William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center

Came here for JAG. Excellent facility and place to hold a large meet. My daughter likes the competition pools here a lot.

What a great place to swim. With two Olympic size pools and one diving pool you can’t go wrong. Usually the diving pool is reserved for aqua aerobic classes or swim school in the summer, so don’t expect to swim laps in that one. The pool maintenance staff keep the pools very clean, working seven days a week to insure you have a good swim. Pools aren’t over chlorinated but they are kept on the cool side, so if you seek a nice warm swim this isn’t the place. Water temp is approximately 80 °F on any given day. Outdoors so wear sunscreen and watch the pool schedule as this place closes for meets and events. They are very reliable for lap swimming and honor their posted schedule. Staff is sorta bored but they process your entry and get you on your way. Lap swim for seniors is $ 2/​session; Adults $ 4 and you can buy a card loaded with swims for a discount. Unlimited one year entry is $ 250.

Great venue for water polo. Plenty of seating, restrooms and food. Easy freeway access.
Only knock is that they need more parking.

Great place to get some lap swimming done.
I am a baby anchovy compared to some of these amazing swimmers here so i was VERY INTIMIDATED. But luckily the lady at the front entrance showed me around and explained what was to be expected.
It was my first time swimming at such a professional facility so I was very anxious and intimidated. So after i put my suit on and walked out in the nippy evening weather, i noticed how all the lanes were taken which meant i would have to muster up the courage in asking someone to share a lane with baby anchovy. GOWD DAMN. But I guess God noticed how pathetic i looked and decided to help me out. In the corner of my eye someone looked like they were leaving. Hallelujah!!! I took the far corner lane next to the wall and just swam.
Now the water was great. Locker room great. And the people here were super helpful.
i will enjoy swimming here… and maybe one day i will graduate from baby anchovy to a magnificent TUNA!

I have been searching for an Olympic size swimming pool in OC for sometime, and I am so glad I found this place. Probably the best place swim around the entire OC area. It is $ 4 lap swim each time our you can get 10 ticket for $ 35, and there is monthly pass as well. I found the 10 ticket option the more convenient and best value. The place is well maintained with very friendly and professional staff. It gets crowded in the afternoon and weekend but you will never have problem share lane with others. If you come I the morning, u always get to swim I. Your own lane. I luv swimming here!

I went there to pick up the certificate for my kid today because we went out of country at the last lesson (4^th class) of the session (total 4 classes). The front desk can NOT find the certificate and said «the teacher found a full-​time job» so we can not check with her to see where she put the certificates. The teacher are supposed to leave the certificate at the front desk after the lesson, but if the teacher don’t do it, we can do nothing.
The issue is NOT about a piece of certificate (just a paper), it’s about the SOP the center set up for the teachers to follow. The front desk said the teachers are supposed to make a record what the kids’ level is, even if they don’t make a paper certificate. However, after the front desk checked the computer, she still called the back-​end office to ask what level my kid is… STRANGE! don’t you say you have record in the COMPUTER SYSTEM???
i do NOT think i will go back again since the students’ progress records AND level placement process are too LOOSE… i see the center has a lot of space for improvement!

I went there for early morning lap swimming. Very nice pool. Helpful staff (at least in terms of taking my $ 4 and directing me to the locker room and pool). I make it a habit of checking out new lap pools when out of town and this is one of the best. The only improvement I’d recommend is a spinner to dry bathing suits.

