What is reasonable to pay for private swim lessons?

[jaam]

Our local pools are already filled up for regular lessons for the entire summer but I can "advertise" for one of the lifeguards/swim instructors to teach private lessons. My main concern is dd who is already 8 and hasn't had any instruction at all and isn't very comfortable in the water, so private lessons for her first time would be a better fit anyway. 

I have no idea what to offer as pay for this. The kid who answered the phone at the pool said "oh about $10 for a lesson, that could be like half an hour or 45 min, or maybe $15, depends on the person who calls you..." not very much help. So I was thinking I could work it out to have dd go for about a 40 min lesson then switch and let ds get a 20 min lesson and pay $25 per lesson. Once a week. 

Thoughts?

[nextcommercial]

That's an amazing price!  Around here, they are $800 for a session that lasts maybe three weeks, and I think it's only two days a week.

One of my daycare kids goes home at 11:00, Tuesday and Thursday, has a lesson with "Miss Cathy" and comes back in about an hour for lunch.  They pay miss Cathy $1600 for both kids.  I am not sure exactly how long the sessions last, but I think it's three weeks.  

[jaam]

Originally Posted by nextcommercial 

That's an amazing price!  Around here, they are $800 for a session that lasts maybe three weeks, and I think it's only two days a week.

One of my daycare kids goes home at 11:00, Tuesday and Thursday, has a lesson with "Miss Cathy" and comes back in about an hour for lunch.  They pay miss Cathy $1600 for both kids.  I am not sure exactly how long the sessions last, but I think it's three weeks.  

Whoa. There's nothing around here that costs that much unless you're talking about a full-day day-camp or somehting! I know the country club pool is pricey but this is just the local city parks and recreation pool system in our town. One session (2 weeks) of swim lessons at the main pool is $35, and that's 30 minute lessons, 4 times per week.

[4Marmalade]

At our local pool, private lessons work out to $17 for a 30 minute lesson.  It's a block of 10 lessons for a price of $170.  

One block of group lessons (4-6 kids) is usually about $65.  It is once/week for 10 weeks.

[chel]

My YMCA is$25/30 min for private lessons for members. $50 for non members.

[Peony]

We pay $20.00 for 30 minutes through our local rec center.

[JayGee]

We paid $98.00 for 7 30 minute private lessons at the Y. It was well worth it for DD2 to get past her fear of the deep end.

[jaam]

Thanks everyone!

[JudiAU]

In LA, $350 for ten daily individual lessons of about 20 minutes each. Saline pool at a private home. Probably three kids plus their instructors sharing the pool at a time.

[ellemenope]

250 dollars--30 min, 10 lessons, 5 kids, 2 instructors, 93 degree salt water pool, private swim school.

[chenchen]

Wow, surprised how much this varies with location. In our area it is a consistent $25 per 30 minute private lesson. Many, many things we've been able to find a private person teaching for less than the going rate (piano lessons, karate, tennis, etc), but swim is the one thing that seems to have an unbreakable price tag.

Based on the price you were given (if the person giving it was a reliable source - it strikes me as odd that he didn't have a more exact answer), then I think the scenario you've proposed seems reasonable according to your local standards.

Good luck!

[SunRise]

Could your son and daughter have the lesson at the same time? 25 bucks for 45 mins. Also, I would recommend every day for two weeks - that will help them get comfortable quicker. A huge improvement can be seen when they can have a lesson each day, as opposed to once a week.

[jaam]

Originally Posted by SunRise 

Could your son and daughter have the lesson at the same time? 25 bucks for 45 mins. Also, I would recommend every day for two weeks - that will help them get comfortable quicker. A huge improvement can be seen when they can have a lesson each day, as opposed to once a week.

Well I have yet to hear from anyone interested in teaching them :( But you're right, doing it every day would make much more sense. 

[SunRise]

Originally Posted by jaam 

Well I have yet to hear from anyone interested in teaching them :( But you're right, doing it every day would make much more sense. 

Aw, that is too bad. Maybe the lifeguards at the pool are too busy / have full time  hours. It would be a great p/t job for a summer student / high-school kid - maybe offer the position as an hour a day babysitting job / swimming qualifications mandatory ... during public swim hours.

[dbsam]

I'm glad to have read this thread...I felt like I was paying a lot but it looks like I am paying the going rate.

My children started lessons Friday and I pay $20/30 minutes for each of them...so $40 a day total.

We go to the instructors house where there is a heated salt water pool.  He is a retired Navy diver; safety and 'water survival' (can't think of a better way to say that) are a huge focus in his lessons.  

We've only had one lesson but he seems to be really good and he came highly recommended.

[Monkeygrrl]

Sacramento, CA. Dolphin Scuba School with heated indoor pool. Lessons (with up to 2, sometimes 3 students if they are older) are $15 each lesson, two or three times a week, for two weeks. You can do multiple sessions if you would like.

The charter school my kids are enrolled in actually pay for this for the school year. So I pay for swim team in the summer, and the school pays for them to swim twice a week from August to May. I love it. :)

[MilkyWayMom]

at our community pool a small group lesson (five kids max) is $89 for eight 30 minute sessions. For the same eight sessions at 30 minutes each, you pay $189 for a private teacher. 

I don't know about YMCA.  

Be careful though with teenagers teaching your kids to swim - There are some great teachers who are teens, but like teachers at any age, you never know what you're going to get. If you really want to know what you're getting, ask local parents for references for private teachers. hopefully that helps! 

[meemee]

i am willing to pay any amount for a REALLY good swim instructor. 

i did when dd was 5. $250 for three lessons lasting half hour each. what she did with dd during those three lessons were amazing. we were not allowed to stay and watch. 

what that instructor did with dd's friend who was super frightened of water was astounding. the boy who was afraid to get his big toe wet came out of those 3 sessions diving into the pool.