We've been a Waterworks customer for over 3 years since my son was 10 months old. He's now almost 4 and my daughter just turned 2. She's been in the program since she was 1 year old.
We're very happy with Waterworks and the program they have. We looked at the YMCA as well as crash courses for teaching your children to swim. We ruled out the crash course idea because it just seemed like it would be good for a month or two while they perhaps remembered their skills to get to the edge of the pool - but then would forget. Our goal was for our kids to be able to not only swim, but to swim well and be good swimmers when swimming at camp summer adventures or other random places we went to.
We chose WW over the YMCA because the pool(s) are heated and the facilities are very modern and clean. The YMCA was okay, but the pool was only outside and freezing in the winter. The pools are built specifically for training and kids. They have a ""shallow"" end that is for the kids to warmup / play in while getting ready or after their class. The pools are super warm - 90+ degrees and one is salt water which is very nice.
The staff is very friendly and helpful. The instructors (we've had 4 different ones - 2 of them left WW or were promoted ""out of the pool"") have all been great. They match instructors to the children so your kids can build a relationship with the instructors. They listen to the parents about how each parent wants their children to progress (push them hard or take it easy). Overall, our kids really like the environment and enjoy going to swim class.
We go once a week and that seems to be a good amount for us. Afterwards, we use their full bathroom/shower rooms to get ready. I fully shower if I've gone into the pool with the kids also.
My children have progressed great. The thing that I like about WW is that they stress the actual strokes and form over everything else. They're very repetitious with the strokes and reward the children for doing them correctly. They do it in such a way that there's a lot of variety and the children don't seem to get ever get bored. My son who isn't quite 4 is now able to jump in the pool (over his head), get above water, swim with a proper free style or backstroke to the other side of the pool and get back out. We're very happy with that.
My only complaint about WW is that the makeup classes are a pain to use. You can't use them during the same time slot that your normal class is in. This is a pain because for us, because that's about the only time in our schedule that that class works. Thus, the classes end up sometimes going to waste (even though we paid for them).
I really like Waterworks. The teachers are great with our kids and I foresee us using their facilities for years to come.
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