Best swimming classes in Austin: find options near you

Our daughter has been going to Emler Swim School of Austin – Anderson Mill for over three years. We are absolutely so incredibly impressed with how the school is managed and the high caliber of care and teachers. She is learning to swim like a pro and we enjoy being greeted with such wonderful staff members who actually care about our kid. We can’t say enough good things.

Such a wonderful swim school! The girls I nanny love taking lessons here with Ms Michele, she’s such a great teacher!
All the ladies who work here are so friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend taking your kiddos here!

Honestly love this place our 3.5 yo has been coming here since she was a baby. All the teachers are great and they really focus on safety and I feel a lot better doing water activities with with these lessons under her belt. Special shout outs to Michelle, Amber, and Faith!

My girls love taking swim lessons at Emler! The staff has all been really friendly and helpful with all my questions when we signed up. It is a little pricey, but I do believe you get what you pay for! The classes are small and the instructors pay a lot of attention to each kid. I do wish the classes were a little longer for the price. 30 minutes goes by super quickly, and I think that 45 would be perfect since it’s only once a week. The place is mostly clean, although there was spilled food in the changing room that grossed me out a bit since my kids are barefooted. It’s nice to be able to sit and watch the kids behind the glass and see what’s going on during class!

Amazing teachers, amazing school. Every single teacher has made our little swimmer feel comfortable and given him the space to excel.

We tried one other school before landing on Emler and have been here ever since.

The teachers provided extra attention and flexibility. We discuss which skills he was working on so I can practice with our kiddo between lessons.

We’ve had such a great experience at Emler Swim School Anderson Mill! Our 4-year-old loves coming each week, and Ms. Fulori has been absolutely wonderful—so patient, kind, and encouraging. We’re so glad we found this program!

The swim team has been an incredible experience for my son. Not only is the team performing exceptionally well, but he’s also truly enjoying every moment. It’s been wonderful to see him so engaged and enthusiastic, both in training and in the camaraderie with his teammates.

I have been doing swimming lessons for the last two months at East Communities YMCA, and I have had such a great time. I started taking beginner adult lessons with Jen back in July, and she was wonderful. So patient and helpful. I gained a great deal of confidence in just a month. I have also attended her Aqua Fit classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, and they are amazing!

I began intermediate adult lessons in August with Ruvi, and he is such a gem. I felt so lucky to have such a patient and upbeat instructor as I progressed to more challenging swim strokes. He has the perfect feedback style for my personal preference. He’s clear and firm with his instruction, but he also cheers me on even when I’m not perfect. He’s truly the best!

I have also had fantastic experiences with the front desk staff and other individuals around the Y. The entire staff has made me feel very welcome.

Great Place, exceptional staff! Always clean I have made this a part of my daily routine.A tennis court , with self play wall would be nice. This is absolutely a favorite of mine! Additionally I want to give a Big Shout out to Youth Camp Counselors. The children are our future! Great Job YMCA

Family physical and mental fun! The gym fam/trainers are great! Im always motivated to go lift! They are always helpful and the best at their jobs. They have a heavy bag so I literally learned punching combos there. They also have a boxing class for youth.

Amenities on the east side are very lacking so that there is a ymca location at all is a bit surprising. What is not surprising is that this location is underserving an underserved community. Outside pool, 3-4 weight benches, no spin classes, overcrowded yoga classes and generally worn out. There is ample parking and it is conveniently located on the Walnut Creek bike trail. Nice playground and next to the golf course. Staff was very nice but cancelling a membership is its own sort of nightmare.

While the price/value and pool facilities are a bright spot the undersized and incredibly unbalanced array of gym equipment makes this an awful experience every time I go. 3 squat racks and 2 benches is a sad excuse for a gym of this size, especially when the town lake Y has 4x the amount and is the only other Y in Austin

This YMCA has been wonderful, I don’t have anything bad to say at all, my children and I are respected, the staff here are very friendly and respectful, staff like ‘Abby’ bring us smiles because of how outgoing she is, all the staff here are great, I believe this is what makes this location ideal for me and my children!

Just tried my first Zumba class with McKenna, I loved it! Even though I have two left feet, I was able to keep up! I love the music selection!

