This pool is as good as it gets in a city like San Francisco, where one might refrain from even trying one out for the fear of what, and who, is floating in the water. But this glass-house natatorium, which was plenty beautiful even before the outrageous renovation it underwent circa '07, banishes many fears of The Public Pool. In fact, this is the place I credit with training me for my first 1 mile swim race...this is where I learned how to flip turn, this is where I started going from 10 laps to 50. The best things about this place: a sweet weave through the quiet streets of the Sunset District to get there on foot, natural light going all the way to the bottom of an immaculate pool, the 100 ft. length (so 53 laps, rather than 71, makes a mile), nice lifeguards. The worst things: Antiquated ticketing system (and $4.50 a swim; ouch), aggressive assholes in the lane who pass you then go slow; like driving in the South...though this behavior is not unique to this pool by many means, I've found it here many-a-morning. read more

I come here sporadically. But I always go to lap swim, nothing else. So I can't really say anything about the adult swim lessons, children/rec swim, senior lessons, or any other type there is. I do adore this pool. I think it's beautiful (John King, the SF Chron's architectural columnist, sang praises about this building), clean, and conveniently located. I never have any trouble finding parking within two-minute walk from the front door. The pool itself is significant in size, making a real workout feasible. The showers are no-frills and fairly clean. The lockers do get their fair share of dust and dirt, but so does my house. The staff are like the showers: no-frills and fairly clean. Mostly they just look bored as they sit on the elevated lifeguard chairs. I did think they could direct traffic better in the medium and fast lanes. Those lanes are so small, they should have a cap of four people maybe even three. But then again, on crowded days even I might try to sneak in and I wouldn't want to be scolded publicly. So I just keep on swimming, keep on swimming... read more

I'm slow. I get it. That's why I swim in the slow lane. But come on, Saturday morning Sava People...please don't do water aerobics in the slow lane! And Sava Lifeguards, care to say anything to all these people hanging off the sides of the pool doing exercises? I really don't enjoy getting kicked in the side as I swim by. I mean, sorry for wanting to swim laps during LAP SWIM, but can't you come back during recreational swim to do your exercises? I know, I know. It's not Sava messing up Lap Swim, but it is the life guards doing NOTHING to monitor pool activity. At least at North Beach and Rossi they'll call you out if you're doing something wrong so you can get on track with pool etiquette. On a happy note, nice renovations! I haven't been here in about 20 years and the place is beautiful hence the 2 stars. read more

Infodiva here with some local SF West of Twin Peaks SF Park & Rec History. SAVA??? I hated it when they changed the name. This pool will forever be in my memory as Larsen Pool on 19th. Summer fun for the whole neighborhood. Summers 1970+ onward. Imagine little infodiva B at Commodore Sloat School Kindergarten 1970. The Red Cross always promotes teaching people to swim. It is a good skill to have. You never know when you might be forced to swim...ok.. Boat accident Cruise accident airplane crash...god forbid but learn to swim. Promote it... I digress as usual.. Commodore 1970. Cats (my middle name) don't really like water, but I gave it a shot for a few terms. I learned how to swim @SFSU http://www.sfgov.org/site/recpark_page.asp?id=1867 Imagine my suprise to see a crater where the pool once sat. Shock AWE! Suprise... ooops holding up traffic on 19th ave in the middle of the day. Not Good!!! I want my pool back!!! I want those funky dressing rooms where I learned about white women's breasts and genital hair.. white women are so free...hahaha It costs .10 cents for entrance. I never went to Fleishacker. My Bros did. I do remember this white child molester... an old man... I was suckered into his charm. He wanted me to use him as a diving board and he would place my feet on his cock. Watch your kids... I never even knew that existed. Creeep. FYI Found some history about Larsen... very intertesting read on: The Larsen Chicken Ranch on 16th-17th Avenues between M and N Streets Taken approximately 1898. One of the earliest settlers in the Sunset was Carl Larsen, who came to San Francisco from Denmark in 1869. He owned a downtown business, the Tivoli Caf, on Eddy Street. In 1888, he began buying large amounts of land in the dunes of the Sunset. Larsen's Chicken Ranch ran from 16th to 17th Avenues, from M Street to N Street. Each morning, a horse-drawn carriage took eggs from the Larsen Chicken Ranch to the Tivoli Caf, probably along the only through road in the Sunset, the Central Ocean Road. Carl Larsen never married and he was generous to his adopted city. In 1924, he donated land at the eastern edge of the Sunset, land now known as Golden Gate Heights Park and Larsen's Peak. In 1926, Larsen donated two full blocks from 19th to 20th Avenues, between Ulloa and Wawona. Many Sunset children grew up with memories of playing at Larsen Park, best remembered for the military airplane that children could climb over endlessly and for Larsen Pool (now Charlie Sava pool, named after a beloved swimming instructor and coach of Olympic swimmer Anne Curtis). Infodiva here with some local flava for ya. I love water.. I swim on occasion. I want my own pool. 94132 Driving her White '98 Blazer OMI Childhood Memories The Sunset. Swimmin I love you Yelp. Happy Turkey Day... Audi.... Thankful Hallelujah hahahha read more

