Garfield Swimming Pool

It’s an ok place to swim. Locker rooms need to be updated. I wish air and water temperature were a little bit warmer.

Great place to swim, staff very helpful, good to see those guys helping the less fortunate.

I’ve been taking my daughter to the Preschool Swim class for 2 sessions now and we just enjoy it so much. The class is for kids 6 months to 5 years and the adult does have to be in the pool, 1:1 ratio kid to adult. My daughter is almost 4 years old.
Angela, the swim instructor, does a fantastic job. There are only a few students some days but other days there are so many little swimmers… it is such a fun class no matter how many swimmers there are because we are all learning and getting used to the water.
I have found Angela’s instruction/​coaching so helpful. She really takes the time with each parent/​kid suggesting the next step in learning to swim, whether it be showing your kid what goggles are or learning the idea of buoyancy, Pre-​school swim with Angela is top-​notch!

I go to this indoor pool on days when I don’t feel like working out too hard. For reference, I’ve been on swim teams and have been lap swimming for over 15 years, so I’ve gotten to the point where I can swim with about the same exertion level as that of a brisk walk. The water is definitely warmer than in most lap pools, but it doesn’t bother me.
The place is no Equinox, but the pool feels just clean enough, as do the locker rooms. For $ 6, you can’t ask for much more. Plus, I love the community feel and supporting SF Parks and Rec. The crowd is mixed, from men in speedos and caps doing sets, to old ladies moving at turtle speed. It can get a bit crowded, but, again, I’m just happy to be swimming there! The lanes are very wide, so passing is easy.
The showers are hot and have great water pressure!
As the other reviews have noted, the lockers are broken, so don’t expect to be able to lock up your valuables. The showers don’t provide soap, so bring your own. No outlets for hair dryers, but there’s one industrial-​type hair dryer available.

I am so lucky to have this place close by. It’s much better than 24hr fitness on Bryant. I took adult swim lessons here and have finally learned to swim and lost all fear of deep water. The lifeguards and teachers are top notch. The atmosphere is relaxed and on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons they have water aerobics. The water is a perfect temperature too for me.
The only negative is they don’t have outlets to plug in your hair dryer and the lockers are old.

I’m grateful to have a pool at all in the neighborhood, but boy oh boy, are the employees here smug and self-​congratulatory and/​or confused, at all times. I come here semi-​regularly, and I have yet to arrive and simply pay and walk in. Someone is always arguing with me, telling me different information, or just plain confused about the schedule, demographic of the swim, etc. I won’t bore you with details. But if you come here, expect to be treated like staff is doing you a huge favor by even answering a question. Expect that even though you ALWAYS check the website before coming here, because you know that things here are really up in the air all the time, the schedule or the price will be different upon arrival. Expect that most of the lockers will be broken, so don’t bring any valuables, and expect to be treated rudely or told something that isn’t actually true (that is clearly YOUR fault) by a very disorganized and self-​righteous staff member. I’m happy to have this pool around and grateful for the SF Parks department in general, but this is my neighborhood, and I just wish the employees made even a little, tiny effort to make this a pleasant experience rather than a confusing, self-​esteem busting, time-​wasting cluster-​fart where their consistent mistakes are always the patron’s fault.

I love the location of this pool. Water temperature here is the highest of all the pools I have visited in San Francisco. The biggest downside of this pool is that the women dressing room has only one hair dryer (Hand Dryer indeed), and there are no plugs for hair dryers you would bring.

The facts:
-$ 5 /​hour (the pool ostensibly opens only for an hour of lap swimming at a time: 6−7PM)
–30 yards long (why?)
–Well-​stocked with buoys and boards
–Showers and lockers
The finicky:
–Too-​warm water temp
–Don’t expect to do sets; this is a public pool. Polite hamster-​wheeling only, please.
Still, grateful to have you in the neighborhood.

great place with very friendly and helpfull staff myself and my kido’s enjoyed allot at this place the lady life guard was lil bit strict but all well it’s abouty safety

This pool is really close to my house, so I will continue to come, BUT
if you’re a serious swimmer, this pool is WAAAY too hot. If you’re someone just leisurely swimming, it’s perfect. Upon jumping in I was met with warm water, once I started getting my heart rate up from swimming laps, I was broiling.
The temp could stand to come down a few is all I’m saying.

