Dip Into Summer

6/8/2018

Memorial weekend has just come and gone and local temperatures are holding steady with summer warmth, which can only mean one thing: POOLS ARE OPEN!

Few things are quite as quintessentially summer as a dip in cool, crystalline water on a hot, sunny day. So, to help you get your summer on, we're sharing some of our favorite hot spots to cool down!

Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe

Greensboro's Wet 'n Wild Emerald Pointe - the largest waterpark in the Carolinas - has all the rides water-loving adventurers crave: seventy-six foot drop down a water chute to give the impression of free-falling? Got it. You want a ride of constant surprises that will have you slipping, sliding, banking, and spinning in the darkness? They have that too! Maybe you prefer hurtling down a winding flume on a raft? You're in luck.

With thrilling rides, wave pools, Lazee River, wading and swimming areas, and their Soak Zone - 7,000 square feet of interactive spray features - Wet 'n Wild has something for everyone. Right now, you can still purchase a season passes that cover admission every day the park is open. Season passes start as low as $49.99 - a steal, considering a one-day admission is $30.99 - and you have the option to pay for season passes in three monthly installments.

Levin JCC

Levin JCC in Durham offers a variety of memberships - to people of all faiths - that give members access to both of their outdoor pools. One of the pools is a short course, five lane pool, complete with a diving board; it also has an accessible entrance ramp. This pool is hosts Levin's summer swim team, swimming lessons, and family swim time. The other pool features spray features, a water slide, and beach entry. With a maximum depth of 3.5 feet, this pool is ideal for little ones and for those of us who are kids at heart!

Registration for swim lessons, as well as for the Water Dragons swim team, are still open and are available to Levin JCC members and non-members alike!

Hollow Rock Racquet & Swim Club

Hollow Rock Racquet & Swim Club has plenty of summer fun to offer with its three beautifully maintained pools and tons of aquatic programs for all skill levels. The facility includes a wading pool for the little ones and a recreation pool - complete with slide, 9 foot diving well, and wade-in entry, which are both open during the summer months. It also boasts an eight-lane, short course, heated lap pool that is open year-round.

The facility offers private swim lessons, swimming classes, and community get-togethers, in addition to youth and adult swim teams. While access to the pools and swim programming is limited to members, Hollow Rock offers a variety of membership levels, including a summer membership.

Parkwood Swim Club

Parkwood Swim Club is an outdoor, not-for-profit, swimming club that is open to the general public for an annual membership fee. The facility includes a 4-lane, short course lap pool with a deep end area - complete with 2 diving boards and a swimming pool basketball hoop. Parkwood also has a shaded baby pool area, in addition to shaded picnic/cabana areas.

Though the registration period for the Parkwood swim team has ended, registration is still open for swimming lessons which are provided through Pool Professionals' AquaVentures Swim Academy.

Umstead Pines Golf & Swim Club

Umstead Pines Golf & Swim Club offers members access to a family-friendly pool and a variety of accompanying amenities to enjoy in the summer months. Boasting lap lanes, a diving board, poolside dining, showers and changing areas, planned activities, social engagements and outings, the club is a great spot to cool down and stay entertained. Umstead Pines also offers comprehensive swim programming for youth ages 4 to 18 and hosts the Willowhaven Wave swim team.

Park Valley Swimming and Recreation Club

Park Valley Pool, a family-friendly, member-owned swim club, offers a relaxing atmosphere while still ensuring the safety of members and their guests. Boasting a large, main pool with a diving area and diving board, a separate kiddie pool, shower facilities, and “The Shack” snack bar, Park Valley is a great place to spend a summer afternoon. Park Valley is currently accepting new members and membership fees are flat: with a membership covering all of the immediate family members living in the same household, Park Valley is particularly affordable for larger families. The facility also welcomes babysitters: once registered and approved by the board, babysitters are counted as a member of the immediate family for membership purposes.

Heritage Hills Recreation Club

Though the member-owned club’s most robust offerings are in the summer, Heritage Hills has something going on year-round. Members of Heritage Hills enjoy access to tennis clinics and camps, the swim and diving teams, water aerobics, and swimming lessons, in addition to regularly scheduled social events. The main pool at the club is a short course, eight-lane lap pool with a roped off section for beginning swimmers and a section for diving—complete with “one of the only high diving boards in Chapel Hill.” There is also a zero-depth entry kiddie pool, picnic areas, and Mr. Cool’s Snack Bar, which boasts a pretty extensive menu for a snack bar! Heritage Hills Recreation Club is currently accepting new members and provide flat-rate memberships for individuals, couples, and families.

The Exchange

A member-owned cooperative, the Exchange Pool is a welcoming, family space with convenient operating hours, perfect for summertime play. Equipped with foosball, ping pong, basketball, and a play structure, plus regular social events, the Exchange is a lively gathering space. There are two pools—the main pool and the kiddie/wading pool—surrounded by shaded lounging areas. While the main pool does have lanes for lap swimming, it is also equipped with a diving board, a basketball hoop, and a water slide! The Exchange also offers eight-session swim lessons for kids with certified instructors and hosts the Cyclone swim team. New members can join under an individual or a family membership and must purchase a membership certificate and members can earn a refund on some of their dues by volunteering.

