Peter Kirk Pool

6 times to this pool this Summer and I’ve formed a solid opinion.
My kudos:
It’s a lovely outdoor pool, free parking, great location, fair price for lessons & free swim.
My complaints:
1. We enrolled for Aqua Tots which is supposed to get a toddler comfortable in the water. I can’t complain about the lesson itself, it was fine. I can complain that we were not allowed in the toddler pool at all before or after the lesson. It would be wise to allow a toddler into the toddler pool at least 15 mins before their lesson so they can adapt to the water prior to their lesson. Sadly, carrying my toddler into the BIG pool (where the lessons are held) was scary for him and he basically screamed for the first 10 minutes each time and this could have been a much smoother experience for us if he had a few minutes to walk around the wading pool. Sad.
2. Two weekends ago we arrived 30 minutes into a 90 minute open swim session. We paid and went to the toddler pool and had a great experience. Today we arrived 30 minutes into the session, paid and found that the toddler pool was at capacity. We went into the big pool and waited patiently for room in the toddler pool. 40 people are allowed in the toddler pool and I counted less. I then found out that capacity means even the people not swimming, just watching. Then I also found out that they only give out 40 wrist bands and then no one else is allowed to use the toddler pool. This was not the case two weekends ago. This would have been nice to know ahead of time and we would have come at the session start. What really bothered me is how many of the small kids with wrist bands (and parents) ended up in the big pool at some point and there was plenty of room in the toddler pool but we were denied entrance. Again, another opportunity for my toddler to get used to the water before another lesson but it didn’t work out. To add to our disappointment, the people that paid entrance at the same time of us DID gain entrance to the toddler pool after complaining to the lifeguard. What a broken system.
3. A few of the lifeguards are consistently rude. I understand that you have a job with some authority and are responsible for the safety of the swimmers but you need to take some basic customer service 101.

I hate indoor swim pools. I love outdoor swim pools. The only public outdoor pools I am familiar with are Kirkland’s Peter Kirk, Mounger Pool on Magnolia (which rocks, combo it with Red Mill Burger and you have a winning afternoon), and Coleman Pool in W. Seattle, where I learned how to swim but haven’t been for ages.
Peter Kirk is a great pool. On a sunny day it’s hard to beat. It’s L-​shaped with a deep end, a single low diving board, and also a separate 2′ deep kiddie pool.
I use Peter Kirk for laps in the morning sometimes, and take my kid for lessons, and take my kid for open swim. I’m there quite a bit. I really like it for all 3 purposes.
Now… I do have a few gripes:
1. They charge full admission for my wife even if she’s just watching and not swimming. This is new and it is absurd.
2. They take away most of the morning lap swim for 6 weeks in the middle of the summer for a kids swim camp. I’m sorry I can’t get up at 6am just to swim. Can’t the camp start a bit later in the day?
3. The restroom is so-​so, dated with that familiar public swim restroom smell.
4. Why do pools not have high dives anymore? What a gyp. Lawyers I bet.
Overall though, what a great place with a great vibe.