Awesome pool with great light and wide lanes. Lifeguards keep it pretty clean. Parking is pretty good for the city

Affordable, great staff, amazing lifeguards, clean and well maintained facilities. From year round athletes training, every day swim exercise routines, swim lessons, or casual family fun times-it's a well designed space with a great viewing area. Pro-tip: -There's a 2 hour parking limit in surrounding area parking -pay close attention to street cleaning days -the front desk is information central read more

The facility is clean and nice...however, they say the water is 80°. It surely doesn't feel like it. My kids were shivering the whole time they were there. The water is frigid! Way colder than advertised. read more

Great facility with amazing views of Pine Lake Park, but the limited lap swim hours and crowded lanes make it hard to get a consistent workout. The locker rooms could also be cleaner given the traffic read more

Much better than at the Y or any swimming pool in the city. It has a huge locker/shower area, and many lanes to swim in. Even when 3-4 people share a lane, it doesn't seem too bad. There is a deep enough end that you don't hit your feet. The pool is warm enough but not so high that you are sweltering. read more

I used to swim here in the good ole days when there were globs of hair in the water and mold on the walls. In fact, this was one of the places I learned to swim so it brings back good memories. A lot has changed since then and it has become one of my favorite swimming pools. I used to come here every day back when I was on the swim team for Lowell High School, so I came here right before and after the remodel. I remember being so amazed when I first saw that the nastiest pool in the city became the nicest one. There was a time when I paid almost nothing to swim here, but it is now $7! I feel like it is still worth it because now I can't pay child price anymore, and I have a job that can help support the maintenance of this swimming pool. I am also able to save a few quarters if I buy 10 passes. I came here a few weeks ago and had a whole entire lane to myself. I loved that the chlorine was not too strong and that the sun shined through the large windows when I swam. It was amazing! read more

Concrete, steel, three walls of windows and one in honeyed, slatted bamboo that warms up the Neo-Brutalist space. The recent renovation certainly looks fantastic; I recognized some of the staff pulled from the recently closed Rossi pool so it's nice to have that connection. Check-in for lessons was very efficient and organized. Like North Beach, they don't allow family in the pool room. You have to watch from a small ante room on the same level as the pool so you have a very limited POV- disappointing. But everything looks clean, my doppelgänger told me the water temperature is "refreshing" and cool and the instructors seem very engaged with all the kids, both beginners and more experienced swimmers. Sava is msecond favorite of all the city pools where my child has learned to swim and hone his (formidable!) skills. read more

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The pool is good and the shower stall ok. The water is barely heated, so will always feel cold unless moving. Very crowded during the recreational swim time and it's super hectic with kids playing water volleyball and taking over most of the pool. Some people avoid payment and just walk in without showering before their swim. They just take off their bag and shoes and jump in. read more

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As soon as we got in there were over 30 kids so we took the swim test 4 laps no breaks and 1 whole minute pf swimming in place and right after the test a kid puked and we had to leave and they did not give our money back just a free pass and we don't live there read more

At $7 for an adult lane swim, it's not too bad or good however I would not recommend this pool especially because the front desk teenagers were rude in terms of inquiring on when they would allow people to check in. The adult lane swim started at 1:30PM, but they didn't signify where the line would start and when people started to pile in like sardines, then they decided to finally do their jobs. One big con is that they don't check for vaccination cards, so you are basically swimming with the possibility of catching the aftermath of covid symptoms. Also, if you're looking to enjoy some alone time, you won't find it here because this woman in the locker room was literally walking around asking people what they do and where they live. I too converse with the Trader Joe's employees at the register, but I've never been interrogated on this level. read more

Great pool for swimming and especially if you are learning since the pool isn't so deep. I came for a drop in a while ago and liked it. Only thing was that the pool was so crowded. Was in the fast lane but kept bumping into people a bit. Other than that. Great locker room and surrounding area. Definitely a blink and miss if you are driving around sunset or on 19th street. read more

