Chicago Blue Dolphins

This is my second set of lessons at Chicago Blue Dolphins and it is the same high quality experience as the first time. My new instructor is excellent, knowledgeable about swimming and about how to teach it well. The facility is easy to use and efficient. Couldn’t recommend it more.

I started at CBD end of May 2016 with the Adult Level 1 class and I absolutely love it! I never learned how to swim as a child and thought that it will only get harder in adulthood. Despite that I decided to give it a try so I signed up for CBD. So far the staff and class have exceeded my expectations! The ratio is pretty much 2 swimmers per instructor, which is great because you not only have your instructor, but also a support peer. I have overcome my fear of water, learned how to float front and back, a few arm and leg movements front and back — amazing!!! and that is all in Level 1! I work with coach Elia and she is simply amazing! She provides great feedback, demonstrated everything prior to me doing it, provides safety and security in the water but also enables you to do it on your own and gain confidence. She knows relaxation techniques, proper breathing, and swimming techniques that fit ones medical or body needs. In addition, Elia is very patient and answers all of my questions. Because of CBD I have discovered a new hobby and passion: swimming! Looking forward to the next sessions!

Really bad service. Our boys were asked to move up a level and were put on a waiting list to move up a level after our first lesson. Five months later, we are still waiting for the call they promised. The only thing mgmt. was clear about was about their no refund policy. I do not recommend this place.

Great class availability and staff. The pricing is very competitive vs. many other city swim schools.

Great Place. We’ve used Blue Dolphins for both Adult and Child swim classes and have been very happy with both. Coach Fitz is a phenomenal instructor who teaches the Total Immersion philosophy very effectively. The Child class does a very nice job of getting the kids comfortable with the water and excited about learning to swim.

Nice facility and great setup for a private swimming lesson. There are mirrors on the pool bottom to watch your stroke plus they can film you as you swim then give you feedback. My instructor was Elia and she was very patient and helpful.

My 4^th grader could’t swim independently and my 1^st grader was adamant about staying out of the pool. Yet by the end of their first lesson, they were both hooked, and over the next several lessons, they each made impressive strides. So glad I found this school!

Super laid back. Was able to take my goals and help identify a plan forward.

I’m learning how to swim as an adult and it’s been a really good experience with Chicago Blue Dolphins. The class sizes are so small, it’s only me and another student in my class with the instructor. The instructors are attentive and don’t get frustrated if I don’t get a concept or skill right away. They are patient to learn my comfort level with the water, and customize the instruction based on what I need. Coach Francesca makes it easy to learn from her, and she makes her instructions plain where they make sense. She’s patient and good-​natured. I definitely recommend her and Chicago Blue Dolphins for your swim-​learning needs.

My son was in swimming lessons somewhere else for a year and when I got him in a big pool he had no idea what to do and was really scared. He has been taking lessons with coach Elia for about 2 months and he can swim a couple strokes on his own now! The teachers really give them freedom to learn but are right there when they start to sink. Lol she gives good pointers that are easy for a 5 year old to understand and she’s very patient. All of the coaches there are all really nice!

Our daughter has been in Coach Elia’s class for over a year now (we started when she was 6 months old). Cannot say enough good things about Coach Elia and her class! We have taken a couple of makeup classes from Coach Kora and really liked her a lot too. Would highly recommend CBD to anyone looking to have fun with their infant while beginning to teach them how to swim!

I wanted to learn swimming as a teenager but chose a wrong school (outside US.) I had extreme fear of water and was humiliated among a bunch of kids. Of course I never wanted to return to the school after that. I wanted to give it a try again in the US in my late 30s since I thought the teaching methods and people skills are much better here. I was not disappointed — I found coach Kora to be extremely helpful and her teaching skills beyond exemplary. She understood that I may not be their regular student and let me learn at my own pace. She is very patient and never rushes through her sessions. I’m still learning and still have fear of water but I have gone a long way from where I started. Thank you coach Kora for being the best! If she can teach someone like me, I’m pretty sure she can teach anyone.
–Kay

I never learned to swim as a child, because I was scarred by 2 drowning incidents. So when I made the initial call the person on the other end was very reassuring & patient with all my questions; some of which I kept asking. I finally mustered up the courage in 2014 to sign up for private lessons even though I was deathly afraid of drowning. Coach Kordian was understanding of my fear & was kind, gentle & patient as I acclimated to being in the water. Within 5 lessons I gained a tremendous amount of confidence, could float, swim underwater & on my back, and rotate from my front to back, etc. I am now being coached by Elia, who is fantastic. I’ve only had one full session with her, but I am now almost to the point of swimming freestyle. This had been an amazing journey for me, which I could not have done without Chicago Blue Dolphins.

