About Us

Haley Whatley

Owner

My name is Haley Whatley, and I have been a swim instructor and lifeguard since 2006. I graduated from Texas Tech University in May 2012. In 2015, I began teaching private swim lessons in my backyard, and now we are all over the Austin area. I am Lifeguard, CPR, First Aid and Water Safety Instructor Certified.

Meet Our Instructors

All of our instructors are highly qualified. As we hire between now and February, we will add new instructors here as they are contracted. Please check to see which instructor serves your neighborhood or community.

Instructors

Sole Llorca

Instructor

Sole was born and raised Spain and loves to travel, teach yoga, hike, spend time with her dog, Zumo, and swim. Sole is Lifeguard, CPR, and First Aid Certified. This will be her second summer teaching with us.

Hannah Ngai

Instructor

Hannah studies biomedical engineering at Texas A&M and is also a foodie. This will be her second summer teaching with us. Hannah is Lifeguard, CPR, and First Aid certified and will be teaching in north Austin this summer.

Candace Eich

Instructor

Candace has experience in the nonprofit, sports science, and mixed martial arts industries. She is a veteran swim teacher. Candace is Lifeguard, CPR and First Aid certified and will be teaching in 78717 this summer.

Kalia Hunter

Instructor

Kalia has experience teaching all levels of swim, from water safety to swim team preparation. She is a dedicated, compassionate teacher who prioritizes building a trusting relationship with her students. She will be teaching in Central and East Austin this summer.

Ashley Angus

Instructor

Ashley was born and grew up in Illinois and has lived in Austin for a year. She loves hiking, swimming, and horses. Ashley is Lifeguard, CPR and First Aid certified.

Mya Anderson

Instructor

Mya studies chemistry at the University of North Texas. She graduated form Georgetown High School and is Lifeguard, CPR, and First Aid certified. This will be her second summer teaching with us.

Emma Astad

Instructor

Emma loves hiking with her dog, playing the piano, and finding the next best coffee shop. Emma is Lifeguard, CPR, and First Aid certified, and after a hiatus, this will be her second summer teaching with us.

Savannah Epstein

Instructor

Savannah was a varsity cheerleader in high school and will study business and computer science in college. She has been lifeguarding since she was 15 and this will be her second summer teaching with us. Savannah is Lifeguard, CPR, and First Aid certified and will teach in Georgetown this summer.

Dakota Friel

Instructor

Dakota was born in California and loves to swim, eat barbecue, and listen to live music. He was a collegiate water polo player and is a Life Scout. Dakota is Water Safety, CPR, and First Aid certified and will teach in Elgin, Bastrop, and Manor this summer.

Jacey Wood

Instructor

Jacey live in Buda, Texas and loved her career as a dental assistant. She is excited about the transition to working for Whatley Swim since it will allow her to spend more time at home with her husband, two kids, and dog Hondo. Jacey is Lifeguard, CPR, and First Aid certified and will teach in South Austin and Hays County this summer.

Our Core Values

At Whatley Swim, we believe in creating an environment where any student can learn. We enjoy seeing progress in our students as they work through fear, language barriers, learning differences, and physical differences. In order to yield the best results, we look at our students holistically. We take into account the way they feel emotionally and physically and the way they think when planning their lessons. We aim, not only to teach them new skills, but to teach them to trust others and themselves. We believe that a sense of adventure is the most important precursor to learning. This mindset produces confidence, curiosity, openness and growth. Likewise, I cultivate these principles in our staff throughout instructor training. The system to which our instructors adhere is merely a template, and they work hard to customize it for each student they encounter. By focusing on developing students’ strengths, we reduce angst and accelerate learning. Lessons with us are a positive experience all the way around!

Happy Customers

“We are doing lessons with Kamrynn, and she is amazing. She is teaching our son how to do different swim strokes in a way that he understands. She is super sweet with him and puts him at ease. I love how the lessons are tailored to his ability. I highly recommend Whatley school!”

– Tasha Zander

“My Kid had lessons with Kamrynn and I am delighted that she is so patient and calm with her students! I love that all the swim instructors have such fantastic qualifications! No wonder all my friends were raving about Whatley!”

– Stephanie Diaz

“We love Haley’s kind approach, how she encourages even the most timid swimmer to try something new and her emphasis on safety. Can’t recommend her enough!”

– Kathryn Whitaker

“My 3 kiddos have done two summers with Coach Sam and it has been a fantastic experience. My oldest struggled with being quite timid in the water after various tries at lessons in other settings but Coach Sam quickly put my daughter at ease and she’s now a very confident swimmer!”

– Lindsay Eulenfeld

“Whatley Swim School is a life saver. They were very professional and my daughter had so much fun with her instructor. I plan to use them for all of my child’s lessons”

“My daughter had eight private lessons and loved every minute of them! She learned to float, flip over, swim underwater, and overwater all in eight lessons! I’m so grateful for our experience and look forward to another summer of lessons! Thank you Whatley Swim School!”

– Corina Russell

Contact us

F.A.Q.

Can I choose my instructor?

Instructors are based on location availability.

What if I miss a lesson?

– We do not provide refunds for missed lessons.

– If you need a make-up lesson, you must call or email and cancel 24 hours prior to your scheduled class time to avoid the $15 rescheduling fee.

Can I take lessons at my HOA or neighborhood pool?

Yes, you may take lessons at the pool in the neighborhood where you live if the HOA allows visitors and swim lessons.

**For more information about neighborhood eligibility or to nominate your neighborhood, please email [email protected]. We try to add new neighborhoods each year!

When are classes?

We teach May-September between the hours of 9 AM-8 PM (hours may vary by location).

When is tuition due?

Tuition is due at the time of registration.

What type of lessons are right for my child?

Take our short quiz here to find out which type of lessons are right for your child.

When do you open registration?

Registration for the 2023 season will open in late February. Please email us at [email protected] to be added to our email list and to receive registration notifications.