Get ready to splash and dive! I'm excited to share the best places to swim in Siouxland, water safety tips, and where to find swim lessons in the Sioux City area! Swimming can be one of the best forms of exercise, along with tons of fun, and it's important to make sure you and your family are ready to be safe in the water!
Water safety in Siouxland
I had the chance to chat with Kristin Rager, a mom of 4 kids and certified Infant Swim Resource Instructor about pool safety for kids and I was really impressed. This isn't a sponsored post--her message is just important enough that I wanted to share it.
One of Rager's kids nearly drowned as a toddler when Rager turned away for a second to put sunscreen on her then-preschooler. When Rager looked back, her 18 month-old daughter was gone. She ran to the water, terrified, and dove in to rescue her daughter immediately. Rager got to her daughter in time and she's a happy, healthy kid (and a great swimmer) now. But the incident gave Rager a passion for making sure no family has to go through what she did, or worse. Since that time, she trained as a ISR instructor and is now an expert on water safety for kids. I'm so excited to join forces with her to help keep Siouxland families safe in pools, and I asked for her top tips for families. She had some great advice for parents specifically, and for anyone who live near a pool or natural body of water. Here's some of what she had to say:
- Parents:
- Always keep eyes on your kids when there's water around--don't assume someone else is watching your kids. If you don't see your kids, look in or near the water first!
- Sign your kids up for ISR if possible (more info on how to sign up below!), or other high-quality, age-appropriate swim lessons as young as you can, to teach them the skills they need to survive in a pool without a life jacket or floaties. ISR is open to ages 6 months+
- Always put kids in coast guard approved life jacket in natural bodies of water like rivers and lakes
- Learn child CPR so you're ready if a rescue becomes necessary
- People who live near a pool, lake, river, or other body of water:
- Make sure your pool has an alarm on it
- Place safety locks high on exterior doors leading to pools, rivers, lakes, or other water and make sure there are no pet doors leading to water that a kid could go through
- Make sure your pool (not just the property or the yard in general) has a fence and/or a pool cover on it
Pools in Sioux City, South Sioux City, and North Sioux City
Once your family is ready to go swim safely, there are lots of great places to swim in and around Sioux City, and I'm excited to share them with you! Pool hours and rates are based on the information available online from the pools in May 2019. I'll be updating with 2021 info as soon as its available, but recommend checking with the individual place you're going for the latest info, as I might not always see changes right away to update here!
- Four Seasons Health Club
- 1600 7th Street, Sioux City, IA
- Indoor pool
- Memberships required and rates vary.
- Swim lessons available.
- For more information, visit the Four Seasons Health Club website
- Lewis Park and Pool
- 1621 Sioux Trail, Sioux City, IA
- Outdoor pool
- Free Friday night swims, swim parties, and more arranged by Sioux City Parks & Rec
- For more information, visit the Sioux City Parks and Rec Aquatics page
- Lief Erickson Park and Pool
- 31st & Court Street, Sioux City, IA
- Outdoor pool
- Swim lessons, Free Friday night swims, swim parties, and more arranged by Sioux City Parks & Rec
- For more information, visit the Sioux City Parks and Rec Aquatics page
- Riverside Park and Pool
- 1201 Riverside Boulevard, Sioux City, IA
- Outdoor pool & water slide
- Swim lessons, Free Friday night swims, swim parties, and more arranged by Sioux City Parks & Rec
- For more information, visit the Sioux City Parks and Rec Aquatics page
- Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA & South Sioux City Aquaplex
- 601 Riverview Drive, South Sioux City, NE
- Indoor and outdoor pools and water slides
- Swim lessons and special events available
- Memberships and daily passes available, and prices vary
- For more information, visit the Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA website
- Sioux City Country Club
- 4001 Jackson Street, Sioux City, IA
- Outdoor pool
- Membership required, prices vary
- For more information, visit the Sioux City Country Club website.
Other Siouxland Area Pools
- Sergeant Bluff Pool
- 910 Topaz Boulevard, Sergeant Bluff, IA
- Open from noon-5pm and 6-8pm on Monday through Friday, from noon to 7pm on Saturday, and from noon to 6pm on Sunday
- Admission is $4 for a full session or $2.50 for weekday evening only.
- Pool passes, pool rental, lessons, and more also available.
- For more info, visit the Sergeant Bluff Pool website.
- LeMars YMCA
- 241 12th Street, LeMars, IA
- Indoor and outdoor pools
- Open swim from 1-5pm everyday and from 7 to 8:30pm on Monday through Thursday nights in June 2019.
- Memberships and day passes available, prices vary.
- For more information, visit the LeMars YMCA website.
- Haskell Swimming Pool
- 325 Miller Boulevard, Moville, IA
- Outdoor pool and waterslide
- Daily and season passes available
- For more information, visit the City of Moville website.
- Ponca State Park
- 88090 Spur 26 East, Ponca, NE
- Outdoor pool, waterslide, & splash pad features
- Daily and annual passes available
- For more information, visit the Ponca State Park website
- Elk Point Community Swimming Pool
- 207 Truman Lane, Elk Point, SD
- Outdoor Pool
- Daily and season passes and punch cards available
- For more information, visit the City of Elk Point website.
Swim Lessons in Siouxland
It's important for everyone to learn to swim, not just for fun, but for safety in a city not just full of fun pools but also divided by the Missouri, Big Sioux, and Floyd Rivers!
Some of the places where your family can take swim lessons include:
- Sioux City Parks & Rec
- Norm Waitt Sr. YMCA
- Infant Swim Resource (coming soon!)
- Remember Kristin with the great suggestions above? She is offering lessons in the Sioux City area starting May/June 2021! She is moving back to Siouxland after some time in Omaha, and has two sessions scheduled at the Hampton Inn in North Sioux City:
- Session 1 starts May 10th
- Session 2 starts July 5th
- Infant Swim Resource is a unique sensory-motor based program that teaches not just babies, but anyone from about ages 6 months to 6+ years old how to survive in the water by teaching them the habit of turning to float! Kristin offers lessons for anyone who is ages 6 months and older and sitting independently. Because it is designed to work even for babies who are pre-verbal, it can also be a great option for kids of any age who are not verbal. I asked specifically about my son with special needs, and it turns out Kristin is a former teacher and loves teaching all kids to swim, including those with special needs, whether physical or cognitive.
- The unique approach of ISR includes very short (like 10 minutes!) daily lessons on Mon-Fri for about 6 weeks--research shows this builds muscle memory and leads to great success with kids!
- You can get more info or sign up with her by emailing her at K.Rager@InfantSwim.com (and don't let the "infant" part scare you off! It's a great program for any age!) She is so knowledgeable, and if you're on the fence, I definitely encourage you to reach out to her to find out more.
Looking for even more aquatic fun in Siouxland? Check out my post about Sioux City Splash Pads!
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