Public Pools That Keep The Heat On

North County is not exactly known for its harsh winters, but as ocean temperatures dip into the 50s, it’s a little chilly for a swim at the beach or in an unheated pool.

Fortunately for those who want to swim during the winter, year-round public swimming is available throughout North County, with an array of recreational, instructional and competitive programs open to all ages and ability levels.

You can take a parent-tot swim class with your 6-month-old, aquacise while you socialize, swim laps at your own pace or work with a swim coach as you train for upcoming triathlons.

Although outdoor heated pools are common, there are also indoor facilities--such as the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA in Encinitas, with its retractable roof, and the Carlsbad Boy’s and Girl’s Club.

Carlsbad also has a spacious, modern and much-used Community Swim Complex, and Poway has a rare 50-meter pool at its new Community Swim Center.

Many local recreation departments are facing budget cuts, however, and some facilities, such as Escondido’s Grape Day Park and Washington Park pools and San Marcos’ Woodland park Aquatic Center, are closed for the winter.

Here are some places you can go in North County to take advantage of year-round public swimming.

ENCINITAS

Magdelana Ecke

Family YMCA

200 Saxony Road 942-9622 A retractable fiberglass roof can let the sun shine in or close up tightly, giving the YMCA one of the few indoor swimming facilities in North County. “It’s nicely enclosed, very unique,” said Tom Martin, 72, a retired businessman who comes to the senior swim sessions 4 or 5 times a week. “You can swim year-round and still get the sun through the roof.”

At the pool Martin will invariably run into Kaz Hiroshige, a retired engineer who has been a regular at the YMCA since his retirement 3 1/2 years ago. “I come here 5 times a week. It’s become a habit, I can’t break it.”

Day after day, people like Martin and Hiroshige are drawn to the 25-yard long lanes at the YMCA pool by the indoor/outdoor setting, the 82-degree water and the prospects of fun, exercise and a littler relaxation--not to mention a certain heartfelt camaraderie. “The same people come in every day,” said Kiernan Short, a lifeguard at the pool during senior swim. “It’s my favorite hour. It’s a lot of fun for everybody. Some people are good swimmers, others are here for arthritis therapy, or just to socialize and talk, catch up on the gossip.”

Short points out a few regulars--a man with a pacemaker visible under his skin; a woman who first taught herself to swim the length of the pool, and now works on improving her time, day after day, month after month.

Short tells of a married couple who come in and swim laps once or twice a week. One day he noticed that they had developed a private little ritual. “The man and his wife would swim opposite ways in different lanes,” said Short. “Then each time they passed each other they would touch hands.”

Here are some of the aquatics programs at the Ecke YMCA:

Senior Swim (ages 50 plus) and Arthritis Stretch: Mon.-Fri., 1 p.m.-2 p.m.

Aquacise : a basic water exercise program designed for non-swimmers to increase strength, flexibility and aerobic conditioning. Mon., Wed., and Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Adult Lap Swim: Mon.-Fri., 7:05 a.m. to 8:25 a.m., 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sat., 7:35 a.m. to 8:55 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Family Swim: Fun in the water for the entire family. Kids under 6 must be accompanied by an adult. Tues., Thurs. and Fri. 6:20 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Fri. 3 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., Sat. and Sun., 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Aquaerobics: Advanced water fitness and cardiovascular workout for those who can swim. Mon., Wed. and Fri., 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Masters and triathlete swim conditioning: A coached workout time for serious adult swimmers and triathletes. Tues. and Thurs. 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Aerobic swim: Special 1/2 hour time slots available for each person to have their own lane for lap swimming. Mon., Wed., and Fri., 5:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. Sat. 7 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.

Adult lessons: Small classes for adults of any level. Sessions are two days a week. Tues. and Thurs., 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. or Mon. and Wed. 6:50 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Strokers swim team: Youth team for kids ages 5-13. Fun, fitness and stroke techniques for competition. Mon.-Fri., 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

Springboard diving: Beginners, Tues. and Thurs. 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.; intermediate, Tues. and Thurs. 5:30 p.m. to 6:15 p.m.

Scuba diving: Two weekends of instruction to become certified as an open water scuba diver. Call for details.

Fees: One-day passes for non-members are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for youth (age 14-17); 75 cents for children (under 13). Includes access to pool and all YMCA activities, such as aerobics or tennis.

Note: A hydraulic wheelchair lift is available at the pool.

