What Making Waves Swim School does

Making Waves Swim School (MWSS) is a privately held, family-owned Canadian learn-to-swim operator headquartered in Brampton, Ontario. Founded in 1994 by Tiernan Murphy as a backyard-pool summer program with 50 children, the company has grown into a six-location, year-round swim instruction business teaching more than 8,000 students per week across Ontario communities (Brampton, Mississauga, Oakville, Vaughan, Milton, and Guelph). The curriculum is segmented by age — Parent & Tot (2-24 months), Little Waves (2-5 years, seven levels), Big Waves (6-12 years, ten levels), Teen (13-17), Adult (18+), Summer Accelerated, and Lifesaving Society certification courses — delivered in 90°F warm-water pools with small class sizes (3:1 or 4:1 swimmer-to-coach ratios) using a proprietary "small-steps" teaching methodology and a UV germicidal water filtration system that exceeds Ontario Public Pools Health Protection and Promotion Act requirements.

The business model is direct-to-consumer session-based recurring revenue: families register online via the Jackrabbit class management system for 8-16 week sessions, with installment payment plans, pro-rated late enrollment, and a referral program offering one free lesson per referred family. Pricing varies by location and is not publicly disclosed. Customer acquisition is driven by word-of-mouth, an educational blog, and organic social presence on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. There is no mobile app, no disclosed AI/ML capability, and no third-party reseller channel; all instruction is delivered by company-employed certified coaches at company-owned facilities.

MWSS achieved B Corp Certification in 2023 as the first swim school in Canada to do so, is a founding member of the Canadian Swim School Alliance (which hosted the world's first carbon-neutral swim school conference in November 2022), and holds membership in the US and Australian Swim School Associations plus the Lifesaving Society. The company reports 251-500 employees and remains independently owned with no disclosed external investment, private equity, or parent company.

Name

Making Waves Swim School

Legal name

Making Waves Swim School Inc.

Website

https://mwss.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Making Waves Swim School is a family-owned, Ontario-based learn-to-swim operator teaching over 8,000 students weekly across six warm-water pool locations, serving families from infancy through adult with session-based instruction, Lifesaving Society certification, and Canada's first B Corp certified swim school designation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Swim Instruction Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding) (EDALAIAF)

Keywords

• Swim instruction services
• Learn to swim programs
• Water safety education
• Youth swimming lessons
• Aquatic training centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Brampton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Swim Lesson Session Fees: Families pay per swimming session (typically 8-16 weeks). Pricing varies by location and program type. Sessions can be prorated for late enrollment. Payment plans available for families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Making Waves Swim School is a multi-location learn-to-swim provider offering age-segmented, session-based swimming instruction across six indoor pool facilities in Ontario. The company delivers structured programs from infancy (2-24 months) through adulthood, plus intensive summer and Lifesaving Society certification courses, teaching over 8,000 students per week with small class ratios in 90°F warm water pools.

Product overview

Making Waves Swim School is a multi-location learn-to-swim provider offering a unified curriculum across six Ontario locations (Brampton, Guelph, Milton, Mississauga, Oakville, and Vaughan). The company provides age-segmented swim instruction programs: Parent & Tot (2-24 months), Little Waves (2-5 years), Big Waves (6-12 years), Teen Program (13-17 years), Adult Program (18+ years), plus seasonal Summer Accelerated Program and Lifesaving Courses. All programs follow a session-based model with small class ratios (3:1 or 2:1 swimmer-to-coach) in warm 90-degree pools, emphasizing water safety, progressive skill building through their 'small steps' teaching methodology, and regular parent communication. The school teaches over 8,000 students weekly and has been operating for over 30 years, recently achieving B Corp certification as the first swim school in Canada to do so.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parent & Tot Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% reduction in drowning risk for children ages 1-4 who receive formal swimming lessons
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) PeelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership in honor of 25th anniversary, donating 25 Swimming Lesson Packages to BBBS to provide free formal swimming lessons to youth who may not have had the opportunity. During pandemic, allocated more than 3% of earnings to offering free swimming lessons for families through this partnership.
• Enviro-stewardsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental consulting partnership to identify and compile business cases for strategic projects to help reduce carbon footprint as part of B Corp certification journey.
• US Swim School AssociationminorOthersIndustry association membership for swim school operators.
• Australian Swim Schools AssociationminorOthersInternational industry association membership for swim school operators.
• Canadian Swim School AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of Canadian Swim School Alliance, which in November 2022 hosted the world's first-ever carbon-neutral swim school conference. Initiative to unite swim school sector across Canada.
• Lifesaving SocietycoreOthersCertified coaches trained through Lifesaving Society. All staff required to obtain Standard First Aid with CPR-C. Lifesaving courses offered including Bronze Medal program and National Lifeguard certification.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Goldfish Swim School: Largest U.S. swim school franchise operating 200+ locations with proprietary curriculum, small class ratios and tropical-water pools, replicating the same learn-to-swim segment targeting young families.
• Big Blue Swim School: U.S.-based multi-location learn-to-swim chain with similar age-segmented curriculum and year-round session-based enrollment model for families, directly comparable in operational structure to Making Waves.
• British Swim School: U.S. franchise-based swim school with tiered kids and adult programs delivered across franchised partner facilities, comparable in tiered curriculum and family-segment focus to Making Waves.
• Aqua-Tots Swim Schools: Multi-location U.S. swim school franchise offering year-round programs for infants through adults with progressive curriculum and warm-water pools, structurally analogous to Making Waves' six facilities.
• Saf-T-Swim: Multi-location U.S. learn-to-swim provider running owned pool facilities with age-segmented group and private lessons, a comparable direct competitor in the family swim instruction category.
• Sunsational Swim School: U.S. private and small-group swim instruction provider delivering lessons at client pools and small facilities; comparable instructor-led, family-targeted swim instruction model despite different facility footprint.
• Steve Wallen Swim School: U.S. multi-location learn-to-swim operator with age-segmented curriculum and small class ratios, providing a direct benchmark for facility-based swim school economics.

Broad incumbents

• YMCA Canada: Major Canadian community-services incumbent offering swim lessons as part of broader recreation and fitness programming; competes for the same family swim-instruction segment while operating a much wider portfolio.

Regional players

• City of Toronto Aquatic Programs: Municipal swim lesson programs serving the same Greater Toronto Area geography, offering subsidized learn-to-swim classes that compete directly on price with Making Waves' Ontario locations.

Others

• Lifesaving Society: Canadian certifying body that governs the Bronze Medallion/Cross and National Lifeguard curriculum standards used by Making Waves' Lifesaving Courses program; an ecosystem participant and curriculum partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MakingWavesCAD
• Instagraminstagram.com/makingwaves.swimschool
• TikToktiktok.com/@makingwaves.swimschool
• Xx.com/MakingWavesCad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mwss-canada

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Making Waves Swim School