SwimRay is an ideal choice if you’re gunning for a highly structured syllabus. Their instructors follow a proven teaching roadmap inspired by military and competitive training.

Moreover, I appreciate their consistent upskilling and monitoring. The fully-certified coaches here undergo continuous development and evaluations.

There’s also the ‘mobile’ feature. If you’re anything like me and can’t stand queuing in public pools, you’d probably enjoy their ‘come to you’ approach; you pick where the sessions will take place.

Programme-wise, SwimRay offers plenty, including lessons for babies, ladies-only courses, and special needs classes. You can even enrol in specialised setups designed for competitive, open-water, and survival swimming.

The premium rates, however, might deter some. A 1-to-1, 4-lesson course costs S$300.

Casual learners who prefer group lessons aren’t their primary target either.

On the upside, they’re decorated, being the only swim school to enter Singapore’s Top 100 SME in 2023.

Very Patient

Coach Michael was great—very patient with my four-year-old who, despite the heavy rain outdoors, was able to push hard and keep swimming. He even blocked the wind for her!

Eddie Tsai, Google Review

I Saw a Marked Improvement

Great swim coach! We wanted to have some technique correction lessons and Coach Jed was excellent with my child. I saw a marked improvement in only eight lessons in all of my son’s strokes.

Deborah, Google Review

My nephew once attended the Singapore Swimming Academy, and their coaches impressed him and our fam. Coach Jordan, for instance, was patient, humorous, and motivational, with all the right certifications to boot (which is the case with all of the staff here).

What’s great is that we landed him thanks to the school’s matching setup. Interviews and tests were conducted to ensure suitability, and we didn’t pay a single cent for it.

Flexibility for 1-on-1 classes wasn’t an issue either. The sessions were mostly conducted at their flagship pools, but if we opted for a private location, they would’ve adjusted.

In terms of the general programme, they follow SwimSafer. It’s the country’s national water safety programme and is quite structured progression-wise, as it’s level-based.

Some coaches, though, have received flak for sudden cancellations. That’s further compounded by the limited availability and fixed scheduling for group sessions.

My Son Has Been Improving

We are enjoying swimming lessons with Singapore Swimming Academy. Coach Jordan who teaches my son is a very patient and funny guy. My son has been improving a lot since learning here. He used to feel unsecure when playing in water—now he feels very confident and loves swimming.

Keith Tan, Google Review

Patient

My kids’ water confidence is steadily growing—believe this progress is entirely thanks to the dedication of SSA’s coaches who are patient, and I will say they are good. They eagerly look forward to their swimming classes each week, and I will recommend the school to others who are looking to enrol their kids.

Corinne Tan, Google Review

Most of my workmates signed their kids up for SwimHub, and I can see why. For starters, the coaches here hold multiple certifications, including those for first aid.

I’d be direct, though. Those rates are on the higher end, so consider your budget.

On the upside, their emphasis on making swimming ‘accessible’ is a positive. Classes, especially those for toddlers and kids, are low-pressure and focus on familiarity or confidence-building.

Now, I’m not saying they’re for kiddos only. Adult sessions are part of the syllabus as well, and they’re designed for both recreation and skill sharpening.

As for the coaches, most are described as patient and fun to work with, though it’s the results that typically make an impression. Parents of newbies and competitive swimmers reported improvements after enrolling in Georgina and Samson’s classes.

That said, they don’t offer specialised programmes, such as open-water or special needs classes.

My Kid is So Comfortable

Coach Jeff is very patient and handled my daughter with tender loving care. My kid is so comfortable with him. Thank you so much.

Dorothy Tan, Google Review

Fuss-Free

Good experience with this swim school. Booking of classes is easy and fuss-free. Very convenient as coach travels down to our condo and is very friendly 🙂

Wong Ai Mooi, Google Review

If your idea of a swim coach involves someone who has competed in tournaments or triathlons, JustSwim fits that criteria. The coaching staff of this 2020-founded school consists of athletes.

Lesson-wise, private sessions are their bread and butter. That means classes are completely tailored to the learner’s objectives or needs, with minimal distractions and short, more focused sessions as the cherry on top.

The downside? Group classes aren’t really their thing. They do offer them, but you have to round up your group, especially for condo lessons, and that’s only if a coach is free.

The free trials being limited to specific locations is also a bit of a downer.

Fortunately, we didn’t encounter deal-breaking reports concerning the instructors. Most clients praised their patience and ‘we-won’t-proceed-until-you-master-the-stroke’ approach.

JustSwim is also flexible if we’re talking about specialised programmes, as they have open-water, expat, and lifesaving courses.

Best of all, their fees typically come cheap.

Knows How to Make Learning Fun

Coach Darren is the real deal! I went from splashing around to swimming freestyle like a pro, all thanks to Darren. He’s super chill, patient, and knows how to make learning fun. He even taught me breaststroke in just 30 minutes—how cool is that? Whether you’re a total beginner or just need a technique tune-up, Darren’s your guy. Highly recommend!

Anand Raj, Google Review

Really Encouraging

My friend and I had 8 open water swim session with Darren to train for our triathlon sprint. He was a really encouraging coach! Gave us tips on how to improve our strokes and was patient with our progress. Highly recommend if anyone is looking to try open water swimming or learning to swim.

Ong Kheng May, Google Review

When we talked to parents, SmileSwimmers kept popping up for how well they instil confidence in young swimmers. Most of the interviewees especially raved about Coach Kidd’s play-based approach and ability to simplify techniques.

On top of that, the school adheres to the SwimSafer curriculum, which is great for its level-based system.

They’re also a fit choice for adults looking to get fitter. You can enrol in sessions geared to boost muscle strength or cardio health, and it doesn’t hurt that Coach Kidd has a background in teaching aerobic and kickboxing classes.

Additionally, SmileSwimmers have holiday bootcamp events. This unique offering mixes swimming with drills and team-based challenges, keeping your kiddos busy during breaks.

If there’s a snag, it’s with the customer service. A few parents complained about the sluggish response to feedback.

Concerns about mixed classes, where students spend too much time being idle, have also been brought up.

Loved the Lesson

My son enjoyed his very first lesson. He didn’t cry and was very comfortable with Coach Kidd. It looked like he was able to follow certain instructions and really liked the lesson. After the class, he told me he loved the lesson. Good job Smile swimmers! Highly recommended! 😁

Sharifah Aidah Alhabshie, Google Review

Friendly, Professional, and Very Approachable

Awesome coaches, friendly, professional and very approachable. Kids are comfortable with them. My 1st was w another company before this and I decided to swap and was surprised she improved drastically aft 2nd lesson (a technique she cldnt get right previously). Now she is steadily getting better. Enrolled my 2nd kid soon after. N I don’t regret, 2nd kid is enjoying himself n his water confidence is good now thanks to good coaches! Highly recommended!

Elin Zul, Google Review