As the weather heats up, New Orleans turns to water for respite, and fortunately, there is no shortage of natural and man-made options for taking the plunge.
As we all know too well, however, water is not without its dangers, especially for the smaller ones among us. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children age 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of death for ages 5 to 14.
In Louisiana, the risks are even higher. While the national average is 1.31 deaths per 100,000 people due to drowning, in Louisiana it’s 2.31. Our state has the highest drowning rates for children in the country, with most of those deaths occurring in swimming pools.
Ironically, our area pools are also the source of lifesaving swimming lessons, and here, again, there are plenty of options.
Lakeview resident Roxanne Avila started her daughter, Phoenix, in lessons at the UNO Recreation and Fitness Center at just 18 months old.
“My husband actually never learned to swim, and we’ve heard the horror stories, of course,” she said, “so we wanted to make sure that at the very least if she fell in, she’d at least know and be able to keep her head above water.”
Another Lakeview mother, Sarah Casey, started her 4-year-old son, Simon, at British Swim School at Lambeth House in March after hearing an advertisement for the new school on NPR.
“Simon took some private lessons last summer, but I think having the peer pressure of group lessons is giving him the little push he needs,” she said. “I love that instructors meet each kid where they are and that they automatically move them to the next level when they’re ready. Simon had a real fear of the water, and he was so much more comfortable after his first lesson.”
But swim lessons are not just for the young, in fact, Rebecca King, general manager of the popular Uptown swim school Love Swimming, said in the past three years she’s seen a big increase in older adults looking for instruction.
“Some are finding that as they age, they can’t ride a bike or run anymore but they still want to keep exercising so they turn to swimming,” she said. “For those that have never swam laps before there can be issues if you aren’t breathing properly. That’s where we come in.”
Whether it’s for safety or health, New Orleans boasts a wide array of options to help residents boost their swim skills. The following are a look at some of the more popular options, including everything you need to know to dive in.
New Orleans JCC
The history of New Orleans’s Jewish Community Center extends back to 1855, but the 5342 St. Charles Ave. location dates to 1948, when it was known as the Jewish Children’s Home. That facility was replaced by the current iteration in 1966. In 1986, a second JCC location was opened in Metairie, which received a state-of-the-art facility in 2003 on 3747 West Esplanade.
The Basics: The Uptown, St. Charles Avenue location includes four pools — three outdoor and one indoor. The outdoor, six lane heated pool, splash pad and family pool are seasonal (May 10 through September). The three-lane heated indoor pool is open year-round.
Lessons at the Uptown location are offered year-round. In Metairie, lessons are offered seasonally. All lessons are designed using the guidelines of the American Red Cross Learn to Swim Program.
The JCC offers a “Bubble Babies” program — an adult and child program of interactive water activities, as well as group swim classes for ages 2 through adult. Private and semi-private lessons are available for JCC members ages 3 and older.
Swim lessons are also offered at both locations as part of the JCC’s summer camps.
Cost: Lessons are available twice a week for $160 per month for members and $200 for non-members, or on Saturdays for $80 per month for members and $100 for non-members.
Of Note: Options are also available for proficient swimmers looking to improve their skills via a “Stroke Academy” for ages 8 to 13 and the “Master’s Program” for ages 18 and up.
More information: NOJCC.org
Big Easy Swim
In October of 2024, the New Orleans Health Department launched a new program called “Big Easy Swim Easy” in an effort to increase water safety knowledge and access to swim lessons for all New Orleanians.
The Basics: Any Orlean Parish resident age 5 to 17 can sign up through the health department to receive priority registration for lessons conducted at various pools around the city through an organization called 18th Ward. The program currently runs through the end of October.
Cost: Lessons are offered on a sliding scale.
Of Note: The grant funded program has been providing water safety presentations to area schools in Spanish and English, as well as partnering with the city’s code enforcement department to offer voluntary pool inspections to area community pools, hotels and private homes.
More Information: Nola.gov/swim. Interested parents can email BigEasySwimEasy@nola.gov.