Ugh, I don't know why I keep going to this pool. The only reason is the lap swim times fit my schedule, but from now on I'm going to Balboa pool. Twice I have gotten hit by swimmers who A, think they own the lane and who swims to the beat of their own drums and B, don't understand that if there are 3 people in a lane, you have to communicate first with everyone that you need to circle swim. You don't just start swimming because that's how you can run into other swimmers and get hurt or injure someone else. The water is always cold ad the amount of chlorine in the pool is just insane. The windows are open all the time making it even colder, and some of the staff have an attitude problem. They look so bored all the time staring off into space or looking at their cell phones. AND Sava pool is the only pool that kicked me out of the locker room claiming that they were understaffed that day and they needed to prepare the locker room for the next batch of swimmers (which was the family swim). I was beyond irritated. I had to rush to finish up and get out of the locker room which has never happened to me before. Another time an employee "tried" to kick everyone out from the locker room because he wanted to go home. Seriously? Sava pool needs a major change in employees, attitude, and schedule. At Balboa, no staff employee ever kicked me out of the locker room because they had to go home or because they had to prepare the locker room for the next batch of swimmers. They patiently waited until everyone was done, even if it was late at night after an evening lap swim. read more

The design of the facility is pretty slick. I especially love the wall of windows and blue subway tile a la 19th St. Bart station. As with all the public pools in SF, 'rec swim' is really informal lap swim time. You either go with that flow, if you will, or bring a squad of buddies to hang out with in the deep end to break of the lap lanes that invariably develop during this period. Futzing around, treading water & floating seem to be frowned upon by lappers who can't seem to manage visiting Sava during the hours dedicated solely for lap swimming. When I say 'frowned upon', I mean folk swim straight at you or riiiight next to you. If I bring my big, burly husband to the pool with me, this magically doesn't happen at all, I should add. The ladies' locker room is kitted out with modern lockers of varying sizes. There are a few modesty areas for those who wish to change behind a curtain. The shower area (four standard heads and one ADA compliant set-up) fills up mighty quickly during busy periods. A line often forms as one waits to rinse off. Two hand-dryers affixed to the wall nearer the lockers are meant for drying one's hair. Like the other SF public pool facilities, Sava doesn't have a modern payment system. A locked cash box accepts one's exact change & that's it. -no square for card payments, no opening the cash box to make change, no nada. Payments---even key-chain bar code scans from advanced, online purchases---are accepted at exactly (or rather a few minutes after) the hour at which swim sessions begin. So, if 'rec swim' is between 12.30 and 2p, then a guest is in the pool, at the absolute quickest, at 12.35. This means that people tend to line up usually ten minutes in advance of opening time at the payment window. What Sava could do is start taking payments five minutes early, tops, then folk who've paid could sit and wait--outside, on benches, where ever--and at 12.30 the doors to both the pool area and the change rooms could be opened letting folk in. It would be less stressful for both staff (who always seem so harried when busting through the payment line) and guests & there would be less of a clog of humans at the payment area which is incidentally just at the entrance to the facility. I'll say this: there are certainly shabbier pools in town, so one could do worse. *street parking only *semi-secluded seating area directly adjacent to pool facility read more

Sava Pool - Ladies' locker & private changing area. - Swimming Pools Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Good place, fairly clean, wet - and being wet is a good thing when it comes to pools. I've been here for fun swim with a friend, there were a lot of kids and adults, pretty nice group of people, in a lot of pools kids swim without ever looking forward and run into 1,083 people without ever thinking 'hey, maybe I need to pay attention to where I'm going' - not here. People are generally aware of their space. I've done laps here and it was good, had a good lap partner, oddly enough someone that doesn't run into you when they're swimming is about all it takes. That and it's best to be on opposite sides of the pool most of the time so you pass in the middle. I would definitely go here again - unless I was going to Koret, that's the big Daddy or Queen of pools, but that doesn't make this less than 5 stars. For what this is they serve a broad audience and I would be happy if this was my home pool. (Some people have home bars - you're 'Local' aka 'Neighborhood' pool with a bar). read more

I grew up coming to this pool. It's not the cleanest place in the world, but honestly, it's hard to expect any public pool to be clean. The rates for a kid to go swimming was really good and that's the go to place for hanging out with friends back then. I'm sure much has changed but the people there were always different, there was often very little interaction between you and the staff read more