Its a championship aquatic center, where swimmers can train and excel at their sport. Its spacious enough for freestyle laps and for kids to practice their doggy paddle. But as a Birthday Party venue, it was totally disappointing. This place should focus on creating a happy birthday experience. Hence, my review of TWO STARS is strictly on how hosting a party here is like — not the actual aquatics center, which by itself is 5 stars with the pool. I would swim here daily for sure.
I am not really sure how this place encourages the community to celebrate parties here when it seems like an itinerary of strict rules, swim ability test (for the water slide) and «stop-​watch» timed fun. My family and I came here to celebrate my two little cousins birthday party, and when we noticed that the invite was from 3−5pm we ultimately wondered why so short? But we took it as maybe a time slot issue because we knew the place was so popular. However, once we showed up (about 30 mins after) Everyone was already rushed to the pool. My husband and I wanted to swim with the kids, but when my Aunt told me that pool time was going to finish at 4pm — we were shocked on how short of a time span. The rest of the party time was just condensed to all the kids getting dressed from pool time, to eating food, then singing Happy Birthday with cake, and then straight to clean up. We didn’t have time to converse, let alone play games or open gifts. The crew at the center hovered over our family, ready to pull trash cans to the tables and make sure we started on time to pretty much just get out of there. There wasnt any other party or swim group there except us. What was with the rush??? Plus the people who work here are uncaring and not empathetic at all.
In a way it was super rude. I did feel embarrassed and sad for my cousin and their kids. It was utterly the most upsetting kids birthday I’ve been to.
I understand that it was a Sunday, I understand that there is a time slot, I understand that the people who work here don’t really want to be here, but as a courtesy to kids and people who have never been there before, do not offer to host birthday events here. It seems like a waste of everyone’s time and money. After reading the other reviews from other concerned parents, I agree on how they feel. And coming from a party guests point of view. this is definitely a venue to avoid.
OverALL: Those other places like Chuck E.‘s, Farrell’s or even Red Robin can host better. Kids dont have to worry about being rushed and they can simply just enjoy themselves.

This review is strictly for the Birthday options available at the center. We booked last minute and felt very fortunate that a slot was available for our daughters second birthday. Somehow this should have been a slight flag, right? August pool party available on a Saturday… a week before!
The setup for three parties in a single day is poorly slotted, you literally have two hours for your party time which includes SETUP and CLEANUP… somewhere in between that time you need to eat, swim, sing happy birthday and then you need to hurry up and clean up the presents/​favors/​food. Everything needs to be out by 2:30 (we had the 12:30 — 2:30 time slot)
Our party was pretty low key but the real issue was that we were told the room needed to be cleared out by 2:30 but guests were allowed to stay after the party and continue to swim, but instead of that being true, our guests were asked to leave because our party was over and the next party was starting. How embarrassing — some guests arrived late but knew the pool would still be available to us after the party time — just like other people were enjoying our party time in the pool that weren’t part of our party because its free swim time.
I got an apology once I emailed the center, well that certainly fixes it for folks who traveled over an hour just to be told they needed to leave after their expectation was to enjoy the day at the pool.
Its cheap to book $ 150 for Irvine residents and $ 160 for non residents but they didn’t have any party forms or info sheets when we went to take a look, clearly this is not a main draw for the center, so if you dont plan on doing a great job and giving a great experience to folks who want to throw a party at the center, than just get rid of the program all together.
Huge disappointment and total waste of time and money.
The facilities are very clean and large, the pools are designed for fast swimming times, for all other aspects the pools are world class, just dont bother with the kids pool parties.

Great venue for swim competition. Though the traffic situation can be problematic.

This past Saturday was my first time watching a professional swimming event — the USA Swimming National Championships in Irvine (2014)!. WOW. I was so stoked to get tickets earlier last week and my husband and I both went on Saturday to watch the prelims. The events were: 400m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 100m backstroke, and 400m medley relay. I only stayed to watch the first 3 events, and they blew my mind. :)
Olympic medalists from years past (such as from the London 2012 Olympics) were there — Missy Franklin, Michael Phelps, etc. I can’t believe I saw them in person racing in the pool! INCREDIBLE. Inspiring!
I would have loved to stay for the Sunday events as well, since Lochte and Phelps were to swim the 200m IM but it’s ok.
The aquatics center was huge, well maintained, completely outdoors, with no shade in the spectator seating area, so you’re basically stuck in the sun (bring water!). The event was well organized, and prices for all-​day (1 day) event was only $ 15 per adult. We were thrilled to have gone and witnessed these super stars who will be representing USA at the upcoming Olympics in Rio 2016!
Loved that there were so many Cal swimmers representing Berkeley!

