Temescal Swimming Pool

I swim here 4 – 5 days a week… First the goods: I love it … its a totally amazing escape into the briny deep with the huge plus of getting to chill out poolside after your done with getting yoru mermaid and work out on…
There is a great staff — Asam and his team are ridiculously good at managing the insanity that constitutes the group of folks who swim here on the regular. And it does get crowded when the weather is nice. Its utterly sublime to swim during the winter — especially on cold and rainy days…
More on the good: saline pool, outdoors, open at lunch, open year round, great group of regular swimmers (especially the women), the staff… and I love that there is room to hang out after I knock out my workout, to rehydrate, dose up on Vitamin D, and to chill… the women who swim regularly are all awesome about sharing the showers when it gets packed — very chill scene with a flavor of bonhomie…
Now for the less than optimal — the locker rooms are often duuurteee– as in really dirty and filthy… but the «bench stand» is a great save. My only other complaint is not in anyway the fault of the facility — its the lack of pool etiquette that occasionally crops up with swimmers … when you are swimming six and seven to a lane — pacing, keeping the box clear, changing lanes if you are too slow, granting egress if you are tapped on the foot by a faster swimmer — are all pretty critical to any reasonable pool work out. I find that in the summer, especially after work, there are swimmers who either don’t know or don’t care about holding up six other swimmers or any pool etiquette. It can turn a lovely swim into a game of aqua-​frogger. On the upside– the guards will pull people out of lane and are terrifically responsive to complaints.
I have been swimming here several days a week for years– huge huge fan.

So there’s a lot a talk of some of the lanes being too aggressive and competitive. It’s true and it’s one of the main reasons I like swimming here. That being said, if you are too slow for your chosen lane or don’t follow lap swim etiquette, expect to get called on it. Usually, it’s polite at first because the regulars (me being one of them) will assume that you just don’t know (versus you not caring), but if you continue to swim too slow and therefore are clogging up the lane with a bunch of swimmers behind you, trying to pass you, etc., don’t be surprised when we get annoyed and say something. It’s nothing personal when we tell you to either swim faster or change lanes, but most of us want to get the best possible workout in and if that means telling youto go swim in a different lane because you aren’t fast enough, then move over.
Tips:
–faster swimmer has the right of way
–do not take off in front of someone and do breaststroke
–if you are tapped, that means the person behind you wants to pass you. LET THEM PASS.
–if you keep getting passed in your chosen lane, you are too slow for that lane and need to change lanes
–do not under any circumstances stand at the wall in the middle of the lane
–do not swim down the middle of the lane (do you drive like this? No. Then don’t do it while swimming. It’s a safety issue)
–leave your ego at home and do not take it personal if you are asked to change lanes.

I called this pool 3 times to make sure the public swim times were 2−330… i get there and at 245 theyre CLOSED… i ask what time they closed the lifeguard said they hit capacity… what a waste of time driving there!!! I wont be back for public swim any time soon!!!

I come here to swim laps during lunch hours.
— The pool get generally crowded with about 5 people swimming in one lane. It can be frustrated especially if people change their tempo changing styles or using tools. Other frustration is that you have one half of the lane and have to be careful to not hit the chain separating the lanes or other people (it helps a lot when people swim crawl only and stay compact).
— There are no marking lines above the pool which would help you to stay in straight line when you swim backstroke.
— water could be more salty and less chlorine. Sometimes I smell the chlorine from my skin after shower.
— Big drawback for the facility. They require you to only say your 4 digit pass number to enter. Somebody ended up using my number which made me quite angry. The girl said she will credit me the uses back (nice) but this should not happen in the first place. I told them they should ask for the ID or at least the name. The girl said we are asking for the name. But the way they ask is like, ‘Are you Jana?’ not ‘What is you name?’. The girl was also writing down the pass numbers in front of me and I could see the whole list. If I was evil I could just use the numbers I saw next time. This is sad.

I love swimming at this pool. I’m a person for whom a good workout under the sun beats most other things in life, and Temescal Pool gives me an unparalleled swimmer’s high day after day. The place is nothing fancy, but with its generous lawn borders, part-​saline water, friendly staff and high percentage of sunny days, it’s bucolic in its own way.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t address the cons, so those are listed below.
Crowding — It’s not Temescal’s fault, but if you come here enough the crowds will affect the quality of your swim, and not for the better.
Zero lane enforcement — As I mentioned above, most of the staff are chill and friendly. However, none of them has even once stepped in to kindly redirect slow swimmers out of the fast lanes, an intrusion that happens literally every day. I respect anyone who tries to better his or her own health and well-​being via exercise, but we all need to swim in speed-​appropriate lanes if we’re going to enjoy ourselves and get our money’s worth.
I’m in the pool as an injured runner, so the idea of not being able to get a workout in because someone slow is in my way is both foreign and maddening to me. The staff has the authority to step up, and they need to do so.
The locker rooms get a bad rap on this site, but they’re totally fine. They’re utilitarian, but fine, and the showers are always hot so I can’t complain.

