I signed up for adult swimming lessons here at the Plunge. Prior to this, I didn't know how to swim at all, save for a bit of dog paddling. This review will mostly be for their classes, and then a bit about the facility. The adult swim classes are organized by skill level: Total new swimmers are Guppies (that was me!), and the next levels up in order are Minnows (my second class!), Sharks, and Advanced Beginners. Advanced Beginners, really? Surely you can all think of another cool marine animal name! I vote Swordfish. You're welcome ;) Anyway, my Guppies instructor was Ashton and he was wonderful. He helped me get over my initial fear of putting my face in the water (believe me, it was a huge fear of mine and this was a HUGE deal), and he gave me the basic foundations for freestyle and backstroke swimming. After that class, I enjoyed it so much that I joined again, this time in the Minnows class under the instruction of Matt. Matt was also amazing! He took the skills I learned in Ashton's class and helped me and others fine-tune them. He also taught us more strokes like breaststroke, sidestroke, and dolphin kick. When I first set foot in this pool, I could barely blow bubbles in the water. By the end of two class sessions, I was swimming a good few laps nonstop. If you've ever thought about taking up swimming, I HIGHLY recommend taking the classes here. The prices are crazy good and the instructors are awesome! As for the facility, it's really great for an outdoor pool! Sure, you'll find a few stray foliage from the surrounding palm trees, maybe a dead bee once in a blue moon, but that's not entirely unusual for an outdoor pool. It's clear that they never let the pool get so dirty that it's uncomfortable to swim in it, and I really appreciate that. I live in a housing complex with an outdoor pool and our HOA doesn't do that, heh. The water is also very warm--I've gone swimming in below 60F weather and have been totally fine for the rest of the night. Anyway, this is a great solid pool and I'll be coming here for my swim workouts all the time. Another big shout out and thanks to Ashton and Matt, you guys are the best! read more

Don't go here for open swim. They rope off such a small area for kids, and don't allow them to wear goggles with a nose.

As a Torrance resident, this pool continues to disappoint. Constantly decreasing lap swim hours, now at only 3 days per week mid day. Hawthorne pool and El Segundo can staff and hold consistent daily lap swim hours but somehow Torrance cannot seem to figure it out. By summer there will be 1 day of lap swim I guess. LOL. Just an FYI they also charge $6 drop in which is the same as El Segundo where you actually get hot water to shower after and much nicer facilities. read more

I just started coming here to rehab my knee and get in a little exercise. Price is beyond reasonable at $3. Pool temperature is a terrific 80 degrees. For those with children this might not be the place for you. The staff here is pleasant but since I come at 8:30 PM I'm not expecting them to be rolling out the red carpet. I come here for a purpose and it fits all my expectations. Those who complain about this facility please go else where so I don't run into you when I'm here. read more

best public pool in the south bay area. clean and good staff, cheap fun. I wish the hours were better but still good!

[Review #246] 2018 Yelp 100 Challenge (9/100) My daughter has been taking annual swim classes at "The Plunge" since 2014. For some reason her father thought it would be a good idea to take the winter session. I didn't think it was a good idea until I saw her class had only 3 kids, including herself. =) H received more personal instruction & help from the instructor than the summer session where the class can be as large as 12 kids. My biggest issue is the lessons usually start 5-10 minutes late. Even if the kids get a full workout, if you add up all the late starts, it's enough time to add up to another class. :-| The Olympic-size pool holds multiple classes; in-between lessons, kids & adults can pay a daily usage fee. The pool appears to be clean in comparison to other public pools. Most people follow the deck rules by walking carefully, & keeping the deck free from debris. And there's seating on the upper deck & behind the fence on the north side. There's a few overhead showers & restrooms, & plenty of changing rooms. Sometimes the changing rooms have swimsuits, clothing, & trash left behind; the benches are "sticky"; or the floors are muddy/gritty, not that you want to walk barefoot. Also, some users leave behind a "wet" the toilet seat. C'mon people, let's be considerate of others & wipe/clean up after yourself. Yeesh! :-O read more

Victor E Benstead Plunge - The Plunge Pool - Swimming Pools Near Me - Torrance, California

