Oceanway Pool

This is the saddest, most dilapidated public pool I have ever seen, and that's coming from someone who has lived in various places across the US and Asia, and worked in aquatics. This pool is unsafe, unsanitary, and should be an embarrassment to the City of Jacksonville. We visited this pool last summer, but definitely will not return unless to take photos for the news. There are jagged holes in the concrete large enough for my toddler to get her foot caught in. The showers drip constantly and are surrounded by algae and filth. My oldest child walked in the restroom and immediately walked out; there was feces on the walls and filth everywhere. The deep end was permanently taped off with yellow caution tape. The diving board was broken, according to he lifeguards, or they just didn't want to work, because out of six lifeguards on the premises, only one was actually watching the pool. There were condom wrappers on the grass outside the pool and older kids yelling obscenities constantly, without any adult supervision. Out of the entire Northside of Jacksonville, this is it? Really? This is the best you can offer? No wonder so many kids in this city can't swim. No wonder there are so many drowning deaths each year. The rest of Duval county has how many public pools?

Swimming for free. That's pretty awesome when you have young kids, especially if you're a parent like me and abhor the beach! When my two daughters were growing up, we lived only about a mile from this public pool, so I use to bring them pretty often. They always had a great time and It never cost me a penny. Another big bonus for a single mom!This pool is associated with Jacksonville's City Parks and they do a great job at keeping it well-maintained. There are always lifeguards on duty and they do a great job. The pool is it is always very crowded. Always! But the lifeguards keep things orderly and keep all the kids in check. They are quick to blow a whistle if someone is doing something they aren't suppose to be doing.The pool is nice and large. So even though it's crowded, there's still plenty of room for you and your family to have your own space to play around. If you're looking to swim laps here, it's not going to happen. The lifeguards to have anyone under the age of 18 get out of the pool every hour or so and allow the adults to have like 15 minutes of peace and quite in the pool without kids screaming and splashing them in the face.There are very few pool lounges here, so you won't be likely to get one. There are no tables with umbrellas to shield you from the sun either. The concrete around the pool gets very hot, so make sure to bring a lawn chair with you to sit in, or bring extra towels to put down and sit on. Speaking of which, do make sure to bring your own towels for drying off. Also, make sure to bring plenty of sunscreen and use it often. There is zero shade anywhere. There are bathrooms available. I think there may also be showers inside? I never used them, so I can't speak for the cleanliness.I highly recommend the Oceanway Pool if you're looking for something free to do with your kids on a hot summer day!

This was a horrible experience. Sometimes free is not worth the sacrifice of fun for the children. Even worse than the fact that there was nothing but a shallow end without chairs to rest on, was the lifeguard staff. They were rude and acted like drill sergeants toward the children. There were so few people there that there was no reason to be on the children that way. Not one person would have gotten hurt from kids playing. We left after only a few short minutes because the kids were so worried about possibly getting yelled. Instead of swimming they just sat in one spot, afraid to play. Never again. Please if you care about the public you serve, change your staff and add something for children to make the experience actually fun. It was like a pool in prison.