The locker facilities are kind of gross. That said, the pool is a perfect temperature and I like that it’s part salt water (less chlorine). It’s overall a very pleasant place to swim. A large pack of high school students arrived at around 8:25am, so plan to come earlier if you want to avoid a crowded locker room.

Wow! What a shame. I used to come here every day for lap swim. Today I was unable to swim at work. The facilities were deplorable. Chunks of hair on the floor, muddy dirty floors, the plastic wrapper from a feminine napkin next to the pool, a combination lock on the bottom of the pool, a hole in the shower wall in the shower stalls. If this is how dirty the facilities are, I can ONLY imagine the care that is given the chemicals or sanitation of the swimming pool itself. So said to see this place being poorly managed. The manager of this swim facility (and every lifeguard and employee of this location) should be absolutely ashamed of themselves. I almost wish could give this location zero stars.

Tried to swim with this pool’s swim team (Masters?), but then I found out I would have to pretty much swim for one hour straight. Sure, there were breaks of 2 – 5 minutes (I stretched it out as long as possible), but I was done after two lengths of the pool. Then they started talking about something called the Butterfly. I thought they were talking about the bugs flitting about the lawn, not some contrived contortion-​requiring swim style. How could they expect me to do that after my two lengths?! I couldn’t even get my hands out of the water, let alone my arms and head!
I was able to float like a cork in the middle of the lane though. Some of those with whom I was swimming didn’t seem to appreciate or empathize with my exhaustion. Oh well, If I could have moved, I would have.
Coach Vanessa was very nice about it all, even when suggesting that I get some lessons to learn the crawl stroke… she called it Free Style. I think it has its roots in some form of dance, rapping, or something else that’s musical.
I give them 5 stars because of Vanessa’s friendly approach and honesty, and because of those five people who helped lift me out of the pool. They were nice, and I was exhausted. Next time I’ll start out with one length…
BTW, the surrounding grass was wonderful to collapse in once they winched me out of the pool!

Nice, clean pool, close to my friend’s house so bonus for being close!
The pool is nice and deep in spots and its not heated too much.
Sometimes people are doing yoga around the pool which might be interesting to try sometime.
$ 6 to swim under the sun. Not a bad deal.

FIRST AND FOREMOST:
Oakland Aquatics is a great organization. They maintain an excellent system of pools and programs.
THAT SAID:
I think Temescal is the best of the bunch. The pool is nice and deep with six lanes. It’s generally a little cooler than other pools, which I prefer. The fast lanes can be nicely competitive (not aggro, but with fast swimmers who either offer someone to chase, or someone to snap at your heels if you get lazy). The men’s locker room is spacious. There’s plenty of hot water. Ample pool equipment (kick-​boards and pull buoys). And in general both lifeguards and swimmers are really nice.
EXCEPT:
The knuckleheads who swim in the fast lanes but don’t let you pass at the wall (c’mon … pay attention and be polite). But they’re everywhere.
BETTER STILL:
There’s kind of a cool yoga scene that happens on Saturdays, with people practicing around the deck. I love that.
IN BRIEF:
I’ll be there Saturday, like I am every Saturday. Half-​hour of yoga, then into the water for about 3,000 yards of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual delight.

Temescal Pool’s current price is $ 6, which is a fair price to swim outside in the sun in their slightly salty chlorinated water.
The pool is a unique 100ft in length. So to swim a mile you need to swim 26.4 laps and to swim a kilometer you need to swim 16.4 laps.
My casually researched price history of Temescal Pool.
2003 — $ 2.50
2008 — $ 3.00
2010 — $ 5.00
2014 — $ 6.00

Heads up… I have gone here twice in the last week and the lap lanes are jammed !!! There are 5 – 7 people trying to negotiate circle swimming in each lane… not exactly serene or easy… not to mention the screaming match that hlappened between two swimmers in the lane next to me on Thursday…

Went for an early morning Masters practice and was pleasantly surprised. The neighborhood was quiet, the locker room warm, the lanes extra wide, and the pool nice and ready. The extra length on the pool is a pleasure, not too far like the 50M.
$ 5 a swim and $ 45 a month for masters is a bargain. Check out other pools in the area, they are far more.

