My husband and I took our grandchildren to the pool today, and while we had a nice time overall, there are simply too many rules. I felt like I was being monitored the entire visit by overly controlling lifeguards. The office employee at the front was very nice, but once you get inside, the atmosphere becomes uncomfortable. At one point I was barked at to move because some kids needed to take a swim test. Later, my granddaughter was swimming, so I got in the pool with her because she had to wear a red wristband due to her age--even though she swims perfectly well. I was standing on the pool steps in the water, but the lifeguard insisted I had to be fully "in the pool water." I don't understand why it matters whether I'm standing or sitting on the step, especially since I had been sitting there earlier with no issue. I used to bring my own children to this pool years ago, and people seemed much happier then. You were expected to swim back and forth, not take a formal swim test like you're training for the Olympics. Please do better, Poway. I pay taxes for this pool, and it feels like the people who get the most benefit from it are the lap swimmers and swim classes. read more

I had a terrible experience here. First, it is so expensive if you aren't a Poway resident. I paid $26 for myself and my two kids. You can pay $12 at Woodland Park or $11 at Alga Norte and they don't care where you're a resident. Next, their open swim area is TINY. It's essentially the steps and maybe 6 feet out beyond them. The rest is swim lanes. The lifeguard on duty suuucked. First, my kids went to get in without me. They are four and five and both have been in swim lessons since they were babies, so they are great swimmers. The lifeguard yelled at me to go in with them. So, I did. I sat on the steps in the pool to watch them swim. The lifeguard then yelled at me that I was too far away from them. I'm not exaggerating when I say I was within 3 feet of them. I noticed she said the same thing to another mom, so at least she was consistent. It's a ridiculous set of rules when the open swim area is so small and I'm right there. They ask your kids age upon entry and they get a colored wristband based on age. It's obviously just a blanket assumption they place on age and skill level, so good swimmers are unfortunately punished. They do have a splash pad that my kids enjoyed and it looks like you can grab a plastic chair to take wherever you want to sit. You couldn't pay me to come back though. Between the cost and the dumb rules, I'll go elsewhere. read more

The "swim test" is famously vague for a reason. In the sighn it says crawl. They test a modified freestyle. The test is confusing and it's not clear what stroke they are to perform. This is a tax payer funded pool. The fact that they make it difficult to just go and enjoy it is really pitiful. read more

Community swim and splash pad. Convenient location Plenty of parking Lots of parks near by walking distance Prices are fair depending who you ask. For us for only an hour of play and no family open swim...48 dollars for us is a bit steep. 8 dollars for adults 6 for the kids. The upside to this is you get a wrist band and you can come and go if you want. For us this did not work out. Big splash pad area, plenty of chairs and tables to eat a snack, fuax grass to put a blanket down and lay in the warm sun. Great for the younger toddlers and babies. Would not say it's great for the bigger kids, bc they tend to run... and they are pretty strict on the no running. Big pool area, bathrooms are clean. The splash pad area is clean, needs some love picking up leftover trash.... always leave your area cleaner than you found it. We picked up trash to do our part. Knocked off a half star, due to the lifeguard frantic screaming at my 4 year old.... who was having a hard time bc it was time to go.... didn't appreciate the screaming...a simple whistle blow would have gotten his attention and would have been a great distraction for redirecting. Knocked off half star for the extra trash on the side and clean up we had to do for us to feel OK to sit and eat and play. Water shoes a must! Bring a blanket to sit on Hats There is plenty of shade out of the water. Would recommend to others, if you plan on coming back through out the day which is nice to join the family open swim to get your worth. If you're on a tight budget, possibly seek other free splash areas. Enjoy! read more

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My daughter is twelve years old and has passed this swim test every time. We went to this pool and were expecting a great fun time with y he obstacle course and diving boards, she went to go do the swim test but she forgot what a freestyle swim was. She didn't pass the first one but she got a second chance. They never told her what it was or how to do it so she still didn't know and didn't pass the seconds one either. I went to ask the lifeguard who was testing her and she said my daughter was doing a dolphin swim which isnt like my daughter. We asked a different lifeguard and told her the entire story and she gave my daughter another chance. My daughter passed very easily, but as the lady was putting a bracelet on her the other life who failed her said "she already tried two times, don't give her a bracelet." and walked away before the ladh could say anything. my daughter couldn't do the obst course or go in the deep end because of this and it made the day really bad. read more

