Swimming Pool

Our vision is to expand access for kids & families to open swim hours and swim lessons.  We are advocating for:

• More family and rec open swim hours, particularly at hours that make sense for working parents with kids (after school, before dinner; weekends)

  • We support this effort to expand the availability of open swim hours

• More swim lessons at times during school year and summer that make sense for working parents with kids (after camp schedules)

  • Many local parents have had to spend lots of money through private orgs because they can't get swim lessons at Balboa Pool

  • We support SF Kids Swim, which is advocating for: 1) swim hours friendly to working families; 2) Helping to find solutions to swimming class shortages. 

• Aggressively address the lifeguard shortage (e.g. possibly recruit parent volunteers; co-create high school and/or city college programs at Balboa HS, Lick Wilmerding, Riordan;  CCSF)

• Warmer water temperature (follow Red Cross recommendations for time/temperature for swim lessons) 

  • (Infant / preschool aquatics (20 to 30 minutes*) - Water temperature - water temperature should be ≥32° C (89.6º F)

  • Learn to swim up to ages 6- 15 (30 to 45 minutes*) - Water temperature - water temperature should be ≥ 29° C (84.2º F)

  • Junior Lifeguard ages 11-14 (45 to 60 minutes*) - Water temperature water temperature should be ≥29° C (84.2º F)

• Here's our Research on other pools (e.g. rec swim times, features, temperature).

  • Also check out SF Kids Swim "Pool Access Report"

  • A quick analysis of summer 2024 swim lessons 

  • MLK Pool partnered with YMCA SF to create the Bayview Safety Swim and Splash (BSSS) Program. BSSS is a free learn-to-swim program for youth, kindergarten to 5th grade, living or attending school in the 94124 ZIP code. Goal is to ensure youth are comfortable and confident in the water, meaning that they can swim, float, breathe, and get to safety if needed.

• Articles

  • When It Comes to Swimming, ‘Why Have Americans Been Left on Their Own?’

  • Fatal drowning is the leading cause of death for children 1-4 and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children 5-14, behind motor vehicle crashes. (CDC)