Swimming In the Bay - Public Pools Just Don't Exist Here

I have a huge to do list since moving here. Getting a job, finding a place to live, making friends, discovering new things and conquering big hills. I'm wanting to accomplish this all in record time and I'm quickly realizing I'm going to have to slow down and be a little more patient. Fine.
One thing I wanted to do was find a new gym. On the scale of finding a gym and finding a job it's hard to say which carries more weight. A gym I decided takes lets effort so that wins.

My requirements I thought were simple. Clean. Yoga. Pool. Apparently you can't have all three of these in one place, in fact it doesn't seem like you can even get one in most. I was a little shocked. Everyone I met here so far works as a personal trainer and I'm not quite sure of where any of them works.

I looked first into the YMCA - but I remember from Chicago as well that this is not the neighborhood lets bring our community together type gym you would think. I know when I think YMCA I think run down kids playing a pick of game of basketball or swimming in a nice pool for free or near it. Having a membership at the Y is as expensive as many of the high end gyms, in some cases it's more expensive. I have no idea how they get away with this. And if you want to add classes like Yoga...it costs even more. So the Y you suck (until I am wealthy but am feigning being down to earth) and is off my list.

Which is sad because it's one of the few places with a pool. Pools are for some reason very hard to come by here.

I have to give a tiny nod to Chicago in that the public pools, meant for the general public are free, or for a very modest fee of $20 a season you have unlimited access to the pool in your neighborhood. The deal is amazing and where I swam at Gill Park - it was just more than ideal. When I looked into the public pools here I found that with a pass system of sorts it costs an alarming...$3.60 per swim. I know it sounds like I'm getting down on San Francisco, and that's just not so, I was just a little discouraged about pool options and I do love me some swimming.

This led me into looking into alternatives and this is when it dawned on me...the Bay. In Chicago I would swim in Lake Michigan and not much else in this world can be more gross or scary than that - currently there are reports of hemorrhaging fish with a fish strain of Ebola swimming around - doesn't get scarier. After some investigation I found a place where swimmers frequent not obviously called Aquatic Park. I saw so many swimmers in the Bay in this area it made me giddy. My first day I almost ran down the beach into the water. I calmed myself and started to look for an ideal spot to put my belongings (i.e. not around creepy tourists and while I want to believe that the homeless are all good and moral I didn't want to leave my things unattended by them either - and shush if I saw a troop of nuns I'd trust them even less). While looking for a spot I came upon a pier - the Hyde Street Pier. And I saw more swimmers entering here than anywhere. I saw that I could not get into this area. When I walked around to investigate I saw it was the Dolphin Swim Club (I had actually contacted them when I was doing my primary searches). I thought how good I can just drop by today (it was 93 degrees - very abnormally hot for this area). So drop by I did. I stooped down and walked under the pier onto their private beach. I was greeted by a lot of older men...mid 40s to mid 60s...maybe older because they were in good shape. All in speedos. The hairiest man I have ever seen approached me. I mean hairy doesn't describe it. It was as if he had covered his body in glue, shaved a couple dozen apes and rolled around in the discarded hair. In this age of evolution I don't even know how someone gets like that. I found myself staring at him looking to see if any small fish had gotten caught in his shoulder hair. This sounds so very rude, and he was so very kind spirited and funny so I apologize for that.

I asked him all very seriously "Hi, I just, I'm new here and I want to know where I go to get in the water."

He responded and justly "Where do you get in the water?! Any where."

I said "I just noticed a lot of people getting in here and I was curious about joining..."

"Well this here is our private beach and that there - he pointed to an older man - is our best swimmer. He's a veteran. Been swimming here 30 years."

And with that he walked away to check for sea life and shower - sorry...it was just out of hand.

I would so have a beer with him and ask him to braid it if he'd let me.


So I walked up to the veteran and became me and asked too many questions...

"Um, so is there a lot of sea life? Will a jelly fish eat and/or sting me? Is there a strong undertow meaning will I most likely drown..." He stared at me while I droned on standing hip deep in the water and he said "Look, you're young, you're healthy, what do you care about any of that. Put your goggles on and swim."


I thought, ok, he's right and I did just that. Starting my swim he stopped me and said "Hey, I'm swimming this route we do and you can join me if you want."


I didn't give it any thought and said "Ok."

Off we went. To the end of a large boat, to the left to a red sail boat, another left to a flag on a buoy to the left and back to the pier we came in from. About a mile. I loved every bit of it, when I thought about it I was terrified doing every bit of it.

I kept swallowing itty bits of salt water and I kept thinking of this documentary I saw about a group of sailors whose ship capsized in the ocean. Some of them became delirious with thirst and drank the salt water which drove them mad and wound up killing them. I kept thinking I would go mad and try to take up residence on a buoy no one would save me and I'd marry a sea lion or at least try to mate with one at some point. But no such thing happened. I made it back and my very kind and cool guide - John showed me around the Dolphin Swim Club.


It has a very old and earthy feel. No frills locker rooms that seemed like home.

They have rowing and kayaking and it's all very chill and I liked it. I swam there today as well and had another frightening and exhilarating experience. The one club member told me that the water has been nice - 62 degrees - but it gets down to around 47 or so and when I asked if I'd need a wetsuit he responded "Wet suits are for wienies." I think I may have to make a slight investment and be called a wienie, but I'm ok with that. We'll see how it goes. For the moment I'm going to get a little sappy and feel a little awesome by getting to maybe swim with a club with as many great people as the Dolphins.



http://www.dolphinclub.org/