Valley Pool

We're all water babies, aren't we? I've been watching my little girl, Iris, shiver and chatter her tiny teeth, blue-lipped, for the better half of the summer at this pool. That's because it's pretty darn cold in these waters, which was the case in my High School pool, true of all school pools across the country. And while I'd prefer the hypothesis that the temperature is directly related to budgeting, me thinks it actually has more to do with a certain unspoken swimmer's code: wussies not invited. Yeah, you'll suffer the initial plunge, but if you're dedicated, you can stay plenty warm by your own volition. So here's your warning, wussy. These waters aren't for the faint of heart.Every kid in New Mexico should learn to swim. Valley offers some great classes at friendly prices taught by, well, you guessed it, teenagers who know how to swim and double as lifeguards, and adults are invited, too. Overall, the instruction has been effective, but it's regimented and somewhat baselined, so if you have some experience in the water already, go ahead and sign up for a class that might challenge you, otherwise you'll be stuck with, well, New Mexican swimmers, er, drowners. Don't hesitate to sign up for the next level.The facility, aside from the chilly H2O, is unusual via ABQ standards. Sort of an A-Frame, the bones are wooden, the ceiling is high, and there's plenty of free swimming. About two-thirds of the main pool is dedicated to lap swimming. A second (smaller) diving pool is a great learning spot for the adventurous. And a third pool for little bitty kids is located outside, under the burnin' sun, a wading pool. Slap sunscreen all over your zombie before he/she enters, that heat is intense.

Both my kids took swimming lessons here and were very successful. The instructors are great, and the kids learn to swim while having fun. It was a great summer activity, and now they both can swim, and even dive so well! *It can get very busy during free swim hours, but is a nice in/outdoor pool, and theres other offerings like lap times or classes.

This pool is full of roaches! It's dirty and the students who are there to maintain it don't pay attention any requests. I would not recommend this pool to anyone until it's properly maintained.

Went to swim this evening at 6:00pm.Schedule changed. Lap swim is now from 7pm - 8pm. Swim team of all ages is swimming later into the evening. I just paid for a one year pass. I've tried to swim at 6am. Nobody showers before getting into the water.. you cam smell all the Bengay and other sprays and ointments...not sure why the swim team has to swim so late. Don't the kids get out of school at 3 or 4 pm?

Usually not crowded during the school year, and the hours are decent. All of the complainers moaning about the temperature of the pool are clearly not swimming. It's a pool, not a jaccuzi. If the water is too cold for you after a few minutes, you're doing something wrong. The changing rooms are adequately clean, although there are no lockers and it's clear the showers are almost never cleaned due to the soap scum and ?mold? that has accumulated on them. I try not to touch the walls when I'm showering.The trouble is really during the summer, when hordes of people enter the pool (frequently without showering) and really have no concept of pool etiquette. The guards are pretty lax with rule enforcement. The hair and band-aid count in pool does go up significantly, and some people clearly aren't wearing appropriate clothing (basketball shorts or underwear). Lounging around lap lanes instead of swimming is pretty common and I frequently have to stop swimming mid-lap because someone has decided that the perfect time to cross my lane is when I'm about to swim past them. I've collided with a few kids whose parents, sadly, are clueless.All said and done, the Valley pool is about par for the course as far as an Albuquerque pool goes (except maybe West Mesa which separates swimmers from people there to play in the water) and I will continue to swim here because for nine months out of the year, it is virtually deserted and I am almost guaranteed to not have to share a lap lane.

I went the other day for water exercise classes. I have attended these classes in all the available pools around the city and this is by far the worst. First off the pool is FREEZING! It's an indoor pool it should NOT be this cold, does it not have a heater? Then the instructor/life guard teaching this class was way more interested in talking to the other guard on the tower, why teach and/or even have this class if you are not going to pay attention. Then the class was supposed to be 1 hour long (this is what i payed for) and it was MAYBE 45min. I was not impressed and will be going to another pool from now on for the water exercise classes.