Swimming Options Round-Up
Friend called me last night and we weighed the benefits of local swimming holes. So here you too can enjoy the fruits of the conversation, and please contribute if you can!
Mission Pool. Inside, some professionals swim there, good for outlaying Potrero Hill/OuterInner Mission areas- closed, reopens end of May.
DiMaggio Pool. Really new, small lanes, but family-friendly. The newness speaks volumes for those that go there- very clean. Indoor. Columbus & Mason, behind library. Check schedule. $5/”scrip”
24Hour Potrero. A few lanes, indoor, requires membership
(used to be Pinnacle) in McKesson building (market &new mont.): a few lanes, indoor, well-maintained. Great for mid-work dip.
Embarcadero Y. Really large, indoor. Membership required but there if you take a class you get access.
Aquatic Park. Cold, but free swimming! Dedicated Dolphin Cub members, open 2 days a week to the public for 5$ entrance. Or just walk into bay from beach.
USF pool. Very large, requires membership, but there’s a “neighborhood” option if you live … in the neighborhood!
UCSF pool. Also very large, requires membership or i think you can use it if you work there.
JCC. very large pool, 20$ day fee available
Downtown YMCA. In the basement, a few lanes, indoor.
Sheehan Hotel (old YWCA). Large pool, basement. Downtown on Sutter.
Hamilton. Parks & Rec pool- large, indoor.
Links: Short list here.
Official SF Parks & Rec list here.
Open Water Swimming:
- Aquatic Park is so temperate, and there’s not a lot of waves so you don’t have to swim past the breakers.
- Ocean Beach has a bad undertow, so it’s not recommended
- Lake Anza in the East Bay Regional Open Space area- Tilden
- My favorite beach to swim at, going south, is Brighton, south of Capitola just one exit on 1. Waves aren’t high, it’s not that populated, and it’s a walk along the railroad tracks to food/restrooms/etc.
For a lark I looked up Lake Merritt, and obviously, no swimming there. ugh! Though that’s the same reaction I get to Aquatic Park, ha.
Good for Lessons
My friend was declaiming how great DiMaggio (North Beach Pool) was great for lessons, so they’re on here.
- DiMaggio/North Beach
- Embarcadero Y
- JCC
As far as I know they all offer one-time visit, with extra added if it’s a lesson.
Good for Pros
Friends that are pro-swimmer (I’m intermdiate) go to these pools.
Mission
Aquatic
Lake Anza
Strawberry Canyon Pool
Embarcadero Y (masters classes there)
USF
Hamilton
More info here: Masters Swimming Places to Swim
Related posts:
Um, 19th and Linda is pretty *inner* Mission, not outer.
Sorry Eric- see correction. From my old apt on 16th & Dolores, everything that side felt outer!
What a genius post idea!
I occasionally see open water swimmers when I’m surfing at Linda Mar (Pacifica). There really isn’t much rip to speak of there. There are two pumphouses with showers/restrooms, plus the world’s most scenic Taco Bell in between them (but I like the carnitas tacos at El Gran Amigo in Moss Beach).
Also, I sometimes see swimmers in Half Moon Bay at Miramar, just south of the jetty. No restrooms here, but there is a shower head at parking lot by the jetty and it’s not too far from Happy Taco in HMB.
A childhood buddy of mine is currently in the Stanford Masters. The DeGuerre complex is insane, of course; he says it’s one of the top ten swimming venues in the nation. He used to do the Santa Clara Masters.
UCSF’s pool and gym are not open to staff unless they buy an overpriced membership. The day that UC offers any of the perks most universities do to their employees is probably the same day hell will have been found frozen over.
I’ve heard rumor of a community pool somewhereabouts in my neighborhood (lower pac hts), but have never heard a review of it - anyone got the 411?