Five Oaks Club

Five Oaks Recreation Club maintains a long swimming season: the pool is open to members from early May to late September. Newly resurfaced, the short course pool has 6 swimming lanes with diving blocks, an 8 foot diving well, and a 2-3 foot shallow end for splashing around with friends and family. It's even equipped with an AquaClimb® climbing wall!

The entire pool facility - including a 1 foot wading pool for the littlest members of your entourage, lounge chairs, and umbrella-shaded tables - is surrounded by forest and provides a view of the lake, providing shade and a sense of retreat from the hustle and bustle. The pool is open exclusively to Five Oaks Club members and their guests, but membership does also grant access to the expansive club house, tennis courts, 24 hour fitness center, dog park, walking trails, fishing on the lake, and events year-round. And they are currently running a membership special that is definitely worth checking out!

Croasdaile Country Club

Croasdaile Country Club's recently restored, family-friendly pool is a fantastic place to cool down this summer, complete with changing areas, showers, and poolside dining. In addition to lap lanes that serve as home court to the Croasdaile Crocs swim team, the pool features a shoreline entry with water spouts, a diving board and well, and a poolside basketball goal. With comprehensive swim lessons and programs for all age groups, members of all ages can swim and splash their way through these hot summer days. As it is a club, access to the pool and related amenities are reserved for members, but Croasdaile is currently running two specials that make it an even more attractive option: a two-month membership preview and, because they are currently undergoing a remodel, a "pardon our dust" membership special.

Governors Country Club

With three separate pools and a summer pool grill, Governors Country Club in Chapel Hill has plenty of options to keep you and yours cool and entertained. The zero-entry outdoor pool - featuring lap lanes and a slide - and the kid-friendly splash pool are surrounded by shady cabanas, lounge chairs, and umbrella-covered tables. Meanwhile, the club also boasts a year-round indoor pool. Though Governors Country Club is a part of the Governors Club community, membership to the country club is open to everyone.

Seven Oaks Swim & Racquet Club

Boasting three pools, each with ten lap lanes, Seven Oaks Swim & Racquet Club has all you need to get your fill of summertime swimming. In addition to a total of thirty lap lanes, Seven Oaks has a waterslide, diving board, fenced-in baby pool, and a pool-side snack bar. And one of the three pools is designated adults-only. With changing areas, WiFi, ping pong tables, and a wide variety of social events like movie nights, live musical performances, and age-specific parties, there's bound to be something going on at Seven Oaks this summer that will please every member of your retinue!

Hope Valley Country Club

Unveiled only a short five years ago, the pool facilities at Hope Valley Country Club make a big splash on our list. The clubs recreational pool features a zero-entry design, in-ground water jets, and built-in seating. The lap pool boasts six lap lanes and a dive tank, the perfect home for Hope Valley's junior swim team, the Hurricanes. The aesthetics of the club's aquatic facilities are totally on-point: the pools are surrounded by open air cabanas and the rolling, green fairways of Hope Valley's historic golf course.

Duke Faculty Club

Those in our community with Duke University affiliation are lucky ducks: the Duke Faculty Club limits its membership to Duke faculty, full-time employees of the university and the Duke University Healthcare System, post-docs, fellows, and alumni. The club boasts four beautifully maintained swimming pools, including a wading pool, a recreation pool, and two lap pools. The recreation pool promises to be a great deal of fun with a twisting waterslide and both high and low diving boards! And the little ones have it made with the wading pool which is equipped with a zero-entry walkway, water geysers, and spray fountains. Duke Faculty Club also offers swim lessons and hosts the DFC Aqua Devils swim team.

UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont

Decidedly more geared toward health and wellness, the aquatics area at UNC's Meadowmont facility includes a five-lane, short course lap pool, a sauna, a whirlpool, and a warm-water therapy pool. UNC Wellness Center offers group swim classes, private swim lessons, swimming assessments, and various aquatic fitness classes. With a variety of membership levels, including a short-term monthly membership, UNC Wellness Center is financially accessible to folks of widely varying budget restrictions. Enrolling at Meadowmont is even more affordable right now: through June 30th, 2018, UNC Wellness Center is waiving enrollment fees, so the only upfront expense is your first monthly dues payment!

YMCA of the Triangle

No discussion of summertime swimming is complete without mentioning the YMCA. With over twenty branches in the Triangle, there's bound to be a YMCA just a hop, skip, and a jump from your home. Offering swimming lessons, lifeguard training, aquatic fitness programs, and swim teams - including the nationally-recognized, year-round YOTA team -, the Y has aquatics programs available for people of all ages and all skill levels. With a variety of membership types, financial assistance to those who qualify, and the fact that your membership at a YMCA of the Triangle will also give you access to all YMCAs around the country, your local Y is always a good bet!

Clearly, in an ever-growing and thriving area such as ours, this list is definitely not exhaustive. Did your favorite pool not make the list? Let us know which one and what you love about it! Also, please stay tuned for posts featuring public pools, spraygrounds, and awesome neighborhood pools!

Enjoy the sunshine; stay cool; and, as always, Love Where You Live!

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