How shallow of me to finally sign up for adult swim lessons because of a boy? YES I don't know how to swim. And after all these years, it took a little convincing from my boyfriend to finally sign up. Actually he FORCED me to sign up. Spring registration was a breeze....I did everything over the phone. The staff here was extremely helpful (actually from registration all the way to the end of my lesson). Why did I wait so long? It was only $60 for 10 classes (twice a week). Totally doable! The first day was a little confusing (as one would expect). I didn't feel alone cause it was all my people that didn't know how to swim LOL. We were considered "guppies" and got assigned an instructor for each group of 3 - 5 guppies. Kudos to my instructor Jonathan for being ever so patient to help me conquer my fears. And a special applause to our substitute Julie for finally getting me on my own with a kick board. I didn't even know how to float when I first started. And wow did I come a long way?!?! We must've been lucky because the entire spring session was spent freezing under a windy weather since they have an outdoor pool. Poor Jonathan was freezing the entire time he was teaching us. The water was always warmer than outside so it helped a little. I ended up wearing a rash guard halfway through the course and it is RECOMMENDED. I still have a long way to go so I am planning to sign up again for future swim lessons. The parking is a breeze which is located right behind the building. read more

Victor E Benstead Plunge - Swimming Pools Near Me - Torrance, California

My first time here and I got Harassed by this women that works here. I Honestly think she Is just unhappy with her JOB! She Literally would watch myself and the kids I brought to go Swimming, I couldn't even scratch my Ass without her saying you can't do that! read more

Victor E Benstead Plunge - The unhappy Lady! Don't let her smile in the pic fool you! - Swimming Pools Near Me - Torrance, California

Been coming here since I was a child and I'm 35 years old now. I was even on my high school swim team and water polo team over at Torrance high school from 2001-2004 and as an adult now i come to the lap swims at night for some exercise and work out and I just love this pool it's extremely clean the people here are just very friendly very nice their all young and you can tell that they're part of some swim team, which is fine which is great. I feel very safe here and again this place is always immaculate the restrooms are immaculate the facility itself Is immaculate the water is great the pH level of the chlorine etc. and all that has always been tolerable. no complaints here whatsoever at all!!! read more

Amazing pool with amazing lifeguards I love swimming here with all of my friends nice water temp also

Reviews are spot on. Prepare to be harassed by rude workers who seem to hate life and have no manners. They only take cash so card users are out of luck. They also separate families according to who's swimming and who's not. Those who aren't swimming are segregated to an upstairs observation area, thus being separated from their young kids down at the pool. With pedophilia running rampant these days I doubt a parent wants to leave their kids without supervision. read more

I have been swimming here for several years. It seems that every few months they cut the swim hours down. We used to be able to swim mornings and now there is only one early morning slot. To make up for this they have 11-2 swimming but the number of days that occurs is now being cut back. While the pool is nice, the constant reduction in available swim hours makes this place less than ideal for anyone that wants to actually get in a swim routine. I can only wait to see what other hours they cut down as we approach summer. I am now being forced to go swim elsewhere where the pools are further away from my home. read more

Given the fact this is a public facility without the drive to excel & please customers as a private facility would, this review is probably just a waste of time. Quick disclaimer, I work in an industry with countless rules & regulations, so I am absolutely not against any form of discipline nor structure where needed. I am however very much against really dumb laws and more so the ones changing on you like the weather.... Brought my kids several times over the past couple of years. The ony true appeal for this pool given it is a solid 30 mins drive from MB where I live is the fact it has a deep section which my kids love. Each and every time I have been there (let's say 8x total), I have been subject to some ridiculous last minute rule by the teenagers on staff. One day we could use fins but not a snorkel. The next time snorkel was fine but were told no fins, another time we were told not to use diving sticks... etc. Well, this weekend was the cherry on top of the cake.... My wife decided for once to join us with my newborn, just to get the whole family out together. As we get there, I did warn her about the complete randomness of do's & don'ts. She sure was not disapointed.... First they tell her she cannot bring the stroller with her. When we asked why, they claimed this would impair the access for emergency vehicles if needed. Sure! That makes all the sense in the world. The firetruck and/or ambulance would be really concerned by a stroller on deck if they did not have first to drive through the lobby and then the showers to access the deck. Are you serious? After putting the stroller back in the car they told her she cannot be by the pool unless she was in a bathing suit. Another item which makes perfect sense! She could not be there with a light summer dress but half of the people in the water were wearing full lenght swim trunks going below the knee and with their t-shirts as well? Anyway... my guess is that such behavior stems from the fact this is the only authority such low level staff will ever enjoy so they abuse of it. No consistency, no valid justification, horrible attitude... you really get what you pay for. read more

