British Swim School or Machine Swim School

[Anonymous]

After a terrifying experience at a Kids First Swim School recently, I refuse to step foot in that place ever again. Has anyone any experience with swim lessons at British Swim School (they use local hotel pools)? Or Machine Swim School in Vienna?

[Anonymous]

Heard good things about Machine.

[Anonymous]

British Swim School is also terrible. These businesses have grown rapidly and they hire batshit crazy and inefficient instructors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:British Swim School is also terrible. These businesses have grown rapidly and they hire batshit crazy and inefficient instructors.

Can you elaborate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Heard good things about Machine.

Like what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:British Swim School is also terrible. These businesses have grown rapidly and they hire batshit crazy and inefficient instructors.

Can you elaborate?

Agree - we did it one winter on groupon. No way we'd pay full price. We had multiple instructors and staff. The turn over was huge. They place your child at a much lower level and rapidly move them up insisting you buy a new swim cap each change. I told them no as we only had a few weeks left and they kept calling to get our credit card number over the phone. I finally offered to pay at the swim site and they refused. Who gives a credit card to someone calling over the phone?

The worst part is how they teach to breathe is to turn all the way over on your side. It completely screwed up my child for team and it took a good 9 month to get it corrected. For survival its fine but for real swim skip it.

[Anonymous]

We take lessons at a British Swim School in Silver Spring and have been very happy with them. The survival skills emphasis worked well for my kid who was afraid of the water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:British Swim School is also terrible. These businesses have grown rapidly and they hire batshit crazy and inefficient instructors.

Can you elaborate?

Agree - we did it one winter on groupon. No way we'd pay full price. We had multiple instructors and staff. The turn over was huge. They place your child at a much lower level and rapidly move them up insisting you buy a new swim cap each change. I told them no as we only had a few weeks left and they kept calling to get our credit card number over the phone. I finally offered to pay at the swim site and they refused. Who gives a credit card to someone calling over the phone?

The worst part is how they teach to breathe is to turn all the way over on your side. It completely screwed up my child for team and it took a good 9 month to get it corrected. For survival its fine but for real swim skip it.

I'm the pp with the positive review of British Swim School. At what level were they teaching your child to lay over on their side? At our lessons they've only had kids practice that in the lowest levels (minnow and turtle 1) as a what to do if you get tired while swimming. After that they are very into swimming team form.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:British Swim School is also terrible. These businesses have grown rapidly and they hire batshit crazy and inefficient instructors.

Can you elaborate?

Agree - we did it one winter on groupon. No way we'd pay full price. We had multiple instructors and staff. The turn over was huge. They place your child at a much lower level and rapidly move them up insisting you buy a new swim cap each change. I told them no as we only had a few weeks left and they kept calling to get our credit card number over the phone. I finally offered to pay at the swim site and they refused. Who gives a credit card to someone calling over the phone?

The worst part is how they teach to breathe is to turn all the way over on your side. It completely screwed up my child for team and it took a good 9 month to get it corrected. For survival its fine but for real swim skip it.

I'm the pp with the positive review of British Swim School. At what level were they teaching your child to lay over on their side? At our lessons they've only had kids practice that in the lowest levels (minnow and turtle 1) as a what to do if you get tired while swimming. After that they are very into swimming team form.

They teach nothing like team. Kids are only allowed to go short distances and do not get to go across the length of the pool. Its very restricted. They work a lot on strokes which is good but they teach safety stroke not real swim or swim team strokes for stronger kids. It really messed up my child. At the older levels you don't need to worry about getting tired if they worked on endurance. There is no endurance training as you can't even go more than 1/3 the pool length. We have done swim classes at multiple places and they were far worse than anywhere else. Team had to completely reteach/fix which was a huge issue at first.

[Anonymous]

What happened at Kid First?

[Anonymous]

Bump from NP with a very timid and stubborn 5 year old who refuses to put her face in. Interested in water safety, not swim team, but worried the British Swim School approach requires tossing them in the water. Any feedback? We're in Vienna.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bump from NP with a very timid and stubborn 5 year old who refuses to put her face in. Interested in water safety, not swim team, but worried the British Swim School approach requires tossing them in the water. Any feedback? We're in Vienna.

Goldfish in Reston is very gentle and good for kids who are scared.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bump from NP with a very timid and stubborn 5 year old who refuses to put her face in. Interested in water safety, not swim team, but worried the British Swim School approach requires tossing them in the water. Any feedback? We're in Vienna.

Goldfish in Reston is very gentle and good for kids who are scared.

Thanks! I've been reading old threads and people seem very happy there. Any experience with the newer location in Falls Church?

[Anonymous]

I’ve been wondering about Goldfish as I see one is opening (or maybe has by now) in Silver Spring. It does seem like a big commitment but maybe kids learn faster that way??

I’d also be interested to hear about the issue at Kids First- we’ve only done the parent/child class there so far but it was fine and the older kids looked like they were having fun.