Just took my two non swimming 4 and 6 year olds and had an absolute blast! There are seven slides…read moretotal. Two slides require a swim test to use. One slide is in the kiddie pool. There is one nice wide family slide for everyone. There is one super steep one that my six year old braved successfully. The last two are like a twisty open one and then a twisty closed tube style. No life jackets are allowed on the slides but the lifeguards literally stand there and catch your kids and take them back to the side to get out and go again. I was there by myself outnumbered and nervous about my nonswimming kids and no life jackets but quickly relaxed and realized my kids were safe and having the time of their lives. The lifeguards were happy to pass my kids to me but also totally fine if I got out to go do the family slide with one of them if needed. That's always the tricky part of being outnumbered by kids - when the pack wants to split up and I can't be two places at once. Anyway the snack bar food was pretty terrible but pizza was alright. You can bring in a cooler though. Next time I'll pack a full picnic for everyone. They do a lot of adult swims so the lifeguards can rotate but that gives everyone a chance to grab a snack and potty and also gave us a nice window to exit. The pool temp was fantastic and the water was clean. It's a government facility so there's some stuff that could use an upgrade naturally but for $10 a person I was impressed!

This water park is on the Oceana Base and the address posted on their website will get you totally…read morelost. Other than that small detail (I had to stop at a reenlistment picnic to ask someone for directions), it is a smash hit and we love it! I am only bummed we didn't know about it last summer! Admission is $6 for active duty, retirees, reservists, & eligible family members, $8 for guests (up to 2 guests per adult w/ ID), kids 3 and under are free. Season passes are based on the number of people in your family... 1= $60, 2= $110, 3= $135, 4= $170, 5= $200, 6= $225 Despite the website's direction that no outside food is allowed and you must purchase food from concessions, *EVERYONE* brings a cooler with lunch in it. So, pack away and save yourself a fortune in concession stand prices. This is a clean and well-maintained facility, for sure. They offer pavilion rental and swimming lessons, which is great! One thing you'll want to warn your kids about ahead of time is "adult swim time" which is a 15 minute break for the kids from the pool they allows the adults to enjoy the facilities (and helps prevent sun-poisoned, exhausted kids)... my kids were upset because adult swim happened 10 mins after we arrived. Oops! There is plenty of seating and it's not so crazy (or wasn't today) that there are long lines... if you get here in time to snag a table, you'll have shade under an umbrella, but annoyingly, people fill the tables with their stuff (even though they aren't sitting there) and you'll be left without shade unless you plan ahead. The snack bar is an array of popsicles, string cheese, burgers, and preservative-packed packaged food that will run you between $0.50 and $5.00 per item. Not terrible on price, really, but far from health-friendly. Better than nothing! For $6/$8 per person, it's a great time. Pack a lunch to save more money, bring as many friends as you can fit in your car. We will be back!

Atmosphere has completely changed. Ran by teens, staff is rude. Lifeguards are either overbearing…read moreafter waiting an hour to watch something happen and then decide to enforce a rule. No one is on the same page when it comes to rules. Watched a life guard for a good 8 minutes have their head in their hands looking down not paying a bit of attention. It's Bad weather today, called to check about lost and found item, & phone off the hook. Drove up and walked right in. NOONE manning the front desk, could hear people upstairs giggling. Continued to concession where the lost and found is, found my item (no lifeguards out on the deck) one girl in concession looked to be cleaning. Didn't say a word. Let her know what I was doing and that no one was anywhere else to be found. That's a safety concern, any small child could have run in the establishment and jumped in and not a soul would have known until it was too late. Do better. July 22nd @3:30pm. Check who should be working, a discussion needs to happen

Nice place to come for the day and cool off. Like all pools, it has it's busy times, but also more…read morerelaxed down times. There's plenty of seating, both at tables and lounge chairs, and umbrellas, and even a picnic area you can rent for parties or get togethers. There are 2 diving boards, a slide, bathrooms/changing rooms/showers on site, plenty of lifeguards on duty, and the concession stand is reasonably priced with decent options. A good way to spend the day!

Significantly cheaper than civilian pools and patient instructors. Our children have gone to two…read moresessions. While the Daughter is fearless and has excelled, the Son is a bit more cautious than his sister. The instructors work well with both of their personalities. Both of them feel comfortable in the water and, while initially nervous, were constantly excited to go to swim lessons. This is the second time they have attended lessons and we were very happy with the instruction and with the class size.

This is a great facility with lots of fitness options. The pool is clean and easy to access. Very…read morecrowded at lunch and after work (1600-1900).

I would recommend the Rec center in Kempsville to anyone looking to be fit and healthy without…read morecosting you an arm and a leg. The staff is really friendly and helpful. They have lots of classes to keep you fit.

A community center is supposed to be a place where you can hold club meetings, throw a birthday…read moreparty, enjoy the pool, and, yes, take a class and work out in the gym. This place is just a gym with too many rules. Here's what I've been asked to stop doing or even leave for: Swimming too slowly in the pool lanes Not playing tennis in the tennis court (my child and I were the only ones there, and we were playing) Bringing a child younger than 9 or 14 onto the track Playing basketball with a basketball brought from home. All the others are ALWAYS taken. They confiscated my ball. Going the wrong way in the pool. The lifeguard didn't realize that going against the current is a form of exercise. Walking the track instead of running Stopping next to the track Sitting on the exercise equipment. It had a chair that I chose to sit on for two minutes. No one was around. Today, two fellow members kicked me out because I had flip-flops on. They were right about it being against the rules, but it just reminded me of the pervasive culture of entitlement and snobbery that exists at this location. For context, I have memory issues, which is why I had flip-flops on at the gym.

