Swim Schedules & Lessons

Quick links:

  1. Drop-In Swim Descriptions
  2. Swim Lessons
  3. Online Report Cards
  4. Aquatics Leadership
  5. Leadership Courses

Pay As You Go Aquatics Schedule

Spring - April 1 - June 28, 2026

John Dolson Pool Schedule

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

 Friday

Saturday

Sunday

 

Lane Swim
7 - 7:50 am

Lane Swim
7 - 8:50 am

Lane Swim
7 - 7:50 am

 

 

 

 

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 am

 

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 am

 

 

 

AquaCombo
9 - 9:45 am

AquaCombo
9 - 9:45 am

AquaCombo
9 - 9:45 am

AquaCombo
9 - 9:45 am

AquaCombo
9 - 9:45 am

 

 

AquaCombo
10 - 10:45 am

AquaBility
10 - 10:45 am

AquaCombo
10 - 10:45 am

AquaBility
10 - 10:45 am

AquaCombo
10 - 10:45 am

 

Women's Only Swim
10 - 11 am

Family Swim
11 am - 12 pm

Family Swim
11 am - 12 pm

Family Swim
11 am - 12 pm

Family Swim
11 am - 12 pm

 

 

 

Lane Swim
12 - 1 pm

Lane Swim
12 - 1 pm

Lane Swim
12 - 1 pm

Lane Swim
12 - 1 pm

Lane Swim
11:30 am - 1 pm

 

 

AquaCombo
1:15 - 2 pm

AquaCombo
1:15 - 2 pm

AquaCombo
1:15 - 2 pm

AquaCombo
1:15 - 2 pm

Public Swim
7 - 8 pm

Public Swim
2 - 3:30 pm

Public Swim
2 - 3:30 pm

Lane Swim
8 - 9 pm

Lane Swim
8 - 9 pm

Lane Swim
8 - 9 pm

Lane Swim
8 - 9 pm

Lane Swim
8 - 9 pm

 

 

WG Johnson Pool Schedule

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

 Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Lane Swim
6 - 7:50 am

Lane Swim
6 - 7:50 am

Lane Swim
6 - 7:50 am

Lane Swim
6 - 7:50 am

Lane Swim
6 - 7:50 am

 

 

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 am

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 am

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 am

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 am

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 am

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 am

Lane Swim
8 - 8:50 am

AquaDeep
9 - 9:45 am

AquaBility
9 - 9:45 am

 

AquaBility
9 - 9:45 am

AquaDeep
9 - 9:45 am

 

 

Family Swim
10 - 11:30 am

 

Family Swim
10 - 11:30 am

 

Family Swim
10 - 11:30 am

 

 

Lane Swim
11:30 am - 1 pm

Lane Swim
11:30 am - 1 pm

Lane Swim
11:30 am - 1 pm

Lane Swim
11:30 am - 1 pm

Lane Swim
11:30 am - 1 pm

 

 

Sensory Friendly Swim
1 - 2:30 pm

 

 

 

Sensory Friendly Swim
1 - 2:30 pm

Public Swim
2 - 4 pm

Public Swim
2 - 4 pm

Public Swim
3 - 4 pm

Family Swim
3 - 4 pm

Family Swim
3 - 4 pm

Family Swim
3 - 4 pm

Public Swim
8 - 9 pm

Lane Swim
4 - 6 pm

 

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 pm

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 pm

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 pm

AquaCombo
8 - 8:45 pm

Public Swim
8 - 9 pm

 

 

Lane Swim
9 - 10 pm

Lane Swim
9 - 10 pm

Lane Swim
9 - 10 pm

Lane Swim
9 - 10 pm

Lane Swim
9 - 10 pm

 

 

Drop-in Swim Descriptions

Enjoy a drop in or pay-as-you-go swim.

Lanes are open for lane swimming. Whether you swim slow, medium or fast, we have a lane to suit your needs. Lane etiquette must be followed. A leisure lane is available. 

Lane swim may be shared with Swim to Survive school groups on Fridays from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the John Dolson Centre.

Enjoy this opportunity for multi-use of the pool. Including unstructured playtime for children accompanied by a caregiver, adult leisure swim and lanes available for lane swim. The diving board will be available, and lifejackets may be used in the deep end. Children under 18 years of age must swim with someone 18 years of age or older. Swim Admission Process still applies. *lane is available.

Come spend time playing and enjoying the water. All ages are welcome, and the diving board is open for use. Everyone must follow the Swim Admission Process.

Water exercise is a good fit for everyBODY. These classes will energize you while they improve your fitness in a gravity-reduced, resistive environment. Each workout includes warm-up, cardiovascular exercise, muscle conditioning and stretch. The AquaCombo class will transition from chest deep to deep water, with the option to work exclusively at your preferred depth.

Deep water aqua fitness improves balance, while it challenges cardio and core strength in a zero-gravity environment.  No swimming skill is required, but you should be comfortable in deep water. Flotation belts are provided. AquaDeep can provide a new challenge to your land based training or expand your aqua fitness skills.

This class is ideal for adults, participants with joint pain, pregnant participants, people recovering from injuries or surgeries, or anyone new to aquatic exercise. AquaBility classes will help you improve balance, align and strengthen your core, and adapt exercises as required to suit your specific needs and exercise abilities. AquaBility participants are welcome to work in either deep or chest deep water.

