Making Waves Swim School

We had been going to making waves for almost 5+ years and now have noticed the overall services and quality of coaching has significantly gone down since after Covid. There are few reasons for it.
1. I had been repeating levels from last few times. For last level 8 w almost spend $1200 as we had been asked to repeat it 3 times which is ridiculous. Seems like a cash grab and even though with 3: 1 teacher student ratio we are not getting proper feedback. At times when we do and even though instructor mentions the good progress, we are still asked to repeat the sessions. We expect to get the personalized feedback and instructors to work on the areas for improvement for kids which so eventually we see the progress and it’s not happening.
2. The services have been cut down, no more shower curtains for kids to take showers and clothes dryer had also been removed.
3. You can’t reach them via phone call anymore. No one picks up the phone and your best chance is to wait for someone to call you back if they do.

This is an expensive and premium place and lately I am highly disappointed with the way it’s been progressing lately. They had cut down the services and having repeat sessions for each level is really a big red flag.

Great place but the problem is the staff aren’t that talkative and almost made my son drown in the water, the coach was doing treading with him in the deep water and my son couldn’t do it but the coach said he could and he almost drowned. Don’t recommend it at all, was a life or death situation there. In the picture you can clearly see my son upset. (Different not the treading)

We initially had a rough start with Making Waves but the team is wonderful. They are truly committed to their students and their learning. Everyone has worked really hard to make sure that they are meeting my daughter where she is, and that she continues to love the water and swimming. Thank you Making Waves for always putting students first!

(Please read edited review below) Absolutely fantastic place! Very organized! Very clean! Your child is looked after very intently while swimming. You get a fabulous feedback after each lesson. Their instructors are extremely great with their students. Highly recommend!

Editing this review. My son was putting on his Sandals after swimming, got up and screamed. He had a large scratch on his side the size of my hand. The plastic storage containers beside each lane had broken, sharp plastic. Accidents happen.

Todays incident was that I wasn’t allowed my small clean stroller on the floor. I have three children, two in the pool at 15 minute switch off. Since my husband wasn’t able to come. I was by myself. I needed to be able to get my kids from the pool.

Changing my review as this season has been challenging.

Making Waves is an enjoyable Swim School that my son loves to attend on a weekly basis. The staff that work with him are kind and patient and my son is very comfortable with them. The small ratio of staff to children is a big help in what he's learning to do. I definitely recommend!

Great swim school and have been bringing my son here consistently since he was 3 months old, and he's now 4! Staff are always attentive, listen to feedback and make changes as necessary. Changerooms are clean and provide privacy as required.

Very close to home, communicative staff. Lorena's been great with our son & saw progression within 3 wks. Wish the program had make up lessons considering children get sick often but understand that they're classes are always full & pool time is limited. Ratio for Little Waves was 3: 1 which is nice considering the cost you are paying. Would strongly recommend to other parents wanting proper training.

Such an organized facility for a toddler to start learning how to swim. Instructors are awesome and made me feel very comfortable to leave my 2 year old daughter in the pool for the first time. Head Couch jumps into the scene whenever needed. Highly recommend.

My daughter started her swim lessons in Jan. Their service is very good and facility is not that bad when it comes to Cleaness. My only concern is that, their shower pressure are very low. They need to make it stronger so that we can actually give the kids a proper shower.

Other than that I’m happy about the rest.

Fantastic instructors that really take the time with your child. My son has really done well with having more one-on-one time, and the instructors are very communicative and knowledgeable.

Excellent location, energetic young smiling staff who are always willing to accommodate and assist you. The coaches are very attentive and make certain that each child receives the same amount of attention and instruction. My daughter graduated from there, and I couldn't be more pleased with their service.

Amazing and very patient instructors and coaches! My children have been coming here for a long time and they are doing great. My daughter can swim and is just increasing her stamina and moving up levels. Worth every penny!

This establishment is truly exceptional! The level of organization is simply outstanding, and the emphasis on cleanliness is truly noteworthy. When it comes to your child's safety and supervision during swimming, their dedication is unparalleled. After each lesson, the feedback provided is of the highest quality, offering valuable insights. The instructors themselves display an exceptional level of skill and rapport with their students, making it an unequivocal recommendation from my end.

One cannot overlook the prime location of this place. The staff, a group of enthusiastic and always-smiling individuals, consistently go above and beyond to ensure your needs are met and you're assisted promptly. The coaches, too, leave no room for complaint. Their attentiveness ensures that every child is given equal measures of attention and guidance. A personal testimony to their excellence is the fact that my own daughter successfully completed her training here, leaving me thoroughly satisfied with the service they provide.

What further contributes to the excellence of this institution is the commendable teacher-to-student ratio. While the trainers may appear youthful, they display a level of competence that is truly impressive. Notably, as children progress to higher levels, they engage in textbook-style forms, showcasing the structured approach of the training. It's important to note, however, that this level of quality does come at a relatively higher price point compared to what you might find at a recreational center.

In conclusion, this establishment stands out as a paragon of excellence. From their meticulous organization and emphasis on cleanliness to their skilled instructors and accommodating staff, the experience offered here is nothing short of top-notch. While the cost may be somewhat higher, the value of the service received undoubtedly justifies the investment.

