Big Blue Swim School Reignites Franchise Expansion

Big Blue Swim School is renewing its franchise expansion efforts after nearly tripling its footprint over the past three years and investing in its technology, systems and franchise support infrastructure.

The swim school franchise has grown from 18 locations at the end of 2022 to nearly 60 nationwide. Big Blue opened 34 schools between 2022 and 2025 and expects to open 10 additional locations by the end of 2026.

The company continued opening previously planned locations while pausing new franchise sales in 2024 and 2025. During that period, Big Blue says it focused on strengthening its franchise model and support systems before reactivating its development strategy.

“When we started Big Blue, the goal was never growth for the sake of growth,” says Chris DeJong, founder and president of Big Blue Swim School. “We wanted to build something that could make a real difference for families by giving more children the confidence and life-saving skills they need to be safe in the water.”

In 2026, Big Blue has opened schools in Colorado, California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Georgia, with additional locations planned in the Chicago and Newark areas. The company is targeting markets including Tampa, Seattle, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Long Island and Ohio for future franchise development.

Big Blue’s facilities feature 90-degree pools and use LessonBuddy, the company’s proprietary platform for scheduling, billing and swimmer progress tracking.

For more information, visit bigblueswimschool.com/franchising.