In an attempt to get my long distance swimming up-to-par prior to getting scuba certified in a few months, I made my way here to Sava Pool during the Lap Swim session this afternoon. I haven't been back here to Sava since it was a dark, gloomy, dirty facility that it was when I first swam here learning how to swim years and years ago was a little tot. The new remodel is amazing. Gone are those dark, gloomy rooms, molded floors and walls, and in place of all that is a very nice modern new facility with a great open space, well lite from the floor to ceiling walls surrounding. The pool itself is also a whole lot bigger than it used to be. The locker room area is also spacious and comfortable, with an abundance available lockers, private dressing rooms for the modest, and a 5 head shower area. This area is definitely such a great change to the old locker room which was cramped, and dark from the lack of lights. As for the pool, Lap Swim was separated into three sections--Slow, Medium, Fast. 1 big lane for the Slow swimmers, and 2-3 lanes for the Medium and Fast. I made my way to the Slow lane as I'm am no where near being competitively swift in swimming. It would've been nice to have a bit more space in the Slow lane as some folks were actually extremely slow. Understandable and fine...but 1 big lane is just not enough. Eventually, I will slowly get back up there in the faster swimming aress! Overall, the new remodel of Sava is great! Spacious and well-lite, and definitely a lot cleaner than it used to be. Use for adult admission is $5.00. read more

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Sava Pool in the outer Sunset is a great neighborhood SF parks & rec public pool, perhaps the best facility in the city. According to the city's website, this pool underwent a 17 million dollar renovation. It shows. I swam there before the renovation when it was a very dated 60's or 70's style building. The new structure is beautiful - simple gray concrete slabs pieced together in a modern design. My favorite new feature by far is the south wall, made entirely of glass. Beautiful sunlight floods the pool and throws light patterns into the water that make swimming more visually interesting. Sava pool has a square footprint. I swim laps for fitness and had to share a lane with 2 people, which I don't mind. Generally, people are accomodating and choose a lane that approximates their speed. 8 lanes are set up for laps, I believe, with a section for unlaned swimming. The water is very clear and clean. If I am not mistaken, the pool is saline. I like saline pools a lot. Chlorine is bad for your skin, hair, eyes, ears, sinuses, everything. The shower and locker room are very clean. There is hot water, and new, more spacious lockers. Bring your own lock. $5 entrance fee. There are swim sessions for kids as well as for aquatic exercise classes for senior citizens. I love Sava pool. I would swim there regularly if I lived in the outer Sunset. If you do, check it out. read more

From what I can recall, I've only been to Sava Pool once before the remodel. Before the renovations, the locker rooms were small and dirty. Lockers were made of some metal material, so they rusted and had an unpleasant odor. The pool area wasn't that bright. Also, there wasn't a lobby. But after the remodel (circa 2009), the pool area has more natural lighting. The lockers are now wooden and coated to minimize water damage. The shower heads are cheap, but the temperature is right. The swimsuit spinner is a nice addition. And now there's an indoor lobby area for waiting. The pool entrance fees are currently $5 for adults age 17+ and $1 for children. The difference is outrageous (but of course I'd think that because I pay the adult rate). They also have an exact change only policy, which is silly. Parking is relatively easy around this neighborhood. Overall, Sava Pool is one of the cleaner and nicer public pools in San Francisco. The pool is heated (though it is a bit chilly when first getting in) and the water isn't overly chlorinated. During recreational swim time (one of the options that's open to the public), the shallow end gets very crowded; so it's only fun if you know how to swim and go to the deep end, where there aren't as many floating noodles whacking you in the face. I would swim at Sava weekly, but $5 per week adds up quickly. read more

Sava's Open for Business! Geez, so many whiners! Let me call the whaabulance! Sheesh, It's a public pool in SF. To the person "kim h." If you're that elite of a swimmer go join a masters program. What are you doing in a public pool during community lap swim. Its funny nobody's heard of close proximity swimming. To the person who came from Foster City to swim at Sava. What are you talking about? You actually passed up Burlingame's beautiful 50 meter Olympic sized pool that is closer to you to come to SF's smaller Sava? They should of took your $20 and gave you no change based on that. read more