We've been part of Making Waves for the last couple of years. I've put in both time and money before making up my mind about it. This place is a complete mess. When you're shelling out good money, you hope for top-notch quality. But it feels like no one really cares about your concerns. The head coaches seem to be on a rotation every week, so each time you've got an issue, you're stuck retelling your story to a new person. And you'll get a bunch of different solutions that nobody actually remembers or follows up on.

Just the other day, I was sharing my disappointment with the way they handled my kid's evaluation at the front desk. The supervisor, who was standing right there, didn't even bother to tackle the problem.

Plus, I've noticed a bunch of really young instructors and I'm all for giving young folks a shot, but at least have a seasoned head coach by their side in the beginning to guide them through the initial days.

We're paying good money for these lessons, so you'd think we'd get some top-notch service. But it's a total disappointment. If you're hoping for quality swimming lessons where your kids actually make progress, this is not the place for it.

I regret to share my recent disappointing experience at the Making Waves School Rosedale location, Brampton today, which left me greatly dissatisfied with their unprofessional and lackluster approach towards managing the facility and ensuring the safety.

First and foremost, the behavior of the staff/supervisor on duty was shockingly rude and unprofessional. I was disappointed when I requested to have my child trained with someone who can help her with technique as I didn't see any improvement after 5 classes. They had 3-4 head coaches but as per him they'll not jump in waters. The supervisor on duty was unprofessional and non customer focused and rude in his approach and had no desire to help rather an attitude to train it with the volunteer / coach or leave it. I was really concerned about the quality and the safety and had to leave.

This facility is not managed well as you’ll find all students and volunteers around. There are no management professionalism but volunteer and part time students which is striking. It is evident that the staff had little to no training in customer service, making interactions uncomfortable and discouraging, Some of whom appeared to lack proper expertise and training to manage a swimming school facility effectively. While volunteers can contribute positively, their presence should complement professional management, not replace it. The manager is never on the site and the staff will never share the number or will ever ask them to call. Largely unprofessionally managed site. (few staff during the day time is cooperative but lack clear directions). Upon request for a call back, I was told that you’ll receive a call in a few days. I had to comeback without a lesson as I didn't feel safe to have my child trained as the supervisor was not ready to cooperate and offer any help and I had serious safety concerns.

Equally disheartening was the quality of teaching provided by the temporary coach themselves.

Couple of things that are lacking in this location- my observation and feedback
1. There is no progress card for the student, You have no idea on how your child is being trained and what is the road map further
2. There are no follow ups with the parents to see their satisfaction levels
3. There are no emails from making waves on the Strengths/ weak points / areas of improvement or suggestion for the students.
4. No proactive schedule sharing on the task in hand for the next week
5. Every time there is a new Coach who has no idea on the progress of the student or strength/weakness and does whatever he feels right at that time.
6. They make you jump in the water with no data in hand
7. The absence of lifeguards/first aid and emergency protocols were missing. As a parent I have no idea on safety measures, nor am I updated.and didn't see any safety signs.

Very unprofessionally managed location, There are a couple of more Gray areas which I'll be sharing in a different forum. But I definitely need my refund!

In conclusion, my experience with this location was extremely disappointing and disheartening. The unprofessional behavior of the staff, the inadequate teaching quality, the lack of management involvement, the reliance on volunteer staff, and the absence of essential safety measures collectively create an environment that I feel is not conducive to learning.

Excellent instructors and supervisors. Great customer service and awesome telephone courtesy

First time here and it's an understatement to say that I am impressed! Staff is amazing, knowledgeable & friendly, facilty is clean, very professional instructors and staff.

Went here in roughly 2009, when I was a baby/toddler. I still vividly remember the beautiful setup of the pool, my amazing instructor William, and to this day I still swim. Making waves has made a huge impact on my life, even to this day, 14 years later.

Very amazing place! My nephews go here and they absolutely love it! An instructor named Kalia teaches them and they adore her. She is lovely! Their favourite coach there!

My granddaughter takes lessons there. The facility has a large pool with many different levels learning at the same and a great viewing area

Great service and lots of times four the various levels. Max 3 kids in each class but can get private classes for only your kids if you want to. Everything is clean and staff relay progression directly to parents.

All three of my children have attended Making Waves since they were babies. The eldest two completed level 10 and my youngest is in level 6. As someone who loves swimming, I've been incredibly impressed with their methods. My children are confident and skillful swimmers because of Making Waves.

We have been taking kids to the Brampton Rosedale facility since 2011 and the quality has gone down significantly. Classes sometimes start late and always end a few mins early. For a 30min class with 3-4 students, if you start 5mins late and end 5mins early, it's not actually a 30min lesson.
In the past, there used to be regular feedback sessions with head instructor and frequent feedback surveys. This doesn't happen anymore.
For the money being charged, it's not the same quality anymore and we hear the same from other parents as well. No wonder a few of our friends have already pulled out their kids.
Very disappointed, as we expect much more and better quality, similar to what was offered in the past (again we have been coming since 2011) and this might be our last session here.