Clapham Leisure Centre

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Reviews

1. Mike Tapu ★★★★★

   Great gym and swimming pool. It’s a shame that there’s no Sauna.

   almost 2 months ago
2. Nic Vinal ★★☆☆☆

   Recently revamped gym that could be absolutely brilliant if it were not for the atrocious hygiene and few clueless front of house staff. Most recent trip revealed feces on a bench, litter and hairballs on the floor and some sort of goo splattered on the stall walls. Hygiene needs to improve significantly if this gym is to survive - unacceptable.

   almost 5 months ago
3. E M ★★★☆☆

   I've been swimming here regularly for several years. It's overall a nice pool with all essential requirements for lane swimming (decent lane ropes, flags, appropriate lane markings, and--most of the time--a functioning pace clock). Things to know: 1) Lane etiquette in public lane swimming sessions is not managed by staff or followed by many swimmers. There's a real risk of collisions, getting kicked etc especially during peak times. Three basic rules of lane swimming that are not followed: a) People already swimming have right of way, people standing at the end or getting in have to choose the right time/spot to join in. Try to leave a 5sec gap between swimmers and do not push off directly on someone's feet. b) The lane goes in speed order with the fastest person at the front. If someone is catching you up (and especially if they tap you on the feet) move aside at the end of the lane and let them pass. c) Turn on the side you will come out on. If you're swimming on the right side of the lane, cross to the left before you turn, then turn and push up on the left. If you are standing at the end of the lane, do not stand in the turning spot as it forces people to turn and push up on the same side, into the path of oncoming swimmers. Clapham is often busy, but if everyone follows basic lane etiquette, there's plenty of room for everybody to share the lane safely and comfortably together. 2) If you go in the late evenings when the lanes are typically quieter, you may find yourself breathing in a strong smell of toxic chemicals, because the poolside cleaning happens in the evening while people are still in the pool and the smell fills the whole pool area.

   almost 5 months ago

1. Megan Lim ★★★★☆

   Overall this is a decent place to swim. I have come for swim lessons for my kids, for family splash & fun, and for adult lane swimming. I love how close it is to my house - getting here is a breeze. I have been happy with the availability of the pools for our use. Swim lessons were easy to get at times that work for us. In our previous city getting swim lessons at the municipal pool was the Hunger Games, and the odds were never in our favor. The kiddie pool is comfortably warm and the shallowness of it is great for play and young kids starting to learn. The adult pool is too cold for fun splashing around, but perfect for laps. Weekday mornings seem fairly busy, but I had a great experience swimming at 9:00 where I got my own lane. The facility really needs a deep cleaning and better regular cleaning. I’m not sure if the mat leading into the lockers ever gets vacuumed and people put their bare feet on it. The tile floor in the locker room desperately needs a deep scrub and bleach. I have to just turn off that part of my brain when walking barefoot across the floor. Changing rooms and lockers are fine. They don’t have integrated locks, which is unfortunate because most people don’t have a padlock on them. I’ll have to explore some more because I’ve seen the communal showers for getting wet before going into the pool, but not individual ones for truly showering after a swim. The gym does not provide shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, or any toiletry supplies like other gyms I’ve belonged to in the past. They also do not provide towels, so bring your own. With so many things missing, it is a bit surprising that they do have a few hair dryers available, though none with diffusers. There are couches in the waiting room which are great for parents waiting during swim lessons. You can watch the kiddie pool through the large windows; this is much more comfortable than metal bleachers I’ve experienced at other pools. The swim teachers seem good and my kids are learning more quickly than at our previous pool. In summary, this pool isn’t perfect, but the positives outweigh the negatives, and it is a great resource for us to have in the neighborhood.

   almost 6 months ago
2. Maria S. ★☆☆☆☆

   This place has gone downhill since the past 3 years. Price has increased massively but no improvements whatsoever. The pool is always full of kids and their lessons. We all pay to have access to the gym and I keep seeing this instructor that uses 3 lanes (2 kids per lane). MENTAL. I’ve complained to the management several times. Everyone has the right to use the pool and at times I’ve been in a lane with even up to 8 other people as there is usually only 1/2 lanes for swimmers… The pool area is always dirty and there are hairs everywhere. Let alone all the hairbands and plasters in the swimming pool. Still not sure why in the UK swim caps and flip flops aren’t mandatory. Gym area, OK, but certainly expensive considering the size. Just cancelled my membership as sadly is not worth it anymore, specially since the full access price is the same as some Virgin active ones…

   almost 3 years ago
3. Arch Stanton ★★★★☆

   Great value for money for pay as you go. Clean and well equipped. I go when it off peak and it's not too busy. I wish members would refrain from chatting and texting on their phones whilst sitting at the equipment. Maybe a notice can be out up to remind people.

   almost 3 years ago

1. Annabel Smyth ★★★★★

   This was the first time I'd been there since it was rebuilt ten years or so ago; we used to go years ago when our daughter was learning to swim. I was very impressed; a friendly welcome from Reception, a clean changing area with proper lockers (you need a £1 coin or a trolley token to use them), step-free access to both pools and to the changing area. The slow swimming lane is the one nearest the steps, and during these sessions, the "deep end" is only 1.5 metres, which I find easy to stand up in. The only downside was that it wasn't easy to find the loos if you didn't know where they were! I will definitely go back, probably next week. ETA 18 November 2022: Delighted to find they have put small shelves in the showers, so one no longer has to grovel on the floor for one's shampoo or shower gel. Thank you, whosever idea that was!

   almost 3 years ago

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