This is our spot for lessons and recreation swimming on the weekends. Clean, knowledgeable staff, spacious, and great swimming lessons for my kids. And the weekends are fun here with the inflatable obstacle course with slide at the end. Highly recommend. read more

Poway Community Swim Center - The staff needs to test the kids to get wristband if they are able to swim on their first prior on tackling this obstacle course inflatable. - Swimming Pools Near Me - Poway, California

Beautiful, clean pool and fun splash pad for the kiddos. I enjoy lap swimming here. It's one of the nicest places around with the Olympic size pool. read more

Great place to be on those hot summer days! Splash pad is great for littles, and the pool is fairly big to accommodate a lot of guests. The space is big too with sufficient shade for guests. Seating tends to fill up quick (especially in the shade), so finding a place to store your things and grab a seat may get a bit difficult later in the day. But overall, it's a nice place to spend some time and cool off! read more

Amazing community resource! There's something for everyone in the water! Staff is wonderful, helpful. Kids and elders like it too

I love having access to the pool in Poway and love that this pool provides access to a splash pad for the kids as well as picnic tables and chairs. Unfortunately do not go here for swimming lessons. They are not professionals and do not have the proper training to provide adequate swim education to younger kids. All kids are different and yet they are not understanding or flexible to what will help your child and instead just care about getting money from you. This is the reason for the two stars. read more

I actually like this pool but depending on the time you go there is a lot going on. The men's room is very large and nice with several showers and a changing area. There is usually a water aerobics class going on in the morning. You have to be a resident of Poway to use this pool or you may have to pay but I'm not sure about that. Anyway a nice pool if you want to swim laps. read more

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This review is for the swim lessons that they offer there. I was sadly disappointed with the quality/content of the course, but I guess you get what you pay for - it was ~$62 for 8 lessons. I think our instructor did as she was trained, but the organization as a whole is lacking. Our class was a 5:1 ratio, which is very high compared to other schools. On the first day, they cautioned the parents that it was just assessments, so don't worry if it looks like the kids aren't learning anything. Well, two kids hung on to the instructor for the entire 30 minutes, and were they moved down to a lower class - no, they were not! So having to hold and comfort two while trying to teach the other three kids during the rest of the two weeks was obviously not conducive to learning. Also, the kids were moved into the deep end on the last day...and they had to wear life jackets (face palm emoji), regardless of swim ability. Isn't that the point of swim lessons, so you're water safe and don't have to wear a preserver?! While the class was convenient, we'll never go there again for lessons. read more

Great Facility with a great staff. All public city and community pools are chlorine based. They are not a salt water pool but their water is cleaning and doesn't dry out my skin like other pools do. They have a splash pad which is above ground and is a great place for kids to play if you don't wanna get into the water with them. Children 7 and under need to be accompanied in the main pool at all time and arms length which is a pretty common rule or common knowledge. If my kid couldn't pass a swim test why would I allow them the get into an large body of water? The guards are their for additional safety, your kids are still your responsibility and shouldn't complain about this rule. Their prices are understandable and if you worked at a pool or rented a space to use, they are very reasonable and their classes are very diverse. The more seasoned you get, it gets harder to pick up skills so I do highly suggest swim classes! The group lessons are usually a 5:1 ratio for the younger ages and in my opinion the kids work a lot better in group settings but if groups are not your kids thing then they have private lessons. The older or more experience kids are in an 8:1 ratio and range more into the deep end. Again, these classes are great and although they are hard to get into they are worth it. As a break down for admissions: Residents of Poway are only in the 92064 zip code and although you may pay taxes to the school district, the school district covers more than just Poway and doesn't mean you are a Poway resident. If you have an issue with their prices, I suggest you go to the other nearest pool which is the Rancho Arbolitos Swim Club and pay their rates or a City of San Diego pool which may be less than both pools but a hole lot further to drive to. Residents are $4 for adult and $3 for youth/seniors Non-Residents are $8 for adult and $6 for youth/seniors I am not a Poway resident and have to also pay $8 per daily admission so I really expect my fellow non-residents to pay the same. However, if you are a resident make sure to have your state IDs or licenses updated with your current address. They check your zip code at random and if you do not already have an account or a membership pass, make it easier for you and them by having one made with them so I don't have to stand in line behind someone that can't provide a driver license after driving to the pool. It makes everyone feel inconvenienced when you yell at the person doing their job. The reason I state the prices are understandable is because Poway is a small city and doesn't have a large backing like the whole city of San Diego and most of their profits come from the teams and groups that rent from the facility. If they really wanted to make a profit, they could just close their pool to the public and rent out their facility to more groups. I would rather pay $8 an admission fee than have to go to a lesser facility. I would be mad if they had to get rid of the Monday/Wednesday/Friday water aerobics, recreational swim and cleaner facilities. read more

