Charlotte Aquatics

What Charlotte Aquatics does

Charlotte Aquatics is a privately held, family-owned swim school operating from a single facility at 7835 Little Avenue, Charlotte, NC. The company delivers structured, child-centered swimming instruction following a proprietary 7-level progressive curriculum spanning infants (3-30 months, with parent participation) through children aged 30 months to 14 years, alongside adult classes, private lessons, special needs programs, and intensive stroke clinics. Underlying instruction methodology emphasizes water safety, confidence building, and life-saving skills integrated throughout every level, with a Level 7 Champions graduation program and an Elite Fish advanced track for alumni. Operations are powered by a 46-person team including vetted instructors and support staff, serving more than 1,300 students per week at the Charlotte location.

The business runs a direct-to-consumer enrollment model through the Jackrabbit Class platform, with parents registering online and managing accounts through a dedicated Parent Portal. Pricing is not publicly disclosed but follows a subscription-based, monthly billing cadence across the various program tiers. Marketing relies primarily on content marketing (blog posts on water safety and child development), organic social presence on Facebook and Instagram, and earned media through local Charlotte outlets (QC Life), supplemented by partnerships with water-safety nonprofits (Stop Drowning Now, Hope Floats Foundation, NDPA) and industry affiliation with the United States Swim School Association.

Ownership transitioned from founder Kelly Gaines to her daughter Allie Gaines in 2022, with Allie returning to the business from a consulting role at EY. Under new leadership, the company has committed publicly to opening a second Charlotte-area location within three years to expand drowning-prevention reach. The firm carries no external investors, no patents, no disclosed financial statements, and operates exclusively within the Charlotte metropolitan area.

Name

Charlotte Aquatics

Legal name

Charlotte Aquatics

Website

https://charlotteaquatics.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Charlotte Aquatics is a family-owned, direct-to-consumer swim school in Charlotte, NC, delivering a proprietary 7-level curriculum to over 1,300 students weekly across infants, children, adults, and special needs swimmers using vetted instructors and a subscription billing model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Swim Instruction Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDALAIAF

Aquatics Programs (Pools, Swim Lessons, Lifeguarding)

Education/Student Services & Campus Operations/Athletics, Recreation & Fitness

SECONDARYMPAKAEAF

Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Venues & Facilities (Stadiums, Arenas, Tracks, Complexes)

Keywords

• Swim school
• Swimming lessons
• Water safety instruction
• Youth swim programs
• Private swim instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Recurring Swim Lessons: Ongoing weekly swim lesson enrollment providing predictable recurring revenue. Parents register for ongoing classes with flexible scheduling through the Jackrabbit Class platform. Continuous enrollment model with regular billing.
2. Intensive Programs & Stroke Clinics: Specialized intensive lesson programs and stroke clinics offered as supplemental revenue, typically during school breaks or as concentrated skill-building courses

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Charlotte Aquatics is a swim school that delivers structured, progressive swim instruction for students aged 3 months through adulthood at its Charlotte, NC facility. Core offerings include parent-child classes (3-30 months), progressive lessons (30 months-14 years) organized in 7 skill levels, adult swim classes, private lessons, special needs adapted instruction, intensive stroke clinics, and a Level 7 Champions graduation program, unified by a child-centered teaching philosophy emphasizing water safety and confidence building.

