Befriend Water at The Caledonian Hotel
Befriend Water runs one-to-one adult swimming lessons for nervous and fearful swimmers in the spa pool at The Caledonian Hotel on Lothian Road.
Who it suits
Adults who are frightened of water or have never learned to swim and want one-to-one coaching rather than a group class, and who can afford a premium price for it.
Why it stands out
- Every lesson is one-to-one, run over two hours, one hour in the pool and one hour of coaching and debrief outside it
- Curriculum explicitly covers fear of water, past trauma and panic in the water alongside stroke technique
- Runs from The Caledonian Hotel spa pool, open 6am to 9pm, so lesson times are booked around the client rather than a fixed class timetable
- A money-back guarantee if you don't feel increased water confidence after working with the coach
- Only one-to-one coaching is offered here; there are no group lessons at this venue
Our verdict
At £149 for a single two hour session, or £649 for a five-lesson package, this is far more expensive than any group class in Edinburgh, and that price only makes sense if you specifically want one-to-one coaching for a fear of water rather than general lesson practice. The packages were showing as sold out for online checkout at the time of writing, so booking goes through a free email consultation rather than instant purchase. This is not for anyone looking for children's lessons, group classes or a budget option; it's built for a single nervous adult swimmer prepared to pay for individual attention.
What it is
Befriend Water is a one-person coaching practice run out of the spa pool at The Caledonian Hotel on Lothian Road, offering one-to-one swimming lessons for adults only. The two hour format splits into an hour in the water and an hour of coaching and debrief outside it, and the curriculum covers water safety and stroke technique alongside working through fear of water and past trauma.
Who should book
Adult non-swimmers and beginners who are anxious in water and want individual attention rather than a group class. The coach works around the pool’s 6am to 9pm opening hours rather than fixed class times, which suits someone who needs an unusual slot but not someone looking for a drop-in session or a fixed weekly class.
What stands out
A single session costs £149.00, with five-lesson and ten-lesson packages at £649.00 and £999.00, and an open water retreat starting at £5,000.00. There is no group option here; the site is explicit that group lessons “don’t allow for a quality adult swimming learning experience.” Bookings currently go through a free consultation by email rather than an instant online purchase, and the site offers a money-back guarantee if you don’t come away with more water confidence.
The verdict
This is the most expensive swimming instruction in Edinburgh covered on this site, and it is priced for what it is, one-to-one, trauma-aware coaching for adults who have not managed to learn any other way. It is not for children, not for anyone wanting a group class, and not for anyone on a budget, since even the cheapest single session costs more than a month of most children’s group lessons in this city. Anyone comfortable in a group setting, or just wanting a standard course of lessons, will get better value at a leisure centre or a franchise swim school instead.