Emler Swim School

Emler was the only place we found that was willing to give my four year old deaf child an opportunity to try a swim class for free. The teacher, Ms. Danielle, was absolutely wonderful and we signed our son up for the beginner preschool swim class after the trial class. Ms. Danielle communicates with our son through demonstration and non-verbal cues. She has pushed our son to excel in the water. The semester has not finished and our son has already passed into the Advanced Beginner class. We are so blessed to have found Emler swim school. Jenn, the deck manager, Ms. Danielle and the other swim teachers are so positive in their teaching approach. Thank you, Emler, for being willing to teach a deaf child to swim. more

We wanted our children to swim from an early age and have had ours in Waterbabies and Aquatots. The teachers are amazingly patient, warm and professional. They go at the child's pace and it's amazing to see the result. My youngest is under 2 and LOVES the water now - jumping in on her own, swimming 7 full seconds underwater and kicking her legs. The staff from management to front desk to teachers are incredible. They go above and beyond to accommodate your schedule, work with you on finances and even help get my older child dressed and fed while I do the class with my younger child. We have been going regularly for almost a year and will never go anywhere else. They are amazing with kids AND with parents! more

We're on a budget, but swim lessons are (is?) one area we won't skimp. I've been to a couple of other places in Austin and I've come back to Emler, despite it being further from my house, because of the quality instructors and emphasis on child safety around a pool. Let's face it: in Texas you can't throw a rock without hitting a pool, and it's important to me that my kids have the skills they need to handle the water with ease. more

Have been going to Emler swim school for almost a year now. The teachers are very nice. My kids always have a fun time. The managers are very helpful. Highly Recommended. more

My daughter has been attending Emler Swim School since she was 5 mth old - at 4 1/2 yrs old she is a good, confident swimmer that loves the water. However, my greatest pride and biggest surprise about her Emler training is the respect she has for water. I will always highly recommend Emler Swim School program and encourage all families to look into their programs. more

Teachers are fantastic, and method works well. We have a pool, so our infant needed to learn to be comfortable in water. My daughter started swim classes at Emler when she was just over one year of age. I wasn't sure how swim lessons with an infant would work, but her instructor, Eric, was fantastic. Not only was he great with my infant, he made me feel comfortable, too. The results were amazing---just a few weeks into the classes and my daughter had a breath control of 6 seconds! The instructors never made my daughter or me do anything against our will. They never dragged her under the water when she didn't want to go. In fact, the instructor would play with her to get her comfortable in the water. Talking to the instructor and sharing my feelings regarding what we would ask my daughter to do made all the difference. As in all things, communication is key. Now, my daughter is just over two and she is learning to kick and paddle through the water. She has over ten seconds of breath control, and is learning how to pull herself out of the pool. It is important to keep your young kids in the program year around because they can forget what they learn. Also, it is important to begin swim classes before the summer---when they will need to know how to swim. Over all, I am very happy with Emler. The staff is great, and the instructors are top notch. more

My daughter and I attended their 'mommy and me' program when she was about 2. She was frightened by water and didn't want to put her face in the water at all. That really posted a problem because the program was based on pulling the kids into the pool (submerging) so they learned to hold their breath. After several times of being pulled into the pool against her wish, my daughter refused to even enter the pool area. Several coaches told me to just stick with it, so I sat on the steps leading into the pool for several lessons while my daughter refused to get into the water and sometime crying for the whole duration of the lesson. Eventually I decided it was such a bad experience for everyone we should just stop. Since the session was barely half way over and their lessons are so expensive, and basically the program didn't work for my daughter at all, I called their director to see if there was any chance for us to get partial refund. The director indicated that my daughter was manipulating me! I do believe kids can be manipulative. Every mother knows that. But there is a difference between being manipulative and being completed stressed and horrified, which was the state my daughter was in for the last several lessons we attended. The director did give me a refund, but I was not happy with the way she responded to my concerns and complaints. I think their method of teaching young children (less than 3) works for some kids, but not all. As for older kids, a friend of mine has been sending her daughter their for 2 years and she still refused to put her face in the water. On the other hand, I also know parents who are happy with them. The facility is okay, the pool area smells pretty bad sometimes but the warm salty water is pleasant to be in. You can try it if the super high tuition isn't a concern. But if your child has a fear of water, don't expect miracles. more

Emler is great especially for 3-5 year olds. They know how to handle all types of kids, even kids that are scared of putting their heads under water. They use positive reinforcement with M&Ms. It seems to work! Each class has up to 4 kids with one instructor and meets once a week for 30 minutes. I have been very pleased with Emler. Emler is meant for the youger kids. Once your kids are old enough, or have the skills, for swim team it will be time to move on to another place. The instructors are great with kids, and the people at the front desk are very helpful and considerate. All in all, a great experience. Pros: Great for young kids learning how to swim, nice instructors Cons: Not a big enough pool more