Physique Swimming

I took adult beginner swim classes with physique swimming. The instructors are great, especially Paul. My first class was great as there were only two of us in the class. Since then, the classes have been too crowded. I get that the company is running a business and trying to make a profit, but having 7 people in one class, using one swimming lane, and having students with a wide range of experience and skill level makes it impossible to learn. The class is no longer really a class. We get a few instructions and practice on our own. It’s not the instructors fault. The class can easily be split into 2. I emailed the person in charge of filling the classes, and unfortunately, I was told no changes would be made. One instructor can’t teach 7 students in one lane especially when there are students who are swimming for the first time ever! It’s not really fair to any one involved.
Update: After I wrote this review, the class was split. There were 5 people in my last class which was much more manageable. I appreciate that the management listened, and responded. Also, all the instructors are all very good!

Vadim is the owner of the school and very professional and responsive. I communicate with him mostly via text and book my sessions easily. Physique does a ton of children classes and seem to be very popular with children of all ages and skills.
He has classes for beginners as well as athletes training for competition. For children swimming any instructor will do for adult swimming I like Paul, Gregg and Ellis.
They are pricey but worth every penny.

I took two sessions with Physique, which was I think 20 classes. At my first lesson I had no swim experience at all but by the end of the first class I could float and kick. The class sizes are pretty small, the most people I’ve had on a day is four, but usually it was just one other person. The instructors are great, they work with you along your pace, it’s kind of like having a coach. So rather than having a one size fits all method of teaching, you really do get individualized instruction even with other people in the class. Obviously it depends on how you learn and what your issues are with swimming, but by my last lesson we were doing laps (with flippers) to the deep end. They are more pricey than the Y but I don’t think I would have made as much progress if I had started at the Y with more people in the class.

Okay, okay, I might be jumping the gun here, I mean, I’ve only been to one lesson so far and that was this afternoon but I really like this school. First of all, there are many places that I’ve tried to contact before (not just swim schools, but martial arts schools, dance schools, etc.) and you’d be surprised how many businesses do not reply to emails! So I already liked this place when I emailed a few times and got prompt and helpful replies. Also, it’s hard to find places that have classes on Sundays which is my only day off. I’m taking the classes at Hunter College which is my alma mater, so I’m comfortable with the location. Paul was great and very patient and encouraging. I am an adult beginner (as in, cannot swim at all). I already feel much more comfortable with swimming. And I expected the class to be much bigger but there was only 2 other people, so it’s good that we can each get more personal attention. I look forward to my other 10 classes!

Vadim, is a gentleman! All the instructors are wonderful — caring, patient, and professional. Watching them search the little ones’ faces to figure out how to reach them was just amazing. We hope to be back in the Fall!

My kids love to swim so I luckily found this camp at the last minute. I’m glad that I did! This is our second year, my kids were 6 and 8 when they started, and are 7 and 9 now.
PROS:
The swimming instruction is top-​notch. My younger daughter who couldn’t swim AT ALL when she began, was swimming on her own after only 2 weeks. During the school year they go to the Y for swim classes, but this instruction was far superior and they made bigger leaps in shorter time in terms of skill. It’s also relatively inexpensive.
CONS:
The administration is a little on the disorganized side and the room where they meet in the morning consists of picnic tables and old futons, which looks a bit like a worn out college dorm room. It’s also extremely small.
But all that aside, my kids always came back having really learned something and full of fun stories.

This review is really for an instructor named «Greg» who taught me and my fiancé how to swim freestyle properly. We took the adult beginner class at their Broad St. location in downtown many months ago, and I’ve wanted to write a review for him since.
I want to emphasize the 5 stars are ONLY for Greg– he is by far the best. He explains the reasoning behind each gesture and positioning, and then breaks down the movements into isolated exercises so that you can really get the feel and gain muscle memory before putting it all together. Every movement is for achieving maximum swimming efficiency. For a nerd like me, I am thrilled to be able to understand the logic and then actually experience it physically.
I’m actually not a beginner swimmer but my fiancé is. I decided to take the lesson so that he is motivated to learn. I am SO glad I took the class because Greg made me a much better swimmer even though I already know how to swim.
There is a huge difference between a great instructor and an average one: I know this because we had to take some makeup classes with other instructors. They were all very nice but not as good as Greg. It’s really worth seeking him out if you’re serious about improving your swimming skills.