Puddle Ducks at Ramsgate Leisure Centre
Puddle Ducks teaches only its 0 to 4 programme in the warm teaching pool at Ramsgate Leisure Centre, with a parent in the water every week.
Who it suits
Parents of babies and pre-schoolers in Thanet who want a warm, shallow teaching pool and are happy to get in the water themselves.
Why it stands out
- Teaching pool sits at 29 to 31 degrees and is 0.6 to 0.9 metres deep, so you can stand up throughout
- Ramped reception, sloped concrete steps into the teaching pool and a hoist for anyone who cannot use them
- Joining payment covers three to seven lessons depending on when you start, then four lesson fees a month on the 9th
- Only the 0 to 4 classes run here; the Swim Academy for school age children is at other East Kent pools
Our verdict
Worth the money if you want warm water and a teacher in the pool with you, and the price is published on the venue page rather than buried behind an enquiry form. Do not book if your child is four or over, because Swim Academy does not run at this pool. Skip it too if you were hoping to watch from a seat, since a parent is in the water for every class and only one spectator gets poolside space.
What it is
Puddle Ducks runs one programme at Ramsgate Leisure Centre and only one. Splashers, Kickers and Little Dippers cover six months to four years, and every class has one adult in the water per child. If you have twins, one parent cannot bring both to these classes, so you need a second adult or a second booking.
Who should book
This suits parents in Thanet who want a short, structured half hour rather than a general family splash. The teaching pool is shallow enough to stand in from end to end, which is what most nervous parents actually care about, and it runs several degrees warmer than a normal public pool. Access is better than average too. There is a ramp into reception, the steps into the teaching pool slope rather than drop, and a hoist is available if the steps are difficult.
What stands out
The money is explained properly, which is rare in this part of the market. Your first payment buys enough lessons to reach the 9th of the month plus two more, so it lands somewhere between three and seven classes. After that it settles at four lesson fees a month. Twice a year, in January and August, there is a balancing payment to square up the schedule. Puddle Ducks also train teachers through the STA to work with children who have some physical and learning disabilities, though they are clear that their insurance does not cover every condition, so ring first.
The verdict
Nineteen pounds for half an hour is a lot, and what you are buying is a small warm pool and a teacher who gets in with you rather than anything a council learner pool will match. The obvious gap is what happens next: once your child turns four you have to move to another pool for Swim Academy, so this is a two to three year relationship at best. The other thing to ask about before you commit is class size, because it is not published for this pool anywhere on the site.
More Puddle Ducks venues
All Puddle Ducks venuesPuddle Ducks runs its full 0 to 10 pathway at Everlast Fitness in Hartcliffe, from parent and baby classes through eight levels of Swim Academy, in a warm 1.2 metre pool.
Puddle Ducks runs its 0 to 4 baby and pre-school classes on Saturday mornings only at the Everlast gym pool on Coldhams Lane.
Puddle Ducks has sole use of the Novotel Cambridge North pool on weekday mornings for its 0 to 4 baby and pre-school classes.