Berkeley RecWell Aquatics offers open recreational swim, instructional swim classes, group aqua-exercise classes, lifeguard certification courses, and a variety of youth swim programs. With a wide variety of pools, activities, and hours, we’ve got the swim options you’re looking for.
Pools
- Golden Bear Rec Center (GBRC) Pooladd
- Layout: 6 lanes, 25 yard length
- Temperature: 79-80 deg F
- Depth: 3.5-10 ft
- Amenities: Locker rooms, day lockers (must bring their own lock), showers, restrooms, swimsuit spinners, kickboards. No wheelchair access or towel service.
- Facility Specific Policies:
- Children ages 13+ may swim at GBRC Pool as long as they are swimming laps.
- Individuals unable to demonstrate proficient swimming skills must remain in standing-depth areas.
- Hearst Poolsadd
Hearst North Pool
RecWell is not currently offering programming at Hearst North Pool.
- Layout: 4 lanes, 33.5 yard length
- Temperature: 71-81 deg F
- Depth: 3.5-10 ft
Hearst East and West Pools
RecWell is not currently offering programming at Hearst East and West Pools.
- Layout: 2 lanes, 20 yard length
- Temperature: 71-81 deg F
- Depth: 3.5-10 ft
- Legends Aquatics Centeradd
- Layout: 8 lanes, 50 meter length
- Temperature: 79-80 deg F
- Depth: 8-16 ft
- Amenities: Access to restrooms. No access to showers or locker rooms. No towels, locks, or lockers will be provided.
- Facility Specific Policies:
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- Rec Swim at Legends is only available to RecWell Members (active membership required). No Day Pass users permitted.
- Patrons are not permitted to use locker rooms, deck showers, or hottub.
- Patrons are not permitted on the diving blocks, diving boards, dive tower, or other diving equipment.
- Swimmers who have questionable swimming skills will be asked to take a swim test. Individuals unable to demonstrate proficient swimming skills will not be permitted to continue using the pool.
- Spieker Pooladd
- Layout: 18 lanes, 25 yard length
- Temperature: 79-80 deg F
- Depth: 7-13.5 ft
- Amenities: Locker rooms, day lockers (must bring their own lock) or semester rental lockers, showers, restrooms, swimsuit spinners, kickboards, pool lift for those needing assistance getting into/out of the pool. No towel service.
- Facility Specific Policies:
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- Swimmers who have questionable swimming skills will be asked to take a swim test. Individuals unable to demonstrate proficient swimming skills will not be permitted to continue using the pool.
- Strawberry Canyon Rec Area (SCRA) Pooladd
- Layout: 3 lanes for Lap Swim, ~25 yard length, open use area (8000 sq ft)
- Temperature: 82-84 deg F
- Depth: 3.5-10 ft
- Amenities: Locker rooms, day lockers (must bring their own lock), showers, restrooms, Family Restrooms, swimsuit spinners, kickboards, pool lift for those needing assistance getting into/out of the pool. No towel service.
- Facility Specific Policies:
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- A plastic diaper holder must cover cloth and disposable diapers.
- Swim diapers are required for children who are not toilet trained.
- Each non-swimmer must be accompanied in the pool by an adult within arms length at all times. Note: One adult per non-swimmer.
- Flotation devices are restricted to the shallow area of the pool. Children wearing flotation devices must be accompanied in the water by an adult at all times and within arms length.
- Toys and swim equipment will be restricted at the discretion of the lifeguard based on safety concerns.
- No squirt guns or hard balls (tennis balls, etc) allowed in the pool and facility.
- Rafts are restricted based on the number of swimmers in the pool.
- SCRA kickboards are for lap swim or instructional use only.
- Swimmers who have questionable swimming skills will be asked to take a swim test. Individuals unable to demonstrate proficient swimming skills must remain in standing-depth areas.
- 15 minute swim breaks will be called by the lifeguard during high use periods.
General Pool Policies (Click on Each Pool Above for Facility Specific Policies)
- Safetyadd
- No swimming unless there is a lifeguard on duty.
- No head-first entries allowed.
- No eating or drinking allowed on the pool deck or in water (Exception: Water).
- No smoking allowed on the pool deck.
- No glass containers allowed on the pool deck or in water.
- No running, roughhousing, or unsafe behavior allowed on pool deck or in water.
- No bikes, scooters, rollerblades or skateboards.
- No animals (Exception: Service animals).
- Abusive or profane language will not be tolerated.
- All RecWell policies and conduct guidelines apply.
- Lifeguardsadd
- No one will be permitted in the lifeguard chair(s) except the lifeguard.
- Pool personnel are not responsible for any personal items brought onto the pool deck.
- Lifeguards have full authority over patrons using the pool area and may enforce rules not listed as situations warrant.
- Swim Attireadd
- Proper swim attire allows the body to move freely, does not impede buoyancy and does not create an increased risk to the patron's safety.
- Swim caps are recommended and may be required in the future.
- Showers are recommended before entering the pool.
- Lap Swim Etiquetteadd
- Circle swim counterclockwise.
- Follow lane speed marker signs.
- If you are constantly being passed by others, please move to a slower lane. If you are constantly passing others, please move to a faster lane.
- Swimmers should pass only at the wall. While resting at the wall, make room for other swimmers to turn.