Wish i could give zero stars. It felt like a detention camp separating children from their parents. Parents must sit on top of a platform and are not allowed on the pool level. Some kids were crying and their parents consoled them thru a fence. How hard is it to put bleacher on the same level as a pool. read more

Made a video tour of the pool: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LJGaVVypOo&list=UU1a1TCBX9ip8tRX360KihVg Went here this morning for the first time and had an amazing swim! It was 60 degrees out at about 6:30am, and the water is heated up to 81 degrees according to their website. I was surprisingly very comfortable. Even getting out of the pool wasn't too bad, just had to rush to dry off. The locker rooms are heated, though to be honest the door is open and it isn't much warmer than outside. I'm sure in the summers it is much better, but I was dying to swim even though it is still winter. I forgot my lock of course, but rented one for only 50 cents. Staff are super friendly. Entrance is $3, but they also have the 11-ticket booklet for $30 so you would save $3. I hadn't been in the water in a while so I had to get back into the hang of things. When I got there, there were only 2 other people, and by 7:00 the lanes were almost all filled but I didn't have to share. The only con was that the showers are super cold. I kept hoping the water would heat up, but nope. Still I was already sort of freezing so it didn't make much of a difference. I guess I might have just gotten the one bad shower that wasn't heated, as the others seem to be okay. There are plenty of lockers and changing stalls. There are also outlets for you to plug in a blow-dryer, and the lockers stay open 15 minutes after the pool closes so you have time to change after your swim. Overall, a wonderful experience, and I will totally be back on a regular basis. read more

$3 for open lap swimming. It wasn't crowded when I got there on Thursday night, so I got a lane all to myself. Some people complain about the water in the locker room. It's a pool. What did you expect, to not get wet? I went again on Monday night and there was a lady there who seemed adamant about getting the lane right by the wall, and yelled at me when I was standing in front of it. Calm down. You weren't there and there wasn't anything to indicate that you wanted that lane. I don't have any emotional attachment to any lane, so I moved, but that lady was kinda rude to not only me but the staff there. But whatever. I'm not gonna penalize the pool for something that's not their fault. I definitely enjoy swimming here and I'll be back regularly. read more

Very nice p.o.. But it's for real swimmers than family swim time. And for older children. No animal floaties allowed and no swim learning floaties either. For EACH child under 50 inches tall, you must have a parent in the pool with them. The big kids in the shallow section play pretty rough so you don't want younger kids in there with them. I suggest you go early and leave early before they arrive. But remember....one parent for each child under 50". And no animal floaties or other swim assisting devices for younger kids. I write this TWICE because jts not listed on their website in any obvious place. Just trying to save some hassle. read more

Regarding The Plunge and their adult lap swim hours and the 3 other reviews written this summer-2018. Comparing this years availability to the last 2 summers I have been attending, we are now down to just 1 hour in the early morning on the week-end. This is an 8 lane 50 meter pool divided into 2 16 lane 25 yard pools in the summer. Even if only a few lane lines were installed for lap swimming it could still be run the same time as rec swim. Too bad!! The same w/the water aerobic class which was always full. This year there is an 11 person wait list!! How about adding a another class!! This is a very nice community swim pool-how about trying to meat the needs of all community members. I am impressed w/the actual guards working the pool. As usual it seems upper management has no clue as to the current needs of the very people they are trying to serve. Too Bad!! read more

One of my favorites places as a kid, you could come here for an afternoon in the water and get some sun - with the safety of lifeguards watching out for anything going wrong. Not sure if the diving board is still there, but that was also a lot of fun. Swim classes were always fun as I remember too. read more

This pool is closed due to coronavirus. Its confusing, they also posted a sign says CDC states covid-19 cannot spread through chlorine and bromine.... and then just said closed until further notice. Not sure what that means. And people have to stay healthy! Wtf??? read more

