Balboa Swimming Pool

If this pool is getting an upgrade like another Unilocaler suggested, then it might have something going for it.
The pool complex has got a sterile, cold, prisonlike feeling to it. The water is maintained supposedly at the high 60s-​low 70s, but definitely doesn’t feel like it. The locker room is concrete with old lockers and blah floors. Unlike the newer renovated pools, they have no dryers or curtained off changing areas. The showers are like a prison line: visible to the pool patrons (read as: not in the dressing room) you line up and one person pushes a handle turning on all the shower heads for a few minutes.
The pool itself is a good enough length: not as short as Sava’s. For lap swim, they have flippers and kickboards, and for rec swim it’s quite lively: they bust out the pool noodles and balls and nets.
To be fair, I may be comparing it to the newer SF pools, but if you don’t have a choice, this one will do just fine.

We were really disappointed with our experience at the Balboa swimming pool. My husband and I took our 2 small kids swimming there a few weeks back and we will not return. First, the pool was really cold and about 1 hour of swimming was too long in that cool water.
However, our main complaint was the micromanagement of our time there by the lifeguards. One particular guard was kind to us, but the other 2, within one hour’s time, managed to reprimand me (a grown woman) for getting into the pool the wrong way on the ladder and for having my daughter have her hands around my neck and float behind me while I swam along. One also reprimanded my husband for taking our son into too deep (their opinion) of water. It was seriously ridiculous and I felt about 5 years old, not being able to enjoy my time with my family because I wondered what I was going to be scolded for next. I don’t mind if the lifeguards are all about safety, but when they begin to take away my ability to make some decisions (using my own common sense and knowledge of my children) as a person and parent, it becomes ridiculous.
As I said, we will not be returning to this pool, nor would I recommend it to anyone else.

Great location inside a beautiful park in Mission Terrace!
This pool will be going under major renovation in the next year or so. (to be finished in 2016)
The project may include the renovation of the pool, pool building, the potential addition of an 800 square foot multi-​purpose space, and the site improvements to related amenities.
Can’t wait!

No frills pool for cheap lap swimming. As others have stated, this place doesn’t have many amenities. However, you’re only paying $ 5 to swim so you shouldn’t be expecting much. I came in with this understanding and I’m fine with it. If I wanted more, I’d spend the extra cash and go to a gym w/​a pool. Even then, I’ve gone to gyms that had smaller pools or had a certain stench to it. This is better than those.
Basically, you get a big, warm pool and that’s about it. I use the showers to rinse off the chlorine and then take a real shower at home. Lifeguards are friendly and everyone there seems to be respectful of each other. Can’t really ask for much more.

Front desk is pretty friendly, knowing it’s my first time being in this pool, she gave me some guides.
Locker room looks old, and there is no actual shower place as others had mentioned.
First impression of the pool itself: small.
When I go into the water: too cold.
After swimming a little bit, notice the place is full of kids playing, instead of swimming.
The water isn’t crystal clear, a lots of fuzzy balls that are probably come from clothes are floating around in the water. jesussssssssssss

The girlfriend and I went to lap swim a few weeks ago and the first thing we noticed that there were no real showers and the place is really wet and cold. Our biggest complaint is that the older female lifeguard on duty is incredibly rude and obnoxious. Rather than calmly explaining the norms/​rules of lap swim, the older lady lifeguard was rolling her eyes and yelling at me. Besides being unpleasant, we caught this lifeguard SLEEPING on the job. The last time I checked, lifeguards need to be AWAKE to actually save someone that is drowning.

Praise for life guards. They are well trained. Their warning, and conducts are very appropriate to keep everyone to be safe at the pool.
I went to this pool with my kid.
Our regular pool: Y Embarcadero or Chinatown, North Beach public swimming pool.
This is our first visit to this pool. I have a week off from my work;therefore, I feel very adventurous to visit other pools in the city with my kid.
Re:Balboa Swimming pool
No real showers — really. I already resisted to enter the pool. Do you think that usage of mist showers enough for us to enter the pool after the restroom visit? I smell so much chlorine after this visit.
Pool — Okay, temp. But feel cold due to the size of dorm. Not recommended for an infant.
No hair dryer — Oh, I should have brought a knit cap to avoid getting cold.
No spin dryer — I am glad to have a plastic bag in my bag.
Bare concrete floor — well, I am not sure if this floor is clean enough to walk around. Also, the floor is wet. Hard to find a dry place and I am getting cold head to toe without a hair dryer.
I wish that you will be the next to be renovated.
Sincerely,

