My mum's favourite form of exercise is swimming, so I've been a customer of the Aquatic Centre ever…read moresince I can remember. From being left in the capable hands of their child care staff, to finally being old enough that we were trusted to play in the kid's pool unsupervised, to graduating to lap swimming myself. It's always been a great public pool and the renovations that have taken place over time have only (for the most part) made it better. I've been away for a few years so my timeline of when changes have taken place may seem a bit odd, but when I returned after my hiatus for the first time recently, I was a little dismayed to see the water polo pool attached to the Olympic sized lap pool is now separated by a barrier. I'm sure this was done because it increases safety in some way, but I always enjoyed the huge openness of the 50 metre pool with a deep little alcove attached. The kid's pool has also been redone since the days when I used to splash around; for one summer attempting to keep my arm cast dry (my wrist is slightly crooked to this day). It's a lot smaller but is now shaded and has a few added amusements. The lap pool itself is great; Olympic sized and outdoor. The only problem is that it's a popular place for swimming lessons. Sometimes when I got for a mid-morning visit there are only a few lanes available due to all the kids splashing around doing their best to keep their arms in a straight 'rocket' and kick ferociously. Still, there's usually enough space for everyone to share harmoniously. Not only are there the outdoor options but there is also an indoor pool. I've only used it once many years ago so my expertise is far more limited there. I do know that it is 25 metres and I believe it is heated. Apart from the pools there are also fairly well kept toilet and shower facilities, as well as a gym that overlooks the pool. The pool opens at 5.30am Monday to Friday.

Great pool, good price, free entry with gym membership. All I need to do is get motivated and start…read moreswimming again

The Plantation looks like an older style swimming pool complex in parkland, which, in essence, it…read moreis, but it's also home to the Royal Lifesaving Society of Queensland. It looks a little tired but it's really grassy and sprawling and has tennis and volleyball courts and a little canteen to get drinks and lollies, so it reminds me a little of less slick times. There's a toddlers' wading pool with a fun fish feature, activities pool with water slide and more serious 25 metre training pool. There are lots of lifesaving, squad, learn to swim and stroke correction classes, but we usually just grab a picnic and head for a pergola in the slightly unkempt grounds for a great day out.

As far as I'm concerned this is the best public pool in Brisbane, which you would expect given that…read moreit was built for the 1982 Commonwealth Games. There's an Olympic sized pool, a diving pool with some boards accessible to the public (usually just a springboard), a 25 metre heated lap pool and a kids pool. The kid's pool is not very big but it's entertaining enough and there are waterslides. It's all indoor so there's no need to worry about whether everyone's sufficiently sun screened or swim shirted up. On top of all this it's not as crowded as a lot of the other lap pools, I suppose because of it's slightly out of the way location. If you're a swimmer, and you somehow don't know about this place, it's time to check it out. Opening times and availability are subject to change so have a look at their website before you get the kids too excited and are forced to feed them guilt-ridden ice cream.

Excellent heated pool. The aquatic center also has a shower and a smaller training pool for newer…read moreswimmers. People and staff are extremely friendly and most of the swimmers are also friendly and respectful. For new people, here are some of the "unofficial rules" that I didn't really know about and I learned the hard way: 1. Slower swimmers stay on the right side lane. I got dirty looks for swimming slow in the middle lanes. 2. Always swim on your left lane. 3. Rinse off in the shower before entering the pool. Also the pool is saline water so your skin doesn't turn into a raisin after swimming for hours.

Destroyed by the floods of 2011, the UQ pool is yet to return to its former glory, but the…read moreconstructions look to be taking shape nicely, with the pool relatively unchanged and a nice new club house nearing completion. Prior to the floods, the UQ pool was a popular place for those wishing to get their exercise in the water after a day at uni and for the lazier breed of student, like myself, who just enjoyed a paddle. During my college days, my friends and I would wander across campus with towels over our shoulders to take a dip in the pool and lay on the grassy slope for some sun and people-watching. Revised entry prices and opening hours are yet to be announced for the new aquatic complex, but one of the great things about the pool before the floods was that entry for UQ students was nice and cheap. Hopefully, it will stay that way, as entry to regular town pools is too pricey for my liking.

I never visited public swimming pools growing up because we always had a pool in our backyard. Our…read moreparents always intoned how lucky we were to have our own pool instead of learning to swim with the masses who couldn't afford a private pool. HA! If only we had gone to Sam Riley Swim School we would probably be much better swimmers. Instead, we learnt the hard way - mimicking what we saw on television and taking a few lessons in PE at school. I still remember the time I competed in the school swimming carnival. The entire school had to wait for me while I finished the 25 metre breast stroke five minutes after everyone else had gotten out of the pool. The Sam Riley Swim School is affordable fun for families. Inside, there's an undercover heated pool suitable for children. The sloped entrance ensures kids not yet able to swim can have lots of fun splashing about. The deep end is only chest height on (most) adults so it's still easy to help young children manoeuvre around. The outdoor 25 metre pool is not shaded or heated. It's intended for proper swimming or lap training. There's also a spa for hydrotherapies in the corner that the kids love to play in. This place has clean change rooms and showers with lots of easy change tables for infants. There's wheel chair access into the pool area and a lovely but small food/ drinks stall onsite. Make sure you take the family there this summer - even if you are unfortunate enough to have a home pool.