Best swim classes EVER!! Emler is downright incredible. All the instructors are fantastic, we’ve worked with many of them. Big shout out to Ben and Alexis specifically. I’ve seen my 4-year old son develop his skills so well. I couldn’t be happier and my son loves it here too.

The whole staff is genuinely kind and caring. They make it easy to schedule classes, and I also appreciate their flexibility with “make up” classes if we can’t attend our normal session.

We’ll continue to be big fans of Emler for years to come!

We love Emler so much!! The teachers are incredibly patient, creative, fun and in tune with all the big emotions of our little guy and most importantly, he’s learning a life saving skill that will bring him so much joy!

We have loved Elmer!! My son has been coming since he’s been about 15 months and he’s had so much fun and gained so much water confidence. He can walk along the wall, climb out, and jumps in confidently. He’s working on his breath control and they always make it so fun. Ms El has been amazing!

I’ve been a nanny for 15 years and have had such wonderful experiences bringing the children I nanny to Emler. The staff is so welcoming and committed to creating a fun and safe environment that fosters a love of swimming. I’ve also loved seeing some of the same staff members year after year which is a testament to the positive culture of the place. Some of the children I have brought to swim class were initially unsure, but it was so wonderful to see them increase their comfort level and skills over time. A special shoutout to Lauren, Brittany and Elle who have taught the different kiddos I nannied for!

We’ve had such a great experience at Emler Swim School of Austin-Westlake! My daughter Mollie started classes here in February at Level 4, and in just a few months she’s already moving up to Level 6. The coaches are patient, encouraging, and make lessons fun while still pushing the kids to improve. We’ve seen such a boost in her skills and confidence — couldn’t recommend them more!

Emler has done a fantastic job teaching my kids to swim. When my daughter was scared to swim instructor Lauren did such a phenomenal job encouraging her to get in the water! Highly recommend Emler for teaching your kids to swim in a safe and supportive environment

Emler has been a wonderful space for my son to build his confidence and become an excellent swimmer. All his instructors have been so encouraging and skilled! Our experience here keeps us coming back as we continue to see him growth!

Just returned from an unforgettable dive trip to the Sea of Cortez with Tom’s Dive and Swim, and I can’t recommend it enough!

The trip was expertly led by Shana, whose energy, organization, and passion for diving made the whole experience seamless and exciting.

We dove with playful sea lions, spotted
colorful nudibranchs, and explored stunning underwater landscapes, all while enjoying world-class food aboard the Rocio del Mar.

On land, we had time for some fun shopping in town, but the real highlight? Swimming alongside massive, gentle whale sharks. Truly a bucket list moment!

Tom’s continues to deliver incredible dive adventures, and this one was no exception.

I am already dreaming of the next trip!

Thanks to Tom’s Dive and swim, Shana and Ricio Del Mar.

Our kids had a wonderful experience with semi-private swim classes with Coach Pearl. Their ability to handle themselves in the water improved drastically, and they had so much fun. Coach Pearl was awesome with the kids – patient, kind and very attentive. They were always eager to go to class. The staff at the front desk are also very friendly/helpful. Would highly recommend for anyone looking for classes for young kids!

I did my OW certification at Tom’s and the one thing they didn’t prepare me for was how disappointing other dive shops would be.
Having done some travel, many more courses, and dozens of dives since my last experience with Tom’s I still think of them as the standard and the best.
Even as I said I’d be moving all they did was give me cold water tips and wish me the best, lots of free knowledge and help because they’re good folks.

I’m truly grateful that I chose Tom’s Dive for my Open Water dive class. Over the course of it, my instructors were able to transform my fear of being underwater into a love of being underwater. They were awesome! Everyone in the shop were friendly and helpful too!

Wow. They provide great service and are willing to go the extra mile to help their customers. I waited too long to get into a Scuba Refresher Course for my upcoming trip to the Bahamas. I called Tom’s Dive and Swim and asked if they had anyone who would do a private refresher. Not only did TC give me a fantastic refresher course with 3 hours of dive time…but he did it in my pool. Thanks to Tom’s and especially TC (dive instructor) for helping me in a pinch.

