Southside Lions Swimming Pool is part of Southside Lions Park and is located on the west side of the park by the rec center and playground. It is one of several public swimming pools run by San Antonio Parks and Rec. All outdoor public swimming pools run by the city are free to all, open six days a week throughout the summer swimming season, and follow very similar rules and protocol. This review will focus on Southside Lions Swimming Pool and what sets it apart from other city swimming pools.
As with most other pools, you are required to sign in at the front desk with name, age group, and gender. These roles help the parks department obtain funding to continue operation of the pools, so it is very important to sign in.
Southside Lions is one of only a handful of outdoor public pools with a diving board. Usually, the diving board is open for the second half of the hour if patrons wish to dive. If the diving board isn't open, request it from a lifeguard. They may or may not open it based on several factors, but one of them is that patrons want to dive, so don't hesitate to ask. While the diving board is open, the deep end is closed to other swimmers.
The deepend at Southside Lions is deeper than most other pools bottoming out at 10ft. Great pool for diving. There is usually ample room for lap swimming, and the trees on the west side of the pool provide shade to swimmers on hot afternoons. As such, at the beginning of the season, this pool may be colder than others that do not provide shade.
The changing rooms are located near the pool and (at least the Men's side, I can't speak for the Women's side) provide bathroom facilities as well as a shower to rinsing off the chlorine.
Many pools require hourly or bi-hourly breaks to balance the pH levels in the water. These are usually done on the hour and all patrons are required to leave the water for around twenty minutes. Ice cream trucks with snacks are usually idle in the parking lot if you're looking for something to snack on while you wait. Do note that only fresh fruit and water are allowed past in the swimming pool area.
Southside Lions Pool also has a toddler pool with shallow water and sprinklers so the little ones don't miss out on any fun. Weekend afternoons can get a little busy and once a week, but normally, there is ample room to swim. We have been there before when we were the only family there. Once a week a free water aerobics class is provided while still keeping the pool open for all patrons. Call their desk for details. The lifeguards at this pool are also not obnoxious at this pool which is a big plus.
This pool is located on the South East side of the city. If you are looking for a similar pool on the West or North side, I have found that Dellview has an identical layout, including diving board and toddler splash pool. This is one of my family's favorite pools to visit. read more