I went to the highly rated SA Natatorium today because Northside pools were closed and I really…read morewanted to swim. Unfortunately, my experience was not the best. The bottom of the lap pool was dirty, strewn with many band aids and hair scrunchies. The water was cloudy and too warm for lap swimming at 85 degrees F. However, most impressive was the women's changing room that looked brand new. But it would be nice to see the Natatorium pools cleaned up to attract more swimmers.

Wow! The locker rooms have been refurbished and are super nice. They even have a spinner to get all…read morethe water out of your suit. FIT classes are free!! I'm so happy I tried this, I'm sold!

Roosevelt Park Pool is one of my favorite free pools in San Antonio! It's a large, clean pool…read morethat's perfect for cooling off on a hot summer day. I really liked that there was a shallow area for younger kids, while the deeper end (up to about 9 feet) gives older kids and adults plenty of room to swim. There are lots of seating around the pool, making it easy to spend a few hours there with family or friends. The park also has restrooms, a water fountain/refill station, and lifeguards on duty, which made the experience feel safe and well-maintained. If you're planning to visit, I'd recommend arriving earlier in the day since it can get busy. Overall, it's a great free community pool with something for everyone, and I'll definitely be back!

Roosevelt Swimming Pool is part of Roosevelt Park south of downtown. It is one of several public…read moreswimming pools run by San Antonio Parks and Rec. All outdoor public swimming pools run by the city are free to all, open six days a week throughout the summer swimming season, and follow very similar rules and protocol. This review will focus on Roosevelt Swimming Pool and what sets it apart from other city swimming pools. As with most city pools, you are required to sign in at the front desk with name, age group, and gender. These roles help the parks department obtain funding to continue operation of the pools, so it is very important to sign in. Roosevelt Pool is a throwpack to 1950's pool design. Larger than most city pools, Roosevelt also is kidney shaped with several rows of concrete bleachers. This is one of the more popular pools and there are always dozens of people in the water, especially at the shallow end. It can get very crowded in the shallow area on weekends and holidays. The depth ranges from 3ft to about 10ft. There is usually ample room for swimming laps although the pool sides in the deep end can become crowded with teenagers, and we all know how they can be. Although it is a bigger pool, parking is limited, and you may find yourself waiting or walking up a stretch of hill to the entrance. There are male and female changing rooms that double as bathrooms. Roosevelt Pool is feeling its age, and you will want to be careful not to cut yourself on the rough cracks on the walls and floor of the pool. They hurt! The pool has a small waterslide for the kids, but they rarely open it up all season. Not sure why, but they just don't seem to like to. The manager for this pool is not the friendliest, and that attitude is passed along to the lifeguards who can be surly but are generally nice. Fruit and water are allowed in the pool area, but no other food. They have hourly or bi-hourly breaks for pH leveling, and you will spend between 20-30 minutes of time out of the water per break. The concrete can be very hot and shade is limited.

A wonderful place to exercise in the pool. The instructor is wonderful-she pushes you and for me…read morethat is a huge plus! The area is always clean and secure

The Aquatic Center is a great place to go to if you would like to swim laps, but want to avoid the…read morehefty price of a gym membership. They also offer diving and swimming lessons, as well as a big area to just play in. I went to the Aquatic Center with a large group of teenagers that I was supervising and I was surprised at how assertive the staff were. They must have experience with unruly teenagers dive bombing off of the bleachers, because they were non too friendly while explaining the rules. Fortunately, the kids were so excited to be able to swim that they didn't mind sitting through a 15 -minute lecture. After that was over, the lady reluctantly released our group to get ready and jump in. The dressing rooms are fine, nothing special, but they do have that weird odor that comes from stagnant water sitting on the floor. I desperately attempted not to think about athlete's feet and other fungi while getting ready. They do have those cool machines that dry your swimming suits though, so that is a plus. I was excited to swim laps and dive, while most of the kids just enjoyed the recreational area. The Aquatic Center has pretty limited hours for family swim time (mostly just on weekends from 1 to 5 p.m. but with extended hours in the summer), but if you are interested in swimming laps, you'll have more options. This place isn't really fancy, but it definitely gets the job done. You can visit for only $4 or get a 16 visit punch card for $36 online. That's a great price, better than you will find most anywhere else. So if you want to get a few pounds from your waist but not your wallet, The Aquatic Center is your place.

Located approximately one mile west of downtown, the San Antonio natatorium facility (indoor)…read moreoffers a plethora of swim activities and classes, which includes free classes offered through fitness in the park (FIP) program. I've been frequenting this place for about 6 weeks, attending the FIP Aqua Board HIIT class every Monday. They have locker rooms for men and women, albeit a little outdated, but it works. The pool is a good size with 8 swimming lanes to choose from. You don't have to attend any classes - if you'd like to do laps in the pool, general admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children. For the most part, general admission hours are M-F 10am-2pm and 5pm-7:45pm and Saturday 11am-630pm. I'd be sure to check and make sure they aren't having a swim meet before planning a trip. So glad to come across this opportunity to incorporate into my workout regimen. Peace.