CARLSBAD

Carlsbad Community

Swim Complex

3401 Monroe Street 434-2860 The Carlsbad Community Swim Complex, located next to Carlsbad High School, offers a broad range of aquatic programs. The outdoor pool, 25 yards wide and 25 meters long, is as well known for its sociable recreation and lap swimming as it is for its masters program, in which some of the world’s top triathletes train.

While many come to the pool looking for the grueling workout of the masters program or some solitary lap swimming, most come for the 82 degree water.

“I swim here almost every day,” said Susan Harris, who’s lived in Carlsbad for five years. “The people are great and the water is beautiful. It’s crystal clear all the time. I come all year long, but winter is my favorite time. It’s much quieter and less crowded.”

Harris is just one of the many who are taking advantage of the year-long hours at the pool. “We have our regulars, this is what they do for exercise,” said aquatics director Carl Pope. “Thirty or forty will come every day. No matter how cold it is, even if it’s raining or sleeting. You can count on it.”

For those who want a hardy, supervised workout, Pope recommends the masters swim program.

“You have a coach who tells you what to do and when to do it. It’s unique, you get in for an hour and you don’t have to think about it. Before you know it, you’ve done a couple of thousand meters,” he said.

“It’s a no-nonsense workout,” said masters coach Jeff Pease. “But it’s also for those who want a little coaching. It runs the gamut. We have some of the world’s top triathletes, and some that are just trying to get in shape and improve their strokes.”

Here are some of the programs offered at the Carlsbad complex. (The schedule will change slightly after Feb. 18.):

Lap swim: Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat., 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Recreation swim: Mon.-Fri. 10:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m., 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat. 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. During recreation swim the shallow and play area is open for children and families.

Masters program: Workout open to adults able to swim at least 200 meters without stopping. Mon.-Fri. 6 a.m. and noon (Mon, Wed., Fri. a priority list in effect for noon workout. A non-priority 1:15 p.m. session follows.) Sat. 7:30 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. For more details, call 434-2844.

Aqua-X: Fun water workout for swimmers and non-swimmers. Mon., Wed. and Thurs. 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.

Fees: Adult $1.75. Youth and teen (17 and under), $1. Discount passes are good for 4 months beginning each January, June and September. Youth or teen, $23 for Carlsbad resident, $27 for non-resident. Adult, $35 for resident, $40 for non-resident. For families, $45 for residents, $50 for non-residents.

Notes: A stainless steel wheelchair and hydraulic lift is available.

Carlsbad Boys and Girls Club

3115 Roosevelt St 729-0957. Tucked away downtown, at the corner of Roosevelt and Oak, the Carlsbad Boys and Girls Club indoor swimming pool is one of the town’s best kept secrets. The pool, which is relatively small, was covered in 1986 and is heated to a steaming 86 degrees.

“It’s like a big backyard pool,” said Larry Frum, the club’s executive director. “It’s only 16 yards long, but it’s warmer than most pools so we have a lot of seniors and exercise programs. The covering has increased the winter operation and the number of people who can use the pool. You don’t have to worry about the weather.”

Here are the hours of operation:

Adult lap swimming: Mon., Wed. and Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Senior swim: Mon., Wed., and Fri. 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Tues. and Thurs. 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Aqua-X: Water exercise program for a full-body workout, suitable for non-swimmers, Mon., Wed. and Fri. 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.; Tues. and Thurs. 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Arthroswim: Classes sponsored by the Arthritis Foundation. Physician’s consent required for participation. Mon., Wed. and Fri. 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Although designed specifically for those with arthritis, is can be be helpful and enjoyable for people with other physical limitations.

Swim team: Mon.-Fri. 2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Fees : Arthroswim and Aqua-X, $3 per class. Senior swim and lap swim, $2 per visit or 40 visits for $6. Youth membership: ages 6-17, $20 per year.

POWAY

Poway Community

Swim Center

13094 Bowron Road 679-4250 A sparkling blue jewel set amid the foothills and palm trees of Poway, the City of Poway Community Swim Center is North County’s newest and largest public swimming pool.

Like the other facilities in the area, the Poway outdoor swim complex which opened in 1989 has its year-round regulars, and they take full advantage of the 50-meter by 25-yard pool.

Dave Jones, a Fallbrook resident who works near the new swim center, comes to the pool as often as he can on his lunch break. “We just come work out during lunch,” he said. “It really helps you get back in shape. It works all your muscles. We used to run during lunch, but we decided to try something else. The water feels good.”

