Registration is open for summer swimming lessons at the Sedona Community Pool at 570 Posse Ground Road through the Sedona Parks and Recreation Department. The pool will open on Saturday, May 25, Memorial Day weekend, and close for the season on Labor Day.
Aquatics and athletics supervisor Carmen Brashier expects smoother operations this season due to lifeguard staffing having stabilized.
“We had a pretty significant pay bump on our base pay for lifeguards, and then last year, we also implemented that $1,500 bonus that we were able to bring back over for this summer as well,” Brashier said. “They have to work 260 hours through the summer and 24 of those hours have to be in August and to incentivize us having enough lifeguards through August.”
The department’s $35 summer youth swimming lessons will offer three available sessions from June 4 to 14, June 18 to 28 and July 9 to 19. Lessons will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, with available start times at 11:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m. and 6:05 p.m. Lessons are open to all ages and skill levels. Participating kids do a skills assessment on the first day of lessons to determine their level of proficiency and are then placed in the appropriate class with one of seven to eight instructors.
“Private swim lessons are available during open swim hours during summer months,” the department’s website states. “Private swim lessons are 30 minutes each with our Starfish-certified swim instructors and are $15. For more information, please contact the pool at (928) 203-5096.”
Parks and Recreation has also brought on more instructors to facilitate the StarTots and StarBabies programs. These $5 instruction sessions introduce babies and toddlers to water activities and teach their parents or other caregivers how to help their children roll over, swim, float and navigate in water. The programs take place on Saturday mornings from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. from June 15 through July 27. This program only offers same-day registration.
Aqua Fitness and Aqua Zumba classes will be returning for 2024 beginning on Tuesday, June 4.
The fee is $5 per class or 10 classes for $40, and classes take place Tuesdays through Fridays from 10:05 to 10:55 a.m.
“Aqua Fitness [which takes place on Wednesdays and Fridays] is aerobic exercises performed in the shallow end of the pool, using the water as resistance,” the department’s website states. “For extra resistance, dumbbells and noodles may be used. Aqua Fitness helps build cardiovascular stamina, strength, balance, and flexibility.”
“Aqua Zumba [which takes place on Tuesdays and Thursday] is a lot more dancing under the water. There’s the music,” Brashier said. “It can tend to be a little bit faster pace [than Aqua Fitness] but any level can participate.”
The pool will be closed on Mondays and will be open to recreational swimmers from 1 to 5:15 p.m. on Tuesdays through Fridays and from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Lap swim will take place from 9 to 10 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays and 9 to 11:15 a.m. on Sundays.
Children 2 years of age and under are admitted free. Entry is $2 for ages 3 to 17, $3 for adults ages 18 to 54 and $2 for seniors ages 55 and over.
For more information about the pool schedule and to register for classes, visit SedonaAZ.gov/pool or contact Brashier at (928) 282-7098 or cbrashier@sedonaaz.gov.
