About
Aquatics Offerings (Swim Lessons and Youth Swim Programs) includes the Beginners Swim Program, Kinderswim Program, Reds, Greens, Blues Novice Swim Program, Summer Swim Program, Advanced Swimmer Program, Senior Swim, Family Swim, Keyholder Swim, Alameda Gators Swim Team, and family and lap swimming. The Beginners Swim Program is for preschoolers and children who do not know how to swim, and it helps swimmers get comfortable in the water, learn to tread water, and get ready for Kinderswim or the Reds, Greens and Blues swim program. The Summer Swim Program is structured so that children move from beginning through intermediate to advanced swimming, with Beginners and Reds, Greens, Blues classes in summer offered twice a day and lifeguards working with swimmers to progress through levels.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Class and swim options include weekday and weekend times, with some programs offered multiple times per day and others in six-week fall and spring sessions.
• Price: There is no fee for members to participate in the Beginners Swim Program, the Kindergarten Swim Program (Kinderswim) is a no-cost program, and Senior Swim is a guarded free-of-charge program for non-member senior (50+) residents of Alameda.
The no-cost Kindergarten Swim Program (Kinderswim) runs for about six weeks in the fall from mid-September through the end of October and for six weeks in the spring during the latter part of April and May, and it is offered on a first come, first-served basis. In Kinderswim, students move from the small pool to the big pool as their skills improve, a parent or caregiver is expected to bring the child and enter the pool to assist during the lesson, and parents are taught how to instruct the child. Swim diapers are required for younger children if needed.
The Beginners class is offered twice a day on weekdays during the summer session at both Franklin and Lincoln pools, and these classes are administered by the guards on duty that day. The Reds, Greens, Blues Novice Swim Program is a drop-in program offered five days a week at both pools and requires passing the Water Safety Test for admittance, and participation in this program requires ASPA membership before signing up. The “Fish Test” qualifications are listed as Tangerine: 4 years, Green: 5 years old, Red: 6 years old, and Blue: 7+ years old, all requiring passing the Water Safety Test.
The Advanced Swimmer Program is offered once a day only at Lincoln Pool, and the Advanced Swimmer Class there runs Monday through Friday. This class is for water-safe swimmers, generally ages 10–18, who are able to swim the full length of the pool and focuses on strengthening strokes and getting exercise. Senior Swim is provided Tuesday and Thursday mornings and is open to all non-member senior (50+) residents of Alameda for lap swimming, and members are encouraged to swim at different times than Senior Swim to avoid overcrowding.
Family Swim is a guarded general membership open swim held on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30–5:30 PM from mid-April through the end of October. Keyholders and their families may swim during non-scheduled times as long as they are not swimming alone, and non-keyholders must be accompanied by a keyholder during non-scheduled times. Annual ASPA membership includes swim lessons and daily family and lap swim sessions during the summer season, along with additional lesson and swim times during other parts of the year.
The Alameda Swimming Pool Association (ASPA) is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization for residents of the city of Alameda that oversees operation and maintenance of the two pool sites and their programs and has approximately 600 members. Within ASPA there are trustees, board members, and committees for maintenance, lifeguarding, membership, technology, swimming programs, pool enforcement, and governance, and board and committee members are all volunteers who do not receive payment for their time or services. Each pool has historically had its own board of directors to monitor and handle day-to-day pool operations, and the ASPA carries full primary insurance and workers’ compensation and does not rely on USA Swimming or the city of Alameda as insurance providers.
The overall focus of ASPA is to provide safe, instructional swimming activity for children of all ages, with children listed as coming first, a secondary aim of providing access to water activities for all households in Alameda, and a third priority of providing lap swimming time for aquatic and health enthusiasts. ASPA also provides pool time to Alameda’s emergency responders to improve their swimming skills and for the year-round USA Swimming sanctioned Alameda Gators Swim Team to use its facilities. The swimming pools were built in the mid-1950s, and ASPA has provided services for more than 60 years.