Adeline Harwell is a regular at the senior aquatic exercise program. “It’s a social hour and they give us some real good exercise,” she said. “They don’t treat us old ladies. They put us through our paces and we really enjoy it.”

The winter schedule, effective until March 1, is as follows:

Lap and open swim: Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sat. and Sun. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Family swim: Mon.-Fri. 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sat. and Sun. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (Mother and/or father and children only; $3 per family for Poway residents. Individuals and non-residents pay regular admission fee.)

Senior and adult aquatic exercise : Ages 16 to 99 and higher. Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m. to noon.

Parent-Tot: Infants should be 6 months to 3 years. Water is only 18 inches deep. Mon., Tues. and Wed., 3:40 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. Sat. 12:20 p.m. to 1 p.m.

Springboard diving: For ages 6 to 16. Diving instruction in the deep end of the pool, where the depth is 12 feet.

Masters program: Call for information.

Fees: Adult residents $1.25, non-residents $2.25. Youth (under 16) and senior (60 and over) residents, $1; non-residents $1.75.

Lap cards, season and yearly passes are also available. Yearly pass for youth and seniors $96 for residents, $123 for non-residents. Adult pass $144 for residents and $185 for non-residents.

OCEANSIDE

Brooks Street Swim Center

130 Brooks Street 966-4141

The City of Oceanside Recreation Department offers aquatics programs at the Marshall Street Swim Center, 1404 Marshall St., and the Brooks Street Swim Center, at 130 Brooks St. However, only the Brooks Street pool is open during the winter months.

Located in downtown Oceanside near I-5 and Mission Avenue, the outdoor Brooks Street pool has served the city since 1959. The pool is 33 1/3 yards long and has seven lanes for lap swimming as well as deeper and shallower areas. It is heated year-round to approximately 82 degrees.

The Brooks schedule, effective through Feb. 16, is as follows.

Adult lap swim : Exercise for the entire body at your own pace. For swimmers 16 years and older. Mon.-Fri. 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and daily from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Aqua-X: Low impact, non-stressful exercise for swimmers and non-swimmers. For info 757-4774. Mon., Wed., and Fri., 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Swim Club: Mon.-Fri. 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Scuba Diving: Wed. 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sun. 1 p.m .to 3 p.m.; Thurs. 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Fees: $1 per visit or $80 per year for adults. Family rates also available.

ESCONDIDO

Palomar Family YMCA

1050 N. Broadway 745-7490 Located near Highway 78 and Interstate 15 in Escondido, the Palomar Family YMCA outdoor pool is a 25-meter facility with six lanes for lap swimming. The pool is heated year-round to 82 degrees and both instructional and recreational programs are offered.

This spring, a Learn to Swim Week will be held April 13 to 17 for kids six and older who do not know how to swim.

Here are some of the activities scheduled:

Adult lap swim: Mon.-Fri. 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. In the evening, Mon., Wed. and Fri., 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tues. and Thurs. 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Sat. 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and noon to 1 p.m.

Recreation swim: For adults and kids. Mon.-Fri. 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Sat. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sun. recreation swim only, from noon to 3 p.m.

Swim conditioning : A serious workout. Tues. and Thurs. 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Senior swim : Ages 50 and up, handicapped welcome. Mon.-Fri. 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Waterobics: An aerobic workout in the water. Mon., Wed. and Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Sat. 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.

Aquacise: For those with arthritis or other physical limits. Tues. and Thurs. 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

Fees: One-day passes for non-members are $5 for adults, $3 for youths (ages 13-17) and $1 for children (12 and under).

VISTA

Mary Lou Clack Center

125 W. California Ave. 758-0812. An indoor therapy pool located at the California Center, a school for handicapped children in the Vista school district, this facility offers a variety of structured exercise programs for the public. Hours open to the public are for both handicapped and able-bodied adults, but specialize in programs designed for the handicapped, stroke or accident victims or those with arthritis. No lap swimming, but body conditioning for adults of all ages. The pool is heated to 90-92 degrees. Call for information.

ESCONDIDO

Charles Hulme Community

Therapy Pool

(At the Nicolaysen Center) 420 N. Falconer Road 432-2474 An outdoor therapy pool heated to 90-92 degrees, this aquatic facility is located at a school for the handicapped. The pool will reopen in mid-February, and is seeking seniors and other who can benefit from the warm, therapeutic water.

The pool offers flexible hours, but generally, lap swim is Mon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Arthroswim is held on Mon., Wed. and Fri. from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Admission is $3 but the fee is flexible for anyone who cannot afford it.