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

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

Nice pool, good if you are a casual lap swimmer who goes for light exercise. I am a serious swimmer and this pool is NOT good if say, you want to swim 10 x100s on the 1:20. The "fast" lane is populated with people who are overflow from other lanes, which is fair enough at times but it is annoying as heck when someone just kicking gets in and the lifeguard doesn't seem to do anything about it. This pool is great if you are learning to swim or looking for a newer public pool or a triathlete who is not that fast :) It is odd to me that the showers are sooo extremely low flow that you can't really rinse off and that the locker room doesn't have floor mats. It can get kind of gross with hair. However, this is my preferred place to swim with my boyfriend who is learning to swim. It has a shallow bottom and is low key. read more

I had actually heard a lot of bad stuff about the pool so thought I wouldn't like it. I had heard a whole range of random stuff like it's unsafe, really dirty, and horribly overcrowded. But when I went to Lap Swim there last week it was really nice. It's not unsafe at all (the locker room door is electronically locked and you can't even get in if you haven't paid), it wasn't overcrowded (I swam 3 to a lane). I'll have to go a little more to see if the life guards don't control the pace of the lap swim, so I can't comment to that, but I know the lifeguard were really friend. I think I liked it so much because my expectations were so low and I'm just happy to have a pool on 19th avenue again. read more

San Francisco's premier public pool. And it's now on sfgate's list of "101 things all SF kids should do in the city before they grow up." And being the premier pool, it gets crowded. If you are an avid lap swimmer, the crowds will get to you and throw a wrench in your workout (particularly since the speeds are not very well monitored by the lifeguards). It's getting better with the single lanes for the faster speed lanes but in SF city-pool fashion the medium/slow lanes are still double-wide and awkward. Facilities are better than the old pool, with the pool now 8 lanes and a standard 25 yards (old pool was 6 lanes and the awkward 100 feet; or 33.3 yards) and thus holds the majority of the high school meets. Add to that gutters that are water-level (making the pool faster and eliminating most of the waves) and you have a great pool. Wish it was an olympic size pool though (the only one in SF is USF). Reasoning for the 3 stars is the cost ($5/visit isn't conducive to an everyday workout), limited lap swim schedule, and the locker room/shower facilities which are starting to show age despite only being a few years old. Plus, the male locker room is much smaller than the old one with no sense of privacy (not that I have anything to hide, but just saying....). read more

Do YOU love getting your backstroke, butterfly, and synchronized swim on? If so, strip down to your speedo now. After years and years, this pool is re-opened and refurbished for the public. It is a simple facility that is well equipped. The locker rooms are nice, and there is ample space to do what you need to do. The actual pool is usually a bit on the cold side, but the lanes are nice. read more

My daughter been going to Sava pool last three years. She loves it. It is clean, stuff is nice. And they teach really good. I highly recommend this pool. read more