YMCA of Greater New Orleans
Founded in 1852, the Greater New Orleans chapter holds the distinction of being one of the first YMCAs in the country. The organization serves more than 42,000 people every year, including 10,000 area youth. In addition to camps and after school programs, the YMCA provides swim lessons for ages 6 months through adult.
YMCA of Greater New Orleans operates six aquatic environments — 5 YMCAs and the Johnny Jacobs pool in Marrero. The East Jefferson YMCA is located at 6691 Riverside Drive in Metairie. Other locations are in Belle Chasse, Covington, Buras and Port Sulphur.
The Basics: The pools are all outdoors and thus lessons are offered seasonally — from the end of April through September. The lessons are taught using the national YMCA curriculum which is based on stages of proficiency. Options include private and small group lessons. Group lessons (limited to five swimmers per instructor) are 30 minutes long and are offered either twice a week or four times a week with a ratio of five swimmers to one instructor. Parent and child lessons are offered for ages 6 to 35 months and focus on basic water safety skills and acclimation.
Cost: Group lessons are $110 for member and $160 for non-members, which includes eight 30 min swim lessons offered wither twice a week for four weeks or four times a week for two weeks.
Of Note: The YMCA offers diverse ability lessons specially tailored to any sensory or mobility concerns.
More Information: YMCAneworleans.org
British Swim School at Lambeth House Pool
Maybe the newest swim school in the area, but one that has become a quick parent favorite, British Swim School New Orleans is a franchise of the British Swim School, a company formed in Manchester, England in 1981 as the UK’s first indoor children’s swim school. The company boast more than 450 locations in the U.S. and Canada that promote a survival-first focus and gentle teaching methods.
The Basics: Married couple Gerry Vetter and Ivette Ferrero opened lessons at British Swim School New Orleans on May 20, 2025. The company rents space at existing pools and is currently at Lambeth House, a retirement home at 150 Broadway St. in Uptown with an indoor, two-lane pool. They also just signed at Dryades YMCA. Instruction begins as young as 3 months and goes up through adults. Adaptive lessons are an option. Classes can be once or twice a week for 30 minutes and are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday and Sunday mornings. Private lessons are also available.
Cost: There is an annual $50 registration fee and once a week group lessons are then $149 per month. Semi-private lessons (two swimmers per instructor) are $199 per month.
More information: BritishSwimSchool.com/new-orleans/location/lambeth-house-pool
Ochsner Fitness Center
Ochsner Fitness Center has locations in Downtown New Orleans and at Heritage Plaza in Metairie, but only the Harahan location, tucked into the center of Elmwood Oaks Shopping Center offers swimming lessons.
The Basics: The largest of Ochsner’s fitness centers, spanning 170,000 square feet, the Harahan center includes six indoor and outdoor pools, including two outdoor lap pools and an indoor lap pool which together enable the center to host swimming lessons year-round. Lessons are open to both members and non-members and are offered for ages 6 months to adult. For babies (6 months to age 3) lessons are 30 minutes. For ages 4 to 14 they are 40 minutes long.
Classes are offered in groups of four lessons. Those can be either once a week (on Saturdays) or during the summer only, there is an option to take four lessons in one week (Monday through Thursday). Private lessons are also available.
Cost: Baby lessons (adult participation required) are $100 per four lessons. Ages 2 to 14 are $170 per four lessons. Adult lessons are $220 for four 30-minute lessons. Private 30-minute lessons for children are $270 per four lessons. All prices given are for non-members.
Of Note: Ochsner Fitness Center also has year-round swim teams for both kids (ages 5 and up) and adults.
More information: OchsnerFitness.com/aquatics and digital.ochsner.org/swim
Brown Girls Swim New Orleans
Philadelphia native Amani Khabeer learned to swim in a public pool and just kept on swimming — eventually competing in college in a Division Two program. Early on, she said she noticed that most competitive swimmers didn’t look like her. In fact, only 1% of competitive swimmers registered with the USA Swimming Foundation today are Black.