The instructors are great, the pace is perfect for a beginner – i do not feel like I am being rushed to the next step until I thorougly get the first step. I love the flexibility that CBD offers, I was able to make up a class with no difficulty. When you call with any concern, there are assistants that help walk you through whether it’s a billing issue or to discuss making up a class. I found CBD off of reviews and feel it’s only right to share what I have experienced so far. Very appreciative of the instructors patience and will to make sure everyone gets EVERY step, EACH class.

Wonderful facility. Very understanding and great instructors. My son has autism and Mr. Fitz is wonderful with him.

Film of your stroke and position in the water is key! And, of course the corrective instruction to follow. The instructor breaking down the stroke from his own footage is powerful pedagogical tool. It gave me a lot of confidence in the method.

I had a great experience with my 13 month old at Blue Dolphins! The location is easy to get to, with free street parking, and easy access to the pool. The swim area was warm enough that she didn’t get cold in the water. The instructor was very attentive and friendly and the class size was small. The changing area was a little small and cramped, but it had 2 showers, 2 changing tables and a couple little seats for the kids too. Totally manageable in the tricky situation of changing a sopping wet baby and self after class. All in all a great experience!

I nearly drowned when I was four. That feeling of water filling my lungs, chocking me to breathlessness, staid with me throughout my life even though I cannot remember the actual event of drowning. I have been taking different type of swim lessons for over ten years and I still never felt comfortable being in the water. I learned how to swim backstroke years ago, but any attempt of facing water would bring back traumatic memories. The idea of going to pools or beaches brought discomfort.
I took classes with Katie from level 1 (total beginner) to level 3 (mastering stroke) and continued with Zach (who is great), as Katie is no longer with the club. It is unfortunate that they could not keep her, as she is absolutely amazing. She could relate to kids and adults very well and was explaining to someone who is very picky about words, how things work and what needs to be done very successfully. She is greatly missed.
The other instructors are very nice, very patient and professional too. What makes this school different from the others (and I have been in four so far, one of which is in Australia and that one was also fabulous) is that they use different teaching methodology. Classes (group of three students in average) are very well structured, there are goals to be achieved for each level and the instructors demonstrate correct moves and design drills that would dissect the steps to be repeated individually until strokes can be put together. And what I love about them is that each time we do something new they ask «So, how did that feel?» and then we reflect, talk about it, repeat etc. This is key for me as even though my body might be strong and may be doing what needs to be done, unless it clicks in my mind no progress can really be made. And it has been clicking, yes… I have been feeling it.
The program is worth the money spent. They also give points (they have some sort of Perkville program and for each lesson one gets 5 points) so for my 3 levels, I have accumulated 1 month worth of group lessons, so that is nice.
Finally, I still have fear, but I think I have learned how to live with it, and I trust my self little more; each time I come for a lesson it gets better and I get more confident. I take classes at a public school location, as that is convenient, but I do not shower there, so for someone who does not live nearby that might be a little problem. Showers need curtains and not all showerheads work, but that should be addressed by the school, I suppose.
I have been excited about going to the pool and for me that is the biggest success. Water is slowly becoming a friend.

Kordian is awesome. For context, I just learned to swim ~2.5 yrs ago in order to do my first triathlon. I tried just taking tips from others and working really hard — which got me through a half-​ironman and a few sprints and olympics, but I have always been bottom 10% of my age group swimming and have always felt like I am still «not getting it». I have only had 3 private lessons because my travel schedule for work is always hectic, but every time I have a lesson he makes major form corrections.
I can’t comment on how others view the masters classes. For someone who is a beginner, having the mirror to understand what you are doing /​seeing what you are doing wrong is priceless. Swimming is so counterintuitive to newbies (proprioception? huh? I clearly have NONE) that comments that make sense to swimmers are still baffling to me at times.
I only wish I could take that mirror with me and have that constant feedback always!

Great session… The one on one is great way to get some points… I am new to swimming (6 months) and hope to take lessons learned to improve… Already signed up for a follow up…
The video is great… I wish I could get a copy of it for review,