Murray Callan Swim School4523

I have had a great experience with Murray Callan. They took amazing care of my 2 kids as well as myself. My 2 children are now able to swim all the way across the pool completely on their own. They are such confident swimmers and they absolutely love the water. We still go because of their new year round program that works really well for us and to help keep up their confidence in the water and their abilities. They have always been flexible with working around our schedule to the best of their ability. We appreciate their great customer service and overall warmth.

My husband and I have been impressed since the beginning. After being at Muray Callan for 4 months, we have learned alot about what constitutes good swimming - it turns out that relaxed people of all ages will swim better. The swim coaches really work hard to relax kids in their warm pool so that they will be comfortable and successful. This school knows what their doing and we are so happy to be customers. We plan to keep coming with our kids and to keep telling our friends.

I have 2 kids and they came to Murray Callan 8 months ago with very little swimming experience. We tried other schools but we finally found the right one. Over the past 8 months, my kids have become extremely comfortable with the water and are learning to swim the long way across the pool. I can�t believe how much they have learned. I know that the instructors and the very warm water have helped them advance so quickly. We are getting ready for their spring break from school and I am so excited for them to show off their new skills in the water.

During the vacation my son kept asking about swimming lessons - he missed it so much. Once we pulled into the parking lot he started yelling, "swimming! swimming!" That kind of excitement plus the fact that he has learned so much is all I need -- we are hooked! Also, I have never had any bad experiences with scheduling - their rules seem fair and customer service has always been great.

It's everything you want from a swim school -- great teachers, patented technique, flexible hours. We loved it from the start and we'll keep attending indefintely!

I just have to say that I can't get enough of MCSS!!! I think that they have created the cutest and most welcoming environment for children. They have the kids' favorite cartoon characters on the walls. They have stamps for the kids to give themselves to reward themselves for having a good swim lesson. What other swim school has this? These things only add to how creative and wonderful this program is and how customer friendly they are!

I love this program and have had nothing but positive experiences for several months now. I've heard that the 'anonymous' reviewers who post negative comments on this and other sites expected rules to be bent for them and that's not realistic. I think instruction is great, scheduling is flexible and management has given me and my kids plenty of personal attention. I always recommend Callan School to moms and dads. They are the best at what they do.

I absolutely agree with the anonymous reviewer about complete infleibility to Murray Callon policies, the rudeness of the staff and extremely poor customer service. We attended the Murray Callan school on Rancho Santa Fe and I agree that the type of instruction was good. However, I would never again enroll my daughter nor could I ever recommend this school and in fact would try to talk people out of placing the kids in this school. There are other good schools and private instruction available.

My daughter attended Murray Callan for a year and even though the swimming methods and instructors are good, I would NOT recommend it. The reason is the very poor customer service, rigid, almost draconian policies regarding payment and making up classes. In addition the pool is small and very crowded except off season. In addition, in Pacific Beach, where we attended, management is totally rude and not interested in meeting your needs. Yet if you stay away for an extended holiday or the like they will keep calling you to get you back! On one hand they care very little about the customer, on the other hand they will allocate resources with the endless follow up when you are away... This denotes shortsightness and poor business sense. I found management to be insensisitive and careless as they do not have much competition in the area.

This place has been the best experience for me and my son. I origianally started swim lessons (in the middle of summer, like most kids), my son loved it so much that I couldn't stop. The place has exacting standards for cleanliness, and I have seen nothing but fairness and the kids best intrest from the staff. If it is results that count, then take this on; my son had just turned two and was on a raft in a pool with some of my friends. At this time my son was not able to swim well independently. The person watching him turned their attention away. My son then jumped into the pool. He reacted perfectly, he popped his head up, took a breath, screamed "it's cold," put his head down, swam to the edge and pulled himself out. How many parents can feel confident that their kids are safe around water? I am now very confident because of the instruction that was given by this swim school. Thank you Murray Callen, and specifically Brett who is my son's teacher. If you get what you pay for, this place is a bargain.

Our daughter has been swimming at MCSS (San Marcos) year-round for nearly two years and we could not be happier. Brett is her instructor and our daughter absolutely ADORES him! On the day of her first lesson, I was amazed at the cleanliness of the facility; I commented to others that you could eat off the floor. I encourage readers to take policy related complaints with a grain of salt. Policies exist for a reason - ask anyone who has had to enforce them in his/her workplace. (When science finally locates the center of the universe, some people will be surprised to learn they’re not it. -Bernard Bailey) A comment was made regarding swim dipes - a policy related complaint . . . what is the big deal? My daugher has been potty trained for almost a year and I don't even think twice about putting the two swim dipes on her. She doesn't mind; I don't mind. Again, policies exist for a reason - I have never managed a swim school - who am I to argue? With regards to customer service, I can't say enough kind things about Marci -- she is the best (as is Brett) - I can't imagine the school without them. I have never encountered bad customer service; the office staff is very helpful. I find that the instructors are both kind and patient and I have seen the results of the MCSS technique first hand. My daugher is 3 1/2 and has been working on free-style for about 6 months. She can propel herself to the bottom of the pool, swim half the length of the pool without assistance and can navigate her way to the closest edge without raising her head (an important skill). I am confident that she could safely exit a pool if she accidentally fell in and she is an excellent swimmer. I wouldn't go anywhere else - the lessons are worth every penny!

I cannot begin to express how happy I am with Murray Callan in San Marcos. All three of my kids have gone through and my 2 4 and 6 year old are all swim safe thanks to the excellent instruction. Don't buy all the negativity as some people have nothing better to do than put other people down. My experience with Brett and everyone at Murray Callan has always been 100% positive.

