La Petite Baleen Swim School
- Good for Kids: Yes
5 reviews
Neighborhood: SOMA
"First, let me state my bias: I am a current client and it is impossible to be Joel's client without becoming friends with the guy. From the…" read more »
11 Reviews for La Petite Baleen Swim School
I wish there were 10 stars to give to La Petite Baleen. My daughter started lessons here at 6 months old and its the highlight of our week! I never thought I'd say it but class is a half hour and includes nonstop singing, bubbles, floating on "lily pads", motorboat motorboat with some very cool props, swimming (yes swimming at 6 mos) under castles. Vince is our teacher and we love him. It is pricey and there is a wait list but get yourself on it because you won't be sorry. We drive from SF to San Bruno every saturday for this little event but kudos to LPB because a new SF location opens in June and they're taking registrations NOW so get yourself registered in either location asap since there will actually be new spaces open!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
My daughter has been taking lessons since she was 11 months old. She turned 2 this past April and it is absolutely ridiculous how well she can swim. She's a little fish. She absolutely loves her teacher (Katrina) and looks forward to swimming every Friday. Everybody is very friendly and my daughter loves the close interaction with the other students. I also appreciate the strong emphasis on safety. They teach the children to jump in and turn around and swim to the wall, climbing out once they are there.
On a little side note, my daughter was recently photographed at the school for an article in the SF Chronicle. The Chronicle reported that the American Association of Pediatricians (or some other formal sounding group) recommends children not be enrolled in swimming until they are 3 years old. This is crazy. I am very happy my daughter can swim and feel a little safer knowing that if she ever fell into a pool, should could swim to the wall and get out. The only thing I will say is that she has absolutely no fear of the water at all. On some hand, this is great as she loves the water and has a lot of fun playing and swimming. On the other hand, she sees a pool and starts taking her clothes off as she runs to jump in. A little scary when she is not with my wife or I -- we need to make sure whoever is watching her knows how much she loves to swim.
I absolutely recommend this place and teaching your child how to swim. It's fun for the kids, and the parents too.
My infant son was in the San Bruno school for awhile and the teacher was wonderful. However, we are now enrolled in the Presidio school and it is just an incredible difference- primarily because of the new and large space of the Presidio school. I'm pleased to find that we again have another great teacher! The administration/management does an incredible job finding great teachers for the infant/toddler classes- probably for the other classes too. The staff at the Presidio location is nice, helpful, and courteous (including the front desk staff). Since this is a new location (most likely a waitlist and I also noticed that there are a bunch of walk-ins trying to obtain information just at the same time people are trying to check their kids in for classes), it does seem to be a bit hectic. However, they should teach a particular young woman on their staff proper etiquette during an attempt to berate a parent for a simple mistake. Thanks jackass. I really appreciated you talking to me in that tone of voice, especially in front of my son. I didn't say anything at the time because I was in shock. I hope that my 2 year old son remembers you, so he knows what type of woman to avoid dating. Obviously, the actions of one ridiculous person should not impact anyone's view of the staff as a whole, or should not be a complete reflection of the school itself, as it is a wonderful place.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Love the atmosphere at the new Presidio location, but the customer service is horrible. When you check in, the front desk acts like they could care less that you're there, can't even get a "Hi" out of them. Our teacher is nice, but is timid and doesn't give much direction. We sing songs for the first 15 minutes and then have 15 minutes of "free time" which is basically trying to keep yourself and kid occupied by yourself. Seems like they need to do some training with the whole staff for consistency.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I almost cancelled my daughter's membership. Almost. She was enrolled at the San Bruno location for about 4 months, which she hated. We decided to stick it out for their Presidio location to open and after two classes at Presidio, our daughter loves it. It could be the change of scenery or instructor (her former instructor was really sweet) - who knows. I'll I can say is that she loves Petite Baleen's Presidio location and now cries whenever class is over.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Yes, it can be a drag when you decide you want to get your kid in classes but they are all full. that said, it only took about 3 weeks for a class to open up. I have been taking my son since he was 7 months old. He's been in 3 different classes (as he got older and my schedule changed) each time we were able to just slip into another class. And the important thing is that they are great with the kids and know how to teach them to swim. I have also seen the teacher be very helpful when kids are go through a phase of not liking the classes. They know just how hard to push without being pushy,
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
We had two kids swimming at LPB. Both started when they were 26 months. We have had a great experience there. My oldest just earned his final gold ribbon and my youngest will probably be there for a few more years(when she will earn her final gold) The earlier registration process was a bit insane, but it was well worth it!
Most of the teachers have been wonderful (shall I name names?) Okay... Jen (the best), Dana (unfortunately she will be moving over to the San Francisco Location) Erin, Aprile, Anthony, Monika, Barbara... It is a bit pricey, but again, I feel that it was money well spent!
We've been at LPB swim school for about 4 years at least. My daughter started at about 1 and a half and she is currently working on her gold ribbon. We were frustrated at first with the entire setup, trying to get in was a drag, their billing system was a joke but they improved it later on. I also believe the ribbon system needs to either be improved, changed or reconfigured. Some kids become frustrated watching others get ribbons while they are struggling to work on their next technique.
I have to agree to a certain point with one of the reviewers that some of their staff are not friendly and plain unprofessional but not all. You just need to know who are the "kids" working that day and who you could rely on.
Overall I believe it's a good place that helps kids learn how to swim well. It's great to be able to go places knowing that your kid has the basic skills for swimming along with you not to forget their self confidence as they learn to become better at it.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
If you have a little one, get him or her into swim class asap...Knowing how to swim comes easy to little kids...the longer you wait the harder it will be for them to pick it up...An invaluable tool and or skill for a child to have...My son has been going since he was 8 months...his current teacher, Ms. Rochelle, is great...she is very patient and knowledgeable and my son likes her alot...A great place to learn how to swim for kids!!
I was tempted to give this place only one or two stars, but upped it to three, since they do actually accomplish the goal of their business quite well . . . ie. teaching kids how to swim. My son took lessons here for a couple of years and did very well under their instruction.
The reason I was tempted to just go with one or two stars is due to the way they run the business. It's a ridiculous and convoluted system and their customer service is non-existent. The staff behaves as if they are doing you a huge favor taking gobs of your money to teach your kid to swim.
I've now switched my son to lessons at brisbane pool in the summer and balboa pool in the winter and have had equal success with the lessons at both places. And at a fraction of the cost! LBP is more than $15 a class - Brisbane is about half that. And Balboa pool is only $2 a class - the city's best hidden value!!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
the wait list is months long. but your young kids will learn to swim. great for younger kids, but older school age kids can go somewhere just as good, and cheaper, and with no waitlist. most of the teachers are excellent, but there are a few to avoid...
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Hot and New
- Sushi Bistro
385 reviews
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
- Delica rf-1
275 reviews
Neighborhood: Embarcadero
- Lahore Karahi
360 reviews
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
- Alisha Valverde Skincare @…
28 reviews
Neighborhood: Union Square
- Gialina Pizzeria
231 reviews
Neighborhood: Glen Park
