Makai Swim School

Makai Swim School offers swim lessons, summer camps, poolside parties, open swim for families, synchronized swimming, swim team, water polo, and water safety courses. The program includes Learn to Swim classes for 3-year-olds to adults, as well as Parent-Child swim lessons. Summer camps at Makai Swim School include swimming, creative crafts, games, and outdoor fun.

• Ages: 0–18 years old
• Schedule: Office hours available Monday–Thursday 4:00pm–7:00pm and Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 10:00am–1:00pm

Makai Swim School has been teaching swimming since 1974 and opened as Makai Swim School in 1989, with over 30 years of swim lessons in the Napa Valley. By 1989, Tami Nixon was teaching over 500 students per summer, and by 1994 the school expanded into a partnership with Healthquest Fitness Center. In 2000, Tami built a swimming pool at her residence, and in 2015 Congregation Beth Shalom reached out to lease their pool to Makai Swim School.

Owner and operator Tami Nixon has a BA in Early Childhood Education, a Montessori Teaching Credential, and a Comprehensive Pilates Certification obtained in 2014. The leadership team includes Ashley as Operations Manager, Kaya as Summer Camp Manager and Deck Supervisor, and Lindsey as Lead Instructor and Manager. Makai Swim School employs more than 20 employees and serves over 2000 families a year.

Makai Swim School states that it is founded on the premise that each student’s individual needs be met and challenged, and that each student has a unique learning curve based on fear, experience, and emotional and physical development. The program states that it strives to uncover and meet each student where they are in their particular phase and to honor and encourage their development along the way.

Makai Swim School has Adaptive Swim Whisperers® Level 1 certified instructors on staff and offers Adaptive Swim Whisperers® Level 1 certified instruction to help swimmers of all abilities. It offers a teacher-training program, provides swim accessories and gear recommended by its experienced swim teachers, and offers a free “swim camp secrets” course via newsletter subscription. New customers can save 10% on shop purchases with code WELCOME10.

Makai Swim School is described as Napa’s most trusted source for swim lessons for all ages and abilities and is noted as the first private swim school in Napa. It offers swim lessons for any age and ability, from a baby’s first water experience to swim team prep, and its summer camps for kids ages 4–8 years are led by caring, experienced counselors. The school has been teaching swimming in various backyard pools throughout the Napa Valley and has partnered with Healthquest Fitness Center, serving over 2000 families a year.

Parent and caregiver feedback includes comments that instructors “teach the whole kid and move at their pace” and that Lindsey is “an absolutely amazing teacher for the little ones that need that extra support.” One parent shared that their child went from crying in the baby/parent class to swimming across the width of the pool with flippers, and another noted that instructors were professional, friendly, and greeted them by name in the parent-baby swim class. A grandparent described how Tami took time to understand what her 4-year-old granddaughter needed and arranged one-on-one instruction focused on making her safer around water.

Last updated April 1, 2026.