It’s a multifaceted issue in this area. Not everyone can afford to belong to a pool and many have long waits lists like 5 to 8 years to join a pool. Additionally, the county swim lessons are very difficult to get into and always have a waitlist.

Anonymous wrote:I have heard temperature is set to a *lot* warmer in the typical strip mall pool than in the county rec center ones. For younger (and whinier) children, that can make a big difference.

Yes or for parents who go in with their little kids.

Anonymous wrote:How do strip malls have pools? Do they build them out back next to the nail salon and the tanning salon!?

Hahah yes, see the Goldfish swim school in Rockville next to the SOMA salon.

OP, the national swim society (I made up that term) successfully convinced parents that swimming is a NECESSITY and the only way to accomplish it is to spend $1000 a year at these swim schools. Every parent I know complains how little their kids learn from these schools. Unless you're doing a private lesson, the amount of time your kid spends practicing with the instructor is less than 8 minutes a week.

How do strip malls have pools? Do they build them out back next to the nail salon and the tanning salon!?

I have heard temperature is set to a *lot* warmer in the typical strip mall pool than in the county rec center ones. For younger (and whinier) children, that can make a big difference.

Anonymous wrote:For people who turn their noses up at county programs and don’t have pool memberships

Or - County programs are really hard to get into and the pool where we are members is only open in the summer.

I have teens now. We tried YMCA (the only option other then private lessons at a hotel pool at the time). It was not great as someone mentioned. Lessons were too short and too far apart (once or twice a week for a short time and then you had to get out so the next lesson could happen). When they were old enough we were able to send them to the St. Albans summer swim camp. I have never seen a swim school in a strip mall. But, I would have checked it out if I had because it was so hard to get lessons.

Anonymous wrote:For people who turn their noses up at county programs and don’t have pool memberships

NP - when our kids were young, we first tried the county pools and the water was too cool for them to be comfortable. (Love it for laps, not for toddler swim lessons.) Pool memberships here are usually summer only. So, Kids First, in a strip mall, with its horrifically warm water, was great for teaching water safety and getting our kids comfortable in the water.

Anonymous wrote:For people who turn their noses up at county programs and don’t have pool memberships

We actually liked the county programs, but the pool was so cold, and I’m not stuffing my toddler into a wetsuit for a 30 minute lesson.

We have a pool in our development and a pool at our lake house and used the kid's swim school when it was too cold to swim outside. Year round lessons helped my kids.

Anonymous wrote:For people who turn their noses up at county programs and don’t have pool memberships

Or for people who don't want to set a 6am alarm to register for county programs that fill immediately and are available at limited times but want year-round swim instruction for safety purposes.

For people who turn their noses up at county programs and don’t have pool memberships

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Forgive me as I don't have kids yet...I have noticed these popping up everywhere - there are 5 or 6 within a 10 min drive in my house in Fairfax County. What is the deal with these, are they a new phenomenon? I never went to such a thing as a kid (I'm 30), to my recollection everyone learned to swim at the pool or beach with their parents.

No one teaches their kid to swim at the beach in this area. There are strong waves and rip tides. Don't talk nonsense.

It's hard to teach your kid to swim without access to a pool. County swim programs and pools are overwhelmed so people use the strip mall classes to access a pool with swim lessons off season.

new poster here
My kids are older now (late teens/early 20s) but when they were little it was really hard to find swim lessons year round that weren't full. I think it's great there are more options for kids to learn to swim now!
It's hard for a parent to teach their kids to swim in a large community pool with so many other people around.

Anonymous wrote:Forgive me as I don't have kids yet...I have noticed these popping up everywhere - there are 5 or 6 within a 10 min drive in my house in Fairfax County. What is the deal with these, are they a new phenomenon? I never went to such a thing as a kid (I'm 30), to my recollection everyone learned to swim at the pool or beach with their parents.

No one teaches their kid to swim at the beach in this area. There are strong waves and rip tides. Don't talk nonsense.

It's hard to teach your kid to swim without access to a pool. County swim programs and pools are overwhelmed so people use the strip mall classes to access a pool with swim lessons off season.

Forgive me as I don't have kids yet...I have noticed these popping up everywhere - there are 5 or 6 within a 10 min drive in my house in Fairfax County. What is the deal with these, are they a new phenomenon? I never went to such a thing as a kid (I'm 30), to my recollection everyone learned to swim at the pool or beach with their parents.