Swimming in San Diego

Built in 1925, Belmont Park's 58-yard-long Plunge (3115 Mission Blvd., Mission Beach, 92108. 858/488-3110. www.belmontpark.com) is the largest heated indoor swimming pool in Southern California. The Copley Family YMCA (3901 Landis St., North Park, 92104. 619/283-2251) has a heated, indoor pool with hours for lap swimming and free swim. The Bud Kearns Memorial Pool (2229 Morley Field Dr., Balboa Park, 92104. 619/692-4920) is operated from May to October by the City of San Diego; some years it opens as early as March and stays open through the end of the year, so call to get the current schedule.

The Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA (200 Saxony Rd., Encinitas, 92024. 760/942-9622. www.ecke.ymca.org)) is convenient for swimming in North County with two pools, one cooler pool for aerobics classes and lap swim, and the other, warmer pool for free swimming. In between the two pools is a "wet pad" with sprinklers. The indoor pool area has a retractable roof that opens in fair weather.