This review is from my experience hosting a birthday party for my kid.
This aquatics center (WWJAC) is currently offering use of their room and pool for birthday parties from May 4^th through October 27^th (2013 schedule) on Saturdays, Sundays, and some holidays such as Labor Day. For $ 150, you get 3 hours of the party room and 2 hours of the shallow pool (2−½ to 4ft deep with one slide) in between for up to 50 people. I chose the 10:00 — 1:00 time frame, but they also offer 1:30 — 4:30 and 5:00 — 8:00. A lifeguard will be on duty.
Booking was easy, but the dates and times fill up pretty fast so it’s best to do it early. They prefer at least 4 weeks advance booking (I booked mine a little over a month in advance). I just filled out the form, paid $ 150 upfront, and it was done. They have extra options for a fee, such as additional pool time, extra staff to play games with, use of their PA system (to play your own music), and bounce house. I didn’t need them since I had a bunch of lower graders who just enjoyed being in the water and playing with their friends.
My party time was divided like this:
9:50a (I think you can come as early as 9:45a, but call ahead of time to make sure) — The manager let us in when we got there, so we started bringing in our stuff (cupcakes, food, decorations, favors, etc.). They have a fridge you can use. They also have a cart so if you have a lot of stuff, ask for one.
10:00a~10:30a — Guests started coming in, but we were not allowed in the pool until 10:30. The lifeguard went through the rules around 10:15.
10:30a~12:30p — Pool time. We were hoping to serve pizza and cake after they closed the pool at 12:30, but the kids started to get hungry so we let whoever was hungry eat inside the party room and then go back out to swim.
12:30p~1:00p — Good thing we let the kids eat pizza during pool time because everyone including us had to leave the facility AT 1:00p (we thought we had time to clean up at 1:00 and then leave). We served the cupcakes (it was faster than having a big cake), cleaned up, and got out of there in time.
One MAJOR downfall is that all the kids had to take a swim test in order to go down the slide. They each had to freestyle across the pool once (no other styles accepted) to get a wristband. None of the staff members mentioned this to me at booking time, and they even talked about the slide as if anyone and everyone can go down it, so it came as a surprise on the day of the party (3 stars for that reason alone).
Other than the let’s-make-some-kids-miserable-as-they-watch-their-friends-go-down-the-slide incident, all the kids managed to have fun somehow. I think most kids won’t mind too much if they can’t go down the slide as long as they have other friends who can’t, but I have seen some cry or feel sad about it.

When I was a kid, my parents signed me up for swim classes at the local YMCA, and thank God that they did, because swimming is definitely a good skill to have. It can be life-​saving. Thankfully I haven’t had to use it for that, yet.
I usually swim at the 24 because of my membership, but it’s always over-​chlorinated and when people come out of the steam room, or sauna, they always cool off in the pool, which is absolutely disgusting. And due to my wanting to improve on my swimming skills and endurance, I thought about checking out this pool for lap swimming, and I am glad I did.
I went at around 6:30 and paid $ 36 for 10 time pass. They got normal lockers, nothing extraordinary, and definitely not dirty. When I went out though, I was blown away with the facility. Along with their 3 pools, they had bleachers because that’s where they have Olympic trials. I was also blown away by the amount of people already out there getting their swim on, either individually, or in the Masters swim class.
The lanes were set up in 50 m and people were sharing lanes. The water was had a very slight chlorine smell, which is awesome. I had a great workout, and showered off at the locker room. The only thing they lacked here was that they don’t have soap or shampoo in the showers… next time I’ll bring it.
You get to swim in an olympic facility, which is awesome. It’s nicely kept and maintained.

