How much do you pay for masters/swim/etc? (Updated in OP)

[mrs.jacinthe]

So, it's official - I'm going to be the aquatic director for our gym.   

This means I'm in charge of setting program costs for EVERYTHING - group lessons, private lessons, masters, etc.  I have no idea what's normal, and I think I'm cheap/broke, so I'm letting that cloud my judgment.  LOL

So, if you've paid for ANY aquatic lessons of any kind - kids OR adults - how much did you pay and what did you get for that (how many sessions, etc)?  Did you think it was reasonable?  

Thanks!

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EDITED TO THROW IN MY CURRENT THOUGHTS AND MORE INFORMATION:

Our gym is full-service, but the least expensive in town.  $60/month for classes, pool access (not masters), group fitness, etc.  Last year masters was $45/session (4-week sessions) - MWF 6-7am.  There were 2-4 people in the pool per session.  Obviously, something HAS to give to get more people into the pool.  It HAS TO.  So, based on all the information I've gotten from you ladies, here is what I'm thinking.  I'd love your feedback.
MASTERS PREP:
*Essentially, there will be swim workouts for the returning masters folks, but also we'll be working on conditioning and stroke improvement.
*Practice MWF 6-7am.  Possibly also T-Th 6:45-7:45pm.
*Month of May.
*$40.

MASTERS:
*Practices MWF 6-7am AND T-Th 6:45-7:45pm
*Practice will be June-Oct.
*$25/month as a monthly auto-bill for the entire season.  $30/month if paid per month.  $125 for the entire season, paid up-front.  $60/month for non-members (no discounts).

PRIVATE LESSONS/COACHING:
*4 classes.  1/2 hour each.
*$100 for members.  $125 for non-members.

SEMI-PRIVATE LESSONS:
*4 classes.  1/2 hour each.
*3 people maximum.
*$75 for members.  $100 for non-members.  (Per person)

GROUP LESSONS:
*3 people minimum.
*8 sessions, 2x per week.  1/2 hour each.
*$50 for members.  *$75 for non-members.

Does this sound reasonable to you all?  Too cheap?

[Deleted]

I currently swim at a YMCA. The class was about $150 for 22, 1 hour classes ($6.80/class). This fee gets me into the facility (as a non-member). I though this was a steal, because the normal drop in fee for the facility is $13 and the monthly fee is $70ish.

At my last gym, the monthly rate for access was $40. In comparison, though, the class fee was about $150 for 22, 1.5 hour classes ($12.50/class). If you weren't a member, the class fee got you into the facility.


Both of these classes are masters' types, but the YMCA class is more geared towards triathletes.


So, anywhere from $7-$13 per class is probably good.

[minion]

I can imagine it's different in different areas but here's Seattle. www.seattle.gov/parks/Reservations/FeesAndCharges/pools.htm3

For the community pool this was reasonable. We had like 2 lessons a week for 5 weeks (10 lessons total) for I think $50 and we got like 5 free public swim passes, to practice what we learned, this was like 10-15 year ago.

[Susie]

I honestly don't remember what my parents paid for my swim team when I was a kid. Probably a lot, but it was high level coaching.

Now my masters time is free with Y membership, but you get what you pay for. Basically we have a lane or two reserved for us at certain times during the week, and we come up with our own sets.

This is the price schedule for my current Y, which has a nice 6 lane 25 yd pool:

Membership Options

Family
$88/month

Family plus 1
$118/month

Family plus 2
$148/month

Couple $85/month

Senior Couple
$75/month
One Adult Family
$70/month
Adult (19 and older)
$53/month
Senior (65 and older)
$48/month
Young Adult
$33/month
Youth (18 and younger)
$26/month

Unfortunately I don't know where to find the info on pricing for swim team and lessons.

[emilyj]

I do Masters only. I pay:

$135/semester for masters dues/coaching/etc. $90 in the summer - so $360/year total.
For the pool, I pay $180 for the year for a family membership. When it was just me, I paid $120/year.

My pool has different pricing structures for faculty/non-faculty/students. This is our full pricing structure:

Students: Free

Employee: 3 months/$40, $120/year, Family $180

Alumni 3 months $50, 12 months $150, Family $225 

Community 3 months $70, 12 months $250, Family $325 

Guest Cards  5 visits $10, 10 visits $20

Guests $2 per visit

[libbygrl109]

I belong to my local Y, and pool usage fees are included in the membership (the prices are the same as the ones Susie quoted above). I do have to pay extra for swimming lessons for DS and me. DS is in a preschool class, which is $45 for 8 sessions. He'll have to move up to the youth classes in a few months, which are $70. I pay $65 for my lessons, which is an intermediate class where you improve your strokes. The classes are open to non-members, but the prices are doubled. Masters is $20, but I'm not sure if it's available to non-members.

