Our Mission
Our mission is to provide fun and educational swim lessons to meet the needs of all swimmers, because everyone deserves to know the joy of swimming.
Servicing ages 2 through 102, our first goal is water safety. Pool side time should be fun and leisurely - we want parents who are confident in their child's swimming abilities, which supports them while remaining vigilant in their supervision.
We believe everyone can, and should, learn to swim. We've taught people of all ability levels, including those with identified handicaps. Though we follow a specific progression and swim lesson outline, lessons are also tailored to meet specific family goals. Do you see water polo in your future? Great, we work on water treading skills. Do you want to swim for fitness? Great, we tailor your experience to provide you with fitness routines to pull from when you no longer need us.
Students often leave their lesson saying, "already? I want to swim more!" Getting students excited about swimming is the start of a lifelong relationship with the water. It is our goal to instill this excitement from day one.
Practice stroke work, play games, and gain confidence with Sunshine Swim Lessons. Build skills now that will last a lifetime. Swimming opens the door to so much more: surfing, scuba diving, kayaking, sailing, lifeguarding, water polo, inner tubing, rowing, water skiing, wakeboarding, snorkeling, paddle boarding, and boating. Enjoy all Santa Barbara has to offer!
Our Founder
Our founder grew up in the desert town of Palmdale, California and naturally gravitated towards the water. She participated in swim team, and led her high school team as swim captain. Her senior year, she competed in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) championship swim meet.
She loved competitive swimming and the relationships she was able to form through this sport. The summer after high school graduation, she went on to lifeguard for the City of Palmdale. This is where she found herself training with the Red Cross swim lesson program and teaching large groups to swim nearly 40 hours a week.
After a couple years, she transferred to the University of California Santa Barbara to pursue her bachelor's degree. She found herself teaching swim lessons at their recreation center, excited by the opportunity to teach so many people from around the world (visiting scholars, professors, researchers). It was there that a parent pulled her aside, saying, "I've paid for my daughter's swimming lessons here for years, and you are the first instructor she's ever learned from. I see real results. Do you teach privately?"
Before long, she found herself teaching private swim lessons in people's backyards or community pools. Delighted clients were quick to share the news with their friends, to the point she was unable to keep up with the demand. She knew the only way to meet the needs of her community was to expand.
After receiving her bachelor's in global studies, Talia went onto earn her master's in education. Her public school teaching experience helps her become a better swim teacher. The program she's developed uses learning theory and play-based lessons to engage students through out their experience.