My now 4 and 6 yo have been coming to Tom’s off and on since Dec 2022. I appreciate the small classes, instructor’s attention to detail for each child, and how they rate each child’s ability (report card style) at the end of each session (4-5 weeks). This “grading” helps determine if the child is ready to move up a level. If you want an instructor that will get to know your child, I highly recommend Tom’s. Sarah and Sofia (sp?) are thorough and so much fun! My kids adore them.

Carter was my sons swim instructor! He was very patient and helpful towards my son. Carter was also very knowledgeable in his instructing and gave very easy prompting cues for my son to understand. He was encouraging and would praise my son for accomplishing different techniques. My son would get compliments of how good of a swimmer he was after just doing one week of swimming lessons with Carter. I highly recommend this swimming lesson. Oh and not to mention that Sara, the other swim instructor was also very helpful ! Below is a picture of my son swimming in 8 ft where a week ago my son was only swimming in 3ft.

I LOVE this YMCA. I have only used the fitness center so far, but I plan to do some classes at some point and use the pool. I go between 8-10 AM on weekdays. The fitness center is clean, I rarely have to wait to use equipment, great outdoor view from select treadmills, friendly staff. I could go on!

The real highlight for me, and the reason we joined, is for the childcare. Honestly, I had no idea what to expect from their childcare as far as quality-i just knew they had it. This place is staffed with childcare PROFESSIONALS. I drop off my 1 year old son and know that he is in good hands while I work out/have some me-time. I told them in passing one morning that he is so close to walking, and one of the employees (Ashley!) walked him to me when I picked him up. They have a ton of kids going through there, and always remember me, my son, and even the name he goes by. Shout out to Ashley, Darya, and ALL the folks in the childcare area. I hope they see this feedback and know that they are doing an incredible job!!

YMCA is a great place to workout. I feel safe bringing my kids who they equipped to use the equipment. I enjoyed going to a dance class with my daughter.

2 stars were given due to the lovely instructors but everything else is horrible here

Besides the dirty showers, the inconsistent and lack of transparency are the worst.

They advertised a different price when setting us up ($49 for couple), 1 month later a different person said that there was a mistake and it was actually $95 for couple. Then around 9 months later, a different person randomly accused us of using a cheaper membership and the price is now $105, also gave us less than 7 days to deal with the changes. They failed to mentioned that YMCA raised the fee until I forwarded the email stating we were signing up for the correct membership. We didn’t change, you did. I canceled that same day, too much trouble from customer service within less than 1 year of membership

The issue has never been about the price. It’s the way you treat people. Be better

Update #1: the VP have contacted us and I’ve emailed her fully of what happened, email receipts and everything we have

Last update: We’ve received a sincere apology. Thank you to the VP

I’ve really been enjoying the Ashtanga and Vinyasa yoga classes at the YMCA by instructor Nandini. The instructor is always welcoming, knowledgeable, and create a calming, inclusive space for everyone, regardless of experience level. It’s a great way to stay active while also finding a moment of peace and balance in a busy day.
These classes offer so much more than just physical activity,they support mental well-being and overall wellness. I encourage anyone thinking about joining,to give it a try. It truly makes a difference.
Thanks to Nandini Prakash

Not sure who is managing the place, but when you decide to do any sort of maintenance on equipment, be considerate and plan to send your repair crew in when the work out area is least in use!
I personally don’t want to hear any loud hammer work while doing my workout! Very disappointing!

I used to come here about 3-5 times a week. It has a vast facility and plenty of activities for families. The staff is also very friendly which is great!

However, it smells absolutely horrible. It got worse over a few months and I couldn’t take it anymore. The smell hits you as soon as you walk in and it’s nauseating for the first few seconds.

Also, the people can be very inconsiderate – just walking anywhere without shoes, putting their bare butts on the locker seats, flinging their sweat around in the sauna, leaving lockers disgusting, and more.

I know they probably can’t do much about inconsiderate people but the smell…I wish they would do something about that.

The group classes are amazing, there’s always something fun to do and a positive energy in every room. This ymca has been so welcoming and has encouraged me to be active and care for myself. The child care area is clean and they take good care of my baby, I can always pass by and check up on her. One of the best decisions I have made this year!

This YMCA is fantastic. I’ve been going there to swim laps in the morning and the pool is clean and temperature is great. The whole pool area is peaceful amd calming. The lifeguards are conscientious, and I feel safe.

