4/5 - for a general gym goer
2/5 - for a swimmer
I've been regularly coming to this rec center for over a year now. Not because it's great, but because it's the closest option to me that has a lap pool. But if you are a serious swimmer be ready to be disappointed. It is nearly impossible to get a lane to yourself and most times it's a toss up if I can get a shared lane at all. See dedicated paragraph if you are a swimmer.
The facility in general is not bad. It is not very big compared to Golds Gym or Planet Fitness, both I would recommend if you don't need a pool. The layout of Oak Marr is better than the other two Fairfax RECenters. Top floor has the cardio equipment, various machines and a stretch/dance room. Lower floor has the weights, 2 racketball courts, and several multipurpose rooms for classes.
I think the machines are in pretty good shape. Every now and then there is 1 or two broken treadmills. But the times I've gone (weekday after 5pm, weekends), I haven't really had to wait for equipment. I wish the there was more space for stretching and calisthenics. I try to use the stretch room if there isn't a class but it is often occupied. The downstairs rooms are only for classes. The weight room has a good number of weights and benches (see photos). I think this location has the widest range of dumbells (from 3lbs to 120lbs) and they are in good shape. Sometimes the weight room can get crowded, but for the most part I have not had any issues. I should mention that there are cubbies in the top and bottom floors as well as within rooms.
Locker room. There is a women's, men's, and family room. It has a decent number of lockers, though it is operated by quarters...seriously quarters in the 21st century?! No way to utilize your own lock. You are better off using the cubbies or the benches and hooks on the side of the pool. There are a handful of showers (8), one of which is handicap accessible. The others are pretty small. There are 3 changing stalls and a few toilets, which smell like piss most of the time. It is clear that they don't clean the place well daily if even weekly.
Pool: as usual if you are a swimmer you will have a tough time finding a free lane. All throughout the year, most lanes will be blocked off for classes/team practices and sometimes completely blocked for swim meets. They take place during off work hours. Multiple times I have been kicked out of a lane up to ten mins before a class reservation, which is rather rude given how few lanes are available to the public. I could easily do another 500 in that time.. It is irritating, but unfortunately I have yet to find a better option in Fairfax county aside from forking over $100+/month at a Lifetime gym. The natatorium does have a super shallow end for kids, a hot tub, lap lanes with depths ranging from 4ft to 16 ft. There is a separate diving region with 1 m, 3m springboards and 3m, 5m platforms. Only certain times are open to the public. Though I do admit this pool has is pros in being one of the largest in Fairfax with around 13 lanes. They also have digital clocks on all 4 walls that are easy to read. The water temperature is just right ~78F, perfect for competitive lap swimming. There are places on the side where you could put your swim bag down and hooks.
Cleanliness wise...let's just say prior to Sept 2022 it was pretty disgusting. Mold on the walls, floor, lane ropes had seen better days...My eyes were often irritated with how contaminated the water was. They even got swollen at one point...
But late Aug/early Sept 2022 they did a lot of maintenance and cleaning for the pool area and greatly improved the cleanliness. I just wish they would clean the pool, poolside, and locker rooms throughout the day, daily like my alma mater UMD's natatorium. Especially since this facility services way more people and folks of a younger age...
General Comment on Fairfax County RECreation Centers: a membership purchased at any of their centers scattered throughout Fairfax county will get allow you to access any of their RECenters. Though certain specialty facilities like Oak Marr's mini golf/golf complexes and Mount Vernon's ice rink will still have their own fees. There is a $30 for 30 days new membership plan. Otherwise they have an annual plan, a fixed number of visits plan, and a recurring biweekly plan. There is no fee to cancel most of the plans but you may be charged another cycle before they cancel your plan. All of them have swimming pools, but most of the time most of the lanes will be blocked off for classes/team practices. They are not ideal for consistent lap swimmers. The only demographic I can think of that benefits from the Fairfax county RECenters are people who are gym regulars, primarily use cardio and machines. Maybe occasionally swim. Otherwise, if you don't swim there are plenty of cheaper, better options like Planet Fitness or Golds Gym. read more