Ft. Eustis Aquatic Center is an indoor competition pool and adventure water park located on the Ft…read more Eustis Army base. You must be military personnel, family, or in my case a sanctioned event where your invited. First the adventure pool area is in the newer section of the building. It features a 30 ft, 146 ft long triple loop slide. There is also a shallow end for toddlers with a maximum depth of 3.5 ft. This area by far is the best thing about the center. Minimal parking is located in front of the building. During an event it is quickly overwhelmed and over flow parking that is not too far away must be utilized. The competition pool is located in the older section and dates back to possibly the late 50's and looks its age. The competition pool is 11 lanes and 25 yards in length. It feature a balcony that holds 450-500 spectators to view swimming meets. Often the spectators are over heated even in the middle of winter. The balcony is not a place that I would ever want to be, it's down right miserable. The pool is a FAST due to it's size and depth. My 10 year old son got his first SCY record for his club in this pool swimming the 100 yard Butterfly as an 8 year old. The largest swim meet of the year held at the facility is the SEVA 12&U Christmas Champs. Around 800+ swimmers from around Virginia attend the Prelim/Finals format meet. It is considered a mid season short course championship and tune up to Age Group Champs held in March. The Aquatic center has locker rooms, showers and private changing areas for men and women. The building also has a multi purpose room and concessions. When the pool is not in use it is open for active military to utilize for laps. Swimming lessons are also offered for both children and adults. The center can also be used for birthday parties. Everything about the place except for the adventure area is old, old old. The pool serves the military community as well the swimming community who hold meets. The adventure area is great for families to enjoy. However, with the age and obvious maintenance issues in the competition pool area a three for this review is probably a stretch.

The lifeguard made my 10 year old who swims on a swim team cry and not able to use the pool without…read morean adult touching her at all times because she's short and an inch shy of 48 inches. The lifeguard is what I would call a pool Nazi. For the whole hour my 10 year old ended up crying on the sidelines because this guy treated her as if she was a 3 year old. He didn't even mention a swim test until we had 10 mins left to our hour slot.

My brother was visiting recently, and we were trying to come up with inexpensive ideas to take the…read morekids somewhere. Luckily, my bro had heard about splash parks in different states, and he found Portsmouth Splash Park (PSP) here in Hampton Roads. PSP is located on Elm and South in Portsmouth, and we decided to check it out. When we first drove by, we noticed there was no one around--no water running, no kids playing. I wondered if the place was closed, but then I saw two adults sitting on chairs. They were indeed open and we had the whole place to ourselves. The best part is it's free! When PSP opened 3 years ago, they charged $2 per person--which is still a bargain. It seemed that the turnout was low so they decided to do away with the fee. When you get to the desk, you will need to sign up and listen to the rules. Rule number one: no running! PSP has 15 interactive apparatus: giraffe, frog, dragon, crayon, flowers, pails, cattails, anchor and water blasters--fun and colorful. If you're planning to watch the kids instead of playing, there is no shade and no chairs, but there is a restroom. You are not allowed to bring in personal chairs and no food or drink (except water bottles--no glass please). PSP is clean, and a wonderful way to spend an hour or so during a hot summer day. Unfortunately, they are closed for the summer now--but bookmark this place for next year!

This is a nice little sprinkler for kids... even adults! The down fall is a couple of things: (1.)…read moreNo good working number on the internet for the weekend. (2.) No where to sit , no shaded benched areas. Other than that cool little place.

Pembroke Meadows Recreation Center offers a Members Only 25 meters outdoor swimming pool that is…read morenicely maintained. There are additional amenities, such as basketball courts, kiddie pool.& much more. The Pool is open seasonally and is closed on Tuesdays. Built in 1970 the non profit is run by a Pool Board and Volunteers. Neighborhood & Member events are varied and plentiful. Memberships are available at the Individual, Couple and Family Rates with Guest Passes available for purchase by members. There is a Senior Discount. The location is in the Pembroke Meadows neighborhood off Independence Boulevard. Before the Bayside Recreation Center was built it was the swimming choice for many residents of Bayside with children and teens. Parents spent hours t by the pool even though it was well staffed with lifeguards. It was a great place for kids to swim and socialize with their friends. It was fun for parents to meet and socialize on the pool deck, Pembroke Meadows Marlins is the swim team for the Center. It's a great way for kids to learn swim competition and develop their skills in the different strokes. Swim meets were held early in the morning on weekends. The pool is closed during this time. My son developed excellent swim skills during the time period when he was young and we were members. The early morning swim meet times were tough though for this night owl. :) It's hard for many Bayside residents to envision a time before the Bayside Rec Center was built. Pembroke Meadows filled the swimming void during that time. Last year I was watching my son and grandson swimming from the bleachers at the pool. I met a man who was waiting for his Grandson to finish swim team practice. I told him my son had been on the swim team at Pembroke Meadows. He said that his was also. Time had passed. Generations had changed. The kids that swam at Pembroke Meadows then now have children of their own. Thank you Pembroke Meadows Pool & Swim Team for the years of fun. A special thanks go out for the skills my son learned on the swim team. He has passed them on to his son.

The PMRC was clearly the place to be today. I could not believe it was not busy, but have said…read morebefore it never seems that busy, even on weekends. I did learn today that the facility will be open for selected weekends in September. This will be dependent on temps and precip that day. So, with a good warm September members can enjoy an extra month of fun by the pool.

Live very close to this location and have never been. My soon has been on me about a rec center…read moremembership. We finally went in, and to my surprise it was only $100 for the entire family for the year. We have a family of 5. They are very official with their membership cards and photos of each family member as well. The woman assisting me was very helpful and friendly. The building is a little dated but otherwise an enjoyable experience signing up.