great place, great and very frendly staff loved to have a nice time with my kids

Sometimes you want to swim!
Great parking situation, to me it was worth driving a little further south than I wanted to be able to pull up in front and park for free. However, the cashier didn’t have change when we entered so plan ahead! We ended up having to pay a little more than the $ 6 we had anticipated ($ 5 for adults, $ 1 for under 17).
The locker rooms were spacious but I don’t know how clean they were. We got there as the pool was opening and we found a used feminine hygiene item in one of the lockers, so I’m not sure how thorough a going over they got. There were areas in the locker room that looked like they were intended to have curtains for the shy; it would be nice if they did because otherwise the shy clog up the bathroom changing in the stalls.
The lifeguards were for the most part friendly, although there was a crabby eye-​roller. The other ⁵⁄₆ were great, though, so on balance friendliness reigned.
The pool was crowded if you are swimming in the non-​swimmer area. There is a basketball hoop so for me this meant occasionally getting hit in the side of the head with a stray ball. We quickly moved to the deep end, which contained about ten people, plenty of room to swim.
And the price is right!
We’re planning on trying the other public pools in San Francisco so it’s possible this pool’s rating might go up or down when compared with our other choices. Right now I’m afraid my only other indoor public pool experience was Crescent City’s, which is hard to be compared to.

Weird setup for locker room and odd length of the pool (100 feet instead of 25 yards), but as wonderful and well managed as any other City Pool. I’m curious to know when the trapeez over the deep end was used, and if anyone ever still uses it. Looks like a throwback to the 50’s. Don’t think anything has changed here since it was built.

Rec swim is pretty fun!!! Can swim a lil and bs! Played basketball in the pool since there is a side court and tossed the ball like water polo. Staff are pretty great! Can’t wait to start volunteering here again soon! However, It’d be cool if they renovated the lockers, showers, bathroom, and benches.

I am so pleased with swim fitness and Coach AJ. The top notch coaching, great people and funky old pool can’t be beat. There are hopes to organize for some type of sanctioned team, perhaps city-​wide, which would be great!

Like so many others have said, this is a City swimming pool that is well kept, perfectly clean, safe, and friendly. I just started swimming laps here, and I highly recommend it to ANYONE (unless, you need something more…) Cheers! $ 5 for open swim (bring exact change).

From other Unilocal reviews you’ll hear:
–There are NO showers
–There are NO hand dryers, hair dryers or nice lockers rooms
–There IS a warm, indoor pool
–There ARE friendly staff
This is all true. However, this isn’t Equinox or Club One. You aren’t paying $ 100/​month for your membership. This is a SF Rec & Parks pool. At least the pool is open and is only $ 5 for lap swim. For the cost of your daily Starbucks Frappachino, you are paying for the lifeguards, pool maintenance, facility maintenance, and the lights that are on in the bathroom. If you want towel service, hair dryers and shampoo in the showers, head to a more expensive gym some where else.
Now, after that rant… I must mention that the pool is longer than what most peps are used to — 33 ¹⁄₃ yards (most pools are 25 yards). For lap swim its divided into 3 large lanes — fast, medium, slow. Even though the lanes are giant, still circle swim. Don’t know what that means? Ask the super friendly lifeguards.
Days/​times the pool is open can be found on SF Rec & Parks website. Changes seasonally.

Eww. Eww. Ew…
Where do I start? This pool gives me a mixed bag of emotions and memories.
When I went to the nearby Balboa High school, I joined the swim team I think cause there were cute guys on the team or something. Since I live about a 10 minute walk away, why not? I agree with others about how cold it is in the locker rooms, and the how there are no showers (there are only the showers near the entrance to the pool, but thats just to rinse you, atleast the water is pretty warm!) Shampoo and all that other stuff is prohibited. I remember when I sprayed my perfume on myself, the staff went NUTS.
The water is REALLY nasty. So many little kids and people, it’s always so crowded! A couple of my friends tried teaching another friend how to swim, and we kept on bumping into people!

I have done lap swimming here and it’s a fine place for that, but today I tried water exercise for the first time. I wasn’t sure if it would be too easy or too hard (I have arm issues) but as it turns out, it was just right. I think even «regular» folks would enjoy it too. Kathy the instructor is very kind and considerate as well.

