With summer nearly here, the city of Santa Barbara recently released the hours for when public pools are open for recreation swimming.
The public pools in Santa Barbara run by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department include Los Baños del Mar, Ortega Park Swimming Pool, and Oak Park Wading Pool.
From June 12 through Aug. 12, Los Baños del Mar and the Oak Park Wading Pool will be open for recreation swimming or wading.
Los Baños del Mar, located at 401 Shoreline Drive, will be open for recreational swimming from 2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Monday through Friday, while the Oak Park Wading Pool will be open to children 7 years old and under from noon to 5 p.m.
The Ortega Park Swimming Pool will be open from June 19 through Aug. 12 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Both the Ortega Park Pool and Oak Park Wading Pool offer free entry, while Aquatics Supervisor Tony Sholl said that entry during recreational swim hours at Los Baños del Mar is $1 for children and $5 for adults.
Whether people choose to swim in the public pools or at local beaches, it’s important to stay safe.
“Learn to swim, swim by a lifeguard tower, swim with a buddy, and know your limits,” Sholl said.
There will be a summer safety event at Ortega Park and pool, at 604 E. Ortega St. in Santa Barbara, on July 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There will be supervised swimming, low-cost bicycle helmets available, resources on car seat harnessing, and a bike safety obstacle course.
The city is offering low-cost group swim lessons for youth at both Los Baños del Mar and the Ortega Park Pool. Several sessions at different times for different skill levels are available for children ages 6 months to 12 years.
More information on swim lessons and for registering for swim lessons can be found on the city’s website here.
People can also go swimming at the Carpinteria Community Pool, 5305 Carpinteria Ave., which also offers swim lessons and multiple junior lifeguards programs.
The calendar and more information for the Carpinteria Community Pool can be found here, and registration for swim lessons or junior lifeguards programs is available here.
Junior Lifeguards programs are also being offered through Santa Barbara County Parks at Arroyo Burro Beach, also known as Hendry’s Beach.
Information on Hendry’s Junior Lifeguards can be found here.
In addition to the public pools, residents and visitors can also enjoy swimming at local beaches, with lifeguards at most of the South Coast’s beaches.
The city of Santa Barbara will be staffing Leadbetter Beach, West Beach, and East Beach from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day from June 10 through Labor Day.
Beginning June 17, Santa Barbara County will be staffing Goleta Beach, Arroyo Burro Beach, and Jalama Beach, with lifeguards from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., although the county’s website says hours may vary.