Fall Schedule Began Monday August 19!

Fall rEC Guide is available!

Register Now for all of our Fall 2019 Programs!

Saturday October 26th Special Hours:

Water Aerobics 8am-9am
Masters 8:30am-10am
Lap Swim 8:30am-11:30am
Splash Park 8:30am-11:30am
Pumpkin Splash 10:30am-11:30am

Please join us for our Halloween FestiFall from 12pm-5pm on Saturday October 26th!

Is the pool an indoor or an outdoor pool?

How big are the pools?
Emery G. Weed III Lap Pool is 25 yards x 25 meters.
We currently run the lanes lines in the yards direction only. There are 8 competition lanes and a shallow section that is a little more than one lane wide.

The Activity Pool is 25 yards.
The Activity Pool has three 25 yard lap lanes as well as several shallow sections, a fountain, and a water slide. You must be 48 inches tall to ride the water slide.

How many laps are in a mile?
There are 1760 yards in a mile. Swimming a mile is 70.4 lengths of the pool, or about 71 lengths.

Do I need to be a member?
No, we are a public pool operated by the City of El Cerrito. All our programs are available to the public on a fee basis.

What types of chemicals are in the water?
In order to keep the water sanitary and safe, plus adhere to health regulations, we use sodium hypochlorite (liquid chlorine), plus hydrochloric acid, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), carbon dioxide and calcium chloride. At times additional chemicals may be used in order to insure the proper chemical balance in the water. If you have questions about possible allergic reactions to any of these chemicals, please contact your healthcare professional.

Do you have lockers?
Yes, each locker room is equipped with plenty of lockers. Lockers are for day use only. We request that you use your own lock, but lockers or belongings left overnight may be discarded. 

Are my belongings safe at the Swim Center?
There are many different people and groups that use the Swim Center on a regular basis. You should never bring anything of value to the Swim Center and what you do bring is only safe in a properly secured locker. The City of El Cerrito is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

How old is a child, youth, adult and senior?
A Child is ages 1 - 6 years old
Youth is ages 7 - 17 years old
Adult is ages 18 - 59 years old
Seniors are 60 years and older

How old do you have to be to participate in Fitness Swim such as lap swim, water aerobics or independent exercise?
Participants must be 14 years or older. Fitness times are designated as adult times.

Why do non-residents pay more than residents?
Residents or their landlords pay property taxes that help the City of El Cerrito to subsidize our programs and operations. Therefore, non-residents pay a 25% surcharge for our classes and passes.

Who is considered a "resident"?
Residents live within the City limits of El Cerrito with a postal zip code of 94530.

It's hot outside today can I come swimming?
If there is a scheduled Family Time (for kids and families) or Fitness Swim time (for adults), then you are welcome to swim during those times. In order to service the needs of the whole community, our pools are programmed seven days a week with a variety of activities. On hot days we may reach maximum capacity during Family Times and participants may have to wait to enter the facility. Please review our Maximum Capacity Procedure on our Family Times page. We do our best to accommodate all participants and groups.

It's raining and cold, is the pool still open? Are Swim Lessons still happening?
Yes, the only weather that closes the pool is thunder and lightening, or anything that may prevent the Lifeguards from seeing the bottom of the pool. We will post on our website if we are closing for weather related reasons, and try to alert participants via email.

Why can't I go to just the Splash Park during rECreation Swim?
rECreation Swim is a time when the entire facility is open, including the Activity Pool with the spray feature and slide, the Emery G. Weed III Lap Pool with diving boards and deep water, and the Splash Park. Because there is no restriction on pool access, everyone entering the facility must pay the rEC Swim fee.

Splash Park only and Tot Splash times are available for those that just want to enjoy the Splash Park. Please visit our Family Times page for times.

What is the difference between rECreation Swim, Tot Splash and Splash Park times?

Tot Splash is a time for families with children under the age of 8 to swim in the Activity Pool and Splash Park. The Activity Pool is shared with Swim Lessons or other programs, therefore the slide and water feature are not available.

Splash Park is a time when only the Splash Park is open. Typically Lap Swim and/or Swim Lessons or other programs may be going on, so other patrons will be utilizing the facility and locker rooms.

Why don't you allow floatation devices?
As with most public pool, we believe that children are most safe in the water under the close supervision of their parent of their responsible adult. Floatation devices lead to poor body position and overconfidence in an environment where caution should always be expected. We do not allow floatation devices in our facility, but we do provide our own Coast Guard approved lifejackets for public use. While these floatation devices help keep children afloat, they do not keep their face above water. A parent or responsible adult must always be within arms reach of children that cannot swim.

Can I use just the showers?
Yes, we allow patrons to use our locker room facilities. There is a $3 charge per person. Currently, our hours for the showers are:
Monday-Friday 6am-1:30pm and 6pm-7:30pm
Saturdays 10am-11:30am
Sundays 8:30am-11:30am