I arrived with twenty minutes left of recreational swim and the attendant allowed me and my partner-in-crime to swim for free. We showered off and dove right into the deep end. The pool was packed on the shallow side with children and their funnoodles, while their parents watched from the sidelines. We were lucky that there weren't many people in the deep end, probably because the children aren't as experienced swimmers. The children that were using the deep end to do canon balls were raised well enough that they were courteous enough not to jump while we passed by. It's expected, though, that you might accidentally run into someone. As long as everyone plays nice. I wanted to go cool off from the warm weather San Francisco was having and found that in twenty minutes time, I was able to get a pretty good workout despite the commotion around me. I have yet to try out the lap sessions, though I trust they're much more organized from other people's reviews. The pool area is clean and the floor is non-slip. It tends to get very crowded in the afternoon, but that is expected since this is San Francisco and when it's warm out, the kids have every right to want to splash in the pool. I have no qualms about a crowded community pool; I was just glad to get a swim in and cool off a bit. Minus one star for the fact that they accept exact change only. It is really inconvenient when I have the hankering to go swimming but I have to walk up to Taraval to get change, and then back down to Vicente. Boo. read more

This is where I do my lap swimming on a recreational schedule. (2:30-3:30 M-F) I learned that you are not allowed to use boards during these times, I try to sneak one to the pool, and the young lady took it away from me! yikes! lol I did improve, since I don't swallow water anymore. I guess the serious look of lifeguards did it for me! read more

Best looking public pool, ever! Mostly since it been remodeled not even a year ago. I use to come here every morning for six months for my high school swim lessons. The lifeguards are funny, and crack jokes once in a while. The showers are warm and nonrusty. Sometimes, during rec. swim when everyone showers, you will see some fully naked people showering... it may be normal, however I was raised into a community where it's not normal for me to see naked people showering in public showers. Another complaint is that, there aren't enough changing stalls, only 4 [3 small ones, and 1 big family one]. (I'm talking about the women changing room) The lockers are still clean, and you would need to bring your own lock. Another complaint is that, during the summer, weekend rec. swim, it is so crowded with little kids that it's almost impossible to swim 10feet without having to stop, to avoid colliding with another kid. However this is to be expected, since it IS a public pool, fairly cheap price for kids, one dollar per kid. Great price for families who want to bring there kids for a swim, especially at a pool as clean and beautiful. read more

Came here for a child's 6th birthday party. You can tell that this place definitely went under renovation. The whole building is made of large concrete slab, which makes it very memorable! Thankfully we didn't have to share the pool with the general public. First impression was that the place was clean. And of course the weather was cold and foggy. But, from what my kids said, the pool was warm and once you get into the pool area, you can tell the place is somewhat heated. The hosts of the party get to use a small room to set up food/cake and there's a large enough window to check out those people that are swimming. I believe there were 2 lifeguards on duty during the party. If your child didn't know how to swim, there had to be at least 1 adult with them. The women's locker room was fine and. The showers were communal, the changing area was spacious and was equipped with a swimsuit spin dryer. read more

No-nonsense lap swimming. Clean, bright, and tons of equipment (ie kickboards up for grabs) I am so elated that I live a short walk from this pool. The lanes are set up by speed and people seem to be very good about gauging themselves. There is a suit/body dryer in the changing rooms which is kind of space-age and awesome. The customer service is pretty no-frills and straightforward but I actually find that refreshing. I would definitely recommend it. read more

Beautiful pool. I'm not a great swimmer, and lap swimming here is a blast. The fast lanes are smaller while the medium and slow speed lanes are larger and allow me to pass and be passed comfortably. The building is clean and gorgeous. The view from the water of Stern Grove's Eucalyptus and Monterey Cypress/Pine trees is a really great escape.1 Edit: In the months since Sava Pool has opened, it has become (understandably so) a big hit. It's oftentimes overcrowded now. Still a lovely place for a swim. read more

This is the cleanest most modern swimming facility in san francisco! PERIOD! They even have a dryer for your wet swim trunks. VERY CLEAN!!!!!!! VERY MODERN!!!!!!! read more

I have spent enough of my youth in this pool to recognize the public works gem it has become post-remodeling. The one issue I have is the cleaniness of the shower area which often has a lot of hair that should be removed but the locker rooms themselves are spacious and relatively clean. The pool is 25yds now and very open and inviting with the signature floor to ceiling windows which unfortunately still get semi-routinely vandalized. The pool temperature is cool but not chilly and the water is clear. I have only been to lap swims here and have no complaints. The lifeguards are friendly and it is fun to see the familiar faces each time I return. read more

