CReWS Swimming & Drowning Prevention

I am so grateful that I found CReWS Swimming! We moved into a house with a pool this past summer, and even with a gate around the pool I was a nervous wreck since my youngest kids still didn’t know how to swim. I knew I needed to make sure they’d be safe around the water, and I needed fast results!
After talking with Peter, I decided to have him work with all four of my children, ages 3 to 10. It was amazing! In just 4 days (8 lessons) we saw incredible results. My youngest two (3 and 6) went from not being able to swim at all to swimming across the short length of the pool with speed and confidence! Now, neither of them have any fear of the water, and they jump in and know how to navigate to their «safe spots» no matter where they are in the pool. They are independent swimmers, and they can hold their breath under water like champs!
My older two boys (8 and 10) went from swimming awkwardly to swimming with speed and strength. Mr. Pete (as the kids call him) helped them perfect their kick and their technique and pushed them to hold their breath while swimming much longer than they were initially comfortable with. Even though they already «knew how to swim,» I feel that after working with Peter, they’re much more confident swimmers and I no longer need to worry about them panicking in the water.
Peter’s program is very different from standard swim lessons. He conditions the kids to swim and react in the water without having to think about it. It involves a lot of repetition and little talking, but Peter has a great manner with the kids and quickly gains their trust. He also rewards them with a great selection of toys at the end of each day of lessons. His top priority is making the kids safe in the water, and I really feel like he taught my kids to be safe in a way that no other swimming program would have. We’ve done the lessons where they teach kids to float on their back, but we didn’t find that very effective and I’m so glad we found Peter and Crews Swimming instead!

This is not your ordinary swimming school. The approach Peter takes is different from all other schools and focuses on the safety of your child mentally and physically in the pool. Peter worked with us to ensure we understood what the program would entail, but you as a parent have to be mentally tough to ensure the program is completed and the follow up training is executed. My son is 3 ½, had a hard first couple days but got through all four days and now loves showing off his new swimming skills. I do recommend this school.

Last summer we started our son in swim lessons, once a week, at «cal kids elite» for a total of about 5 months. He NEVER learned to swim in all that time. Then they gave away his spot in the class without notice. So I decided to never go back there. I wasn’t sure where to go. So I did nothing, unfortunately.
This summer, Our son is now 3 ½ years old, and I had totally failed in getting him water safe and swimming! So I started to look for private lessons to get him on the fast track to being safe in the water. Thank God for Mr. Pete! I found him online, read all the reviews and knew this was the right way to go.
It was a bit pricey for us, but I read that he offers scholarships, which we are SO GRATEFUL for! I couldn’t believe it! Mr. Pete is so passionate about making sure kids are safe in the water, that is the most important thing to him, AND he’s really great at it!
The reviews were exactly right, the first couple days were a little difficult to watch, with a bit of crying and throwing up in the water. But it resulted in my son being able to swim underwater and hold his breath for long lengths of time! AND He was swimming by the end of the first day! Once the initial upset subsided, it was amazing to watch the calm come over him! Mr. Pete was Great with him. It was really such a cool process to see, And in such a short amount of time! The few minutes of discomfort and hard work for the kids, is SO worth it! and to know he will now be safe in the water is priceless! Mr. Pete Took extra time working with my son and to explain to us everything that was happening along the way. My son has an unusual kick style, so Mr. Pete, on his own time, even met with us one extra day to make Totally sure he was safe. And he is! My son loves swimming now and is having a blast in the water! We could not be happier. We are total believers in this water safety program and style of teaching. Thanks Mr. Pete! We appreciate you! And look forward to doing it again when our daughter is a little older!