[kams]

Congratulations!!

Masters: $80/16 1hr sessions. It is the cheapest I have ever seen, because it's not a monthly fee. I am a member, though, which is nearly $100/month. I'm not sure of the cost for non-members. The other masters teams in town charge anywhere from $40-60/month.

This is my clubs breakdown from their website:
Private lessons
$100/4 1/2hr sessions ($120 nonmembers)
$180/8 1/2hr sessions ($240 nonmem)

Semi-private (2-4)
$22.50 per swimmer per 1/2 hr ($30 nonmem)

I will say that my club (aside from masters) is the most expensive in town and truly is overpriced. There's not a ton of full-amenity clubs to compete with (it is one company with 5 clubs in town). It is MCOL, so this may be the high end unless you're in a really HCOL location (if you are where I think you are, than this might be on par for your area).

The place I'm considering enrolling DD is a $40 annual fee, and then $70/month for 1 lesson/week or $130/month for 2 lessons/week. Half hour lessons. It is quite a bit more than the YMCA, but I didn't care for our experience at the YMCA when we started her a couple years ago.

[cole]

I take swim classes through DC Parks and Rec. I pay $10 for 8 30-minute swim lessons, Learning to Swim for Adults levels 1, 2 and 3. It is $50 for the 8 lessons for non-DC residents. I think it's worth it at this price, but I've never paid for any other swim lesson so I don't have anything to compare it to. I also was happy to not have to make a huge financial commitment for something I wasn't sure I would continue.

[arch01]

Masters: $40/mo, must have a membership.
Private lessons: $100 for 5 30 minute lessons (nonmembers is $125)

I'll get back to you on group lessons...

[woowoo]

This is great news! Congrats!

I just started Masters Swim at my local gym (in Chicago, within city limits). I pay $70 a month for my gym membership, then $40 a month for Masters Swim. That is unlimited, but it's really only offered 5-6x a week total (and sometimes in the morning and evening on the same day).

Our pool is always closed to others for Masters Swim due to the number of people that participate.

[tuggyruns]

Congrats! Last time I swam with a Masters team it was just a group that organized out of the gym I swam at so it was free- no real coach though, just someone who wrote practices.

Prior to that I paid $40 a month for 6days/week of coached practices 2hrs/day.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Ok, so I've put together a tentative cost list, up in the OP. What do you ladies think?

[cinco]

Congrats!

Our group swim lessons are the same (2x/week, 4w, max 6 kids) For DS we are paying $80 (members are $65)

Private lessons are 1 for $30, or 3 for $80
Swim clinics are $15, or $96 for 8

[tuggyruns]

I guess I'd ask where you are located and what type of pool facilities you have? I am in a major metro and there are gym memberships here all day that include pool access for $30/month.

Also- are you going to close lanes at certian points for aquatic classes? If so, how many will be available at all hours? I think things like this can be make or break for your hard core swimmers. It drives me NUTS when pools close over 1/2 their lanes for the 4 people taking aqua aerobics during peak hours.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Jan 23, 2014 15:30:06 GMT -5 tuggyruns said:

I guess I'd ask where you are located and what type of pool facilities you have? I am in a major metro and there are gym memberships here all day that include pool access for $30/month.

Also- are you going to close lanes at certian points for aquatic classes? If so, how many will be available at all hours? I think things like this can be make or break for your hard core swimmers. It drives me NUTS when pools close over 1/2 their lanes for the 4 people taking aqua aerobics during peak hours.

We're in a bedroom community - about 45 minutes east of Sacramento.  City of 13k people,maybe?  There is exactly one other gym here in town with a pool and they charge $80/month including pool access.  The only other pool with a "masters" program is the city rec pool and they charge $60/month.

