Are you fond of the water and want to learn something new that can both be a life skill and a hobby? If so, then the best swimming lessons in Calgary may just be what you need!
In this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about swimming lessons, from the highly acclaimed swim schools to FAQs and other important information about swimming lessons. Let’s start with the costs of your swimming education.
Table of Contents
How much are swimming lessons in Calgary?
Swimming instructors can cost around $20-$75 per hour depending on the type of class and their level of experience.
| Type of class | Expected price range (per hour) |
| Private one-on-one | $50-$75 |
| Semi-private (with a small group) | $35-$50 |
| Public (classes with more than 3 students) | $25-$35 |
Know that you can still cut down on costs by providing the venue or pool for the swimming lessons.
The Best Swimming Schools in Calgary
It’s time you choose among our picks of the best swimming schools in the city. And there’s no need to worry about choosing the wrong school because we only listed swimming schools with:
1. Swim Kids Calgary
| CLASSES | Full swimming program, swimming refresher classes |
| WEBSITE | https://www.swimkidscalgary.ca/ |
| ADDRESS | 3503 114 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2Z 3X2 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 831-2591 | [email protected] |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday – Thursday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM |
Just as you may have inferred from its name, Swim Kids Calgary is among the best swimming lessons for infants and young children. The swimming programs from this school make swimming lessons fun and serious at the same time.
Swim Kids Calgary’s instructors teach water safety and the necessary skills to respond independently to any kind of water situation. They do so by training children to swim with both swimwear and everyday clothes.
Swim Kids Calgary paces its programs according to each child’s individual performance. And we also like that its fees cover the whole program, no matter how long it may take your child to be independent in the water!
It’s even available for daily classes. In addition to this scheduling flexibility, Swim Kids Calgary has extended operating hours, reaching as late as 8 PM.
However, you should know that Swim Kids Calgary only has two swimming instructors. Additionally, it’s closed on weekends and Fridays.
But that’s only because it offers Fridays for family swimming sessions.
Pros
- Pacing dependent on child’s performance
- Training with both swimwear and everyday clothes
- Fixed full program pricing
- Extended operating hours
- Flexible scheduling
- Convenient online registration
Cons
- Relatively small team of instructors
- No weekend and Friday scheduling
- Limited to children’s classes
Customer Reviews
Patient and encouraging instructor
“Our daughter finished her first 6 weeks of swim lessons at the beginning of 2020 at 2 years of age. The skills she required during that time were incredible – all thanks to her amazing teacher Holly. Holly has so much patience and encouragement for the little ones, it’s quite remarkable. Due to covid and having no pools available, our daughter suddenly was scared of water when it opened up again. However, after one refresher week with Holly, all came back to her and we are back in the pool! Thank you Holly, you are awesome!!”—Jasmin Ogroske
Teaches life-saving skills, life-changing experience
“I cannot say enough about the value of this program. We did several rounds of traditional swimming lessons with our daughter prior, but this is the first program that has taught her life saving skills. Living in a lake community I am so much more confident in my daughter’s ability to manage herself around water – and she is only 2. Of course, as parents we still need to be vigilant, but I know that she is now able to get to a position of safety and give us time, which around water is not always a luxury afforded to parents. The instructor, Holly, is second to none. Truly life changing.”—Jocelyn Tochor
2. K & K Swim School – Calgary
| CLASSES | Toddler swimming class, parent and toddler swimming class |
| WEBSITE | http://kkswimschool.com/ |
| CONTACT DETAILS | [email protected] |
| OPERATING HOURS | Sunday – Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM Friday: 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM Saturday: 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM |
Since 2014, K&K Swim School has been helping Calgarians and other citizens in Western Canada become confident and independent swimmers. They teach their students to respect their relationship with the water.
K&K Swim School also has ties with organizations such as the National Drowning Prevention Alliance and National Lifeguard Lifesaving Society as a guarantee of its expertise and experience.
Best of all, K&K Swim School has classes for students with special needs. So, aspiring swimmers with Down syndrome, Autism, sensory issues, or audiovisual impairment conditions can still enroll in this swim school.
Should you choose this school to provide you with the best swimming lessons in Calgary, you’ll need to create an account on its website. This account will give you updates on your session scheduling.
Speaking of scheduling, we also like that this swim school is open every day, sometimes even as late as 8 PM. However, you still need to make time as its sessions are pre-set by instructors, seasonal, and dependent on venue constraints.
In addition to this minor con, there have also been a few complaints regarding its customer service and rescheduling practices.
