Our main goal in taking swimming lessons with Douglas this summer was to help our 5-year-old son become comfortable putting his head underwater, gain confidence swimming independently with a PFD and eventually learn to swim without any assistance.
Before his first lesson, my son absolutely hated getting his face and head wet and would always refuse to do it. However, by the middle of that very first lesson, he was willingly and happily putting his head underwater for 10 seconds! He had the biggest smile on his face and was so proud of himself for going under without having to pinch his nose.
At the start of the lesson, he bent his knees while kicking, which made it difficult for him to move efficiently through the water. By the end of the lesson, we saw a huge improvement. His legs were much straighter, and his kicking technique had noticeably improved.
Honestly, I saw more progress in our very first lesson with Douglas than in all the swimming classes we had previously taken at the community centre combined. If anyone were to ask me, I would confidently say that one-on-one lessons are absolutely worth the investment.
We completed over 10 lessons with Douglas this summer, and every time my son came out of the pool happy, confident, and proud of himself. During lessons, I would often catch him looking over at me with the biggest smile on his face. Watching his confidence grow has been incredible.
Douglas has a fun and engaging teaching style and is incredibly caring, patient, and effective as an instructor. I appreciate that he never rushes my son and always checks to make sure he is comfortable before moving on to the next step. What I especially value is how thoroughly Douglas explains each skill before demonstrating it, ensuring that my son understands exactly what to do.
Thanks to Douglas, my son has gained so much confidence in the water, and I am truly grateful for the positive impact he has had on his swimming journey. On days when I couldn't attend the lessons, he would come home super excited and eagerly teach me the skills he had learned. Seeing him so proud of his accomplishments has been incredibly rewarding.
We are extremely grateful for everything Douglas has done and highly recommend him to any family looking for a knowledgeable, supportive, patient, and encouraging swim instructor.