If you are looking for a high-​gloss locker room and staff that do a lot to help you, then you probably do not want a public swimming pool at all. But if you need a place to swim laps, this is a totally fine place to do so.
I’m a runner, not a swimmer. I’ve been injured a few times in the past few years and have had no recourse but to swim for exercise. I had a 24HourFitness gym membership once, and let me tell you: this is better. Here’s why.
1) It is closer to my house than anything else
2) The pool is nice and long
3) There is no limit to how long you can swim within the Lap Swim period
4) No membership required: just $ 5 per entry
I’ll say this: the lockers are old and rusting a bit. The showers are fine but not private (at least on the men’s side). Parking for more than an hour nearby can be a challenge.
But the pool is lovely. They supply kick boards and whatever that thing is you place between your legs so you use your arms only. They do have lifeguards on duty. The building is large. The pool temperature is just right. I have been there when it is crowded and not, but have always been able to get in my swim without much trouble.
Go check out swim clubs, the JCC and Mission Bay. I’m sure their memberships are worth it if you want more than this. But for me, injured for less than a month, this is ideal. I’ve just swam there the past four days and, though I really don’t much like swimming, this is a good pool and a good place to swim.

This place is just awesome. Been a swimmer for years and have been to many pools, but this one is my favorite. It’s an older facility, but the pool is well-​maintained and clean. The *best* part of this pool is the staff. Friendly, helpful, knowledgeable. I’ve had staff members notice things in my swimming and offer me suggestions for improvement. They are always ready with a laugh or a smile. Also, the folks who swim here are very friendly — it’s rare to encounter someone pushy or rude (unlike many other pools I’ve been to). The lap swim hours here are also convenient and very regular.
If you’re looking for a pool with a friendly vibe and super staff, this is your place.

Just had my first and great experience at Garfield pool! Staff was more then friendly and helpful and the class I attended with my little baby girl was really cool — she loved it! (Tot’ swimming class.)
I’d give it 5 stars if it weren’t for the little pile of something grose left on the shower floor. (But we worked our way around it…)
Great experience! Looking forward to our next class!

I’ve been swimming in public pools in six different countries. This is the worst run I have ever been in.
The lifeguards will not enforce sensible safety rules — people may turn around mid-​lane, swim two abreast during lap swim in a full lane and when you complain, it is simply dismissed as paranoia. Quite frankly, I think ejecting the whole staff from the manager on down would be the way to make this pool far better.
I’m buying a gym membership — quite frankly, I’d rather give my money to a private organization that is sensible than to the public pools if the public includes the self-​entitled patrons and the half-​wits who run Garfield Pool.

Awesome place to swim laps! The are many lanes and the lanes are wide, so swimmers of all skill levels can enjoy their workout at their own pace.
It’s true, the pool is old and neighborhood is a little dodgy. It may be a little intimidating for those who don’t live around the corner.

I LOVE Garfield Pool, warts and all.
BUT…
This pool is now CLOSED — indefinitely! Much needed annual maintenance was supposed to happen in the month of November 2009. I could live with the pool being closed for a month. But the Department of Recreation & Parks found that more work is needed than anticipated. And more money than was budgeted, too. AAACK!
Children and adults learn to swim at Garfield, lap swimmers of all fitness levels enjoy the lanes, and people with special needs have hours set aside as well. All of these different swimmers are locked out now, and the closest indoor pool is miles away. I’m going to get all weak and flabby if I can’t get the powers that be to fix this sad situation.
Plus, I’m pregnant and there are only so many kinds of exercise that you can really do when you’re big with pig… and swimming is the best. Really hoping this problem is solved before I hit say, month 7.

Being a public pool Garfield attracts somewhat of an interesting clientele who apparently have their own interpretations of what «lap swim» means to them. You get your people who actually don’t know how to swim and cling to a kickboard and the wall for dear life, you have your folks in full snorkeling regalia, and finally your inconsiderate jackasses that swim down the middle of the lane like they own the pool. Then there’s the rest of us, people who are at various ability levels, and have different goals in mind with their swimming and just want to get their laps done in peace.
Basically, Garfield is a good pool if you have the patience to swim with the general public, and can remember to check the schedule daily to memorize when the various lap swims occur. Word to the wise, the evening lap swims are generally a giant clusterf**k with the aforementioned categories of people showing up in full force. I try to stick to the morning times, because honestly I can’t handle it.
I’d also like to give a special shot out to Charles who was my swim teacher for a while at Garfield. This man has improved my swimming so much and is such an encouraging positive person with which to work, that I’m truthfully kinda bummed he is only teaching the kiddies during the summer (nothing personal to Ron who is also a great teacher).
The other reviews have been accurate as to their description of the facilities, and procedures for admittance, I would however like to reiterate the point of wearing flips flops in the locker room and pool area. It’s not as gross as 24 hour fitness or anything, but damp highly trafficked areas breed a certain amount of funk naturally, which I’m assuming most of you’d wish to avoid.
OK, now you know what’s up so go get your swim on, just don’t be a douche about it please!