My boys love to tell friends and other people we meet while out and about, «We’re going swimming with Pete today!» My boys have really gotten to know Pete well, and they love him and his teaching methods. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone more passionate about never losing another child to drowning.
Pete first worked with my twin boys in September 2012, when they were two years old, and we did a five day program with good results. However, we didn’t swim through the winter, and the following summer, it just felt tricky with two the same age so we spent most of our time at the splash pad or toddler pool.
In spring 2014, a friend was organizing private lessons for a group discount, and I ended up signing my boys up as well, because it was easy and convenient. It started well, but into our second month, both of my boys regressed and were suddenly grabbing for the instructor, or mommy or daddy, whenever they were in the pool. With no idea how to resolve it and no help from the instructor, I panicked, as we were about to go away for the summer and I didn’t want two boys afraid of the water, so I called Pete.
Pete met with us THE NEXT DAY to assess my boys, and set about correcting their problems. I have hardheaded boys who picked up habits not in line with Pete’s style, so it took some time. Throughout, Pete showed such patience and diligence and was completely committed to bringing my boys back to being safe in the pool. When he wasn’t getting the desired or anticipated results from my boys, Pete would arrive at the next lesson with a new idea, or tweak his methods to suit my children and their learning styles. I was so impressed with the new and exciting drills, techniques, and skill building activities he came up with to effectively teach my boys. We now get compliments on their swimming anytime we’re in the pool.
They love the water and are SAFE when they’re in or near it. We’ve just started lessons again this year to advance their safety and skills and they’re already improving over last year, in just two lessons.
Pete’s methods are fast and effective. While it initially appears he is tough on the kids, it is with great purpose, and also combined with such patience and kindness. His style differs from the gentle type of lessons you do for months on end, but in my experience, those simply weren’t effective. He is conditioning kids to be safe in the water, to know exactly what to do, without thinking. This means they don’t panic. They are trained to look for the side of the pool, put their head in the water, swim directly to the side, and climb out, all on their own. My primary concern is knowing my kids are safe in the water, followed by their happiness and enjoyment. With Pete and his program, we have both.
Pete also has an awesome selection of toys to choose from as a reward after each lesson, and an incredible ‘no child left behind’ scholarship program for those families who want their children to be safe in the water, but need financial assistance to make it happen.
If you want results for your time and money invested, Pete is the drowning prevention expert I’d recommend to teach your children how to swim.

Mr. Pete is the master at helping kids become fully confident in and around the water! He not only brings out and reinforces the survival mechanisms that are innate in every child but he is willing to spend as much time as you want explaining the psychology behind this training and why it works.
He trains children not to swim to Mommy or Daddy or anyone else in the pool but to go straight for the edge, grab on and get a breath. This training is designed to build confidence for those tragic situations where neither mommy nor daddy nor anyone else is around and the child slips in the pool. This is a brilliant training system and I highly recommended!

I was a bit apprehensive when I first heard of Mr. Pete’s program from my sister in law. I thought, «how can a child make such drastic improvements in only a few days?» After researching it a bit more and speaking with Mr. Pete I was confident in my decision to sign my 2 year old up for his lessons.
I cannot emphasize enough how truly INCREDIBLE this program is. It works 100%. I have peace of mind that my child will be safe around the pool. The remarkable lesson essentially is that my daughter is a self reliant swimmer now. it’s instinct for her to swim right to the side — even if I’m swimming near her. She knows that she cannot always depend on someone to help her.
Everyone else is right, he IS tough, but it’s kinda like tough love. The short day or two of them screaming for your help is worth the lifelong safety skills. I cannot believe the improvement and CONFIDENCE it gave my girl. and myself. Mr. Pete is extremely passionate about his work and is very sweet to the kids. My girl loved picking out her play dough after every day when he provides them toys to choose from. She also got a certificate and medal for her achievements.
Mr. Pete is flexible with the payments, and I appreciate that we were able to work it out with our lessons. if that’s an issue talk with him and he’s happy to help figure out a plan.
My little fish loves swimming even more now. she’ll jump right in herself to swim somewhere or to a step. Also, Mr. Pete teaches small kids how to get out of the pool using their elbows, stomach, and knees. All in all, this is an amazing program. teach your kids safe swimming skills to prevent drowning!

This program is like a drowning prevention/​swimming boot camp. The classical conditioning that Peter uses is very unique and tough, but you will see the results, and most importantly have the peace of mind that your kids will know exactly what to do to keep themselves safe in the water.
Mr. Pete’s authoritarian style of teaching might be off-​putting to some, but he has such an intense passion for keeping kids safe, that he takes it very seriously. As a parent, it was pretty tough watching my 4yo daughter scream for me to get her out of the pool and away from Mr. Pete. He is TOUGH!
But stick with it, and in just 4 days you will know it was worth it. Now my daughter (who could previously not swim at all) and son (6yo) are so proud to show off what great swimmers they are. We also took the class with my 2yo niece, who is now a great little swimmer as well!
Lastly, don’t be turned off by the price. It is worth every penny, and Peter will work with anyone on the pricing. And if you do the math, you would end up spending just as much, if not more, on traditional swim lessons over an extended period of time, and your child still won’t know how to prevent themselves from drowning.

Pete is AMAZING! He works with you on pricing, there are scholarships and he guarantees your kids will be safe in the water. The peice of mind that we now have din our house is beyond compare.