Sava is my go-to Monday night swim destination (my other options Rossi or Hamilton do not have lap swim Monday night). As a facility, Sava is solid - clean, newly renovated, lots of natural light, decent parking. They do not let patrons into the locker room a minute before schedule, but there is an additional lobby bathroom for eager changers. The pool is great for lap swim, many lanes separated by speed, with mindful regulars (three or more know to circle swim; space out when a lane opens). There is a visible timer clock next to fast lane, for the conscientiously competitive among us. The chorline level here runs stronger than Rossi or Hamilton. Locker-room amenities include an open communal shower (no stalls), bring-your-own lock type lockers, and swimsuit drying machine for leaving with suits as they came. After my workout, I always take the short neighborhood drive to re-fuel at the Stonestown mall Chipotle or Jamba Juice. Then I go to the mall's Trader Joe's or Target to grab groceries or necessities. I love this Monday night sequence of events, if you couldn't tell, and am glad Sava pool is here to facilitate it. read more

I swam here when i was on the Lincoln swim team. good memories of getting off class early and swimming in the lane closest to the windows. Unfortunately, like my review of the academy of sciences, an attempt on a LEED building and the stress on architecture has led this pool to be just ok. The pool area is great; much wider with more benches for swim meets. Water line is aligned with the ground, so getting out is easier as well. No more counting the bricks above you; exposed HVAC is fine with me. However, during the lap swim, it seems that the guards were a bit too lazy to put in additional lane lines. Lab swimming in double-wide lanes felt weird, even though it allowed people to pass others easily. If it's a lane for lap swim, put in lane lines to make it a real lap swim! Shower stalls outside in the pool area is nice; two additional showerheads as well as more spacing in the shower area in the locker rooms makes people less claustraphobic. The locker area itself horrible. This is where I think the architects really f'ed up. The E-shape layout cannot accomodate half the pool capacity at all! The old layout was much better with all the lockers at the perimeter. Locker rooms are all about function and open space, especially after a full pool of swimmers coming out after practice. Even during lap swim I felt uncomfortable with the 12+ people in there. I'm sure during swim meets this is THE go-to venue. For those working here, it's a dream come true. But word of advice: change before you get here, not in the locker rooms. Scheduling is a bit wack and even though they have breaks in between, the locker room is still crowded. No way around that, even if you go during low crowd times. I bought a ten-pass to this place, so might as well use it up. But seriously, again having a high-profile architect design a pool usually means the area in which function is needed the most is put aside for asthetics instead. read more

Sava Pool - Charlie Sava Complex Plan View - Swimming Pools Near Me - San Francisco, California

There are always things that can be added to improve convenience or ease, BUT this is a nice. clean public pool....with EXCELLENT staff. I had reason to need low impact exercise for a few years & this was the location selected. Reasonable prices, basic safety features, area to change, shower & swim or exercise. Personally witnessed two people have medical emergencies & the program manager/supervisor was exceptional...attentive, caring, spot-on life saver! Only real wish would be warmer water & additional options for paying. It can be difficult to always have exact change. read more

Warning: This review is part experience, part reconstructed memory from 16 years ago. Passing the swim test was a requirement for high school graduation at SF schools a decade and more ago. Swim 2 lengths of the pool and tread water for 1 minute or else. I still remember the guy who came to graduation ceremony dripping wet in his cap and gown 'coz he had just passed the swim test (after failing it repeatedly at previous attempts) moments before. Sava was the closest pool to Lowell and in the Sunset, an indoor pool is an absolute must. Try this equation on for size: FOG + 7:30 AM SWIM CLASS = PNEUMONIA Sava was a bit like that pool scene in Cocoon. All those Don Ameches and Hume Cronyn types floating around--it was all very peaceful. read more

It was close by, so we tried Sava. Fail. This place does not seem to be heated. Not only is there no heat, but every single door and all windows were open. Every single one. All along the length of the entire pool. The cold and the wind just roll in, over the water. So basically, this is an outside pool, but just under a roof. The pool area was freezing. We normally go to Hamilton pool, where's its nice and warm. I thought, perhaps these open doors were due to Covid, so I asked. Their answer was that they always had it cold. It's therefore, the same temp as outside. Why in the world would women stand in the middle of a locker room, totally naked, when a dressing room is 5 feet away? No one wants to see that. Walk the 5 feet to the dressing room, for Gods sake. We had our little kids with us, who are allowed in, and they don't need to see a bunch of nude ladies. Again, 5 feet away. Just go there. read more

