Bethesda Aquatic Center

Bethesda Aquatic Center
225 Bethesda Church Road
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
Official Web Page

Bethesda Aquatic Center, inside Bethesda Park in Lawrenceville, is accessed very easily from the Ronald Reagan Expressway. The Bethesda Aquatic Center is a great place for indoor lap swimming, water play for children (complete with a waterslide), or a quick workout in the resistance pool. Whether you are looking for water aerobics with a very seasoned instructor (of 20+ years), Aquatic Zumba, Toddler Swimming Lessons or cooling off in the hot summer Bethesda Aquatic Center has the answers. Since my daughter just finished swimming lessons I wanted to review the Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation Swimming Lesson program and also the Bethesda Aquatic Center facility.  

The swimming lessons were very affordable and informative. For a recently turned two year old toddler the Parent 1 Assist Class was perfect. My daughter loves the water, but never had a class. This class starts out with regular basic water introduction and moves into beginning swimming skills. Activities include; passing the children from parent to instructor to parent, fun singing activities with water gestures to child favorites such as the "Wheels on the Bus", throwing and retrieving water toys, blowing bubbles with mouth in the water and retrieving swimming rings, kick-board exercises teaching kicking with their legs, blowing a ping pong ball while laying on their stomach, jumping in the pool to an adult and climbing out of the pool, and utilizing a pool noodle under their arms while paddling and kicking or under their neck while floating on their back assisted.

For eight classes, my daughter learned quite a bit for her first level of instruction.  By class three she was wearing her goggles and had learned breathing (blowing bubbles with her mouth at this age), floating on her back while assisted and on her tummy. Although there were four parents and children signed up we ended up being the only students in the class. As a Gwinnett County Resident the fee is extremely reasonable at $50 with a $1 Registration fee. I feel like the value for the money was incredible and I am considering signing her up for the next class in a couple of months

As far as Bethesda Aquatic Center amenities, in addition to the two and a half pools, the instruction pool, child play pool and resistance pool area, there is a women's and men's locker room as well as two private family changing restrooms. The Bethesda pool’s high standard of cleanliness was apparent. Unlike most pools, this pool was not chlorinated but they use Bromine and had a tolerable but unusual smell. The indoor heated swimming pools were protected from the elements and weather conditions so classes and open swim is rarely canceled, unlike the seasonal outdoor pools at other Gwinnett County Pools. The children's play slide was a great attraction and the water is shallow enough for children ages 2 and up.

 If you need a cold beverage the vending center is easily accessible. The staff is very helpful if you happen to forget your swim diaper. They will happily sell you one for $2 and if you forget your child’s plastic pants that are required over the swim diaper they will happily sell you one of those as well for another $2. The staff is very nice. Once of the life guards helped a young girl who didn't have very good use of her lower extremities and couldn't afford lessons with twenty minutes of coaching. He really went above and beyond. I was really happy that I could coral her in a family changing room that included a changing table, baby wall seat, restroom and shower. The women's locker room has a bathing suit wringer to wring out the suits before packing, eight restrooms or so and a whole section of lockers and showers. As far as cleanliness, the locker room was lacking in this area. The shower curtains had mold on them and the tile looked like it hadn't been cleaned in months. The floor was dirty and seemed as though it was rarely swept.

Overall I would give the Bethesda Aquatic Center facility 7.8 out of 10 with 10 being amazing from the criteria below. The Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation Swimming Program earns 8 out of 10.