About
La Petite Baleen Swim Schools offers swimming lessons and swim classes, including infant swim lessons, toddler swim lessons, teen swimming lessons, and adult swim classes. The program includes Baby and Me intro classes for infants, Toddler and Me classes, and Levels 1–5 swim classes, along with free swim lessons for babies 2–5 months. Classes take place in swimming pools described as an AQUATIC CLASSROOM® with family-friendly facilities and sparkling clean pools.
• Ages: 0–18 years old
• Schedule: All classes are 30 minutes long, once per week.
La Petite Baleen Swim Schools has been providing award-winning swimming lessons in the Bay Area since 1979 and began in the backyard pool of co-founders John Kolbisen and Irene Madrid’s Half Moon Bay home in 1979. Teaching life skills through swimming in the AQUATIC CLASSROOM® is stated as one of the program’s philosophies, supported by a child development-centered curriculum and a developmental aquatic program that emphasizes a balance between love and discipline. The program uses a ribbon level system in its AQUATIC CLASSROOM® and follows the motto “Pace, Pattern, Compassion, and Fun!” with low student to teacher ratios.
Teachers at La Petite Baleen Swim Schools are described as highly trained, and the school has bilingual instructors who can teach in Spanish or English. Co-founder John Kolbisen authored a book titled “Wiggle-butts & Up-faces: A Child’s Primer for Beginning Swimming.” Toddler and Me classes (for ages 14–36 months) cover breath control, balance, buoyancy, propulsion through kicking and paddling, and safety skills such as back floats, climbing out at the wall, and underwater submersions. Levels 1 and 2 teach UP-FACES®, balance, buoyancy, kicking, paddling, and safety skills including back floats, climbing out at the wall, and underwater submersions, while Level 5 teaches competitive Breaststroke and Butterfly, Underwater Dolphin Kicks (also called underwater WIGGLE-BUTTS®), and Racing Dives.
Parent testimonials describe patient and kind instruction, clean and welcoming facilities, and a focus on both water safety and family bonding, as shared by Molly H., Yadira D., and Divya K.
Last updated March 17, 2026.
• Ages: 0–18 years old
• Schedule: All classes are 30 minutes long, once per week.
La Petite Baleen Swim Schools has been providing award-winning swimming lessons in the Bay Area since 1979 and began in the backyard pool of co-founders John Kolbisen and Irene Madrid’s Half Moon Bay home in 1979. Teaching life skills through swimming in the AQUATIC CLASSROOM® is stated as one of the program’s philosophies, supported by a child development-centered curriculum and a developmental aquatic program that emphasizes a balance between love and discipline. The program uses a ribbon level system in its AQUATIC CLASSROOM® and follows the motto “Pace, Pattern, Compassion, and Fun!” with low student to teacher ratios.
Teachers at La Petite Baleen Swim Schools are described as highly trained, and the school has bilingual instructors who can teach in Spanish or English. Co-founder John Kolbisen authored a book titled “Wiggle-butts & Up-faces: A Child’s Primer for Beginning Swimming.” Toddler and Me classes (for ages 14–36 months) cover breath control, balance, buoyancy, propulsion through kicking and paddling, and safety skills such as back floats, climbing out at the wall, and underwater submersions. Levels 1 and 2 teach UP-FACES®, balance, buoyancy, kicking, paddling, and safety skills including back floats, climbing out at the wall, and underwater submersions, while Level 5 teaches competitive Breaststroke and Butterfly, Underwater Dolphin Kicks (also called underwater WIGGLE-BUTTS®), and Racing Dives.
Parent testimonials describe patient and kind instruction, clean and welcoming facilities, and a focus on both water safety and family bonding, as shared by Molly H., Yadira D., and Divya K.
Last updated March 17, 2026.
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