Compared to nearly all the other public pools I've been to in SF, this is by far the best. It's the only one that doesn't feel disgusting, both in the water and on the deck. The locker rooms are pretty clean most of the time, aside from the usual wab of hair and the wetness from the showers (which gets everywhere). The bathrooms are nearly always stocked, aside from the napkins for your hands, which I've never seen them have, anyway. The massive wall of windows is the best part of the pool. On sunny days, the inside of the pool looks and feels great, even with the light shining in your eyes as you do backstroke in the first few lanes closest to the windows. Overall, this pool is great. Just try not to go Rec swimming there on a Tuesday. read more

I went swimming for the first time recently since I injured myself four months ago, and it seems someone must have cleaned the showers because the funky smell and drain/moth flies are gone. But did they use steel wool on the shower heads? Because it saddens me how they're rusty already. It appears their Fall 2010 schedule has more time allotted for swim lessons and other structured activities and fewer lap swim sessions. It is as if one good thing just negated another. On the plus side, the swimsuit dryer still works and summer is over so the pool is not as crowded. read more

Not much has changed since my earlier excoriating review. The pool itself is fine. The Department of Health would close Sava down if they inspected! The staff is not good at regulating "who swims where" during Senior Swim, but they are quick to criticize people who do not conform to their almost non-existent standards of lane use, among other things. Still, I swim at Sava regularly and have found innovative ways to avoid some of the filth in the locker and shower areas, as have some others.. read more

OMG! This place is packed! I can't deal with it. However, the facility is clean and lots of natural light! Staff are very nice here as well.

It's okay. It's expensive and the schedule is confusing. It's on 19th, so that makes it convenient.

1st time here and loved it, the pool said it was 79° and it was definetly a warm pool.....newer facility and a switsuit dryer also, I love the fact that it was also 3' 6" since my daughter is exactly 4', she was able to keep her head up and go on her own....will definetly be back !! read more

Oh Sava Pool! What is this love-hate relationship we have? Your facilities are beautiful, your lifeguards friendly (for the most part), and you are in walking distance of West Portal. But then there are your hours, which for lap swimming are not great. And then there is the fact that if you don't pre-purchase a swim ticket via SF Parks & Rec, you require exact change in the amount of $6.00 cash to enter. And then once inside, your lovely pool fills up quick and gets overcrowded and fellow swimmers turn into mortal enemies. Le sigh, Sava...maybe one day you can back stroke on these problems and become the neighborhood dipping spot we all want you to be. read more

Really SFUSD? Really guys?? In order to be successful in my future work life, I'mma need to know math, english, and be able to swim 6 laps and tread water for 2 minutes?? Really? Reeeeeally? Personally, I blamed my mom for not taking us to Raging Waters on a consistent basis so I could fly through the water with and Amanda Beard-esque grace (I mean I think I got the legs to match...oohh yeaah!). Then she didn't even TRY and let me find a way to get a doc to doctor me a note saying "Samoans and chlorine don't mix. Please excuse." But nooooooo..we had to do this the Christian way and tell the truth (OVER RATED). I didn't take the class but came in for the test. CROWD full of people watch'n me so damn close I thought I was Greg Luganis (except the gay part.........or the HIV) or something. So I dive in and let my heritage take over. Thousands of years of my people living, dying, breathing with the ocean. Then everything went to hell. I think I must've choked on the heritage or something along lap 4, b/c my left leg cramped. I don't want to stop and have to start all over so I start swimming kinda award like...but if you swim with the right leg strong, you'll veer right. Well some idiot decided to put the deep-end there. I know this, but keep going, cuz it's only 1 more lap..but I guess i musta been swimming so weird by this time it looks like I'm drowning. So my homeboii jumps in and tries to do a Baywatch on me. We only end up wrestling, and then I stop and start yellin in the middle of the 10 ft "WTF are ya doing! Now I gotta start all over!" The instructor was laughing so damn hard, and decided to pass me anyways. No worries though folks, i did thank my friend cuz his heart was in the right place. But cmon now! I'mma big boy! I woulda floated if I needed to. HAHAHAH! Yea..good times..good times. read more

