North Berkeley
“Parent and me” swimming classes are available, all the way up to advanced and swim team level. Outdoor pool, right next to a super fun playground and neighborhood. 2024 registration has begun for Summer. More info >
West Campus Pool, West Berkeley
Youth swim classes start at age 3 at this refurbished swimming pool. 2024 registration has begun for Summer. More info >
YMCA (Berkeley)
Session-based swim lessons for children 6 months+ start throughout the year on either a Monday / Wednesday, Tuesday / Thursday, or Saturday schedule. Swim Lessons are offered at branches at different times throughout the year. More information here >
Swimming Lessons in Albany
Albany Aquatic Center
Located on the Albany High School campus (and many of the teachers are Albany High kids), there’s usually ample parking. The indoor pool hosts swimming lessons every day, from babies to pre-swim team. Very popular with locals, so lessons can fill up quickly. You can schedule an assessment before signing up. Dress in layers since it can get steamy inside while you’re waiting! More information here >
Swimming Lessons in El Cerrito
El Cerrito Swim Center
Offers classes in an outdoor saline pool. Includes opportunities for infants and preschoolers as well as big kids. The class schedule and registration info are managed by the City of El Cerrito. Spring sessions are available now, and Summer sessions coming soon (check the second week of April). Youth scholarships are also available. More information here >
British Swim School
Located in the 24Hour Fitness center, a smaller pool works well for the type of smaller classes they offer. Register online after taking a quiz to figure out what level to choose. More information here >
Swimming Lessons in Richmond
Richmond Swim Center & Richmond Plunge
Both pools now offer swim lessons, with the Richmond Plunge also offering more recreational swim times. The current Little Splashers tot class is currently enrolling. Details about Richmond Swim Classes >
British Swim School
Located in the 24 Hour Fitness – Richmond, they offer specialized stroke development classes that build on their water survival program. The pool is cozy and warm, and happily, parking is pretty easy. They also have a swim team starting soon. More information here>
Richmond Parkway YMCA swim lessons, Richmond
Group swim lessons are available for ages 6 months with a parent in water to adult. Find out more >
El Sobrante Swimming Lessons
Canyon Swim School, El Sobrante
This institution is a (510) Families favorite, where several of our children willingly put their faces in the water for the first time. Here’s our review of Canyon Swim School. 2024 Summer Registration opens March 13. More info from them here >
Favorite swim lessons in the (925)
Fellow parents tell us that for those whose schedule permits a longer commute, it may be worthwhile to seek swimming lessons in warmer parts of the East Bay. Carol recommends Harriet Plummer Aquatic School in Lafayette. Another option we’ve heard about is the British Swim School in Concord and Walnut Creek.
DIY Swimming Lessons
Yep, there’s an app for that! Swimobile offers online lessons for parents to teach their kids by themselves, no teacher required. Listen in the car, watch on the couch, or read in bed. Then choose between lifetime access ($60) and monthly plans ($15) that allow you to work with your child by engaging in fun drills, at a location of your choice, on your own time. So if you have a pool or beach vacation coming up and can’t get into swim lessons in time, this may be just the ticket to get you can your kiddo water-safe. More info here >
We strive to update this article when new information becomes available.
Thank you again to our sponsor, Patti’s Swim School in Castro Valley.