An open swim opportunity for children, youth and adults with diverse abilities to participate in a fun, supportive and supervised water environment. The spa and sauna is open for use; and two lanes will be available for swimming lengths. 

To create a safe space, participation is only open to women caregivers and their children. Programs given the title of Women's Only Swims identify that the pool, deck area and sauna are designated for women only. This is applicable to the Women's Only - Family Swim, Women's Only Swimming Lessons and Women's Only - AquaCombo.  

Boys under 6 are able to attend the Women’s Only Swim with their female guardian.

Swim Lessons

The City of Cambridge swim lessons are offered at our two indoor facilities. Learn more about program registration.

Reminders:
  • Preschool 1 - A guardian may participate in the first four lesson but it is not required. Participation is defined as fully in the water, providing support to the child in building a connection with the Instructor.  It is not a Parent and Tot program where you are assisting the swimmer learning skills.
  • Women's Only Programming - To create a safe space, registration is only open to a women guardian and girl swimmers.
  • Swimmer levels - A child must be 6 years of age by the first day of programming.
  • Preschool levels - A child must be 3 years of age by the first day of programming.

The following are swim lessons and descriptions offered at Cambridge pools:

Spend quality time with your child while you both have fun and learn and socialize. Through structured in-water interaction between parent and child, we stress the importance of play in developing water-positive attitudes and skills. Because activities and progressions are based on child development, parents register in the level appropriate for their child's age.

This class runs for 30 minutes and has an instructor to student ratio of 1:12.

This program develops an appreciation and healthy respect for the water before these kids get in too deep. In our basic aquatic progressions, we work to ensure 3 to 5-year olds become comfortable in the water and have fun acquiring and developing a foundation of water skills. 

This class runs for 30 minutes and has an instructor to student ratio of 1 to 4.

This program makes sure your child learns how to swim before they get to the deep water. These classes teach children 6 years and older, from beginner swimmers who want to build their basic skills. We focus on a lot of in-water practice to develop strong skills.

This class runs for 30 minutes and has an instructor to student ratio of 1 to 6.

This program makes sure your child learns how to swim in deep water. These classes teach children 6 years and older, from intermediate swimmers who want to build their basic skills to advanced swimmers looking for a challenge. We focus on a lot of in-water practice to develop strong skills.

This class runs for 45 minutes and has an instructor to student ratio of 1 to 8.

The Canadian Swim Patrol program is part of the journey to lifeguarding. This provides greater training for those beyond learning to swim. The Rookie, Ranger and Star levels continue to develop student's strokes and provide the skills for future success.

This class runs for 60 minutes and has an instructor to student ratio of 1 to 10.

You can sign-up for private and semi-private swimming lessons instead of our group classes. There is an additional fee for semi-private lessons and all participants must be at the same swimming skill level. 

Semi-private lessons

You must pre-arrange participants for semi-private swimming lessons. The City of Cambridge does not make these arrangements for you.

To avoid missing out on your preferred time slot, book one participant for a private swimming class and then call (519) 623-1340 during regular business hours to switch your private class to a semi-private class. You need to have the name(s) of the additional participants.

Swim to Survive and Swim to Survive Plus is a Lifesaving Society program that teaches Grade 3 and 7 students basic swimming fundamentals in an attempt to eliminate drowning in Canada.    

If you are a teacher or principal from any Waterloo Region or Waterloo Catholic District School Boards interested in the program, please contact John Dolson, Aquatic Coordinator at (519) 623-1340.

Swim report cards are online! 

To reduce our environmental impact and offer easy-to-access, centralized storage for assessment details, swim report cards will be available online.  

Aquatic Leadership

The City of Cambridge offers the training needed to become a lifeguard & swim instructor. The program is offered through the Lifesaving Society at our pool facilities. 

To start your journey by registering for courses listed below.   

Due to Lifesaving Society's program regulations, course capacity minimums must be met for courses to run. 

Pathway to Becoming an Instructor/Lifeguard
1 - Bronze Star
Optional course for Ages 10-13
2 - Bronze Medallion + Emergency First Aid & CPR-B
Prerequisites: 13 years of age or Bronze Star certification (need not be current)
3 - Bronze Cross
Prerequisites: Bronze Medallion certification & Emergency First Aid / CPR-B certification (need not be current)
4 - Assistant Instructor
Prerequisites: 14 years of age, Bronze Cross certification or higher (need not be current)
5 - LSS Swim Instructor or LSS Dual Instructor
Prerequisites: 15 years of age, Bronze Cross certification (need not be current)
6 - Standard First Aid & CPR-C
No prerequisites
7 - National Lifeguard - Pool
Prerequisites: 15 years of age, Standard First Aid & CPR-C, and Bronze Cross certification (need not be current)

Leadership Courses

Spring 2026 Leadership Courses
Spring 2026 Courses Start Date End Date Location
24-Apr-26
29-May-26
WG Johnson
26-Apr-26
31-May-26
John Dolson
2-May-26
30-May-26
WG Johnson
10-May-26
10-May-26
WG Johnson
23-May-26
24-May-26
WG Johnson
31-May-26
31-May-26
WG Johnson
6-Jun-26
6-Jun-26
John Dolson
25-Jun-26
28-Jun-26
WG Johnson