Pros
- Connections with numerous swimming organizations
- Pacing dependent on child’s performance
- Accepts students with special needs and disabilities
- All-week availability
- Extended operating hours
- Convenient online registration
Cons
- Some complaints about customer service and rescheduling
- Rigidly set schedules
- Limited to children’s classes
Customer Reviews
Warm and awesome with kids, friendly and easygoing tactics, helps those with fear of water
“Our child now loves the water! The team at K & K Swim School is so warm and awesome with the kids. Their tactics and techniques are so friendly and easy going that the kids enjoy learning how to swim while having fun. I love taking my son here. They have made a big difference with my child, from fear of the water to loving it. Amazing place hands down!!!! I could write all their names but it would make this quite long. Highly recommend it.”—Letha Eshelman
Fantastic owners with great hearts, teaches kids to be independent
“Highly highly recommend. The owners are fantastic people with a great heart to make swim safety a norm for all little ones. Our two year old is such a joy and so independent in the water because of the skills she learnt through their program. We can’t wait to get our second one (now 6 months old ) started this fall and to continue to watch our 2 year old progress. She literally spends 90% of her time at the pool under water finding toys or swimming between destinations or (her new find favourite) dancing and spinning under water.”—
3. Vecova’s Aquatics, Health and Fitness
| CLASSES | Red Cross swim lessons, toddler swim lessons, aquafit classes, parent and baby swim lessons, prenatal workout |
| WEBSITE | https://vecova.ca/aquaticshealthfitness/ |
| ADDRESS | 3304 33 St NW, Calgary, AB T2L 2A6 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 284-1121 | [email protected] |
| OPERATING HOURS | Monday – Friday: 7:45 AM – 9:00 PM Saturday: 7:45 AM – 6:00 PM |
Vevoca Aquatics, Health and Fitness may be an all-around recreational centre instead of an exclusive swim school, but it still offers among the best swimming lessons in Calgary. We say this because it offers seasonal swimming programs to Calgarians of all ages.
As a civic partner of the City of Calgary, Vevoca Aquatics offers Red Cross swim lessons for all ages. This is for anyone who wants to learn more about water safety and lifesaving.
Moreover, it has shallow water classes and deep water classes to improve cardiovascular and muscular endurance and strength as well as joint health and overall balance. The centre even has prenatal water fitness sessions!
Vevoca Aquatics also offers toddler and child swimming lessons. Families can then easily sign up for these classes via the centre’s online website.
It even has private lessons. But know that reservations for these should be made via phone or in-person registration.
While it offers early and late classes from Mondays to Saturdays, Vevoca Aquatics still has pre-set schedules.
Luckily, its class schedules and pricing are conveniently posted on its website for transparency.
Pros
- Wide range of swimming and water fitness classes
- Swimming lessons for all ages
- Convenient online registration
- Early opening hours
- Extended opening hours
Cons
- Some complaints about the relatively old and small facility
- No online registration for online lessons
Customer Reviews
Attentive and patient instructors, provides individual attention, an assortment of swimming gear available
“We come here for swim lessons regularly and my boys enjoy their teachers. The swim instructors are patient and attentive. They give the children turns receiving individual attention while the others watch and splash. My kids look forward to their half hour lesson each week. When we come for family swim, there are toys, big floaters, kick boards and life jackets available. There is a little slide for younger children. The water is such a comfortable temperature. The showers are hot (but not enough to burn).”—Carina Kwok
Great place for lessons and everything else
“Great place for swimming lessons, birthday parties and more! Wonderful staff!”—Amanda Murphy
4. True Blue Swim School
| CLASSES | Water independence, basic water skills, deep water safety classes |
| WEBSITE | https://www.trueblueswim.ca/ |
| ADDRESS | 1607 90 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2V 4V7 |
| CONTACT DETAILS | (403) 692-3855 |
True Blue Swim School is a swimming school focused on helping youngsters learn the basic and necessary water safety skills. It delivers such services for a reasonable fee of $313 per quarter.
From the very first session, it already focuses on deepwater safety skills to prepare its students for just about any situation. True Blue Swim even trains them to swim and float while wearing normal clothes.
Every week, True Blue Swim School’s instructors conduct assessments of their student’s abilities.
The great thing is, its swimming lessons are personalized to match the pacing of its students. So, students can take any number of weeks of classes and get promoted whenever they’re ready.
Do know that these levels are in chronological order, meaning that students usually go through the whole process. Luckily, True Blue Swim School also offers free swim assessments where its instructors will assign at which level a student can start.
For convenience, it can cater to just about any request for scheduling. Additionally, True Blue Swim also allows families to enroll their children anytime.
All parents need to do is sign up via its online portal. Just make sure to be patient as we’ve read and heard some complaints about this school’s communication skills.