Absolutely horrible place. Had my son's birthday party and we were having a great time when one young male lifeguard forced us all to get out of the pool and started yelling at us saying he is not a babysitter and he does not care whether or not it is a kids birthday, he is a lifeguard. Parents were inside the pool with their children. We all left speechless and it totally ruined our birthday experience. I should have taken his name and reported his rude ass. Stay away from this place. read more

The splash pad is perfect for my kids! And for kids of all ages! Not expensive and perfect fr warm weather read more

Poway Community Swim Center - Splash pad - Swimming Pools Near Me - Poway, California

Great swim classes for the little ones. I brought my 3 and 4 year old for the Grunion 1 class. Classes are about 40mins long and goes fairly quickly for the kids. About 5 kids in each class. The price is also reasonable compared to other swimming classes in Poway and Rancho Bernardo area. You can easily sign up for classes online. During summer the sessions are about two week long. The instructors are young but seems to work well with kids. read more

Poway Community Swim Center - Swimming classes - Swimming Pools Near Me - Poway, California

This pool is overpriced. They charge $8 for an adult, which is twice what other community pools charge. It certainly isn't twice as nice. You can get in for half price "if" you live in the right zip code. Not all of Poway are considered residents. Funny, I think they all pay taxes that go to the schools and their facilities. Nevertheless there are many great pools in the area, such as Carmel Valley and Ned Baumer locations. Pass on this one. read more

We had a great time here! This is an outdoor, salt water pool that is heated to 80-85 degrees. Open year round. We are non-residents so we paid $5 for adults and $4 for kids. I believe it's $2.50 if you're a resident. My Mom and I watched while others swam and we did not have to pay. There are lifeguards, swim lanes, diving boards and well-equipped locker rooms. There is a wading pool, although it wasn't open when we were there. It was so nice to have a place to swim with our kids after all the local water parks had closed for the season. The pool is hard to find if you're using your phone GPS. We ended up calling and an employee directed us to the right location. There are at least two playgrounds nearby and a skate park. Super cool area! read more

Great pool & diving boards !!! Can get really crowded when its warm. Swim teams practice here during the week bug they still leave a couple lanes for lap swim. read more

We visited the splash pad for the first time today. It's super fun with lots of water spraying, fun for the kids. My two year old son and his friends had a great time. HOWEVER, as a parent, I have some concerns.... it was hot there today and it's only April (it will get much hotter). The only shaded area was under a canopy tucked into a corner. The opposite corner as the exit which is NOT gated. And it's a blind corner. So any parent trying not to melt or holding their baby (me today) cannot see their child if they walk around the corner. So here's my ideas 1- a gate for the exit and 2- more shade (like in the other corner of the area, where the exit is in view). Other splash pads in the area (tierrasanta & carmel valley Rec) offer a gated area for kids so this would not be my first choice as far as safety goes since I'm rolling in with more than one child to watch. read more

This review is for the kids swim classes. I've had my kiddos in spring, summer and fall classes. All instructors aren't the same but for the majority of the classes, my kids got a great instructor. Prices are reasonable. Class size is no more than 5-6. there have been a few classes where some of the kids refused to go in the water which made the class size even smaller. Which leads me to perhaps one negative, if you have a child who is stubborn and won't go into the water, you could potential waste your money on a class. The instructors will push a little but will not force them in which I sometimes think is needed. read more

Kids love the pool. Wish it was heated sometimes cuz it gets cold in the evening.

Compare with the other community pools around San Diego area, the Poway Community Swimming Pool is ranked low in my experience. First is the cost, it charges $4 for a 3-yo child and $5 for an adult just to be there watching for the kid plying in the shallow pool. Poway residents pay less. Secondly, there are spots (dirty spots and floating stuff) at the bottom of the pool that are visible from the top. The staff there is not so friendly. Because of these, we won't be there for a while but thought to share our experience so others can voice their opinions and see some improvements. read more