The front office staff is also very kind and welcoming. Mirabel went out of her way to help show me around when I was looking for a group exercise room and a place to stretch.

The upstairs track and area for cycling and stretching is clean and worked well for me to stretch and warm up, especially while the downstairs weight and cardio room is being renovated. Can’t wait to enjoy that area soon!

The management at this facility is tone deaf to the disabled. They insist on teaching their private swimming lessons in the only swimming lane with stairs. I can plan around their regularly scheduled lessons, but I can’t utilize a facility where I am randomly kicked out of the pool. When I spoke to the aquatic director about the issue she was unable to comprehend my limitations.
I will not be going back to this facility.

Love child watch!! Thanks for having crafts, outdoor time, books, and games. I’m also appreciative that the staff limits screen time and finds other more creative ways to engage the kids while I get my workout. This kind of child watch sets YMCA apart from the competition.

They have the most absurd rules in the pool. Even if your kids pass their swim test, you still have to be physically in the water with your kids at all times otherwise they can’t swim. Like you can’t even sit on the side of the pool and watch them. Also the lifeguards tell the kids they can’t hold their breath under water??? What are they supposed to do, breathe under water?? I understand rules for safety purposes like no running, etc, but it’s to the point where my kids don’t want to swim at the ymca pool because of the insane rules. And if your kids don’t pass the test, they have to wear a lifejacket even if you’re holding them the entire time. It’s wild. Also the parking sucks

The parking is limited. Saturday mornings are the worst. Today there were volleyball games, swimming lessons, and a large public event. Street parking is by residential permit only. We watched about 10 cars get ticketed. I don’t think it’s responsible for a place to host large events without warning people about the lack of parking or doing anything to mitigate it. This is an argument for more public transportation.

I joined for the outdoor lap pool, but it is poorly maintained (often gives me a rash), overheated for exercise (87 degrees), and often closed with no notice. Serious disappointment. The small indoor pool is not set up for laps, is likewise poorly maintained (always gives me a rash), and the air and water are so hot it feels like swimming in boiling water in a humid tropical jungle.

My boys and I love this Ymca. I have been going to the YMCA since I moved to Austin many years ago when my children were very young. I homeschooled my children for many years and the YMCA was a little refuge for me to get a quick workout while my kids enjoyed their very friendly childcare. I currently teach my sons about the benefits of weight training and my oldest even works here as a lifeguard now. The YMCA is truly a part of my family and I couldn’t imagine life without it.

We started Emler with the parent in the water class with Ms Jade when our kiddo was 2. He’s 3 1/2 now and has really excelled after classes with Ms Bella and Ms Emily. We appreciate the skills he’s being taught, especially for safety!

We have been at Emler Oak Hill since our daughter was 1 year, she now is 3 and in level 4. The teachers and experience has been wonderful and convenient to do year-round swim lessons given their indoor heated pool.

The teachers have been amazing and attentive. We have been lucky to get Sammy and Jaide, who are so patient but also challenge our daughter in a positive way. They are so great with kids and a pros at making swimming fun! Our daughter definitely feels safe with them. We have had 2 new teachers in the past at starts of new semesters that did not stack up to the skillset we had with Sammy and Jaide. Management has been really receptive to feedback and really focuses on strengthening their instructors skillsets or moves them out- making sure that the value you pay for class is being seen. An instructor can be night and day in a child’s experience with them feeling safe in the water and thriving, and Emler sees the importance of that. In both those cases, we were lucky to have Sammy and Jaide take over the classes after the 4th session. John and team have also been great in working with us on private sessions and 1:1 swim time anytime focus training was needed on improving skill sets.

Everyone we interact with at Emler is embracing and welcoming to all the kids and parents. I can’t say enough praises about our experience with Sammy, Jaide and the general manager John. It’s been why we have continued with Emler, it’s why our daughter has a love for swimming and it’s something we enjoy doing on the weekends. Huge thank you to Sammy and Jaide for being amazing teachers and swim instructors

Our daughter has had a blast learning how to swim at Emler! Isaiah and Niki have been working with our 4yo, and her skills have drastically improved over the last 4 months. Isaiah is very focused and patient with her and Niki pushes her to keep trying, even when she’s having an off day! We feel very fortunate to have them as her instructors. They do boat safety training once a month, which teaches the kids additional skills outside of the pool.