Great place to be for swimming

Water is salty and there are about ten or so classes going on at the same time. Pool is crowded! My wife’s 45 minute swim class had to switch lanes 3 times because of the sheer number of people! People are always going in and out! Reminds me of that «It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia» episode where the gang goes to a overcrowded public pool and everyone’s wearing shoes inside the pool.
Dennis: I’m jumping in the pool!
Frank: Plus, I’m gonna piss in it!

Can’t say enough about this facility. Second year in row for my son’s Waterpolo tournament. Clean restrooms and a snack bar are great!

Great place for swimming lessons! The facility is clean and organized.

Just checked this place out for the first time today. I swam competitively with So-​Cal a million years ago. Now i’m just looking for somewhere close to home to exercise.
Thought I’d answer some of my own questions that the Unilocal reviews/​interweb research didn’t cover.
Lap length: 25 yards. Yes it’s an Olympic length 50 meter pool, but lap swimming is restricted to the «shallow end» 25yards.
Lane Availability: Went at 1:30PM on a friday. About 6 – 7 lanes, no sharing and 3 completely empty, awesome!
Depth: The shallowest lane is 5 ft and there’s only 1. Sorry wimps and shorties (aka: me), limited standing room here.
Water?: Chlorine, but not at all strong, tastes salty but it isn’t. Heated, temp 80 – 81.
Diving? Yes! Two 3 meter dives and a 1 meter, super fun! You’re also allowed to dive off the start blocks, a huge plus.
Training aids: Both kick boards and kick buoys are in a huge bin next to to pool.
Parking: Easy, close, free.
Cost: $ 4
Showers: Clean, warm, group. None private.
Private Changing Area: Yes, 2. They are adjacent to showers and close with a curtain.
Lockers: Bring your own lock, lots of free lockers.

The Woollett Aquatic Center is one of the best swimming facilities around. It is located at Heritage Park, right next to Irvine High School. There are 3 pools here. 2 of the pools are 50 meter by 25 yards. The other pool is a small 25 yard teaching pool. Lap swimming is normally in one of their 50 meter pools. I’ve swam laps in both long and short course.
The locker room is my only complaint about this place. Although I have never been in jail, I imagine that if I was in a jail locker room, it would look like the locker room here. The lockers are typical lockers. You can bring your own lock. They have a shower tree with 4 shower heads. If everyone finishes swimming at the same time, you will be sharing a shower tree with someone.
The pool is open for lap swimming Monday — Friday from 6am-​8am, 10am –2pm, 6pm-​8pm. On Saturday & Sunday, lap swimming is available from 8am-​10am.
It costs $ 4 to swim here. Seniors over 55 pay only $ 2.
Kick boards and Pull buoys are available if you want extra punishment for your workout.
I love this pool for lap swimming. Swimming here automatically makes me swim faster. The pool was built for speed. Only hard core people swim laps here. I get a reality check when swimming here. Normally, I am the fastest ones in a LA Fitness or other public pools. When I swim here, I am one of the slowest. $ 4 admission is a little steep for me. I don’t swim here as much anymore after I realized that my $ 50 a year LA Fitness membership includes the privilege of swimming in one of their filthy swimming pools, where I could get kicked, and interrupted during my workouts by someone walking, or floating in the water.

Located Right next to Irvine High. The facility features two 50m x 25yd cometition pools as well as a 25yd x 25m instructional pool. Normally I believe there is a fee to swim here ($ 4 for 18+ adults), but I’m in a Masters Program which I pay for monthly so I can swim here for free.
During the summer I see lots of young swimmers taking lessons and I heard they also hosted olympic trials here in the past. The facility has a nice locker room leading directly to the pool area, and as stated above there are 3 pool. 1 looks dedicated as a diving pool.
There is a parking lot right outside the facility, I have never had an issues finding parking early in the morning. Additional information can be found @ the city of irvine’s website :
Huge, staffed, and clean facility. Great for beginners to the most advanced swimmers!