As far as lap pools go this place is pretty great. The evening hours fit my schedule and it's never too crowded. Entry is $3 for adults. The locker room isn't the cleanest in the world (especially after the teenagers get done - sorry kids, no offense) but showers and toilets are in working order. There is plenty of parking behind the pool in the municipal parking lot. The lifeguards and staff are friendly and I like that they play music outside. read more

I love coming here to go swimming but I really wish that they had a little more time for lap swimming. The pool is really nice and it is salt water. I like coming during the school year because they have the wall up for swim meets. read more

One gorgeous sunny summer day I was basking in the florescent light of my office when in walked in my fellow workers Zhaonian and Minchun looking all happy and sun kissed. Me: Working hard guys? *serious face* Them: We just got back from lap swimming! *relaxed fun in the sun faces* Me: Where?! *disbelief face* Them: The plunge! Down at the civic center. It's like five minutes away. You should come next time! *relaxed fun in the sun faces* Me: Oh sure. I'll have five minutes to swim and spend the rest of my lunch break redoing my hair and makeup. Besides, I remember that place being over chlorinated and swarming with screaming kids. *sarcastic face* Them: I think they use salt now and there aren't any kids during lap swimming. You should just try it. *relaxed fun in the sun faces* Why can't my face look like that? I guess it wouldn't hurt to just try it. And just like that, bam, I became a regular at the plunge. So, what's the deal? Well, from noon until a little after one during the week there are lanes setup, slow-fast, for your lap swimming pleasure. There are other times too, but these are the ones I know about. It costs $2, and for that you get a locker room, shower, restroom, pool, lifeguards, and the use of kickboards. Working in reverse order of things to discuss, the kickboards are awesome. If you're a super swimmer and think you can kick out laps like no one's business, grab yourself a kickboard because after one lap your legs will be on fire. I literally expected them to fall off my body because man, that's a lot of work. The pool itself is a-okay. Much better than I remember from my early middle school days of sheer pandemonium. I usually have about four other people in my slow lane, and as Minchun promised, not over chlorinated, but salty. The locker room facilities are as expected for a city pool. Not the tidiest place ever, but it gets the job done for the most part. If you don't have a lock of your own, go down to Target and buy one, but if you're stubborn and don't, you can always rent one for $.50. Also, you can just take your bag out onto the deck with you and leave it on the huge block thing on the far side of the pool. There are changing rooms and restrooms which both have a constant puddle of water, so just figure out a balancing act to make sure you don't drop anything in said water. And last, there are the showers. They are the annoying push button showers. There is a coveted turn knob shower that I assume is meant to be a handicapable spot, and so I usually suck it up with the push button. I have made due though, so really it's just a slight annoyance. All in all, with the close proximity and cheap price, this is an awesome little break in my day for the summer months. read more

The lap swimming hours here cannot be at any later hours. Besides the morning session that is too early for me to make, the evening session spans from 7:30pm to 9pm. For an outdoor pool, this means freezing temperature by the time you get out (during the spring months). Another annoyance is that...by the evening, the water in the pool is not as clear and blue. It stops smelling like chlorine and the taste is um....shall I say saltier than usual. I don't want to know what has been added to the pool but I do have a wild imagination. Nonetheless, for two bucks I can get my swim on. There wouldn't be too many people so most likely you would get your own lane. They have plenty of kick boards but bring your own pull buoy. They often run out of this and you would get stuck with some defective one that no one wants. The bathroom is not as clean as I want it to be and the shower is the pushed-faucet kind that you have to push and hold for the water to keep flowing. read more

Victor E Benstead Plunge - Swimming Pools Near Me - Torrance, California

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This is the first time I'm taking my son for swimming classes and I'm very satisfied with the place and the instructors. Instructors are young but they have the patience to work with the kids. My 10yr old is very happy and looks forward to going the next day. They have recreational swimming from 1-3pm. For about $2 per person. Pretty good deal read more

