Aqua-Tots Swim School Oklahoma City

An update so that other parents have an idea of what to expect. Obviously not a guarantee that you have the same experience, but if you're like me, it helps to set expectations appropriately.- Financial Outlay (as of 08.21.2023): $2,824 ($397.00 for a month for two children going twice a week).- Time Commitment (as of 08.21.2023) to go from Level 3 to Level 4: 7 months, almost to the dot.[] The Positives []1. The staff. The front desk staff are really friendly and helpful. The instructors are all super-affirming with their words to the kids and parents (frustratingly so at times; more on that at No. 5 below). Not all instructors are created equally though. Some are definitely better than others in terms of clarity/direction. But they're all wonderful human beings.2. The flexibility of scheduling classes (using the app or otherwise) is pretty nifty. If there are any issues as far as cancellations or anything, they're really good about offering make-up classes.[] The Neutrals / Negatives []3. It's busy. All the time. This isn't Aqua-Tots' fault. This is our fault. We all had nothing better to do during COVID, so we just made a bunch of extra kids, I guess? And now we're all trying to make sure that our COVID babies won't drown in a lake/pool. Unless and until this Aqua-Tots expands, it is what it is. There's only been one time (edit: now two times) where it was so busy that the class started late by 10 minutes, and finished 3 minutes earlier than the scheduled time. I was fuming by the end of that session where my two kids ended up splitting 17 minutes of instruction with two other kids (for a grand total of 4.25 minutes per kid).4. The inconsistency of how the shared instruction time is applied/utilized. Even if every kid is at the same level (e.g., Level 3 "Leapfrogs"), some Level 3 children can float, roll, dive to the bottom of the pool, etc., while others spend the session trying to get out of the pool.5. The instructor feedback is almost always, "They're doing so great!" But me being the Asian parent, I was like "... If they're doing so great, what's keeping them from progressing to the next level?" And then it was always some generic feedback on improvements. My kids aren't swim-geniuses by any stretch of the imagination, but they can chicken-star-rocket with the best of them. So repeatedly telling me that they're doing great while saying they need to work on things they already know (while my credit card keeps getting hit for $397 on the 23rd of every month) was starting to wear on me. Either they're not that great, then the feedback needs to be more precise than "They're doing so great!" Or they actually are great, in which case, let's level-up, bro/sis. (edit: it would have probably ended up being 8-9 months before my kids were considered for Level 4 if it wasn't for a sudden schedule change that resulted in our kids ending up with a completely new instructor. This new instructor was like "Hey, I think your kids may be ready for the next level." Thank you, new instructor. I've been thinking the same thing since like... 2 months ago...). I never thought I'd be a bit of a Tiger Parent, but this whole swim class thing has me re-considering that... [] Rant to Fellow Parents []There was this one female instructor that was really good with both my children. But during one of the lessons, there was another kid who was inattentive, and an all-around bad listener. That kid proceeded to goof around, and ended up underwater while the instructor was focusing on the other kids (including mine). She got to him in time, but that inattentive kid's parents lost their minds on the instructor. Then we never saw that instructor again. So that still annoys me whenever I think about it; that a really good/engaging instructor was let go (or I'm assuming she was let go) because of something that wasn't really her fault.If you as a parent can see that your kid isn't going to follow instructions or is going to be disruptive, then I feel like that's not Aqua-Tots' problem to deal with your kid. I'll gladly fight any of you who think that it's the instructor's job to manage your child's bad behavior. Parent your damn kids. And if they're not ready, get them out and try again in six months. Stop wasting everyone's time.

Absolutely love all the instructors here. We switched our daughter from another local swim school to Aqua Tots over a year ago and she has learned so many skills from safety to technique skills needed to learn all the strokes. Love that they always have a safety component no matter what level they are in. We can't wait until our youngest child is ready for the parent and child swim classes too! Everyone is always so positive and friendly too. We absolutely love coming every week!

It's very overpriced. The employees seem seem like they are worked to death and have to do the same thing over and over again. I called to cancel and they said I have to come in person and give a 30 written notice that way they can bill me for another month. That's pretty crappy. Last week those closed for pool maintenance and didn't tell us. It's a 50 minute drive so that was frustrating.

Very friendly and helpful from the front desk to the swim instructor! My two grandchildren love going to their swim lessons once a week! I can honestly say it's one of the best decisions we've made since we own a pool!

Well this place is awesome! We had our daughter's first swimming lesson here this weekend, and we all thought it was just great. I was able to use their website to check out classes and schedules, and then called to get a trial class, which we did on Saturday. The building and the pool seem spotless, and I was happy to see two instructors for three students in the little Minnow class for her age group. At this age, parents get in too, so my husband had the honor this week. She got comfortable in the water for the first few minutes, and then they guided them through a series of activities, including kicking her little feet while her daddy guided her around the pool. I sat where she could see me and she proudly waved to me a few different times! It was so fun to watch her get into it. Price-wise, it seems reasonable, especially once I saw how much staff was present for her lesson. $89 a month for a weekly lesson - it seems fair when I see the facility, staffing levels and think about how much insurance, cleaning, etc probably goes into keeping a place like this open. It's not cheap, but it still seems like a value all things considered.

Great place to get your kids lessons early. I started my baby at 4 months. Although it's a bit pricey, it is worth it! Getting your baby familiar with water could be life-saving. The teachers and staff are very nice and friendly. The pool is always warm year round, no uncomfortable baby crying because the water is shockingly cold. The classes are small, never had more than 3 kids in a class together. So far we are very happy here.

Great staff! We love this place!! Occasionally the staff seem out numbered by students but they do a good job catering to each kid!

Had some concerns initially but management went above and beyond correcting it. And Marla is just wonderful. Very grateful, and my kid has had a great time learning to swim.

Aqua Tots has become very hard to get a class in. They have cancelled 8 times since Christmas! Then when I try to schedule a make up, there are no classes available. They constantly have problems with equipment and having coaches trained and available. Very frustrating!!

We have been taking our daughter here for over 2 years. They have friendly, knowledgeable staff; clean facilities; a pool with consistently warm water; and enough classes to find one that fits your family's schedule. It's also easy to schedule make-up classes by giving them a call.One problem with this place is that the parking lot nearby has some serious potholes and speed bumps, so be aware when you're trying to park.