Like so many great things in life, the aquatic lifestyle is a bit of an underground community; once you are plugged in, there are many people and several places to enjoy.

The Beaches

La Jolla shores and La Jolla Cove are popular swimming areas; there’s an annual 3-mile Gatorman race from the cove to the pier and back each September. Here’s a look at the course layout: Gatorman course

Once you get your bearings on the map you can reference the shores and the cove, it’s a two-mile swim from the shores to the cove and back.

People gather on the grassy knoll above the cove at all hours during the warmer months and some during the colder ones, to swim and dive.

There are many more beaches of course including Solana Beach, Del Mar, Oceanside an Coronado.

Masters Swimming

Masters swimming is a swimming club run by a coach for adults at various times throughout the day, it consists of interval training and can be taken as seriously as the Olympics, but more typically it’s more of a social outlet to get a good workout. All skill levels are welcome, from those not sure about the water to our water loving friends.

U.S. Masters swimming has a website with a “places to swim” section Places to Swim

Sometimes the information on these pages is outdated or incomplete, so call first.

There’s generally a free drop in to try out the programs. The cost to join is normally about $40-$80/month depending on the facility and the program. Swimming is a low cost sport in that you need a swimsuit, a cap, and some goggles, so your overall cost to participate should be reasonable even for a student.

Other swimmers and the coach are a good source of information as far as what type of workouts go on in the pool and other pools in the area that might suit your schedule or personality, yes each pool and lane have their own personality.

Typically, there’s a morning, noon, and evening workout that runs about an hour to an hour and a half averaging 2500-4000 yards or meters. It’s ok to come late and leave early, skip days, anything goes, its Masters. You’ll find as you swim there are all kinds of people and all kinds of schedules so if your schedule is A-typical and you need to swim at a different time you may find a small group to join you.

The Pools

University of California at San Diego (UCSD)

UCSD

Workout Times:

M-Thurs 6-7:30 am, 7:30-9 am, noon-1:30 pm, 6-7:30 pm

Friday 6-7:30 am, 7:30-9 am, noon-1:30 pm

Sat 7:30- 9 am

Sun 8-9:30 am

Facilities: 2 Olympic outdoor pools

Fees: check the UCSD website plus parking

Jewish Community Center (JCC)

JCC

Workout Times:

M-Thurs 6-7:30 am, noon-1:30 pm, 6-7:30 pm

Tues/Thurs 5-6:30 pm

Friday 6-7:30 am, noon-1:30 pm

Sun 9-10:30 am

Fees:

· Non-members: $10 drop in/$65 monthly/ $150 quarterly/ annual option

· members: discounted rates

Facilities: Olympic size outdoor pool runs long course Tues/Thurs/Fri/Sun

La Jolla (CFAQ)

Cogan Family Aquatic Complex

Workout Times:

· Weekdays 6:00-7:30 am, 12:00-1:30pm, 6:00-7:30pm (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)

· Weekends 9:00-10:30 am
(8:00am during the summer)

Fees: $8 drop in/$60 monthly/$480 annually

Facilities: Olympic size swimming pool, 25 yards by 50 meters

Carlsbad

Carlsbad Masters

Workout Times:

· Monday-Friday: 6 - 7:15 a.m. and 12 noon – 1:15 p.m.

· Saturdays: 8 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.

Fees:

· $40 monthly/$4 drop in Carlsbad residents

· $60 monthly/$6 drop in Non-residents

· Paying for 10 workouts, results in a credit of a full monthly payment and a pass to swim additional workouts at no additional charge.

Facilities: 25 m outdoor pool

Rancho Arbolitos Swim and Tennis Club

Rancho Arbolitos Swim and Tennis

Workout Times: Monday-Friday: 5:30-6:30 am

Fees: $60/month

Facilities: 25 yd pool

Carmel Valley

Pacific Athletic Club

Workout Times:

· Mon, Wed, Fri - 5:45am-7:00am

· Tues, Thurs - 6:00pm - 7:15pm

· Saturday - 8:00am - 9:15am

Fees: $30/month

Facilities: 25 yd pool

Solana Beach

The Boys and Girls Club of San Dieguito's Solana Beach Swim Masters

Workout Times:

Monday thru Friday: 5:15 to 6:30 a.m., 6:30 to 7:45 a.m., and 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; Saturday/Sunday: 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.

Fees: Monthly - $60.00 * Per Workout - $6.00

Facilities: 25 yd pool

Other places to swim

The pool sampling above just gives a flavor to the program availability in Southern California, find more pools listed in the USMS directory Places to Swim or by word of mouth while you're swimming.

Some closing notes

Whether you’re an athlete from the past, just beginning or simply looking for a place to swim you’ll find community and support in the Masters swimming programs.