There are a few things that bring me back to Sava Pool: good parking, newer facilities, and little to no crowd in the mornings. There are plenty of street parking when you go early in the mornings during the weekdays! You would most likely swim with older people and the water is generally cleaner. Avoid going during the weekends because the pool is filled with people (3-4 people per lane). The facilities here are a lot better compared to the Rossi pool. The lockers are newer and they have a swimsuit wringing machine. The showers are also a lot better. Check the schedule online to make sure that you have enough time for your swim. The staff are very nice and reloading your pass is fairly easy! read more

Very rude geriatric white woman life guard who has no good or friendly communication experience. She treats people unbelievably bad. Yelling at people instead of asking nicely. Whether it's telling a child to put on swim trunks instead of coming into the pool in they're underwear or letting people it's time to get out of the pool but not giving them time to get out. Saying things like "Get out, get out didn't you hear me! Hurry up get out get out". Kids need patience when it comes to instructions or rules. If your going to have a job in a field where kids are present learn better communication skills, patience, treating people how you want to be treated, if your having an off day call off if it affects you professionally. Don't treat an establishment like it's your personal prison. read more

In my opinion, this building's design, lack of amenities and management policies said to me: "Just take your swim and get the hell out." No off-street parking and no towels for rent are acceptable for a large public pool. But having a thick acrylic wall in front of the check-in desk for robbery prevention like at a cheap motel, a slot in a steel plate for the required exact change only payment, no credit card service, remotely activated changing room doors, no quarter-fed lockers (it's bring your own locks), no soap in the showers, no vending machines, no diving boards or pool wheelchair ramps, no hot tub, too low water temperature for young children, no bleachers for parents to watch classes or competitions and only a 15 square foot pen-like room for waiting families are not acceptable. The great city of San Francisco deserves better than this. Please compare to http://www.cityofmlt.com/cityServices/recreation/indoorPool/indoorPool.htm (You may have to copy and paste.) read more

I don't really understand all the negative reviews of this pool. This is a PUBLIC pool...not some country club pool that people pay an arm and a leg to get into. So knowing that it is a PUBLIC pool ,don't go there and expect your own private shower stall, great amentities (i.e. sometimes the toilet tissue and paper towels DO run out), and don't expect the staff to do it all. I started coming to this pool the 2nd week of it's opening. It's actually a really great pool.Everything is really clean, the locker rooms have a ton of lockers - remember to bring your own lock though! There is 5 shower showers, a swimsuit dryer, 3 changing rooms with curtains for those who like their privacy when changing, and lots of mirrors to check yourself before you leave. The pool is pretty big - the deepest it goes is 10 feet. No need to fear tho, they place a giant orange cone at the edge of the pool at the point where it drops, so if you do not want to venture out to the deep end, just don't go across where the cone sits. They have kickboards for those who just want to kick across the pool. This pool is used for many of the neighborhood schools swim teams and swim tests/classes. So by the time it comes for the evening lap swims, you tend to see a herd of high schoolers come out. I used to come to their tuesday adult swim class, which was great because there was only like max 6 people in the class ever....but it was taken off the scheudle because the special needs swim (which I think it's great that people with special needs has a great place to swim and be safe) needed the the entire pool because of its popularity. So there is only the wed's adult swim class...which I went to last weds....and it was super unorganized. There was like 30 people in many different levels. I just wanted to learn how to tread...and so I wandered off to the deep end with my friends and learned on my own. I love coming to the lap swims, because almost everyone follows the rules there...you swim down one side, turn around and swim down the opposite side. Go online and check their scheudule for the swim times. It's $4 dollars to swim, $5 for the adult swim lessons - exact change only. You can go to their website and buy 10 swim tickets for $36 bucks - a $4 dollar savings if you don't want to bother trying to dig up exact change all the time. Overall, its a great clean pool. read more

The pool is good and the shower stall ok. Very crowded during the recreational swim time and it's super hectic.

Overall it was nice. Chris as the front desk was very kind to us BUT there was a lady named Marianne who very much had a vice principal vibe. Everyone in the entire pool was responsible over they're children but Marianne felt the need to push herself into peoples very safe situations for no reason. At the time no one was acting inappropriate or crazy. She made me and my family have to think twice about coming back. She also talked to my stepsister in a way that was being sarcastic over what her father said , She is only 4 years old and should not be hearing that. read more

