Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre — Local services in Sydney

I've had a normal time here up until today. I paid entry for me, baby and little kid. All main pool lanes are roped off for private swimming lessons. The only place to swim with kids is under the main pool with buckets and the small baby duck pool. Of course my kid is too old for the baby pool and doesn't want to go. The main pool buckets is not safe in very heavy crowds with 2 little kids alone and very deep for a little kid and baby so I go to the pool out back which has more room to swim minding my own business not bothering anyone. A much safer shallower pool to little kids. As the main pool has a huge summer crowd and I'm also holding a baby. I'd go to a part of the main pool with less people but literally it's jam packed and more than half of the main pool is roped off for private swim lessons.

The rude female swim instructors kick us out of the kiddy pool as they're not in swim lessons. I explain there is a high drowning risk in the other pool as it's just me watching them so this pool is much shallower and safer as I've been in the back pool before with no dramas. The tone they take with me like I'm some crud on their shoe was not necessary. What... You'd rather my kids drown then share the 90% empty pool. Where do you get the nerve to act like you're better than everyone else?

So let me get this straight, just to use a public pool I paid to go to, I have to pay for lessons as well to teach my own kids to swim as well because suddenly it's a private pool. In a public complex. When all the public pool conditions that day are dangerous for their swim level.

I said okay I'll book lessons then now just to swim with my OWN kids in the pool as the lessons on are already for my kids age range.

Suddenly me going in the back pool with the kids is okay if I give them EXTRA money. What difference does it make, you know I would've happily paid for lessons if they were nice about it and said "you can pay when you get out" and didn't call their boss to kick me out of the kiddy pool mid swim so aggressively. But you know what I just end up leaving. I was half tempted just to pay for lessons and to go back in the pool just to show them all they're no better than me, but that business does not deserve my money. Here's a thought, rope off ALL of your private swim areas so the public knows how little pool they're paying for.

He says to me "oh there's a sign". Theres a million at this pool, I sure didn't see it.

Why are they acting like swimming in a pool is so wrong? The exact same thing they're doing. That's the only reason this pool was even built, for people to swim in. You really going to kick out kids for learning to swim? Shame on you.

I paid to go to the pool, I came to teach the kids to swim and have a good time not deal with toxic people. Don't book soooo many swim lessons there is no room for the public, or if you are going to then CLOSE THE POOL for that day so the public knows it's unavailable and doesn't have to waste their time with your disorganized drama.

Let the kids learn to swim for Pete's sake. To the stuck up swim instructors who work here, it's a public pool not the Taj Mahal, you are not the only one in the world who has kids to teach to swim 🙄 if you want to be alone in the pool with kids so bad go teach private lessons in private pools. I can not imagine being so petty as to kick little kids learning to swim out of a kiddy pool. There was plenty of room for everyone in that pool but you chose to be selfish. This is the place customer service goes to die. You'd have to be a sociopath to prefer a kid to drown than to swim in the same...

Hey everyone I do not recommend this swimming centre because I’ve been going here from Merrylands for 5 year now and recently there a lot of kids swimming classes and there’s no space for other kids including my me and my sibling, I read the availability times for public on a roster and there only 2:30 hours of public time in the heated pool and out of the 12-14 hour the pool is open the public gets 2:30 hours that’s unfair, because yes I understand the children are learning but today there was only 3 small kids with one teacher and the whole pool was being used they could half the pool and let the public used it instead of sending the public to the cool pool which 80% of the pool was closed for training and the other Olympic pool was all closed at 4 til night because of training and the rest of the day elder swam there and was in the way. Me a 14 year old was sitting on the ramp and no was bothering me and I wasn’t bothering anyone I was just siting in the ramp relaxing and a life guard come and says to me that you need to get out because there training in this pool and the ramp and pool had a wall in between it so I wasn’t bothering them and they weren’t using the space and the life guard said you might drown (????) I’m 14 and I was in a shallow water of depth of 30cm how can I possibly drown and he said it happens. I am not happy with this service I and looking for a refund or I wasted my money for 4 adults and 4 kids and we didn’t enjoy it . I do recommend this pool until the long training hours are fixed and public get...

This morning, I visited Ryde Pool with boy I care for as a disability support worker. He headed straight to the swimming lesson pool, and despite my efforts to redirect him, he got into the pool. There were four other individuals, including two swimming instructors, who could clearly see that the boy had a disability. He wasn't disturbing anyone and was simply bobbing in and out of the water in the corner.

However, a lifeguard named Wayne approached us and asked us to get out of the pool. Understanding that it was his job, I replied, "Yes, I am trying my best, sir." Wayne then said, "You need to get him out now." I explained that I am not allowed to handle him physically. Wayne informed me that he works with special needs individuals and didn't understand why I couldn’t grab him.

Wayne then called over another lifeguard to tell me to get the boy out of the pool. This lifeguard offered no assistance and just stood there. Fortunately, a female swimming instructor offered to help, which was kind and appreciated.

I am writing this for three reasons: If you have a child with special needs (or a child at all) , I would advise against using Wayne as an instructor as he seemed confused about the fact that you are not allowed to handle children Ryde Pool needs to improve its training for staff on handling children with special needs To the swimming instructor who genuinely helped, thank you. Your patience and responsiveness are qualities your colleagues...