Drop-in Open Swim is available at the 50m Varsity pool South End during scheduled times. Open swim provides a chance to have fun and enjoy the water in a more open and unstructured way. Feel free to use the equipment available at the pool (noodles, aqua belts, kickboards etc.).
Please note pool may be shared with Drop-in/Instructional Springboard diving classes and other programs.
Equipment / What to wear:
Clean swimming attire and towel. Swim caps and goggles can also be worn if preferred.
If you are using equipment (boards, paddles, fins), please be cautious. The lifeguards may ask you to remove your equipment if the swim is too crowded or you are swimming in an unsafe manner.
Etiquette / Rules:
Ontario Health Regulations and Pool Rules:
- Please shower before swimming.
- There is no food other than water permitted on deck
- Outdoor shoes are not permitted on the pool deck.
- Please do not spit in the pools. Water and spit fountains are available on both pool decks.
- Diving is not permitted in the North end of the 50m pool or the shallow end of the Benson pool.
- The use of starting blocks is not permitted during recreational swim.
- Please do not chew gum in the pool or the pool area.
- Listen to the lifeguards at all times.
- Be aware of all your surroundings and other swimmers at all times.
If you have a medical condition, notify the lifeguard or swim with someone who is knowledgeable about your condition. Swimming when ill with diarrhea can contaminate the pool water. Those who have experienced diarrhea should not swim until symptoms have cleared.
Pool Emergencies: When you hear one long whistle blast please exist the pool immediately at the closest side. One long whistle blast is a signal for a pool clear which is used at the end of swims and also in emergencies and therefore it is extremely important that patrons exit as quickly as possible.
No glass is permitted on the pool deck, in change rooms or in the pool gallery.
Swim Start Times:
Read the swim schedule carefully. All swims except for 7-9 am begin at 10 minutes past the hour. If you arrive early and the doors are locked please do not bang on the doors or try to force them open as this damages the doors. Guards will only open the doors at the scheduled time.
Children are not permitted in the pool area except during Fun Swims, swimming lessons and camp swims.
Please note: If you encounter problems with another patron, please inform a Lifeguard and/or Pool Supervisor of the problem rather than confronting the problem yourself.
Locations / Other Information:
50 metre Pool: The Olympic-sized (50 metre) Varsity pool has eight lanes with a moveable bulkhead and is between 2.3 metres and 4.2 metres deep. The pool has one-metre springboard, three- and five-metre platforms are currently closed. The water temperature is 80-81°F. It is used for swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and Varsity events.
Open Swim is also available during designated Trans Pool Hours in the Benson Pool and in the Teach Pool whenever the Drop-in Lane Swim is scheduled in the 50m pool.
A pool lift providing access in all pools is also available.