The basics- learning to swim

All Philadelphia pools offer children’s swim lessons (and offer swim teams for advanced youth swimmers) . These basic programs are a vital resource given that children who do not receive swimming instruction are much more likely to die of accidental drowning than children who have been taught to hold their breath and swim.

In addition to widely available youth swim instruction, it turns out that and some Philly playground pools offer (less commonly publicized) adult swim lessons (often during adult swim hours) , so make sure to ask your lifeguard.
Unfortunately, there is no central listing of all swim lessons, but virtually individual pool has time allotted for kids swim lessons during their weekday schedules, sometimes through day camp programs. Therefore, you must contact/visit/reach out to your individual pool to find out what lessons are on the schedule and register for classes.

Water Fitness & Aqua Zumba

For the past 5-10 years, the Philadelphia Dept Of Health has sponsored Aqua Zumba and Aqua Fitness classes as part of their #SwimPhilly/ Philly Powered program (which now forwards to a more newly branded public health and wellness page but previously the home to a calendar of group physical fitness events which was often incorrect)

Unfortunately, because the schedule for the citywide Aqua fitness program is managed by The Department of Health in cooperation with, but separate from the Department of Parks & Recreation, and is often not made available until after classes have begun (and even then you might need to do research in the City Instagram accounts so it’s always a good idea to call around that in itself can be a frustrating project. Since the program only runs for six weeks maximum, you can try reaching out directly to the Dept of health at gethealthyphilly@phila.gov at the end of June since classes seem to run only for July and part of August.

When checking in with your local pool(s) you may also wish to ask if the offered classes (almost all of which are listed as “Aqua Zumba”) are a dance class or more isolated calisthenics/ exercise class if that matters to you. As with virtually every offering at Philly public pools, persistent inquiries will eventually lead you to information, and each program is offered independently at each playground pool.

Note: Some playgrounds request a small donation from City sponsored #SwimPhilly fitness class attendees (one playground requested $10 per season, another $1 per class) .

Some playground pools that are not part of the Health Department’s Aqua Fitness programming, work independently with local trainers (who are not paid by the City) and will charge attendees a fee of $5-10 per class or a $60 pass for a multi-class series).

Lifeguard Training

Philadelphia is not immune from the nationwide shortage of lifeguards, and short staffing is often the reason cited for seasonal or even temporary pool closures. The City of Philadelphia has done extensive fundraising to hire additional guards. This funding has allowed the City government to enhance recruitment efforts with bonus compensation and free training offers specifically aimed at youth ages 16-24.
Lifeguarding is a great first job and an awesome summer job for students and theses opportunities are potentially quite sweet. However these recruiting efforts could benefit from Philadelphia City government widening the scope of their recruitment search.
According to newer lifeguards who fall outside of this age range, the offered cash bonus incentives are available to anyone who applies for the job (which is only fair), so why not actively advertise these offers to a larger audience of that includes Philadelphia’s unemployed (up to 5% of residents in June- August 2024) as well under employed Millennial and Gen X folks and athletically inclined retired adults many of whom could benefit from a seasonal full time job with bonuses and training. There are many Philadelphian’s older than 16-24 who could consider this as a potent gig with the training that provides opportunity to improve strength and overall wellness. Included bonuses should rightfully include free certification even for applicants over the age of 24 (which is contrary to the advertised procedure.
Additionally, the overall City procedure for applying to train and become a guard (or even a pool attendant) could be streamlined and the process made more transparent and inviting. . Although the physical qualifications for the job description are clearly spelled out with certification fees waived for youth, if you look at the page off-season there is no clear direction regarding how to sign up for the free training mentioned.
There is a link to a form to fill out in the off season on the City website which promises email updates, but there does not appear to be any time-table for when applications and training are scheduled that is made visible year round so at least people who sign up for email notifications will have an idea when to expect a response. If one wanted to learn how to apply the only options are to sign up for an email list or to contact the aquatics director.
Finally, wouldn’t it greatly expand the talent pool, so to speak, if each neighborhood pool prioritized and encouraged lap swimming and lifeguard training? In 2024 there were only three Philly public pools with dedicated lap lanes (Kelly Pool had the only dedicated lap lanes with Olympic length that would meet the published lap swimming requirements). How can potential applicants train for the required abilities when there are no public pools with 12 foot depth or lap lanes where it is convenient or even possible to practice? Without advertised adult swim lessons, how would young adults aged 18-24 train and prepare to screen for a lifeguard position?