Positives: They…read morehave like 17 squat racks in a room. It's amazing to see. The chemicals in the spray bottles are blue, so I know the workout equipment I'm spraying it with will be clean. The cardio area looked nice but I didn't get a chance to use it when I went two weeks ago. Negatives: Their upper body free weight area is kind of stuffy.

Good area to work out clean organized and great place to work out the pool looks comfortable but…read moresmall and very close to Berkeley High School

The group leader was hired 6 months before camp started. No personal touch. No one cares.read more

Both of our boys are neurodivergent and the staff has been so supportive and professional in making…read moresure they were supported, included, and had fun! They've participated in Camp Blue and Gymnastics at least two years in a row and each time it's been a success. We love Camp Youth Camps and we will definitely come back next year.

I made the mistake of getting a 10-times swim pass card, anticipating that I would be able to swim…read moreuntil the end of September. Well, we are past the first half of September now and I have not been able to use my pass. The heater is broken and the water in the swimming pool is very cold. The administration makes no attempt to accommodate the community. The pool is open in the morning for a lap swim which makes no sense. The warmer parts of the day are in the afternoon, so the water doesn't warm up until 1:30 PM when they close the pool. Also, the weight room opens up at 6 PM so you cannot coordinate workouts. Oh, and the pool is closed on Saturdays and Sundays when most people have free time to use it. Why not open the pool from 4 pm-6 pm, and on weekends, so people could enjoy warmer water and then use the gym? Please, either make a more sensible schedule or refund my money!

I like the pool and the people there also nice life guard and nice school awesome stuffread more

Wow, coming back to Albany Aquatics Center for kiddo swim lessons is full circle. Back in the day I…read moreswam here for swim meets in high school and now coming back, such a cool moment to be with the family. They offer Tot Swim (including on Sundays) which is honestly such a fun addition. We called ahead of time with a bunch of questions as newbies and inquired about walk-ins. We received answers to everything we needed to be set up with success for our first swim. There's also a super cool vending machine by the bathrooms/showers/changing areas that offers nutritious pre and post snacks, goggles, sunscreen, and I think swim caps too. The indoor pool is super spacious and everyone was respectful (of lanes, hehe). You're able to utilize pool accessories during the swim hours and there's lifeguards on duty with a stop watch to let you know when Tot time is over. We had around an hour and 15 or so. There's an awesome grass area and epic park next door. Parking is accessible in front of center. Can't wait to return! Definitely check the swim calendar online before heading over.

My son is currently enrolled in swim classes here. The instructions & expectations are clear. At…read morethe end of each session we had to be a bit persistent in obtaining a report card, but upon receipt, it's very detailed on what he needs to work on and what he did well. We will continue to enroll him here, especially since they also have an indoor pool for Fall & Winter sessions.

We built a new pool and the first day we went in to swim, my son jumped into the deep end, and…read morealthough he did his float, he panicked and developed a fear. I knew I had to find an instructor that could help him build confidence in swimming while helping him to get over this new fear. I found Sunsational and they sent us Lynsey; she is the best! She worked with my son at his level, challenged him but did not overwhelm him, and they not only had fun, but my son now jumps in on his own, goes down the slide, and has only improved over this summer! Many hats off and Thank yous to Lynsey!

Natan was an incredible instructor. Our 3 year old went from scared of the water and even of…read moreentering the pool to swimming by herself (!) after about 6 lessons. She's now putting her head underwater, wanting to stay in the pool for hours, and just so much more confident than before. Highly highly recommend Natan and the school. Would give a 6th star if I could!