Thanks to the many helpful Unilocalers below, I ventured out on my first visit to Garfield Pool in June. Summer was on, and I needed to get into shape. Running makes my back hurt and gyms give me the willies, so off I went to the pool. I’ve been back there half a dozen times and plan to keep going. As far as convenient neighborhood pools go, this does the trick for me. I wouldn’t necessarily travel to get here, as I’m not very interested in athletics and would just as soon attempt fitness via Wii Tennis, but the fact that I can bike here in 5 minutes is a huge sell.
The pool is located within Garfield Park in the Inner Mission. There are several janky and bent bike racks by the front door, so I prefer to park at the more believable sidewalk racks. The first time, I brought my exact change ($ 4), shoved it under the glass window at the attendant, who then buzzed me in the women’s locker room door, which appears to be locked for security. Now I use a Scrip ticket (more on that below). The locker room reminds me of my childhood days at the Y — no-​frills wet cement floor, rows of battered metal lockers, two benches, can’t walk barefoot without picking up other people’s hair on the soles of your feet (believe me, you only need to forget your flip flops once to learn your lesson), three toilet stalls and three sinks, and an open shower room with four shower heads.
During lap-​swim mode, the pool has three lanes (slow, med, fast), and invariably someone is off in gauging their swimming abilities. Passing is accepted and occasionally necessary. When I’ve gone evenings, there have always been 4 – 8 people per lane. People swim in all manner and style, but the most common is an unpolished freestyle (my preferred style). I have a distinct feeling that more serious swimmers belong to a Masters program and swim elsewhere. A limited number of kick-​boards and foam floaties are available poolside. Many wear swim caps. Most wear goggles.
What else? The pool has a shallow and deep end. It’s always been (visually) clean — luckily haven’t encountered the band-​aid someone else mentioned. The clientele seems to tend on the mature side. I didn’t see many people younger than my age (25).
If you make a habit of it, I recommend ordering a Scrip ticket on the Parks & Rec website. You pay by credit card, and within a week you get a little paper sheet in the mail good for 10 entries (for the price of 9). Not only is it better than rooting around in your purse for singles, it helps you fake like you know what you’re doing. At least until people start passing you in the medium lane. And it’s been a motivating me to take my lazy ass swimming at least 10 times this summer, otherwise I’d be wasting money and you just can’t afford to do that in this economy now, can you?
Just remember to bring exact change, a towel, flip flops, goggles, and a padlock. See you at the pool.

This pool is great. Straightforward no-​nonsense lap swim, at $ 4/​pop. Sometimes it is frustratingly crowded, but you get what you pay for. The place is old but perfectly serviceable.
This neighborhood, though, fucking sucks. Full of human shitbags. My car was broken into here while I swam TWICE on TWO CONSECUTIVE SATURDAYS. Don’t leave ANYTHING of value in your car, or you’ll become a repeat target for crackhead thieves who will assume you’re worth rolling two or three times. Hell, maybe they’ll just take your car. SFPD claims to patrol through here; I’ve never seen ‘em. They certainly, unsurprisingly, don’t give a damn about crime here; they can’t solve gang murders, let alone car breakins.
Sadly I think I’m going to have to find a pool that isn’t in a neighborhood surrounded by garbage humans.

I’m being easy with the rating, mainly because a pool IS, after all, a pool.
That being said, I went to this pool for lap swim on a Saturday morning. Lap swim was to start at 9:15 a.m., so I assumed it would be okay to show up ten minutes early or so to change and be in the water at that time. Not so; they opened the front door at 9:16 a.m. sharp.
Everyone else waiting seemed to know what they were doing. In they shuffled, just throwing down little red cards (which, I discovered, are «scrip»)…and I found out you need EXACT change. It’s $ 4 for one session. Lucky for me, a fellow swimmer saw me struggling and had the necessary change.
I also found out that if you buy in bulk, you save. A ten-​session scrip-​book is $ 36.00, a savings of $ 4, or one session. So, buy nine, get one free. Also, if you need the water for therapy or for health-​reasons, it is only $ 20 a book (or a month? I’ll have to look closer next time).
Regardless, the locker-​rooms are super-​easy to find… and old. I rinsed myself off and then went right out to the pool. They have the lanes divided into slow, medium, and fast… though I wasn’t sure which category I would fall under. I bet for medium; later on, moved to slow. (Hey, I’m new to this! haha)
I digress. You share the lanes with everyone. Literally, super-​crowded. There were about eight people in the slow lanes alone.
And I forgot goggles. I was one of two people in the pool without a swimming cap and goggles… I felt like I was horribly new to the whole thing.
But, I stuck it out. I swam for a full hour and I didn’t have any major problems, sans a back-​stroke swimmer almost nailing me; the lifeguard caught my attention, though.
The staff was super-​friendly. They explained any questions I had.
Oh, and the pool was the PERFECT temperature. Not too cold, not too hot, not hard to step into initially at all.
I’ll go back. I might make it a weekly thing… as long as I remember goggles :)