Murray Callan Swim School is great. You have to remember that these teachers deal with all kinds of parents and kids. Some who think that if their child swallows a little water the teacher wasn't watching them. If the child isn't doing what the teacher asks and the teacher says something to the child the parents get upset. I've seen teachers tell children to do something and the children don't listen at all. The parents are sitting right there and do nothing. These teachers are swim instructors not babysitters. Each parent expects something different. My child was moving slower than I thought he was capable of doing. SO I SAID SOMETHING!! They immediately pushed him harder. My daughter was nervous and they needed to go slow. SO I SAID SOMETHING and they slowed down. There are rules to follow. Kids are to sit on their bums while they wait for their turns and no splashing(some parents sit on the side to hold little ones like I do). I can't tell you how many times teachers have to tell kids to do these two things while trying to teach. Parents do your job!!! Don't say it's too hard for a kid to do these things. I have a very active boy and he stops swimming if he doesn't follow the rules. Parents do your job so the teachers can do theirs. Put more into it you'll get more out of it. The school is wonderful. The teachers are great.

My daughter has been going for about a year now. We take summers off when the school is busy. She has gone from a nonswimmer to learning breast stroke and flip turns in a year. The staff are wonderful and I would recommend them to anyone. My daughter is 6. I have never experienced any of the customer service problems at the San Marcos facility.

It is disappointing to read negative comments about a place (and people) my children have come to adore. Murray Callan ranks high above other swim schools in technique, patience, cleanliness, and overall service. I have heard moms being rude to the front desk staff and can only imagine that because these moms didn't get their way (ala Nordstrom), they now want to retaliate with mean, harmful comments online. If you want your kids to love water and impress your friends, family and strangers, take them to this place. There's a reason (actually MANY reasons) they've been around for so long.

MCSS in San Marcos has provided excellent swimming instruction for my 2 daughters. The majority of instructors are experienced and knowledgeable about teaching the MCSS method as well as acheiving a balance between learning to swim and having fun in the water. We have worked with 4 instructors. Three were excellent, one was NOT. It is expensive, but my oldest has learned to swim and my middle child is almost there. Although my husband does not like how much is costs, we both feel the money spent learning to swim is MUCH more valuable than money to go play at a "gym" or other activity! I do feel "proud" when my 2 and 4 year old swim and dive down to the bottom of the pool - other parents definitely are amazed! I would have given 6 stars - the only drawback is the cost. If you are on a budget, this may not be the place for you, although the 3:1 ratio is much better than 5:1 at the YMCA! If you want your kids to straight-up learn how to swim, send them here. If you are on a budget, I would wait until they are 3 to begin.

The technique is great for the little ones. The water is a wonderful temp. The customer service is the worst. You have to spend a lot of time and alot of money there. I continue solely because we love the specific teacher but will probably leave due to customer service issues. Older kids do not have enough room to practice or enough time during the lesson. 30 minutes among 3 kids is just right for 2 year olds but not 4 and up, if it is 10 minutes a lesson.

I have 2 children in swim lessons here-a one year old and a four year old. They both enjoy their time at the pool and are progressing nicely. Their instructors are patient and genuinely care about the kids. The staff is friendly and helpful. Excellent customer service. Top notch!

My daughter attends the San Marcos location. My husband I could not be happier with her instructor and the teaching method -- highly recommend it!

I took my daughter to Murray Callan Swim School in Pacific Beach for approximately 5 weeks. I was not happy with this school from the beginning. There is no parking lot so you must find parking on the street. They require two swim diapers for children under 4 even if they are potty trained. This is very uncomfortable for the kids. They are very inflexible with the scheduling. They charge $135.00 for 9 sessions, however they do not offer anything less than 3 lessons per week so you are paying $135.00 every 3 weeks. If you are planning a vacation and will be missing part or all of a session they will tell you that you still have to pay for that session to keep your child on the schedule for any other sessions. When I complained to an employee at the front desk she urged me to complete a comment card saying that a lot of parents complain to her but the comment cards go directly to management. I did as she suggested and that afternoon I received a phone call from the manager kicking my daughter out of the school! She said she didn't want anyone there that would not recommend the school to others. She also said she was doing us a favor since I was not happy anyway. I tried explaining that although I was not satisfied with their policies, my daughter adored the instructor and had already become very comfortable with him. She said, "I don't really want to hear what you have to say." and hung up on me. She acted just like a 13 year old who was angry with her parents rather than a manager of a business. My husband went to the school to talk to the owners only one of which (the wife) was there. She said she would have her husband contact us. Later that afternoon we received a phone call, not from the husband but from the same manager! I have never experienced such unprofessional and downright appalling behavior from a business. Not only do I not recommend this school, I warn parents not to take their children here.

Last year we enrolled my daughter (then 3) in a city sponsored program for swim lessons. While we did see some of the students progress, even after two sessions my daughter hadn't. In fact, I'd even say she was more afraid of putting her face in the water than she was when we started! What a waste of money and effort! This year we decided to try Murray Callan. I realize she's a year older, but in TWO DAYS, she was light years beyond where she was last year.... Now that we've done two sessions (9 lessons each), she is very close to swimming on her own. The method they teach, the smaller classes (only 3 max in a class versus 5 max which occasionally got bumped to 6 with the city of Carslbad), plus their great teachers make a huge difference. My two year old loves it too. Every morning they wake up and ask if it's a swim day!