I don’t understand some of the bad reviews here. If it’s a public pool, it’s going to be a given that there’s no special treatment here and it must have been a shocker to many that there’s no personal masseuse standing by and handing you a towel with your initials on it (sarcastic). Yes, there are newly renovated pools that are more modern and equip, but I don’t see any donations contributed to make this place better so let’s just take it as it is.
So here are my reasons why I gave this place 3 stars, let’s start with the positive. I went with my family (mom and pregnant sister) on a Thursday at 3pm. It was not crowded at all. The staff were friendly and the fellow swimmers were also respectful of each others’ space (not to mention there were kids there). The lockers are a bit run down and it doesn’t have all the special gadgets, but as long as I have a place to shove my belongings to a locker and a place to change into my clothes, that’s all I really need. Just to clarify the other reviews about the «open showers» they have there, they have NO showers and the 8 spouts that opens to the pool is for people to pre-​wet themselves before they get into the pool and quick rinse after your swim. That’s how it is with ALL pools, there’s always a pre-​wet area. So do not be confused about an «open shower» and don’t be surprise when you don’t see a bottle of shampoo and conditioner provided next to it. It would have been nice to have a shower area, but honestly, even if I had taken a shower there, I would have taken another one once I get home. I’m not much of a public shower person, it never really quite does the job as taking a steamy hot shower at home. What I like best about my experience was how the water was at the right temperature. You know how it’s always awfully cold the first moment you dip your leg into the pool? Not in this one, the temperature of the water was warm (not to the point where it feels like you’re in a bathtub) just right enough for you to feel comfortable to just dive right in. Especially when we went on a cold day, it definitely was a plus for us to just get right in without the chills.
Onto the negatives, the lockers were a bit rusty, but it functions fine. The door literally doesn’t open until a few minutes before the pool opens up so you might have to wait in the car or outside for a bit. I first thought $ 5 for an hour (recreation time) wasn’t too bad of a price considering we’re in San Francisco, but once the first 30 minutes is gone, I feel like time was passing by just too quickly. Before you know it, the whistle was blown and it was time to go. I know they are open for longer on Saturdays (about 2 hours duration), but it’s the matter of if you want to swim freely vs swim cheaply. I guess I would rather have more space than to have to fight with the kids when they’re out of school during the weekends.
Overall, I got to swim in San Francisco on a cold day. I don’t think I should complain much.

I’ve been here about 3 times, twice during the summer when it was a little bit more crowded when the kids were out of school. I recently went on a Sunday and it was very quiet.
A plus that they have parking (mabye about 10 or so).
A minus for not having a place to plug the hairdryer, nor do they have dryers. The showers are timed (esp with the budget cuts and h20 rationing). This is a very old bldg, with a row of 5 shower heads on each side. You have to pul the lever up to initiate the water flow. It’s such a waste of water having all the waterheads go off when one has to pull the level.
Oh and super plus for great hours. They ‘ve got evening swim hrs for those working folks. And Sat hours as well. for those of us who no longer live in SF, that’s a luxury.
Functional, quiet, can get parking.

I’ve been using CCSF’s new pool for the past year and a half, and I didn’t know how good it was until I visited Balboa’s pool for a swim. Just for comparison…
— There are no hand or hair dryers.
— There is no tiling or any kind of flooring in the locker rooms, just bare concrete.
— There are no showers. The ‘showers’ that they have are just for rinsing off and lasts for a few seconds before they shut off on you.
— I have to beat my bag into the lockers because they’re so tiny. And old too, some on the lock handles are broken.
— There are no mirrors. The one in the restroom was so old that nothing reflected off it and did not resemble a mirror.
— The water is cloudy sometimes. And long, loose hairs always manage to get caught up in my fingers. And MOUTH! (The water’s crystal clear at the CCSF natatorium.)
— Sava and CCSF have swimsuit spin dryers, why can’t Balboa?
— Locker rooms ARE DRAFTY! I’m guessing there’s no thermostat, since they leave the windows open all day long in the locker rooms whether it’s cold or hot outside (usually cold!).
— They make you enter through the side door to get to the pool sometimes (when you get there late in the hour).
Other than the need for a renovation, the crowds aren’t too bad and the water is usually at a nice temp. Oh, and I HATE having to wait until people are done rinsing off before I can enter the locker room to change (when you have to enter through side to get to the lockers). Who’s bright idea was it to place those showers as the entrance to the lockers?!
By the way, this pool was obviously made for children — the benches, toilets, sinks, and lockers are the perfect height for the hobbits.

In order to graduate from high school, I had to pass a swimming test. Unlike many people in my class, I wasn’t able to get a fake doctor’s note stating that I was «allergic to chlorine». Cheaters. I really, really didn’t want to take swimming class for the following reasons:
–I already knew how to swim, and very well at that. I could even do it with my eyes closed. Uh huh, that’s right.
–Class started at 7:30AM. Laps at 7:30? I’d rather drown.
–Swimming class before first period meant that I’d have to start the school day off with wet hair, and no way of blowdrying/​straightening it before class. If you haven’t read about my hair issue yet, please do. [See my review on Structure Hair Salon]
Balboa Swimming Pool turned this unavoidable burden into many great memories. Aside from the fact that I had to do so many laps that I really did almost drown, we all had so much fun watching others almost drown as well. (Our teacher was a tough cookie.) It is spacious, CLEAN, and is open from 6am-​9pm, Monday –Saturday and only costs $ 4 for adults and $ 1 for minors. The shower stalls are separate and private which I appreciated SO much because I was NOT about to shower-​off with a bunch of 17-​year-​old hornballs.
Abby A. WOULD come back and put in some laps, but I think I’ve swallowed enough of Balboa Swimming Pool’s chlorine water that I think I’m allergic this time, for real.