Instructors on Propel set their own lesson prices, and most private lessons cost between $70 and $95. That price includes pool admission and taxes, and there are no membership or administrative fees, so the price you see is what you pay. Propel retains only 16% and pool admission, and everything else goes to your instructor, so prices are never inflated by a heavy platform markup; that modest fee makes booking through Propel one of the least expensive ways to take private lessons. Rates vary by instructor and city: in Metro Vancouver most lessons run $75 to $95, while in the Toronto area and Calgary most run $70 to $90. If you’d like to share the experience, you can add a second swimmer to any lesson for 20% more and split the cost, which works out to about 40% less per person than booking separately. Every instructor’s current price is listed on their profile, so you can compare options at the pool nearest you before you book.

Propel is Canada’s largest private swim lesson booking platform, with more than 100,000 lessons delivered. Browse swim instructors at a pool near you, compare their prices, styles, and reviews, and pick the person who most fits your needs. Connect with a message, book a one-off lesson or whole set. Lessons are one-on-one, so each is built around your goals rather than a fixed level. Payment happens automatically after each lesson, and you can message your instructor anytime to set up a regular weekly spot. If plans change, cancellation is free up to 48 hours before a lesson.

For many swimmers, yes. In a private lesson, the instructor’s full attention is on one swimmer for the entire lesson, so time in the water goes toward your goals instead of waiting for a turn. Progress usually comes faster, especially for beginners building water confidence and for swimmers stuck on a specific skill. Private lessons also solve the practical problems families run into with group programs: no waitlists, no fixed levels, and a schedule that fits your week. You also choose the instructor, and you keep them as long as you like, so the swimmer builds trust with one person instead of starting over each season. Group lessons cost less per session, but many families find that fewer private lessons deliver more progress overall.

About 6 lessons: that’s the typical number booked by people who told us they learned how to swim on Propel, half of them in 6 or fewer. The figure comes from the feedback we collect when clients wrap up their lessons, and it’s self-reported, so treat it as a real-world benchmark rather than a promise. Behind the average, the honest answer is that it depends: age, comfort in the water, and how often you practise all move the number, and a nervous beginner and a confident one can be lessons apart on day one. What matters most is consistency, since a regular weekly lesson lets skills build on each other instead of fading between sessions. Your instructor will get a feel for the swimmer in the first lesson or two and can give you an honest read on the road ahead, from first bubbles to confident laps.

Yes. Many of the swimmers booking through Propel are adults, from complete beginners to swimmers training for a triathlon or getting ready for a trip. Lessons are private and one-on-one at quiet partner pools, so there’s no group of kids in the next lane and no audience: just you, your instructor, and the water. Instructors who teach adults know how to take the pressure out of the first few lessons. Whatever the goal, deep-water confidence, jumping off a boat at the cottage, or your first continuous lap, an instructor can build a plan around it. Browse instructors at a pool near you and book a time that fits your schedule.

Propel partners with pools across Canada. In British Columbia: Vancouver, Surrey, Langley, Burnaby, Richmond, Maple Ridge, Mission, and Port Moody. In Ontario: Toronto, Mississauga, Markham, Richmond Hill, and Etobicoke. In Alberta: Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer. Partner pools are mostly private hotel, condo, and gym pools, which keeps lessons quiet and crowd-free, and new pools join regularly. Each location page lists the instructors currently teaching there, their prices, and their available times, so the easiest way to check coverage is to browse the pool nearest you.

No. Pool admission is included in every lesson price, along with taxes, and creating a Propel account is free with no membership or administrative fees. You don’t need to be a hotel guest or gym member to take a lesson at a partner pool: your booking covers your access for the lesson. That’s the point of partner pools: they open private, low-traffic swim space to lesson bookings that would otherwise be closed to the public. After you book, you’ll receive the access details for your pool along with anything worth knowing before your first visit, like parking and change room information.