I try to get here at least once a weekend for their lap swim hours. This pool is a great! The yardage is a little funky (something like 33 yards long I heard?) but that just makes the workout longer, which is good in my book. It’s always clean and at a decent temperature.
During lap swim hours, the crowd varies. The one thing that I’ve noticed is that many people do not understand lap swim etiquette. I’ve had to stop at walls and ask people to move out of the way. At times it can be very frustrating and I am sure I am one of the «rude» fast swimmers. Learn how to lap swim and read the words «fast» and «slow» next to each lane, and then I won’t ask you to get out of my way so I can do a flip turn or swim around you because you are barely floating above water.

. They wanted me to do a ‘swim test.’ which included treading water for 60 seconds. just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’m a father. I know how to swim. This rule is ridiculous .
FAIL

On a warm, sunny day the Temescal pool is blue and inviting. Shower facilities are basic, but usually clean.
Kudos to OPR for offering youth swim team with great coaches.

$ 5 a swim. Exact change only. (Unless you buy a 10 pack, then it’s $ 40 and you can charge your card).
The swimming pool is pretty freakin awesome. 6 lanes: 2 slow, 2 med, 2 fast. Saline (no chlorine! woo!). Weekends actually never feel packed — so I can always get a great workout in!
Changing rooms… not the finest, but hey there are showers, it’s remember — it’s only $ 5 a swim! And BRING FLIP FLOPS!!! You’ve been warned.

The lockers are rusted; the shower smells of mildew; and the price was increased to $ 5/​swim.
That being said, this place is a hidden gem… and worth every penny.
I come in for an afternoon swim worn down and muddle-​headed and then head back to the office refreshed and inspired.
The pool itself is kept at a reasonable temperature year-​round — maybe a little cooler than other public pools, but perfect once you get moving.
I’ve seen a few complaints from other reviewers about the fast swimmers being rude. I’ve not found this to be the case. People are generally courteous and civic-​minded. If you play by the rules — choose the appropriate lane, circle swim, and move to side if you’re taking a break — you can drift off into zen-​like state, decompress, slough off the pain, and soak up some sun.

FYI: Pool temp is always 80 – 81 degrees, great for a workout, & the pool length is 33yards…
the fast swimmers are rude and pushy! there is one lady that swims there and she is absolutley ridiculous! She never gets out of the pool when the whistle blows, and she argues with people about how fast they are going. It sucks that people like that ruin my peaceful swim but hey…
BRING FLIP FLOPS FOR THE LOCKER ROOM!

For a public facility — in the City of Oakland, no less — this pool is a standout. Note: I speak of the pool itself. The locker room and aquatic equipment are unremarkable at best. The locker room is purely utilitarian and definitely not somewhere you’d want to linger. Equipment is limited and often in poor condition. That said, you go to this pool to swim. If you need a posh changing room with high-​end amenities, go to a spa; if you want to use special aquatic equipment, bring your own. The pool is surrounded by a grassy area, where you can lounge or stretch, if you like. There isn’t any lawn furniture, though, and not many tend to linger there.
The rate is $ 5 per use or $ 4 per swim for a package of 10 ($ 40). Be forewarned: If you are buying your first series or adding funds to your account, it can be a LONG process as the *one* person at the front desk continuously gets interrupted by individuals who are checking in. I bought a pass in September, and, though it has been more than a month, haven’t yet received it in the mail. (You can just use your card number to check in.)
Temescal Pool is located in a residential area off Broadway, near Oakland Tech. I’ve always found parking to be plentiful around the pool, never having to walk more than a block or two. Many users seem to bike. On Friday evenings in the summer months, Bites off Broadway is right outside the pool.
By and large, fellow users, who self select, seem to be fairly serious swimmers who are generally genial and abide by the posted pool etiquette related to lane speeds, circle swimming and so forth. It can get crowded as open hours are fairly limited. Every so often, especially on hot days, folks come to enjoy the water more than to work out and will hang out in the shallow end, chatting or canoodling with their special someone, annoyingly oblivious to lane speeds and the like. (Policing this behavior doesn’t seem to be among the job responsibilities of the friendly teenager types who lifeguard/​staff the pool.)
All in all: An unexpected and treasured community facility in Oaktown. I leave you with these final thoughts:
Saline!
Outdoors!
Inexpensive!
Infinity pool!