Not sure how old the building is but it's probably the first public swimming pool in the city…read more While the structure itself maybe post WWII the covered pool areas are nice and spacious. There's your diving board section, rows for laps (I'm sure they have a name), then one giant pool divided in two. One side is for people with a medical pass. To keep people horsing around away from them. Kids and families seem to stay on the other side of the rope. This last pool is 4' deep. Oh, and behind a small gate is the kiddy pool at 1' depth. The water was not cold at all. I'm a big chicken when it comes to getting in. There are two life guards on duty. One had his boom box on classic rock. Outdoors appears to be a picnic area. Perhaps people can host parties here and BBQ on the small grill. The ladies dressing room is nothing to get excited about. There is a row of lockers that have seen better days. Institutional type restrooms and showers. The blow dryers are nice and high to dry your hair. A few private changing rooms are oddly positioned in the middle of it all. Most people seem to take their stuff to the bleachers out by the pool. What I did like was that the walls rolled up to let the outdoors in. My nails surfaced nice and clean from all the chlorine bleach. My skin was itchy by the time I got home. I hope I don't turn blonde. I'm basically coming here for some doctor recommended aqua therapy. I'm not sure if I'll stick to it here or switch to the more modern pool at Palo Alto College.

Went in for a fitness assessment and Natasha really knows how to get the most out of you. She spent…read moreover an hour explaining and showing how to work out effectively. She took whatever time was needed to make sure my body was in the right position so that nothing was injured. She also explained how she does circuit training and it is very effective. All in all it was the most demanding and detailed fitness assessment I have ever received at a gym. Looking to probably set up some personal training.

Samuel is a new Aqua Fit instructor and he substituted for Romo…read more Samuel was absolutely amazing. I hope Samuel is given more opportunities to substitute or instruct more classes. Also I appreciate how clean the gym is maintained.

TLDR: You're not going to find a better swim school than Blacktip in San Antonio…read more Blacktip stands out in the community, not just as a swim school, but as a beacon of quality and personalized care. We enrolled our 12-year-old son, who was okay at swimming, but showed some nervousness and trepidation in the water. With summer just around the corner and plenty of water-based fun in the forecast, we wanted him to glide through the water effortlessly and confidently, just like a blacktip shark. After exploring various options, Blacktip was the clear choice, especially suited for his age group. Encouraged by glowing reviews, we booked a trial lesson, and we were paired up with with Nolan, who has the keen insight and nurturing approach of a skilled swim coach. In just 30 minutes, Nolan assessed, coached, and elevated my son's swimming skills, making the lesson fun and engaging. He adapted the challenges to perfectly suit my son's abilities, transforming his tentative strokes into confident swimming. I was positively surprised to see that transformation in such a short period of time. After the lesson, we met Albert, the engaging and involved big kahuna, owner, leader, and instructor from Blacktip. He discussed our goals, shared insights from Nolan's assessment, and made signing up for additional lessons as smooth as swimming with the current. He even discussed what our goals were with the program, which impressed me a lot. This personalized attention is a rare find, in any business, and reflects Blacktip's dedication to each swimmer's success. To be clear: you just won't get that from any other school. I spoke with 5 swim schools, all nice enough on the phone -- but none that were interested in diverging from cookie-cutter approaches, except Blacktip. My son left the school buzzing with excitement about his progress and eager for his next lesson, a testament to the positive and supportive environment Blacktip provides. It was clear that children of all ages were thriving here, each benefiting from tailored instruction that meets them right at their level of proficiency. The facility itself is clean, well-organized, purpose-built, and perfectly designed for swim instruction, making it an ideal environment for learning and growth. Whether you're introducing your child to swimming or looking to enhance their aquatic skills, Blacktip Swim School is a fantastic choice, helping swimmers become as confident and graceful in the water as the blacktip shark.

Blacktip Swim School exemplifies professionalism! Every coach is patient, kind and not only to the…read morestudents but the adults as well. I would have no problem recommending this school to others, especially to beginners. The team goes above and beyond to make newcomers and/or beginners feel welcomed and comfortable. Just signed my granddaughter up for another two weeks. I love it here

Concepcion Swimming Pool is part of Concepcion Park which is just down the road from Mission…read moreConcepcion. Notice a pattern here? It is one of several public swimming pools run by San Antonio Parks and Rec. All outdoor public swimming pools run by the city are free to all, open six days a week throughout the summer swimming season, and follow very similar rules and protocol. This review will focus on Concepcion Swimming Pool and what sets it apart from other city swimming pools. As with most city pools, you are required to sign in at the front desk with name, age group, and gender. These roles help the parks department obtain funding to continue operation of the pools, so it is very important to sign in. Concepcion Pool is a moderate sized pool. Unlike some of the other pools, this pool does not have a diving board or water slide. It's a moderate sized pool running from 3ft to 9ft deep, most of which is on the shallower side. Great pool for the kids. If you're looking for something deeper or larger, Roosevelt Pool is only five minutes away. I always see tons of families at Concepcion Pool with lots of little kids. The staff and lifeguards are friendly and talkative. Parking is never a problem, and thanks to the surrounding park, there are picnic tables and grills to use if you want to spend an afternoon, though note only water is allowed in the pool area. The pool is partially shaded in afternoons. I have noticed, the chlorine content is a little higher here, and have had to leave because of breathing issues and itchy eyes, so keep an eye on you and your kids while at this pool.

My initial visit went fairly well. The ladies at the counter were a bit cold shouldered, not…read morereadily offering information to newcomers about the pool without a bit of prodding in my questions. When I left for the day I did leave them with smiles. I was AMAZED at how this pool is FREE this year (2016)! FREE, FREE, FREE! As well as being free, Tuesdays thru Fridays from 1:30pm-2:30pm they offer FREE MEALS to children 18 and under to help those who may be struggling without the assistance of school lunch programs during the summer. They do NOT allow any type of flotation devices even for children. They do have at least 2-3 lifeguards on duty at all time. The best time to go would be right when they open at 1:00pm or by 2:00pm during the week. Around 4:00pm the pool fills up very quickly but because it is such a large pool, you will have plenty of room to swim and have fun. Parking is sparce as the other park visitors take up most of the parking but you can park all along the sides of Theo Parkway (but not recommended to park inside bike lanes).