Temescal Pool - Oakland, California

Elynn L.

Good pool but could do with some updating. There is always dirt or someone's bandaid/tape on the bottom of the pool, maybe a better filtration system or pump. They said the pool was shut down recently to repaint it but not sure what was repainted. It looks the same with the same chips. The staff is great but they can only do so much. It is a popular pool, so it really needs facilities to handle it. I wonder if there is a way to fund a renovation for it specifically?!

Maggie W.

Fresh lovely saline pool, not salty, clean facility and super organized. My lock didn’t fit the locker door; bring one with a narrow hasp. Comparatively crowded even weekdays with retirees and self employed Piedmont-y types. Cheap and good, a combo you don’t see often

aren O.

My go-to pool these days, but the locker/changing room is SO gross. Everytime! Floors, bathrooms, and showers are always filthy. Most of the showerheads don't work (or work well enough to shower). I try to spend as little time in that changing area as possible.

Alison M. C.

LOVED this 33m pool. Everybody here is serious. Compared to the Y, this was a way better place to train. I only swim 2:30/100m so I'm not crazy fast but I am a distance swimmer and I expect to be able to swim laps continuously without interruption. I like how the lifeguards enforce the lap speeds. Also, people sort of move over to medium if they want to take breaks or kickboard. I did 2,030 meters in 48 minutes and felt good about it. $6 day pasa. If I moved here, I'd definitely join this pool. FYI old school open shower w scalding hot water, which I wished was more controllable.

Eli E.

Great no frills outdoor pool. The hours are a little odd but that goes with the territory. Staff are friendly and the locker room is big. Being your own towel and lock.

Alexandria M.

My kid had fun, but I wish there was seating for disabled folks, and in the shade, the bleachers were so hot & in direct sun. Bathroom needs updating. Good place for a swim though

Bay W.

Delightful neighborhood pool! I only use it for lap swimming and love the water quality and attentive staff when I arrive with cash in hand (a bargain!). Hot showers. Clean enough.
Circle swimming only due to many patrons—the men’s locker room has a diagram detailing how this is done. Lap swim hours are specific and vary though the week. Broad age range of swimmers and friendly vibe. Buoys and some gear available to borrow. Bring a lock.

James C.

There are some places I review that I feel maybe I shouldn't; Temescal Pool is one of those because it's already pretty crowded. I swim at 4 different pools in the east bay and I grew up swimming at Charlie Sava in the City. This might be my favorite. It's a 33m pool, so 27 laps for a mile, it's outdoor, and they have a really early session during the week. It is crowded and the fast lanes are fast. You'll be sharing with at least two other people most of the time. My usual swim is a mile and after swimming here for a couple of weeks I noticed that when I went to the Vallejo pool, where I've never had to share a lane, my time had improved quite a bit.

The water is always perfect, it's fairly cheap if you buy the 10 swim pass, parking isn't bad, and the crowd tends to be younger and faster. Lions Pool on the other hand, is mostly old blue-hairs with their kickboards who don't like new people. Some are decently fast but would be in the intermediate lane at Temescal.