In search of a backup pool for when my beautiful Koret center pool is under maintenance or otherwise not an option for me, I found Sava Pool. While I agree that the huge windows allow for a gorgeous pool area full of natural light and clear water, I also have to concur with some major gripes that others have mentioned about the lap swim. 1. What is up with the circle-swim clockwise instead of counter-clockwise as is done in every other pool in the USA? The lifeguard did mention that they'd be changing to the more conventional style in Mid-February, though I couldn't glean exactly why the wait is needed. 2. Speed etiquette awareness is generally lacking in this pool. The lifeguard did try to organize people at the start of lap swim, but about 20 minutes into it, he seemed to have given up. Soon, there were slow breast-strokers idly floating along in the fast lane. (Props to everyone for getting in the water and exercising. I just wish people would be a little more aware of those around them. If someone is coming barreling up behind you, you don't push off of the wall right in front of them!) 3. Many have mentioned a horrifying large/double open lane situation, which does sound spectacularly titanic in likely failure. They seem to have done away with this system, but if not, here's my vote that they keep the lanes to normal size. The locker-room is new and nice and clean. However, I'm not a fan of the communal shower area with wimpy shower heads. Seems like they could've improved upon that during the renovation everyone is so jazzed about. You have to bring your own lock or bring your stuff out to the deck. Also, bring exact change of $5. The man was kind enough to make change for me on my first visit, but I got the picture that he was making a special arrangement for me. (Maybe they could have a change machine in the lobby area?) All-in-all, it's a fair back-up pool, but it would never be my first choice because of the weird circle-swimming and poor adherence to basic lane etiquette, making it hard to get a good work-out accomplished. read more

As far as public pools go, this one is great! Just used it for the first time this past Saturday--locker rooms are way cleaner than you'd expect them to be. Now, this doesn't mean gleaming floors and shiny lockers--this is still a public facility, mind you. But $5 will cover locker room usage, and whichever type of pool usage you want. Lap swim was an awesome experience. I used to live near the Temescal pool over in Oakland, and it was ALWAYS packed, no matter what the time. Mostly with old, wrinkly men. Not pretty. Sava pool is miles above that--apparently this pool isn't Olympic-length, but for recreational lap swimming, that's not really my concern. The water was not only clean and heated, but it wasn't overly chlorinated, which was really nice on my skin and eyes. And, I hope that this wasn't just a rare occurrence, but I had no trouble going at my own speed in the faster lanes. Even in ones that were more crowded, other swimmers were always very courteous and never pushed behind you or slowed up in front, aside from one girl who probably should have moved a few lanes over to the slow side. Also, the entire building is just gorgeous. Lots of natural light pours into the pool area, which makes it feel open, spacious, and relaxing. It's quite convenient to the Lakeside/Parkside/SFSU residents, too--just off of Wawona and 19th Avenue. Definitely going to become a regular here! Bring your combo lock to store your junk safely (not that I think lots of people come to public pools to steal...but you never know?). They also have those AWESOME Swimmate machines that spin your bathing suits dry! I got unreasonably excited by that. Go find the swim schedule on the SF Recreation & Parks website! read more

The best pool facility for the money! I really don't care if the staff is smiling or not, the place only charges $5 and it's a public pool. The facilities are modern, pool is huge and enough room for all to do laps. Locker rooms are also nice, open showers, changing rooms, and long counters to do hair and makeup. For those that are complaining about the service or it not being completely immaculate, I say you get what you pay for. If you want impeccable service with immaculate facilities stop being cheapskates and spend the money for the Bay Club or Fitness Club LA, then you have every right to complain. Otherwise pay your $1-$5 and go out and swim in a PUBLIC POOL, and stop complaining! read more

I'm not a big swim guy, but my son seems to like swimming more and more so I decided to hit this place for rec swim on a friday night. Thought it might become a weekly event, but after tonight's visit, doubt I'll be back. Pros: somewhat new, the fact that it's even open due to budget cuts Cons: Staff is not only unfriendly but seemed almost resentful that they had to work. No smiles, no hellos, I maybe got a snort at the front desk but that's about it. Also you MUST BRING EXACT CHANGE. I talked to several people (ok this is technically hearsay) but they don't give change so if you don't have it, then sol. I believe it too since you stuff your money down a little hole at the counter. Lockers were dirty and wet inside. Shower stalls had shower heads that were broken and/or not spraying correctly. NO SOAP in the stalls. Pool was super crowded and all the kids seemed rowdy; I keep getting bumped into and having all the kids kick huge amounts of water in my face as they kept playing. I realize it is rec swim and everyone is out to have some fun but it just seemed overly disorganized. And my son who is just learning how to swim just didn't feel comfortable. Can't they section it off so one part is just for younger (i.e. under 5) kids? Just wondering. Last but not least - the water was cold. Online says 80 degrees but there is no fricking way it is 80. More like 65. Hey, budgets cuts, I get it. Just don't lie about it on your website. 2 stars for the 2 pro points listed above, and I'm feeling generous. Call me a grinch. read more