Pros
- Pacing dependent on child’s performance
- Free initial assessments
- Flexible scheduling
- Accepts enrolees any time
- Convenient online forms
- Affordable swim class programs
Cons
- Few complaints about communications
- Limited to children’s swim classes
- Presence of waitlist during peak season
Customer Reviews
Outstanding training, amazing swim instructors, can handle all kinds of situations and swim levels
“This program is hands down the best swim program going around. The training that goes into delivering this program is outstanding! The swim instructors are amazing and sure know how to handle all kinds of situations! This program caters to any swim level!I highly recommend Paul Sadler Swimland!”—Veronica
Fantastic staff, great interactions
“The staff are fantastic. Great interaction with the instructors and our daughter loves going”—Kevin Rechsteiner
5. Propel Swimming Lessons Calgary Eau Claire
| CLASSES | Toddler swim classes, teen swim classes, adult swim classes, sports and specialty classes, aquatic fitness classes |
| WEBSITE | https://www.propelhq.com/ |
| ADDRESS | Sheraton Suites, 255 Barclay Parade SW, Calgary, AB T2P 5C2 |
| OPERATING HOURS | 24/7 |
Now, if you want the best swimming lessons in Calgary for the whole family, then Propel Swimming Lessons should be among your top choices. Unlike other swim schools, this one accepts students of all ages, from toddlers to full-grown adults.
Propel also accepts all levels of swimming students. That said, students can also enroll in Propel’s sports & specialty and adapted aquatics classes.
You should also know that Propel is an official partner of the Canadian Red Cross and an official affiliate of the Lifesaving Society.
Propel gives its students the freedom to choose their swim instructor and not just a class with rigid and pre-set schedules. The lessons are also tailored to fit each student’s pacing and performance.
Just know that its class pricing differs for every instructor. Payments are also only made online.
Luckily, at-home lessons can accommodate up to 4 students and private one-on-one lessons have a 20% discount for an additional student.
Moreover, Propel allows its students to schedule their classes so they can also cancel or reschedule without consequences.
Pros
- Wide range of swimming and aquatic fitness classes
- Partner and member of various organizations
- Pacing dependent on student’s performance
- Swim lessons for all ages
- Students have freedom over schedule, venue and instructor selection
- Convenient online booking
Cons
- Pricing dependent on the instructor
- Limited to online payments
Customer Reviews
Easy online booking, offers great suggestions
“It was super easy to book online and everything went smoothly. We had our first lesson a couple weeks ago. Alana was our instructor and my 5 year old was super excited to swim the whole time. My little was able to swim on her back by the end of the session! Shes always been so stuck to myself or my partner without floaties. Alana kept up with her enthusiasm and was so eager to learn. Did not dislike anything at all. She made some great suggestions for future lessons and we will definitely be booking again soon!”—Crystal Chanthaphasouk
Beyond expectations, encourages students
“Alex was wonderful. My four year old had his first lesson and it went really well. Beyond expectations and he wants to go again so a big win!”—Pamela Hampel
6. Repsol Sport Centre
| CLASSES | Swim and Aquatic Group Fitness Personal Training Registered Kickboxing Programs Active Living Programs Sport Camps School Programs Standard First Aid |
| WEBSITE | https://repsolsportcentre.com/ |
| ADDRESS | 2225 MacLeod Trail South, Calgary, Alberta T2G 5B6 |
| OPERATING HOURS | Hours of Operation Monday – Friday: 5am-11pm Saturday: 6am-10pm Sunday: 7am-10pm Stat. Holidays: 7am-6pm Holiday Hours December 24th: 5am – 5pm December 25th: CLOSED December 26th: 7am-6pm December 31: 5am – 5pm January 1: 7am – 6pm There are no Group Fitness or Registered Classes on statutory holidays. |
Repsol Sport Centre is a community where they can help you to be courageous with your mind and body.
In comparison to other centers, their swim lessons follow the Lifesaving Society’s well-established Swim for Life Program. This program has numerous levels so that participants can progress at an average pace and accomplish their goals at each step.
Even if they customize each program for their students, they still continue to offer the same high level of instruction and competitive swimming instructors. So no matter if you are a beginner or you want to enhance your skills more, going to them may be the best choice.
Aside from swimming lessons, they also offer live-saving leadership courses for all ages.
Customer Reviews
“Best Sports Centre I have been to in the world. So much equipment, amazing ventilation, amazing staff. very clean, very modern. prices are more than fair. I have been a member for years and live that place so much.“
“great facility! everything you want under one tent!“
What to Expect From Swimming Lessons
Swimming lessons don’t just teach the basics of swimming. They also teach water safety.
So, students are taught about how to prepare and inspect the water’s temperature and depth before diving in. Basic skills that may be overlooked, such as stepping and jumping to water, finding an exit, and exiting water without ladders may also be a part of the swimming lessons.
Then, swimming instructors will teach the necessary swimming skills. Here are the things you should expect to learn about when enrolling for the best swimming lessons:
- Breathing
- Floating
- Kicking and paddling
- Treading water
- Forward and backward swimming
- Strokes
Swimming instructors also go out of their way to help you improve your relationship with the water and effectively reduce any fears you may have. This way, you can become confident, independent, and alert in any type of aquatic environment.
FAQs about Swimming Lessons
And that concludes our list of the instructors and institutions to call for the best swimming lessons in Calgary!
We made sure to include only the best. But if you think you know another business that offers great-valued swimming lessons, feel free to send us a message!
Feel like practicing your newfound skills? Check out our list of the best recreation centres in Calgary and find a family-friendly place to swim, exercise, and just have fun!