A teacher, Khabeer moved to New Orleans in 2017 and fell in love with the city. By 2021, she had officially opened Brown Girls Swim New Orleans, driven by her desire to increase access to the sport she loves.
The Basics: Brown Girls Swim partners with organizations and summer camps to utilize their pools and is always on the hunt for new partnerships. Currently, their home base is the 25-yard, six-lane pool at the River of Life Church at 2140 Woodmere Boulevard in Harvey. The organization offers private and semi-private lessons every weekend, including a “Mommy and Daddy and Me” program on Sundays for families of children age 6 months to 2 years, a group lessons for ages 3 through adult. Adult-only classes are also offered over the summer at Spyre Wellness at 1772 Prytania St. in the Lower Garden District.
Cost: Sessions are one month long and include four weekly classes that range from $140 to $160.
Of Note: Brown Girls Swim New Orleans also offers free, weekly, one-hour competitive swimming courses that introduce the strokes and skills needed for competition. Courses Last year, the organization held its first open swim tournament for all ages. Those in the competitive program can participate in a free junior lifeguard program which includes the cost of certification.
More information: BrownGirlsSwimNola.com
Love Swimming
When Love Swimming started 24 years ago the company was operating out of a small spot on Magazine Street. Within the first year, the business outgrew that location and the owners bought a warehouse on 5221 South Front St. in Uptown New Orleans.
The Basics: Love Swimming operates its two above ground pools year-round. The facility also includes cubbies, changing rooms and a shower room. Classes are 30 minutes long and offered seven days a week, start at age 5 months to adult, and are available as small group lessons (four to five kids per two instructors) or as semi-private or private lessons.
Cost: All new students must pay a one-time enrollment fee of $50. Weekly lessons are $150 per month.
Of Note: Love Swimming is unique in that they offer drop-in lessons. Parents can email the school a week ahead of time and find out what classes are going to be available — a great option for those who can’t commit to regular lessons.
More information: LoveSwimming.com
UNO Recreation and Fitness Center
While the name may be changing to Louisiana State University New Orleans on July 1, the UNO Recreation and Fitness Center on 2000 Lakeshore Drive will continue offering a full-service athletic center that any member of the public is able to join. A membership is not required, however, to take advantage of swim lessons at the center’s indoor, 25-yard, four-lane pool.
The Basics: Ideal for those looking for a more one-on-one or very small group (two swimmers per instructor) experience, UNO’s private and semi-private classes are one hour long and are offered for ages 6 months to adult on both weekdays and weekends.
Cost: 1 lesson $40. Package of 6 is $210. Package of 12 is $385.
More information: UNO.edu/fitness
Safe Swim
Six years ago, lifetime swimmer and longtime swim instructor Kaci McGuire reached the point that she had too many pupils to handle on her own, so she made the leap to start her own company. From the beginning, her focus has been on taking down the barriers to making sure everyone is water safe, including those with special needs and with limited resources. Instruction is available in Spanish and Portuguese.
The Basics: Safe Swim rents pools around the region and offers lessons that run on a quarterly (seasonal schedule). Lessons are currently held at New Orleans Elks Lodge 30 in Metairie (2215 Cleary Ave.). Safe Swim welcomes babies as little as two months old up through adults. (Children under age 3 must be accompanied by a guardian in the pool). Classes run 30 minutes and are offered at a choice of one, two, three or four days a week.
Cost: There is an annual registration fee of $30 for standard classes and then group classes (max four students per instructor) are charged monthly — $110 per month for one class a week up to $440 a month for four classes a week. Semi-private classes for two swimmers are $220 per month for one day a week and $440 for two days a week plus a $40 annual registration fee.
Of Note: Safe Swim offers community group classes designed for low-income families (Medicaid card required). They start at $53 per month for one class a week with a $15 annual registration fee per swimmer. Safe Swim has also provided water safety programming to 1,200 students at area schools.
More information: SafeSwimKids.com