I swam competitively for years. Sava is a nice facility and though it's that weird length I've come to like it. Here's my take on public pools in SF, they are full of weirdos who can't seem to understand swim etiquette. Butterfly stroke in a shared lane, are you kidding me? How about the folks doing wounded bird backstroke down the middle of the fast lane? What the hell are the lifeguards there for? Every time I go to a public pool in SF I leave frustrated because I have to enforce lane etiquette or implore the lifeguards to do so. There are some good swimmers but we are outnumbered by kooks. Someday I'll be 75 and I'll know what lane to swim in. Here's another thing, the layout of the locker room is funky. There is NO chance of any semblance of privacy because it's set up weird and I've been going in locker rooms for a long time and i'm no prude but one day I was at Sava I felt like a piece of meat. There is just a weird vibe there. TBH I'd rather go to Balboa because at least it's not overcrowded. In this age of no public funds I am thankful that SF has pools. They could be exponentially better if the lifeguards would establish order. read more

I have been to sava pool both before and after its renovation. the first time i went, before its renovation, i was so dissatisfied that i never went back-- until today, after its renovation. and now i don't want to go back again. i have been to the balboa park municipal pool as well, and both pools are pretty miserable experiences for anyone who is actually capable of swimming fairly continuous laps in a recognizable stroke that isn't something like a half-dead sidestroke. i usually swim at USF, at which pool my speed is a fairly solid medium, occasionally on the fast side of medium. at sava today, i was ridiculously outstripping practically everyone in the pool, which made things a little difficult. there were a few of those strange, giant, double-wide city pool lanes, and a couple of the smaller more typical-sized lanes, which were supposedly the fast lanes. i started out in one of those with one other lady who used a pull buoy the whole time and never went anything faster than slow or a slow medium, and who had no sense of pool etiquette as even when we both reached the end of the lane around the same time (after i'd passed her), she would not let me go ahead of her, thus forcing me to pass her on the side yet again in the other direction. when i wanted to do backstroke, i had to move over to one of the giant lanes, as the lane i had been in was too narrow for me to do that stroke without having constantly whacked the other lady in the lane and the lane line. unfortunately, the double-wide lane resembled what i've heard the road/car/bicycle/pedestrian situation is like in places like india or china. and of course, there were slow people in the medium lane as well. ultimately i could only stand to swim there for about half as long as i usually swim. to respond to yelper "Betty S.", i don't go to a city pool during lap swim hours expecting a "country club pool." i expect to go to a pool during lap swim hours and be able to swim laps. this is apparently too much to ask of a municipal pool. a swim at USF is only $1.20 more per swim (with a 15 swim/use pass) than at a municipal pool, and yet is an infinitely more enjoyable experience (even if it does smell more chlorine-y). anybody want to buy some city of SF municipal pool swim tickets...? cause i've got some. the only good thing about the facility is its aesthetics, but it is, after all, brand new. tons of natural light in the pool room (some floor to ceiling windows), and the locker room isn't too bad either, save for the communal shower situation (really, would stalls have been that much more difficult?), complete with shower heads that still manage to suck even though they should be brand new. read more

Fantastic pool!! This brand new public pool is beautiful. I used to swim competitively since I was young but haven't been in a pool for over a year because none were near by. I came to the Sava pool for lap swim and really enjoyed it. Everyone in my lane was courteous and shared the lane well. I really enjoyed my experience at this pool and look forward to going to this pool again in the near future. read more

I've been to going to this pool for years. The life guards are always friendly & helpful and the place in general is clean, shower & changing rooms etc. When it's sunny the rays warm the waters thru the large windows and it's just a peaceful and calming scenery. If it gets cloudy/foggy, well, the water will be colder so all the more reason to swim faster ;) read more

This pool is a very clean and pleasant environment, and probably a nice place to swim laps. I, however, was looking for a good place to bring a baby swimming, which the Sava Pool is not. My first disappointment was that there is only one hour a day set aside for recreational swimming, from 2:30-3:30pm, which doesn't fit very well with my schedule. The pool is also TOO COLD for babies and small children. My poor little guy spent most of his time in the pool shivering and clinging to me to keep warm :( My advice if they want to be more kid-friendly is to set aside a small area for rec swim during lessons or other activities and to heat the pool a little more. read more