My 2.5-year-old son has been coming here since he was 6 months old and absolutely loves the water! We constantly get compliments on how comfortable and confident he is in the pool. The staff is always friendly, patient, and fantastic with kids. Highly recommend!

Bath time babies with our first instructor Jaide was so great! She was nice and attentive and genuinely seemed to enjoy teaching the kiddos
Graduated to the next phase like bath time babies 2 for when you’re still under 1
Sami was rude overall negative energy I changed classes after the first class with her. She seemed impatient and annoyed. You chose to do this at least pretend to like it. Unfortunately, she teaches so many classes I stopped going after that session the only reason Emler is popular is due to lack of options and the abundance of their locations.

Emler OakHill hands down best swim school in Austin! We started with Bath Time Babies and now almost made it to Swim Team. Great staff for all levels.

We’ve had a wonderful experience at Emler. Our first ever instructor miss Sami has been incredible and my daughter absolutely adores her. Highly recommended!

This is why I love Austin, there’s always something new popping up and this is one of there best kept secret cause it’s free, absolutely Free, it’s settled on the southend of Big Stacy park depending on which entrance you come from, it wasn’t to crowded more so it was sectioned off in three areas,the longest area going parallel with the pool was sectioned off for athletes, maybe already graduates, some still working there way through,it was pretty awesome seeing them practice, I really enjoyed this moment cause I got to see grandpa with his grandson,mommy with her baby, father with his son, and then there was one “me” , waddling in the pool just enjoying the moment, and for the last section well that was the deeper end and kids have to learn a practice swim before they can go over there, also there is a strict policy in place there is to be no diving from anyone!!pool opens at 6a.m. to 8p.m.on weekdays and 12 to 7p.m. on weekends,there are two lifeguards on duty at all times and they were each respectful and helpful when spoken too or asked a question,there are restrooms here with plenty of parking,I tell you,it was refreshing on another hot Texas summer day, to my ppl in wheelchairs , the pool is accessible ,I also want to send a special shout out to my friends the lifeguards Pedro and David, thank you for being sports and answering my questions,now you see it was real

Life guards are very attentive and friendly. They always have an answer for my questions about pool toys and such that’s allowed. One even offered to give my son a swim test and quick swim lesson. Can get a little busy in the evenings but we go early and it’s usually empty. Water is always clean and cool. Kids love this pool.
Several lap lanes available as well

The friendliest people! It was our first time here with my 1.5 year old baby and he had a blast. Everyone interacts so kindly and the lifeguards are great. They’re attentive, making sure everyone has a good experience and keeps order as far as the kids and safety go. We will definitely be back. I also genuinely love that they welcome homeless people to take showers. As someone who has found myself struggling many times, I appreciate this so much.

Had a very bad experience today…
As I had a argument with an individual that wouldn’t let me repark my Truck as the parking there is really tight.
He kept pulling his car towards my truck…
I wasn’t even in the swimming pool area.
Then without even talking too me about the situation the girl lifeguard calls the police and then she waits over an hour for them instead of watching the pool area. Then they get there and they let her say I can no longer go swimming at that pool…That is totally ridiculous over an issue in the parking lot.
But yet there are people doing drugs in there cars and very sketchy homeless people all in the area.

Pool is all lanes until 10 am. Empty in the morning. Parking is tight. Free.

Visiting from out of town, we found this free public pool to be a great spot! It’s clean inside and out, with several attentive lifeguards on duty. While most of the pool was dedicated to swimming lanes, the area available to everyone was spacious, and it wasn’t overcrowded during our visit on March 5 around 5pm. The grassy area next to the pool was perfect for relaxing, and the public bathrooms were decent. Overall, a pleasant experience!

Traveling swimmer seeking pool? This pool is heated in the winter, but can get hot in the summer. Arrive at 6am for a full lap swimming setup. Open all year round. Fresh water, spring fed… interesting to swim with no drains to look at on the bottom. It’s 100ft long because it was built in 1935.