I'm writing this review based solely on my experience inside the lobby of Sava. I drove all the way from Foster City at 12pm so that I could make the 12:30 lap swim. I was in my swimsuit already under my sweats and sweater. I had planned this for a long time and I was finally carrying it out. So I arrive around 12:30p and I notice the sign says "exact change only." I only had twenty bucks so when I asked the lady behind the counter, she rudely said "We don't make change. There's a store up the street." Now I have grown up in the Sunset district and I know that around the Vicente area there are no shops. I would have had to park at Taraval find a place willing to give me change, repark at Vicente and then once again walk in. It isn't like I'm going up there with a hundred or even fifty dollar bill. Twenty bucks is a typical bill anyone would have in their pocket. When I used to go to Sava before the remodeling, it was 0.75 cents. So I understand why they needed exact change. But now that the price is hiked up to $4.00 why wouldn't they adopt a better system? At least have a change machine in the lobby. It's just common sense. They should modernize their business just like they revamped the pool. read more

I can't think of a better way to cool off from the 90 degree weather than to hit the swimming pool, especially after the gym!! So, I noticed this time that the pool deepens from 3 feet to 6 feet as you reach the far length of the pool. A lot of Chinese out today. I guess we do love to get our swim on whenever we can. I think we should use our tax money to install a retractable roof just for these type of gorgeous days. It will be sooo useful for 2 weeks out of the year. Who's with me?! read more

I'm probably not the best person to write about this but hopefully it will help some people. I came here looking for a quiet clean pool in which to kinda float around and get acclimated to the water since I'm just learning how to swim. I'm not even swimming laps yet but I wanted to get some practice and familiarity Came in for lap swim at the 6:30pm time. Lovely location, wonderful facilities all around. I love how they have huge windows right by the pool, makes for a lovely setting. Now what I learned was that lap swim was not the time to do what I was hoping to do. Plus I got glared at by a 10yr old asian boy who was outswimming me. One of the employees recommended recreational swim which is 2:30-3:30 for what I was looking to do. He saw me leave and felt bad and was trying to help so kudos to him. read more

Sava pool is gorgeous with natural lighting (when it's not foggy in SF) and boasts a large pool. The biggest issue with Sava pool that makes me drop down my rating to what, otherwise, would have been 4 stars is the ridiculous amount of people that come to this pool. The ridiculous amount of people who do not care about pool etiquette here is insane. I understand that it's really difficult to adhere to the rules since there is such an insane amount of people that come here but it makes it a lot less satisfying for people who are quick swimmers and do not appreciate people popping up suddenly. I normally come to the pool to relax and swim to my heart's content but Sava pool is much too crowded for that sort of insanity. Otherwise, this pool is gorgeous and looks well-maintained (for how many people come here). read more

Five bucks a swim isn't bad, especially if you're prone to skipping workouts, but I'd really like to be able to buy either a book of tickets for a discount or buy a card for a number of swims and just get it punched every time. It's a P.I.T.A. to have to bring $5 cash every time and they can't make change because the cash goes right in a strong box. The facilities are really good for a municipal pool. Little high on the chlorine, but considering the pool is available to ANYONE in SF... That's just fine by me. The schedule is online here: http://sf-recpark.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=324 But be aware that it has been inaccurate. If I'm going to go at a time other than my usual, I'll generally call first. It sucks to ride your bike six miles to get there and find out that the lap swim is actually just ending and it's kiddie swim lessons or old people jumping in the shallow end time. read more

Before this pool was renovated I was not a fan. The locker rooms used to be dingy and dirty but now they are clean and spacious with a swimsuit spin dryer. The pool looks amazing and the new window makes the pool look so open. If I was not just a guppy swimming I would come here more. What I recommend: Whether you are a guppy or shark swim here. read more