Swim Easy New York — Local services in New York

I have taken 7 lessons so far with Swim Easy NYC at the Pool at St. Barts. I should say at the outset that I do have quite a bit of water fear, I am 50+, and I never really swam before this. In these past 7 lessons, I learned to tread water; hold my breath under water; use my held breath to float upright (part of treading); jump into 7 feet of water to work on depth fear and control; float on my back; and float on my stomach. I feel like I have made a lot of progress, and I believe if I take time to do these basic skills correctly now, I will be a more confident swimmer later.

I think the time in which it will take a person to learn how to swim is dependent on the person. As I mentioned I am an older person, I am not really athletic, and I have a considerable amount of water fear. There are students who have progressed faster than I have, and who have moved over to more formal swimming techniques faster than I have. But I am happy at the pace I am working, and I don't care how long it takes me to learn to be a good swimmer. If you have some swimming skills already, if you are already confident in the water, and if you want to learn faster, the great instructors there will evaluate what you can do and if necessary they will move you to a more advanced group in the pool.

The pool and space at St. Barts are very nice. There are lockers for your stuff (bring your own lock); there are showers; there are outlets if you want bring a small travel hair dryer; etc. Bring your own towel, travel soap, flip flops, swim cap, and goggles. Keep in mind that this is a facility in the basement of a church built in 1903. It's not the Ritz-Carlton, and you should not expect it to be. The pool is heated.

I have worked with Joel and Krzysztof, both of whom are patient and kind, and who will continually work on skills with you. Remember that these are not private lessons. So: you are working with the group, and if you want to move ahead, speak to the instructor and they will move you to a more advanced part of the pool. The instructors will set you to an exercise and might move away to help a more advanced or less advanced swimmer than you. Just keep working on the skill they gave you to work on so you can master that skill.

I expect to continue attending Swim Easy NYC until I have the ability to swim naturally, whenever that may be for me. I have enjoyed my lessons at Swim Easy NYC and I think you will too. I have much more confidence in the pool than I had when I started in September, and I am very happy with the training I have...

If you had told me a year ago that I’d be floating in a pool — willingly, happily, and without the security of solid ground beneath my feet — I would’ve laughed… and maybe cried a little. I spent most of my life avoiding the deep end like it was filled with sharks. Water and I were not on speaking terms. Honestly, I would’ve preferred two back-to-back dentist appointments over a single swim class.

Enter Swim Easy New York — aka the miracle workers: Krystoff, Evelyn, and Isabela. These three absolute legends took an adult who used to treat puddles like potential death traps and taught me not just the basics, but how to tread water, how to stay calm without feeling the bottom, and — wait for it — how to jump off the edge of the pool into the deep end.

Let me say that again: I JUMPED INTO THE DEEP END. On purpose. For someone who spent a lifetime cautiously stepping away from the edge and praying never to fall in, that moment was nothing short of a mental breakthrough. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears… but I did it. And YEYYY ME.

What sets Swim Easy apart isn’t just the amazing instructors — though they are truly amazing. Krystoff is basically the James Bond of swim teachers: calm, cool, and in total control. Evelyn is like your personal hype squad with the patience of a saint, and Isabela radiates so much warmth and encouragement that you feel like an Olympian just for showing up.

But the structure of the program is what really makes it stand out. Unlike most places where you're locked into one class a week, Swim Easy lets you take as many classes as you want. I personally went with two a week to help reinforce what I was learning. It made a huge difference.

They also offer a variety of time slots, including classes starting as late as 5 PM, until 7.15 pm which is perfect if you work a 9-to-5. And the best part? It’s super affordable, especially for the level of personal attention and support you get — and the caliber of instructors you’re learning from.

I’ve laughed, panicked a little, swallowed enough pool water to qualify as a human sponge — but I’ve learned to swim. And more than that, I actually enjoy being in the water now. That’s something I never thought I’d say in this lifetime.

If you’ve been putting it off, telling yourself it’s too scary or too late — please, just go to one class. That’s all it takes to see how different this place is. They’ll teach you, encourage you, and help you do things you never imagined you could.

They changed my life. I think they’ll...

Amazing, Incredible! I know these are cliches, but it’s all true. I am 44 yrs. old, didn’t know how to swim and was terrified of being unable to touch the bottom of a pool, which I think was triggered at a young age. I’ve been to so many places with beautiful pools and the ocean, and I guess I just pretended that I was okay while everyone was enjoying themselves, but I was not.

I committed that I needed to learn how to swim to overcome my fears. I researched the web and watched many YouTube videos when I found SwimEasyNY. I first hesitated to call, putting it off for several weeks until I just said I needed to make the call.

SwimEasyNY provides group classes and private lessons. For myself, I wanted private lessons since I prefer one-on-one training programs. Krzysztof (Miracle Worker, Training Coach Extraordinaire) scheduled me for our first session the next day after my call. Of course, I was terrified, but, Krzysztof immediately left me at ease when we met and started our session. First was breathing techniques at the sallow end, while Krzysztof provided constant reinforcement and some good laughs, which helped tremendously! I never felt unsafe or judged by anyone on Krzysztof’s team; they’re all WONDERFUL and create a great positive atmosphere for everyone—there is no judgment.

After my 4th session, I was heading to the deep end, again, with Krzysztof’s positive training techniques, and use of a board for assistance, which is something I would never have done before in my life. Krzysztof always provided positive reinforcement to show that water is not your enemy but something to enjoy.

Today, August 5, 2022, was my 6th session when something clicked, like riding a bike; I started treading water without assistance or holding onto the side of the pool. I’m saying this because I wasn’t thinking about it while talking to Krzysztof until we both realized I was doing this without any instruction. I then swan the entire pool length without a board and swam the whole distance again on my back. Onto more great sessions. Just AMAZING, INCREDIBLE! THANK YOU, Krzysztof, and the team at SwimEasyNY; you’re...