I invite others to answer, but I have been to 2 swim camps: Both these camps are centered toward teenagers and children, but I went as a 24 year old...

Deryk Snelling's World's Best Swimming Camp. was excellent and very worth the price. (In fact, my plane ticket was more than the camp.) I met and was coached by several Olympians and even got to tour much of Calgary. Very well organized, very motivating and well worth it.

Harvard Swim Camp was a day camp coached mostly by the Harvard students and a few coaches from the Marlin swim team (I never saw the official Head Coach that was listed in the program). There were pretty comprehensive lessons, a lot of stroke drills, and an individual above water/underwater taping. Not quite the value of Deryk Snelling's World's Best Swim Camp, but a good experience.

-- Tracy Adams (teadams@orchid.lcs.mit.edu), March 15, 1998

Answers

Total Immersion swim camps - First I gotta fess up that I'm an instructor for TI so I'm totally biased. However, I used to be a vocal mega-skeptic of Terry Laughlin and Total Immersion - till I watched one of his weekend workshops about 4 years ago. I was blown away at how much progress his system allowed every ability level of swimmer to experience in just 2 days. I was sold. TI has changed how I think of swimming and the way I teach and coach swimming. Now I'm a Senior TI Instructor and am learning more about swim coaching and teaching than ever before. Our camps are constantly evolving and improving. No other swim instruction provider has the wealth of teaching and coaching expertise that Terry has gathered for Total Immersion. I'm more excited about the sport of swimming in general and about coaching it, in particular, than ever before. TI RULES!

-- Emmett Hines (emmett@csi.com), March 16, 1998.

My personal opinion is Pine Crest Swim Camp in Florida! It rulz. Never been there but it looks sooo cool in the mag. Here are 3 that I 've been to, only one that I'm recomending. The Univ. of Va. was pretty good, about 200 people. Not really recommended. Next was the Univ. of Mich. About 500 people. Too many campers no fun. Then there was the Univ. of Tennessee at McCallie School in Chatonooga. Only 50 people. Loads of fun! I give it 4 stars . totally thumbs up! Abby is sooooo crazy. - Deanna

-- Abby Strang (snazzyswimmer@hotmail.com), November 27, 1998.

HARTWICK DISTANCE/SPRINT CAMP!!!! TONS OF FUN!!!! GREAT COACHES!!!!

I have been to the university of michigan for the intensive camp, I had fun but there were ALOT of people there. It didn't feel like the practices were much harder then practices that I do at home everyday.

-- steff (SwimFast1@yahoo.com), November 25, 2003.

Jack Nelson Swim Camp at the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Ft. Lauderdale. No other camp compares. Check it out.

-- Dave Ryland (drylandswim@msn.com), February 09, 2004.

University of Texas, Austin. Longhorn swim camp. Great camp!

-- ruth (swimom38@aol.com), November 16, 2004.