Starting Saturday, Nov. 14, lap swim in the Settlemier Competition Pool at 777 Magnolia Avenue runs the full facility day. On weekdays that means 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the usual 1 to 2 p.m. midday closure. Before that date, Monday lap swim ends at 5 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday ends at 6 p.m. That last hour or two of evening lap time is the biggest change to the schedule since the fall season began, and it lines up with the hours the City had been holding for team practice.
The pool opened on April 11, 2026, as the Piedmont Exedra reported at the time. This is its first fall and its first run at a cold-weather schedule, and the City has been planning that schedule a few weeks at a time.
The lap schedule, before and after Nov. 14
The Recreation Department's Fall 2026 Activity Guide splits main-pool lap swim into two blocks.
| Day | Lap swim through Nov. 13 | Lap swim Nov. 14 to Nov. 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Tuesday, Thursday, Friday | 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Saturday | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., no lap swim 9 to 11 a.m. | 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Sunday | 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. | 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. |
Weekday lap swim pauses from 1 to 2 p.m. in both blocks. The guide also says available lanes change throughout the day, so a lap-swim time slot doesn't promise all 12 lanes.
Wednesday gains the most. Lap swim now starts at 6 a.m. instead of 8 a.m. and runs to 7 p.m., adding three hours to the day. Every other weekday gains one or two evening hours. Sunday stays the same.
Whose time it was
The earlier cutoffs came from team practice. In its Aug. 25 update, the City said Piedmont High School water polo and Piedmont Swim Team had begun their fall schedules. It said the competition pool would be dedicated to team practice from 5 p.m. on Monday evenings and 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, plus parts of Wednesday and Saturday mornings. That allocation ran through Oct. 30.
Those hours match the lap-swim schedule in the table: Monday ending at 5, Tuesday through Friday ending at 6, and a late start on Wednesday. Even during the team season, the City said the competition pool kept more than 61 hours of lap swim and 66 hours of rec and open swim each week.
PHS water polo matches also closed the competition pool from 2 p.m. on scheduled game days through Oct. 20. On those days the Activity Pool stayed open, and spectators came in through the Magnolia gate.
The other pool, and the lesson shuffle
The Settlemier Competition Pool measures 25 yards by 27 meters and is kept at 78 to 79 degrees. It has 12 lanes and two diving boards. The Activity Pool is the smaller, warmer one: 83 to 85 degrees year-round, with a zero-depth beach entry and three lap lanes of its own.
The Activity Pool had its own schedule change this fall. Fall swim lessons began Sept. 29, and in the same Aug. 25 update the City said it had moved weekday lessons to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday "based on community feedback." That leaves the Activity Pool open for drop-in open swim on more weeknights. Reserved open swim continues on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
The fall lesson lineup covers preschool and youth group lessons, private instruction, and beginner and intermediate lessons for teens and adults. Group classes meet on weekend mornings and weekday evenings. The four-session adult beginner and intermediate courses on rec.us/piedmont filled up this fall, with no spots left. Water Aerobics runs as a drop-in class in the Activity Pool on Tuesdays and Thursdays and is open to all.
When the warm pool fills up
The busiest stretch on record is in the Activity Pool. During the $5 preview pricing in the pool's first month, the City reported "large crowds at the activity pool, particularly on weekend afternoons between 2 and 4 p.m.," according to a City email reprinted by the Piedmont Exedra. The City suggested mornings and evenings, "especially if you're bringing small children." That was an April snapshot at a $5 price. A resident adult drop-in now costs $18.
The capacity rule from that email still applies. According to the City's pool page, when the facility nears capacity, entry is limited and passholders get priority. The City posts a yellow alert at the top of rec.us/piedmont when the pool reaches capacity, and the front desk at (510) 420-3090 can tell you whether limits are expected. For a drop-in swimmer, that priority rule is the main practical difference between paying per visit and holding a pass.
Pass or drop-in, after the September increase
Annual passes went up about 10 percent on Sept. 1. The City had deferred the increase from the usual July 1 fee adjustment so that pool users got three more months at opening-season rates. Drop-in prices didn't change.
Current rates on the City's passes and pricing page:
- Resident drop-in: adult $18, senior $16, youth or child $12, observer $8
- Nonresident drop-in: adult $22, senior $18, youth or child $14, observer $8
- Resident annual pass: adult $980, up from $891; senior or youth $735, up from $668; family $1,471, up from $1,337
- Nonresident annual pass: adult $1,372, senior or youth $1,029, family $2,059
- Resident add-ons: adult $198, senior $176, youth $132, guest $264
Pass purchases carry a 3 percent credit-card processing fee.
At these prices, a resident adult pass costs about the same as 55 drop-in visits at $18, or roughly one swim a week for a year and then a few more. For a nonresident adult, the pass equals about 63 drop-ins at $22. Those numbers come straight from the posted prices. The Nov. 14 change matters for the comparison too: a swimmer who can only get there after work now has more weekday evenings to use.
Thanksgiving week and the end of the posted schedule
The City's pool page lists Thanksgiving, Thursday, Nov. 26, as a holiday-hours day, open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The posted October to November schedule runs through Nov. 30: Monday through Friday 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. with the 1 to 2 p.m. midday closure, Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The two December family events in the guide, Donuts & Dreidels on Dec. 6 and Surf's Up Santa on Dec. 12, are at Piedmont Community Hall, not the pool.
The City has described the first year as "a period of learning and adjustment." In its August pool update, reprinted by the Piedmont Exedra, the City said staff were tracking use patterns and feedback and "making changes where possible." It ran a user survey on schedules, hours, facility comfort and reserved open swim through Sept. 30. On Oct. 21, the Recreation Commission heard an informational update on the pool's first six months. The recording is in the City's KCOM video archive. The pool page still has a comment form open for anyone who wants to weigh in on the next schedule.
The new pool on Magnolia Avenue is now part of Piedmont's civic core, and people buying in town ask about places like it. If you're thinking about how your Piedmont home should be priced and presented, Ben Wahli can walk you through it with a clear plan. Request a Free Home Valuation.