The facilities are clean and the staff are friendly. They have a lap pool which is a bit on the warmer side as far as lap pools are concerned but that’s not a problem for me. A nice hot tub to unwind in after and even a little exercise pool. Clean showers which have curtains so they can be private and also a swim suit dryer! Clean locker rooms and a nice gym on the second floor. They have a lot of machines and also programs to sign up for if you want guidance. I’d definitely recommend this YMCA to anyone I know!

Great facility, pool, workout area. Very clean. Very welcoming employees. The kids area is amazing while we are working out

Dont understand why they dont take more care in keeping the GYM where basketball is played its never cleaned. They are always cleaning upstairs. Should be important to clean because that’s where the senior.
Classes are done. Should be most important Area to be clean for the Sinors.

I love our local Y. Facilities are clean and well kept. The staff are super nice and welcoming. The pool always has life guards and swim instructors!

I just want to say how much I appreciate the yoga classes at the North YMCA. They’ve honestly been a huge part of my routine,not just for fitness, but for mental peace too. The Ashtanga yoga instructor, Nandini Prakash is amazing, super supportive, and she really makes the class feel welcoming, no matter your skill level.

Horrible gym hours, and there is no point in having a family membership here. The bottom floor you don’t need a membership for and upstairs can’t be used by kids. They won’t let my 11yr olds play basketball while I workout and watch them from above.
They change the rules weekly and you can’t use the group studio rooms.
I’ll stick to the other locations.

Update : 05/2024
I just noticed there is a red message on my screen when I sign in about reminding me a year later that my kids can’t use the basketball court without me being on the court. Cancelled my membership on the spot. Added picture to show me watching my kid play ball.

Updated: 03/2025
Back again, it’s just a convenient location. They have much better hours thankfully and are open on Sunday. Red message is finally gone from my screen.
The Black gentleman that works here is friendly and great. I just don’t understand why paying members cannot use the mirrored rooms. The yoga studio is barely ever in use and the group studio has lots of empty hours. Every other y lets you. With the way the gym floor is set up makes it hard to share space and workouts and a mirror is definitely needed to check form. The cycling studio has space but it’s essentially a hallway and it’s a huge distraction plus there are zero mirror in there. I’ve never seen a gym not allow members to use member spaces.

I do water aerobics at the Y. The reception when entering the building, the staff are friendly and make me feel like I’m part of the family

This is a nice competition pool with diving platforms. The score boards are easily noticeable. There are concessions with food and drinks. Also, merchandise as well.

Bathroom is very small so might be a line. There are bathroom in each level.

Seatings is great. No need to bring your own chair. Not many outlet if you need to charge your devices.

Very well lit. Been here a few times for competition.

Parking is best in garages. There is one across the street and one a little a way at the Health Science. They are paid by the hour.

Top tier swimming facility. There’s an outdoor pool and a diving pool adjacent to the main pool. I like how there’s plenty of seating and there’s a good view from anywhere. Bathrooms can use some improvement; stalls missing latches and broken paper towel dispenser. You will have to cross a street (or two) for parking.

My second visit to the facility, which now has the new outdoor pool. Since I made a contribution, they let me swim in it! Always treated so great by the coaches, swimmers, building staff, and the Longhorn (sports) Foundation. Totally worth the trip. Hope this excellent facility will keep us in the lead in collegiate swimming for years to come! Hook ’em!

This is the premier swim center in central Texas. The junior swim program is tops in the area. The University of Texas swimming and diving programs for both men and women train and compete here as well. It’s amazing to have juniors getting to interact with the elite athletes of UT which is the top if not too 3 program in the nation for decades.

Outstanding viewing area to see swimmers!! Always plenty of seats and restrooms (three levels of restrooms). Restrooms are dated though but dry because swimmers don’t really use them as much like other places. Three huge scoreboards, great view of divers. Excellent climate control and acoustics. They sell food but sometimes it’s closed and u have to use vending machine. Food is just ok. Michael Phelps holds two records here: 200 M IM and 200 M FLY. Good luck!

It’s one of the best swimming pools. It’s a 9 foot deep pool and helps in enhancing performance. I love it!
Parking is the problem – the nearby “health center parking lot” provides event parking at the flat price i.e., $15 per day.

Hey UT! Can y’all add bottle filling water fountains to this beautiful facility?