Product overview

Charlotte Aquatics is a swim school offering a structured 7-level progressive swim lesson curriculum for students aged 3 months through adulthood. The core product portfolio includes age-targeted group programs (3-30 months with parent participation, 30 months-14 years, and adults), private lessons, special needs instruction, and intensive stroke clinics. The programs are unified by a child-centered teaching methodology focused on water safety, confidence building, and life-long swimming skills. Student progression is tracked through the Level 1-7 system, culminating in the Level 7 Champions graduation program that recognizes students ready for competitive swimming. Charlotte Aquatics also operates the Elite Fish advanced swim program for graduates continuing their aquatic development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 3-30 Months Swim Lessons Parent/child swim lessons for infants and toddlers aged 3-30 months, introducing water safety and basic swimming skills through guided parent participation at the Charlotte, NC facility.
• 30 Months - 14 Years Swim Lessons Progressive swim lesson program for children ages 30 months to 14 years, following a 7-level curriculum that develops water safety skills, confidence, and swimming technique from beginner through advanced levels.
• Adult Swim Classes Swim instruction for adults of all skill levels at the Charlotte Aquatics facility, focusing on water safety, technique improvement, and building confidence in the water.
• Private Swim Lessons One-on-one swim instruction providing personalized attention and customized lesson plans for individuals seeking accelerated progress or specialized instruction at the Charlotte facility.
• Special Needs Swim Lessons Adaptive swim instruction at the Charlotte facility designed for students with special needs, offering individualized support and modified teaching approaches to help each student succeed.
• Intensives & Stroke Clinics Concentrated swim programs at the Charlotte facility providing intensive instruction in specific strokes and advanced swimming skills for students looking to accelerate their progress.
• Level 7 Champions Program Graduation program for students completing Level 7 of the Charlotte Aquatics curriculum, recognizing mastery of all swimming strokes, water safety skills, and readiness for competitive swimming or the Elite Fish advanced program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Formal swim lessons reduce the risk of drowning by 88%
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Stop Drowning NowminorOthersNonprofit organization focused on drowning prevention education. Charlotte Aquatics displays their logo as a community partner, aligning with the swim school's water safety mission. The partnership emphasizes shared commitment to reducing childhood drowning through education.
• United States Swim School Association (USSSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association for swim schools providing standards, best practices, and professional development resources. Charlotte Aquatics is listed as a member swim school, benefiting from curriculum resources and industry recognition while contributing to the swim school community.
• Hope Floats FoundationminorOthersNonprofit foundation focused on water safety and drowning prevention. Partnership reflects shared mission of making swimming accessible and promoting water safety awareness in the community.
• National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA)minorOthersNational organization dedicated to drowning prevention through education, advocacy, and awareness. Charlotte Aquatics partners with NDPA to support broader water safety initiatives and align with national prevention standards.
• Jackrabbit ClasscoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party class registration and management platform handling scheduling, payments, and parent accounts. Charlotte Aquatics uses this platform for all enrollment and customer management operations. Note: Privacy policy also references iClassPro and Sawyer as potential third-party reservation systems.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Big Blue Swim School: Growing franchise swim school focused on lessons for children 6 months and up with small class sizes and year-round warm-water pools. Direct competitor with similar curriculum-driven approach and rapid multi-unit expansion strategy.
• SafeSplash Swim School: National franchise swim school offering group and private swim lessons for children of all ages with a progressive curriculum. Directly competes with Charlotte Aquatics in the same product category and customer base (parents seeking structured child swim instruction).
• Aqua-Tots Swim Schools: Multi-location franchise swim school focused on children 6 months to 12 years, with a progressive curriculum and instructor training program. Comparable to Charlotte Aquatics in age-band targeting, curriculum structure, and franchise-style scaling model.
• Emler Swim School: Family-owned multi-location swim school in Texas with progressive curriculum for infants through adults and a strong instructor-training program. Comparable independent-operator structure to Charlotte Aquatics and similar emphasis on water-safety outcomes.
• British Swim School: Franchise swim school operating in converted hotel/community pools with a gentle, confidence-first teaching method for infants through adults. Competes head-to-head with Charlotte Aquatics on methodology emphasis and child-centered approach.
• Goldfish Swim School: Premier franchise swim school offering year-round lessons for children 4 months to 12 years with a multi-level curriculum and warm-water pools. Closest direct competitor to Charlotte Aquatics in methodology and target segment (children, families).

Broad incumbents

• Life Time Fitness: National premium health club chain operating locations in Charlotte offering swim lessons and Aquatics programming as part of broader fitness memberships. Overlaps with Charlotte Aquatics on swim instruction but offers swim as one of many fitness categories.

Regional players

• YMCA of Greater Charlotte: Regional nonprofit recreation provider offering swim lessons, swim team, and water safety programming across multiple Charlotte-area branches. Competes for the same families with typically lower price points and broader recreation bundling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CharlotteAquatics
• Xx.com/CltAquatics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charlotte-aquatics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Charlotte Aquatics