Dolphin Academy Swim School

What Dolphin Academy Swim School does

Dolphin Academy Swim School is a privately held, single-location indoor swim instruction business headquartered in Evans, Georgia. The company operates from a custom-designed 7,000 sq ft facility featuring a 75' x 32' heated pool with UV water purification, a dehumidification system, and heated family changing rooms, and is positioned as the first indoor pool in the CSRA (Central Savannah River Area) dedicated entirely to swim instruction.

The product portfolio consists of a seven-tier progressive curriculum targeting children aged 6 months to 12+ years: Dolphin Babies (parent-child, 6–35 months), Tadpole, Minnow 1, Minnow 2, Orca, Barracuda, and Dolphin Team (pre-competitive). All classes emphasize individual stroke technique, small student-to-teacher ratios of 3:1 to 6:1, and ongoing weekly instruction rather than crash-course formats, with instructors required to complete 40+ hours of training plus mentor shadowing before independent teaching.

Revenue is generated through monthly recurring group lesson tuition billed at $32.50–$37 per class plus a $35 annual family registration fee, with continuous enrollment managed through a JackRabbit Class parent portal. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, relying on the company website (iswimdolphin.com), an active Facebook page, and a "Waves of Wisdom" educational blog to drive parent acquisition. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding, acquisitions, or partnerships, and reports no revenue, headcount, or leadership team publicly.

Name

Dolphin Academy Swim School

Legal name

Dolphin Academy Swim School

Website

https://iswimdolphin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dolphin Academy Swim School is a privately held, single-location indoor swim school in Evans, Georgia, offering a progressive seven-tier curriculum for children ages 6 months to 12+ years, with monthly recurring tuition and small class ratios.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Swimming Instruction Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquatic Centers & Swimming Facilities (MPAKAEAF)

Keywords

• Children's swim lessons
• Swim instruction services
• Indoor swimming pool
• Baby swim classes
• Competitive swim training

Headquarters

HQ city

Evans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Group Swim Lessons: Weekly group swim lessons billed monthly at per-class rates. Students register for ongoing weekly classes with tuition adjusted monthly based on number of lessons scheduled (holiday closures result in prorated billing). Classes are continuous with no defined sessions.
2. Annual Registration Fee: $35 annual registration fee per family charged upon initial enrollment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Dolphin Academy Swim School delivers year-round, small-group indoor swim instruction for children ages 6 months through 12+ years, structured as a tiered progression of seven class programs (Dolphin Babies, Tadpole, Minnow 1, Minnow 2, Orca, Barracuda, and Dolphin Team) held weekly in a 75' x 32' heated indoor pool with UV water purification. Classes emphasize individual stroke technique via a proprietary curriculum, with student/teacher ratios of 3:1 to 6:1 and continuous monthly enrollment.