For lap swimming on a Wednesday night- I appreciate the slow, medium, and fast lane designation. Because of this, I don't feel like an idiot with my paddle boards and flotation devices.I had a 9 year old girl version of Michael Phelps swimming in the fast lane as I gave her a thumbs up from my slow lane. Lap swims are not overcrowded so I can really concentrate on my form. The water itself has salt in it, which helps in keeping me afloat. I am training for my first mini tri. This place is clean and the water temp is just right. read more

Sava Pool is GREAT! The wife and I have been taking lessons here and the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. The building is gorgeous with all the architectural details. Love the magic spin dry machine in the locker rooms. Although I think the queuing for the respective lanes can be improved, it's still and nice place to go and get your swimming done. The people are generally friendly and nice. You'll have fun here. read more

Very nice pool to take your kids to. They have a family changing room which is very convenience.

Is staff really insane? Someone just throw-up and staff washed that vomit with pool water and you can see leftover lettuce and food particles on water???? There were children and adults swimming and that was very ridiculous!!!! read more

For a number of summers I worked at a children's camp that took the kids to Sava Pool on Friday's. I can say from experience that the quality at Sava Pool is top notch. The staff was dedicated and friendly and the facilities were clean. I highly recommend using Sava Pool as your spot to swim. Update: I have no idea what "Maria R." is referring to when she says "a lawsuit waiting to happen." The lifeguards are attentive, including asking for young swimmers to demonstrate treading water before heading out on their own, and above all, the facilities obviously had been cared for by the city & county. read more

I came to Sava pool for the first time today. I was so impressed! I have visited Balboa and Rossi pools. While the other 2 pools were functional, neither had plugs for my hair dryer. I had to drive home to dry my hair. So i was VERY pleased with Sava. Since it's newly remodeled, it's brand new. There alot of natural light coming in with one wall all glass. The length of the pool is a little bit shorter than the other city pools, but the depth is the same as the others, going to abou5 10 ft in the deeper end. THe free use of lockers is nice. (at the other city pools i just take my duffel bag into the pool area and dump it somewhere). Someone mentioned that the non existent parking makes it undesirable but that's the same situation at many other sf park and rec locations, such as Rossi, North Beach, etc. What i really especially like was that they have a swimsuit water extractor. I dont see this at other city pools. They have one at USF. No complaints from me. I'd definitely return! read more

Oh, the memories of swimming at the old Sava when I was on the Lowell swim team, constantly getting yelled at by my coach for not swimming fast enough or just fooling around, and the showers that pitted way too many half naked bodies into a small shower room in a dreary locker room. All of that is gone and replaced with this architectural jewel. I'm glad to see that the floor to ceiling windows have been retained, and that the pool area is beautiful. 8 25-yd lanes (although original plans were to have an olympic pool going across Larsen Park) but lap swim here is just a mess. The lanes are split into double lanes, which means way too many people in each double lane. This is supposedly to make passing easier, although there are always slowpokes who are always in the medium/fast lanes and clearly don't belong (and the lifeguard may be too busy chatting or just not care to do anything about it). To make it worse, these slowpokes NEVER yield to faster swimmers...buddy, a tap on the foot means get out of my way or let me pass you...NOT keep swimming and do a turn at the wall as I am coming up on you. Someone here has the idea that lap swim is supposed to be clockwise, although at the old Sava (and like 99.99999% of other pools in the world), I assure you...lap swim is counterclockwise. The problem? Way too many near collisions after I flip turn and start swimming counterclockwise like the rest of the world does it and like I have done for 12+ years of swimming. I even got yelled at for swimming counterclockwise when I was the only person in the lane =/. And...the men's locker room is pretty much terrible. It isn't even half the size of the old locker room and you are bound to rub against someone else (although some males in SF may like that...not for me). The showers are showing their use (with some broken handles). However, got to admit that the suit dryer is a plus. However, for $5, swimming at Sava is hardly a bargain anymore. read more

I try all SF public pools and this is my favourite pool in the city. It is always bright and clean. They accept only $5 bills; no cards or bigger bills are accepted. read more