Pool use time is provided to the Alameda Fire Department for water safety training for its employees, and Franklin Pool is home to Alameda Emergency Radio. ASPA offers social activities, BBQs, and gatherings throughout the summer to its members, as well as a New Member Ambassador Program that pairs new members with existing members as part of membership orientation and onboarding, and the city has been the beneficiary of this volunteer-run nonprofit organization since the pools’ construction.
Last updated March 29, 2026.
• Ages: 4–18 years old
• Schedule: Class and swim options include weekday and weekend times, with some programs offered multiple times per day and others in six-week fall and spring sessions.
• Price: There is no fee for members to participate in the Beginners Swim Program, the Kindergarten Swim Program (Kinderswim) is a no-cost program, and Senior Swim is a guarded free-of-charge program for non-member senior (50+) residents of Alameda.
The no-cost Kindergarten Swim Program (Kinderswim) runs for about six weeks in the fall from mid-September through the end of October and for six weeks in the spring during the latter part of April and May, and it is offered on a first come, first-served basis. In Kinderswim, students move from the small pool to the big pool as their skills improve, a parent or caregiver is expected to bring the child and enter the pool to assist during the lesson, and parents are taught how to instruct the child. Swim diapers are required for younger children if needed.
The Beginners class is offered twice a day on weekdays during the summer session at both Franklin and Lincoln pools, and these classes are administered by the guards on duty that day. The Reds, Greens, Blues Novice Swim Program is a drop-in program offered five days a week at both pools and requires passing the Water Safety Test for admittance, and participation in this program requires ASPA membership before signing up. The “Fish Test” qualifications are listed as Tangerine: 4 years, Green: 5 years old, Red: 6 years old, and Blue: 7+ years old, all requiring passing the Water Safety Test.
The Advanced Swimmer Program is offered once a day only at Lincoln Pool, and the Advanced Swimmer Class there runs Monday through Friday. This class is for water-safe swimmers, generally ages 10–18, who are able to swim the full length of the pool and focuses on strengthening strokes and getting exercise. Senior Swim is provided Tuesday and Thursday mornings and is open to all non-member senior (50+) residents of Alameda for lap swimming, and members are encouraged to swim at different times than Senior Swim to avoid overcrowding.
Family Swim is a guarded general membership open swim held on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:30–5:30 PM from mid-April through the end of October. Keyholders and their families may swim during non-scheduled times as long as they are not swimming alone, and non-keyholders must be accompanied by a keyholder during non-scheduled times. Annual ASPA membership includes swim lessons and daily family and lap swim sessions during the summer season, along with additional lesson and swim times during other parts of the year.
The Alameda Swimming Pool Association (ASPA) is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization for residents of the city of Alameda that oversees operation and maintenance of the two pool sites and their programs and has approximately 600 members. Within ASPA there are trustees, board members, and committees for maintenance, lifeguarding, membership, technology, swimming programs, pool enforcement, and governance, and board and committee members are all volunteers who do not receive payment for their time or services. Each pool has historically had its own board of directors to monitor and handle day-to-day pool operations, and the ASPA carries full primary insurance and workers’ compensation and does not rely on USA Swimming or the city of Alameda as insurance providers.
The overall focus of ASPA is to provide safe, instructional swimming activity for children of all ages, with children listed as coming first, a secondary aim of providing access to water activities for all households in Alameda, and a third priority of providing lap swimming time for aquatic and health enthusiasts. ASPA also provides pool time to Alameda’s emergency responders to improve their swimming skills and for the year-round USA Swimming sanctioned Alameda Gators Swim Team to use its facilities. The swimming pools were built in the mid-1950s, and ASPA has provided services for more than 60 years.
Pool use time is provided to the Alameda Fire Department for water safety training for its employees, and Franklin Pool is home to Alameda Emergency Radio. ASPA offers social activities, BBQs, and gatherings throughout the summer to its members, as well as a New Member Ambassador Program that pairs new members with existing members as part of membership orientation and onboarding, and the city has been the beneficiary of this volunteer-run nonprofit organization since the pools’ construction.
Last updated March 29, 2026.
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