Our pool right now (building a new facility for 2015) is a 70+ year old, 7-lane, 33 1/3 masterpiece of suck.  3 lanes are for aqua fitness (occasionally they'll take a 4th lane when there's like ... 30+ ladies there) and general recreation.  4 lanes for lap swimmers at all times, except when masters or the kids swim "team" is in the pool (masters usually takes 3-4 lanes, kids take 2).  Masters would not run at the same time as aqua, ever.  I *think* we could take up to one more lane (5 total), but I know for a fact they only have 5 lane lines.  LOL  
We have no dedicated pool schedule at the moment, except aqua classes, kids team, and masters, but even then the rest of the pool is open for rec or laps.

This is all stuff I'm having to figure out and pretty much on the fly.  I'm having to make a budget today to present to the gym owner tomorrow.  Ugh.  The pool opens in May, but I have to do hiring, training, marketing, etc all in the months coming up.

[tuggyruns]

Jan 23, 2014 15:38:46 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

Jan 23, 2014 15:30:06 GMT -5 tuggyruns said:

I guess I'd ask where you are located and what type of pool facilities you have? I am in a major metro and there are gym memberships here all day that include pool access for $30/month.

Also- are you going to close lanes at certian points for aquatic classes? If so, how many will be available at all hours? I think things like this can be make or break for your hard core swimmers. It drives me NUTS when pools close over 1/2 their lanes for the 4 people taking aqua aerobics during peak hours.

We're in a bedroom community - about 45 minutes east of Sacramento.  City of 13k people,maybe?  There is exactly one other gym here in town with a pool and they charge $80/month including pool access.  The only other pool with a "masters" program is the city rec pool and they charge $60/month.

Our pool right now (building a new facility for 2015) is a 70+ year old, 7-lane, 33 1/3 masterpiece of suck.  3 lanes are for aqua fitness (occasionally they'll take a 4th lane when there's like ... 30+ ladies there) and general recreation.  4 lanes for lap swimmers at all times, except when masters or the kids swim "team" is in the pool (masters usually takes 3-4 lanes, kids take 2).  Masters would not run at the same time as aqua, ever.  I *think* we could take up to one more lane (5 total), but I know for a fact they only have 5 lane lines.  LOL  
We have no dedicated pool schedule at the moment, except aqua classes, kids team, and masters, but even then the rest of the pool is open for rec or laps.

This is all stuff I'm having to figure out and pretty much on the fly.  I'm having to make a budget today to present to the gym owner tomorrow.  Ugh.  The pool opens in May, but I have to do hiring, training, marketing, etc all in the months coming up.

I think it's all about supply and demand- you have to be competitive with the other gyms in your area. Sounds like what you have figured out above is fair for masters as long as you can have a coach come in that is AWESOME that will draw swimmers. My experience is that the coach will make or break the masters experience when you are paying for something like that. 

[mrs.jacinthe]

Jan 23, 2014 15:42:59 GMT -5 tuggyruns said:

Jan 23, 2014 15:38:46 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

We're in a bedroom community - about 45 minutes east of Sacramento.  City of 13k people,maybe?  There is exactly one other gym here in town with a pool and they charge $80/month including pool access.  The only other pool with a "masters" program is the city rec pool and they charge $60/month.

Our pool right now (building a new facility for 2015) is a 70+ year old, 7-lane, 33 1/3 masterpiece of suck.  3 lanes are for aqua fitness (occasionally they'll take a 4th lane when there's like ... 30+ ladies there) and general recreation.  4 lanes for lap swimmers at all times, except when masters or the kids swim "team" is in the pool (masters usually takes 3-4 lanes, kids take 2).  Masters would not run at the same time as aqua, ever.  I *think* we could take up to one more lane (5 total), but I know for a fact they only have 5 lane lines.  LOL  
We have no dedicated pool schedule at the moment, except aqua classes, kids team, and masters, but even then the rest of the pool is open for rec or laps.

This is all stuff I'm having to figure out and pretty much on the fly.  I'm having to make a budget today to present to the gym owner tomorrow.  Ugh.  The pool opens in May, but I have to do hiring, training, marketing, etc all in the months coming up.

I think it's all about supply and demand- you have to be competitive with the other gyms in your area. Sounds like what you have figured out above is fair for masters as long as you can have a coach come in that is AWESOME that will draw swimmers. My experience is that the coach will make or break the masters experience when you are paying for something like that. 

I'm the coach, too, at least this year.  I *hope* I'm decent - I've taken the USMS certifications (levels 1 & 2, 3 isn't available in my area until fall), I've got experience as a coach and experience as a swimmer ... but now I'm paranoid that I suck (I coached 2 months last year).  LOL