I've been going here 2x a week for the past few months (11a-1pm) and really like it. The staff is helpful and there are plenty of lanes (I've only had to share 2-3 times). The only thing that could make it better for me is a cheaper day rate! I'm spending $24 a month to swim 2x a week. I asked and they do have a pass for $30 that is good for 11 swims, so go that route if you plan on frequenting the pool. Salt water, clean pool, kickboards, plenty of parking, and lifeguards. #WINNING! Oh, and once I forgot my towel and home and they let me borrow one. Very cool. read more

Noe's 1st swim class!! This was my 4 year old daughter's first ever official swimming lesson. I sure wish I had enrolled her sooner. The cost is very reasonable. $25 for 5 sessions. I enrolled her in the "Tadpole" class for 3-5 year olds. There is also a "Parent & Me" class available, where the child can be in the water with a parent. So, I guess in retrospect, this is what I should have done maybe one or two years ago. My daughter had a very traumatic experience about a month ago at a friend's pool, so understandably, she was terrified and upset in the beginning. The instructors "test" the kids to gauge their comfort level and abilities. My poor little one- she didn't even want to get near the pool. So obviously, she was stuck in the group of "Petrified swimmers". Just kidding. What I loved is that her instructor (Warren) was very, very patient and did not force any of the kids to do anything they did not want to, but also did not ignore the wall hangers either. He kept including the entire class, and made it fun for all of them. I appreciate the system they have going, where there are only 4-5 swimmers per instructor, plus another two lifeguards who are over-seeing all the classes as well. I'm hoping to sign my little one up for more classes through this program. I would love to take her to Akai or the Australian swim school, but this place fits my budget, the location is great, and now that we've started, so far so good...I like the instructors. read more

Clean shower, warm water (80degree), old school locker, inexpensive, kind staff! $3 to enter :D so cheap! 50¢ lock rental! The swimmers themselves are also very nice. Limited hours, but good enough! I went on Wednesday noon. The staff told me that the swimming pool was busy. But I had a slow lane shared with only one other person. I didn't have to ask anybody to do a circle lap swimming. I am sure glad :) Hours are mon-fri 6:30am-8am; 11am-1pm. I forgot Mon- Thursday evening and the weekend schedule but the website has the info! I will be Coming more often! Don't forget your sunblock! I forgot mine and i paid the price read more

I went to this facility for lap swim every week for 3 months in a row until I had ringworm on 3 spots of my body. It was so frustrating and depressing to deal with this ringworm issue because it's so resistant to many medications. It took me almost 2 months to get rid of it. After all type of treatments, I was finally rubbing the infected spots with 100% alcohol heavily to kill this worm. It's been almost a year and i still have slight marks on the spots I had the ringworm. The very first week I started swimming, the pool seemed to be clean and not crowded but more I went worse it got. The pool got dirtier and filthier day by day that there was literally a cloud of filth as a layer at the bottom of the water. When I got out of the pool, there were women's hairs all over my body. It was that bad. People dont take showers before getiing in the water although it's posted evrywhere. Unfortunately pool administration has no enforcement program whatsoever for their users. All employees are either sitting there or walking around. Why dont you guys make sure that everybody obeys the pool rules instead of BSing around? There are also many kidds coming and attending the swimming classes at this pool and imagine all those kids infected with ringworm! It's a good facility and conveniently located but the management has to do better job to keep swimmers safe and disease-free. read more

My son has had a terrible time learning to swim until I took him here. His teacher Christine was the most helpful and kind swim instructor he ever had. I've spent thousands over the years (previously at Akai) and the Indoor Swim Center. Nobody could get him to put his face in the water until Christine came along. She was young for a swim instructor but he really related to her kind manner. 5 stars!!! read more

I'm giving 5 stars for the summer swim lesson program here. Both of my kids started at expensive private swim places to try to learn to swim as toddlers/ preschoolers and had the worst time. But then I signed them up for the daily classes through the summer at the plunge and they learned immediately how to swim! The coaches are great, they care about the kids, and the repetition of being able to go every single day (since the price is so cheap!) helps the kids get better by going every day. We even advanced to the summer swim team and had a blast at the meets through the summer. The locker rooms and bathrooms are gross (I would give those a zero!), but the swimming experience in classes and on the weekend free-swims are a definite 5 stars. read more