I highly recommend this group if you're looking for a fun, relaxed, safety-cautious and experienced…read moregroup of coaches and water support. After taking a year off pool swimming during the pandemic/patricia/plandemic, I joined Odyssey, dropping in consistently on most Sundays from 2021 to 2023. *A quick aside on the 2020 shutdowns... no matter what we call it. How many nicknames have been given to this time period, right?! Reflecting on this period, I think to myself: What a both fascinating & disappointing timespan in history to observe human behavior. Back to my swim origins with Odyssey... Although I was rusty in my open water technique and swimming skills in general, I immediately felt comfortable with this group. Even after I returned to pool swimming in mid-2021 (a 15 month hiatus), I kept Odyssey as part of my training and commuted from RWC. While drop in fees can add up, it was worth it to me, at the time to gain confidence in open water swimming, especially when I ramped up training for the 2022 Ultraman Canada event. At that time, it was so incredibly challenging to find clean water to swim in, so even though it was choppy and intimidating, I was lucky to find Odyssey when I did. Before that, I would frequent the Foster City lagoon, but bacteria levels kept increasing, in addition to the jellyfish... two major turnoffs. Lastly, there are many local coffee shops to warm up and rejuvenate after your swim in nearby downtown Berkeley. My favorite go-to was Philz, of course. On a warming, nutritional pro-note: have a warm beverage waiting for you in your car, post-swim... especially if you attend a session in January! The SF Bay is extra chilly during that time and sometimes just thinking about a warm mug of tea or coffee will help you mentally get through another lap of the swim course. Even though I've reviewed this group a few times before, it's nice to add some helpful details for local folks, especially as we head into the colder winter months.

Bay Area people need to spread the word about Odyssey. After last year's Alcatraz near-miss with a…read morecontainer ship, I would have thought Odyssey would start to do better. But once again they seem to have put swimmers in serious danger in the shipping lane on their most recent Alcatraz swim. It's like they just don't understand how it works out there. Every charter captain they've worked with ends up backing away, and they just aren't learning from experience. How long until they get someone killed or injured? It's time that we start educating the triathletes and new swimmers in the Bay Area open water community that Odyssey does not run a safe operation. They seem to be more interested in collecting money than running their swims in a competent manner. Don't let your friends do central bay swims with Odyssey if you value their lives! The Berkeley Marina stuff is probably fine but not the big swims. It's wild that they've been able to get this far, but we have to start drawing the line.

Absolutely 5 stars and highly recommended. Coach Audrey has the patience, skill and plan to teach…read moreyoung kids swimming in the right approach. Best of all, she also makes the whole experience fun. Our kid looks forward to the lesson every week, and we can see concrete steady improvements after every lesson.

Thank you Audrey for being such an AMAZING swim teacher and swim coach! You have such wisdom and…read morecompassion for new swimmers!

BodyRok Berkeley has become my sanctuary of strength, sweat, and sleep restoration. I'm currently…read moreon the monthly package, and it's one of the best decisions I've made for my body and mind. With classes running every hour, each day targeting different muscle groups or training styles, I never have to overthink my workout routine--I just show up, 4 to 6 days a week, and let the rhythm carry me. These hybrid Pilates classes are reformer-inspired but go beyond the traditional format, incorporating cardio and conditioning in a way that feels both efficient and empowering. The programming is smart, the flow is intentional, and the results are real--I feel stronger, more grounded, and I've been sleeping better than I have in months. Now for the real shoutout: Vanessa, or V Dog as she's listed on the schedule, is a force of nature. Her classes are masterfully led, with a level of attention to detail that makes you feel seen, supported, and challenged. She's clearly experienced and deeply knowledgeable--not just about movement, but about how to guide a room full of diverse bodies through safe, effective, and transformative exercise. Vanessa always cues spring settings before each move, offers modifications to scale up or down, and walks the room to ensure everyone's form is on point. Her safety reminders aren't just helpful--they're part of a larger ethic of care. She teaches with precision, but also with warmth and humor, making even the toughest sequences feel like communal choreography. Yes, the classes move fast. Yes, you'll sweat. But you'll also leave feeling like you've earned something. The energy is high, the community is focused, and the instructors--especially Vanessa--treat every class like a ceremony of strength. BodyRok Berkeley isn't just a workout studio--it's a rhythm I've folded into my week, a place where movement becomes medicine, and where instructors like V Dog turn technique into testimony.

Iyahna is one of the best instructors in all of bodyrok east bay! She is thorough in her…read moredemonstration, makes minor adjustments to form, and is super encouraging. Took my first class with her 3~ years ago and still love taking her class!