Making a Splash on Third Avenue

Look around the former shop of a tow truck company and envision a room with an indoor pool where children will be boldly thrusting their heads into the water, blowing bubbles and learning to swim.

That's the scene on Third Avenue, just off North Main Street, where Splash Swim School is aiming for a mid-June opening.

"It will be a warm, comfortable environment, kind of like a bathtub," says co-owner Liz Claytor.

For Liz and Christian Claytor of San Ramon, it will be their second school. in 2004.

They accept children as young as six months and go up to the early teens. The average age is around 4, said Claytor.

Claytor is pleased to find Splash "smack dab in the middle of a renewal," citing new development in the North Main Street area and the opening this month of Neiman Marcus in downtown Walnut Creek.

The Splash philosophy is group lessons, "making learning to swim as fun as possible," said Claytor. Kids learn to swim by watching their peers do it. The Claytors recommend a half-hour lesson once a week, year-round, a progressive system in which swimmers earn ribbons.

“As a business owner and mother, I know what it’s like to drive from work to daycare or home with a million ‘to-do’ items running through your head,” added Claytor. “At Splash, we provide an opportunity to take a break from your busy day and have an enriching experience with your child.”

The youngest swimmer in the family is son Ashton at 17 months old. His parents swam competitively at Cal Berkeley.