I have 3 kids of my own and a nephew that have all gone through this program. My twins started taking the class when they were 2 ½, the first day or two were serious hard work for them and they did cry but I believed in his system and clearly the kids were not traumatized and they didn’t hate Pete, every time they got out of the pool they would high five him and quickly learned to swim in the pool, my twins are excellent swimmers and have been in the pool with other children who have taken traditional classes and my kids outswam them every time even though they were a year or more younger than the other children. At the time my twins learnt I had a little baby who now turned two and I couldn’t wait to get him in the pool with Pete aswell, he is barely 26 months and the first day he did cry, but at the second lesson everything suddenly switched, he began swimming and loved swimming under water to show us he was super fast! I now have 3 swimmers and the heavy weight of not being able to safely have fun in the pool was lifted off of me! My children love Pete even though he makes them work hard and they get a prize everyday which my boys love. Pete is a tough instructor and the program is developed to not make children drown, swimming is really just a side affect. The kids may cry but stick with it, they will like Pete, and most importantly they will be safe in the pool! I’m a huge advocate for Pete and recommend him constantly to parents who want their kids to be safe in the pool. Thanks Pete we will see you again soon!

My wife had seen an advertising in one of the Orange County Mags (maybe OC Weekly) a while back… she cut and saved the ad for him stating he could teach kids to swim in four days. wife tabled it because it seemed a little pricey…
Fast forward… it was a Sunday in May back in 2012… Our 3 ½ year old daughter nearly drowned in a jacuzzi at our friends house. We literally turned our hears for, maybe 3 seconds? Immediately my wife told me about the ad and we called Peter at CReWS that same day, had her signed up for these lessons the next day.
Long and short of it, my 3 ½ year old daughter who nearly drowned on Sunday, was SWIMMING by Wednesday. Not a joke, not an exaggeration. Honest to goodness truth. The class at the time was four days (I believe it’s 5 days now with an intro day placed at beginning)…
She swam the ENTIRE summer and is our best swimmer today (we have two older children)… we’ve since put the older one’s in his more advanced classes, and it’s been great.
So yes, this may be a little more expensive than traditional swim lessons… but is it? If you’re in normal swim lessons for 4 – 5 months at $ 75 month, you’re essentially paying a similar number… but you’re waiting all those months for them to swim. Here, it’s 4 days… in our case, 3 days.
This is an honest to goodness genuine review… the results for us were tremendous.

I saw an ad for CReWS in the back of a free parenting magazine a couple of years ago and was immediately struck by the acronym: Conditioned Response Water Safety. I knew right away this was different than traditional swim lessons. «Conditioned Response» — meaning it’s second nature and the kids don’t have to THINK about it. Water Safety by second nature. Eliminating the cognitive element. Eliminating reflexes that might interfere — like panic.
The claim was that this could happen in 4 days. And it did.
It was the following summer (2013) that I finally enrolled my kids in CReWS lessons. Early in the season, I learned of two preschool aged kids who drowned early in the summer (friends of friends) and a toddler whose family I know and love — who had a very close call — and I knew I couldn’t wait any longer.
I called and we started lessons and I watched both of my kids go from non-​swimming to swimming in 4 days. My son, in his evaluation, almost drowned. He panicked. If he had been alone in that pool with no one ready to save him, he would have died. I am convinced of it. But 4 days later, he was swimming beautifully.
So what was the program like?
At the end of Day One, the kids hated Peter. Hated.Him. He made them work. He didn’t let them scream and cry. He was tough. But everything he does is designed to train them NOT to scream and cry and panic. Those things won’t save their lives, so he doesn’t allow those things to hold up training.
Wait, so my kid is going to scream and cry and HATE this guy?!
Yes. But it’s not because Peter’s a monster. He’s really nice to the kids and calm and even has prizes for them! It’s the kids. They resist doing the work.
For the parents, it’s hard to watch — especially for parents who are particularly sensitive to their children’s discomfort. For those parents, I can only say: Don’t pay attention to the EMOTION, keep your eye on the goal: SAFETY! Stay the course. It’s better for your child to spend one day upset and a lifetime safe than to avoid being upset and have a tragic accident.
Of course, by the end of the four days, they were much calmer and could swim with Peter without the drama.
I blogged about our experience with CReWS and have video of my son at the beginning and end of the training. You can find it here:
Your kids may «know how to swim,» but they could still panic in a scary water situation. That panic needs to be trained out of them, because that’s what kills. I will never regret placing my kids under Peter’s care and will always count Peter as the person who empowered them to save themselves in the water.