Product overview

Dolphin Academy Swim School is a single-location swim instruction business offering a tiered progression of small-group swim lesson programs for children ages 6 months to 12+ years. The school operates from a 7,000 square foot custom-designed indoor facility with a heated 75' x 32' pool, providing classes once weekly on an ongoing basis. The product portfolio consists of seven named class programs: Dolphin Babies (parent/child classes for ages 6-35 months), Tadpole (beginner), Minnow 1 (beginner/intermediate), Minnow 2 (intermediate), Orca (intermediate/advanced), Barracuda (advanced competitive strokes), and Dolphin Team (pre-competitive swim practice). All programs emphasize individual stroke technique instruction using a professionally developed curriculum, with small group sizes maintaining ratios of 3:1 to 6:1 depending on age and program level. The school integrates with Jackrabbit Class for parent registration and portal management, and uses Google Forms for administrative processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dolphin Babies Parent-and-child swim class for babies and toddlers 6 months to 35 months old, focused on water acclimation, comfort, balance, back floating, introductory water safety, and parent-child bonding. Delivered as 30-minute group lessons with a 6:1 parent/student/teacher ratio at $32.50 per lesson, billed monthly on a continuous-enrollment basis.
• Tadpole Beginner swim class for water-comfortable children focusing on breath control, floating, streamline gliding, destination swimming, and safety jumps. Small-group lessons with a 3:1 ratio for ages 3–4 and 4:1 for ages 5+.
• Minnow 1 Beginner/intermediate swim class for children who are comfortable in the water without flotation devices, can float independently for 15 seconds, and can jump in to return to the wall. Instruction covers streamline kicking on stomach and back, rollover breathing while kicking, body positioning, and destination swimming. Small-group lessons with a 3:1 ratio for ages 3–4 and 4:1 for ages 5+.
• Minnow 2 Intermediate swim class for children who can confidently kick on stomach and back independently and roll to breathe while continuing to kick. Instruction covers freestyle foundations, rolling over to breathe while using arms, streamlining on back, treading water, and advanced safety jumps. Small-group lessons with a 3:1 ratio for ages 3–4 and 4:1 for ages 5+.
• Orca Intermediate/advanced swim class for children who are strong kickers on back and stomach, can tread water for at least 30 seconds, and have started learning freestyle basics. Instruction covers freestyle with side-breathing, backstroke, introduction to butterfly and breaststroke, and building endurance for longer distances. Priced at $130 for four weekly classes per month, with monthly tuition adjusted for months with 3 or 5 scheduled lessons.
• Barracuda Advanced swim class for swimmers ages 8+ who are strong freestyle swimmers able to breathe to the side, swim proper backstroke, tread water for at least 60 seconds, and perform butterfly kick while streamlining. Instruction covers freestyle with bilateral breathing, backstroke, butterfly, breaststroke, and diving. Priced at $120 for four weekly classes per month with a 4:1 student/teacher ratio; tuition is prorated for months with 3 or 5 lessons.
• Dolphin Team Competitive swim practice for strong kickers who can tread water for at least 30 seconds and breathe to the side in freestyle. Structured as a 45-minute practice run like a traditional swim team, with small-group coaching focused on stroke technique, endurance building, racing skills (starts, underwaters, breakouts, turns, finishes), interval training, continuous circle swimming, and mastery of all four competitive strokes. Priced at $37 per lesson with a 6:1 student/teacher ratio; enrollment requires an evaluation call.
• Annual Family Registration One-time $35 per-family registration fee charged upon initial enrollment to set up the family's account for billing, scheduling, and ongoing class participation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Classes are ongoing with continuous enrollment - children progress at their own pace
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Emler Swim School: Emler Swim School is a regional multi-location swim school in the Southwest U.S. providing year-round indoor small-group swim lessons for children with a tiered curriculum. Its facility-and-curriculum business model is highly comparable to Dolphin Academy, though it operates at greater geographic scale.
• British Swim School: British Swim School is a franchise offering indoor small-group swim lessons for infants through adults with a methodology-based curriculum. Its year-round scheduling, multi-tier progression, and franchise expansion model make it a relevant operational and competitive comparable.
• Big Blue Swim School: Big Blue Swim School is a franchise focused on indoor small-group swim instruction for kids with a tiered curriculum from beginner through advanced. Its facility build-out template and recurring subscription pricing make it a close peer to Dolphin Academy's operating model.
• Goldfish Swim School: Goldfish Swim School is a rapidly expanding franchise specializing in year-round indoor swim lessons for children ages 4 months to 12 years using small group ratios and a tiered curriculum. It is the most directly comparable business model to Dolphin Academy and a key expansion threat in regional U.S. markets.
• SafeSplash Swim School: SafeSplash is a swim lesson franchise focused on small-group, year-round indoor instruction for children of all ages, often co-located within partner fitness facilities. Its subscription-style class model and curriculum-based progression closely mirror Dolphin Academy's offering.
• Hubbard Swim School: Hubbard Swim School is an independently operated multi-location swim school offering year-round indoor instruction with a tiered curriculum for children. Its structure — proprietary curriculum, dedicated indoor pool, small ratios, and recurring enrollment — closely mirrors Dolphin Academy's operating approach.
• Aqua-Tots Swim Schools: Aqua-Tots is an international swim school franchise offering year-round indoor lessons for children 4 months and older with a multi-level curriculum and small class sizes. It directly competes for the same parent demographic and pricing tier as Dolphin Academy.
• Swimtastic Swim School: Swimtastic is a multi-location swim school offering year-round group and private lessons for children of all ages with a curriculum-based progression. Its scale, marketing investment, and product mix closely parallel Dolphin Academy's positioning.

Others

• USA Swimming Foundation 'Make a Splash' Affiliate Network: USA Swimming's Make a Splash initiative promotes learn-to-swim programs and partners with local swim schools and YMCAs to expand access to water safety instruction. While not a direct competitor, it represents the broader institutional ecosystem of learn-to-swim providers that compete for parent attention and grant funding in regional markets.

Emerging players

• Sunsational Swim School: Sunsational Swim School is an in-home and community-pool swim lesson provider that connects parents with instructors for private and small-group lessons. It overlaps with Dolphin Academy on child swim instruction but uses a mobile/network model rather than a dedicated facility, making it an emerging alternative rather than a direct physical competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DolphinAcademySwimSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dolphin-swim-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Dolphin Academy Swim School