We asked around for recommendations for swim schools and this came up quite a bit. The price was awesome so we figured we'd try it out for a session. I was nervous at first because my daughter is a headstrong 6 year old and I wasn't sure of their system and I wanted to make sure everyone was safe. The ratio for her classes was no more than 4-1. They kind of tailored the lessons for each child, such as no longer using a noodle when they no longer needed it, even if the rest of the group did. The instructors appeared to be all twenty-somethings and they were AMAZING. I can honestly say that I never saw any of them look frustrated or annoyed. They all looked like they were genuinely happy to be there and were fun and funny and encouraging the whole time. I saw a boy on the first day who screamed and yelled and didn't want to get in the pool. They calmly put him in anyhow and his instructor put him on her back and he just hung out there while she continued the lessons with the rest of her group. He wasn't sure about the whole thing but seemed to get more and more comfortable and the next day was shouting for his mother to take his picture because he was so happy to be there and he had a great time the whole rest of the session. My daughter's instructor was named Evelyn and she was spectacular. All four of the children in her group were doing well and she was extremely encouraging and hilarious and praised them for every tiny accomplishment they made. I don't think she ever stopped smiling the entire time she was teaching. She put them at ease but also made sure they always were following the safety rules for the water. One little girl in my daughters group was a little more timid about things like jumping in the water, but Evelyn was always there to make her feel safe and this little girl always was able to accomplish whatever the task was. Thank you, Evelyn! read more

If I could give this place a zero I would I swam here all four years of high school and the staff here is so rude. I came back here for rec swim with some campers and the staff charged a fee for having some kids that were sitting in the office they were also very rude to the kids and adults do not recommend coming here for any lessons or rec swimming. Lifeguards are not consist when yelling at the kids and all have different rules. read more

A great place to swim. Clean, inexpensive and not overcrowded. Definitely recommend it.

I usually have a nice time swimming there but they are so confused on how to operate the lap swim for swimmers. There are constantly slow swimmer in the fast lanes which leaves the fast swimmers to swim on the outside lanes and being in the way on the slow swimmers who enter the same swim lanes. The lifeguards need to make sure the slower swimmers stay in the lanes that are meant for them. read more

I love the plunge. It is very clean, and the staff is always friendly and attentive. The locker rooms are staffed during free swim to make sure kids are okay and the lifeguards are very attentive and helpful. The pool is huge so it never feels crowded. I use the pool during lap hours for myself (water temp is always great even in cold weather) and I also take my kids during free swim in the summer. Great deal at $2 for kids and $3 for adults. You can buy a book of 11 passes for the price of 10. An added bonus is that it is right next door to the main Torrance library so you can swim and check out summer reading books! read more

I visit this pool for lap swimming in the warm weather months as it is outdoors and I like to exit the pool after completing half my laps. The pool and grounds are well kept and the staff are always helpful when needed. The pool fees are reasonable, the lap swimming can be crowded on occasion but this is usually not a problem. The Plunge suits my purposes well when I use it. My only criticism would pertain to the men's room. I know some use the pool for a urinal-I suppose it's human nature-but I never do. So I'd like the bathrooms to be cleaner as recompense for my consideration of the welfare of others. The bathrooms are very dirty and would not be acceptable in any other public setting. Four stars because I use and very much enjoy this municipal facility. read more

Ok, let me get the fact out there that this really is a great pool. The life guards are very friendly. But the reason this pool only gets one star is because not only did the manager harass my son, but she threatened him too. My son was just playing harmlessly with a small foam ball when she came up to him and told him that he was not allowed to bring toys to the pool. That is understandable, but she saw other kids playing with other sorts of toys and yet my son was the only one who got harassed. But thats not the part that bothers me, after she had said no toys, she then said that he was not allowed to do anymore front flips into the pool. It was then after when she said that if he did another flip, he would be kicked out and sent home. That alone was enough to make me mad but what really ticked me off was that her own lifeguards ENCOURAGED him to do a flip. So that means he had a green light to do the flip, which means my son got threatened and he did not even do anything wrong. I don't know if she was trying to be like a mother and protect my son from getting hurt but thats my job, how dare she go ahead and question my sons swimming abilities. The list goes on about her cruel and selfish ways but I have already gotten all of the major stuff out there so all I recommend is that you don't take your kids to this pool unless you are ok with them being harassed. read more