Presidio Community YMCA Letterman Aquatics Center — Local services in San Francisco

YMCA treats paying members like second-class citizens. Swim teams, swim lessons, and water polo take over the pool with guaranteed access, while the majority of paying members, the very people who keep this place running, are completely shut out during key hours. On Fridays the pool is basically unusable, and this isn’t a temporary issue, it’s been happening for a long time and continues to get worse.

And now they have the audacity to announce yet another membership fee increase starting July 2025. They claim it’s to “expand and improve services,” but the truth is the exact opposite: services are being slashed, pool hours are being stolen, and members are getting nothing in return. It’s dishonest, misleading, and frankly exploitative.

Don’t be fooled by the YMCA’s “community-first” branding. The reality is they prioritize a few programs over the majority of their paying members, all while squeezing more money out of everyone. If you value honesty, fairness, and actual access to what you’re paying for,...

I've been a life long swimmer and since moving to SF a few years ago, I've been dying to find a decent pool and masters program.

Halle-freaking-lueja! I recently found the Letterman Pool through the Presidio YMCA. This is one of the nicest indoor pools for the price in the northern 7x7. Unlike other gym-based indoor pools in the area, this one is clean, well staffed and well-maintained. The water was a perfect temperature and it wasn't too crowded after 7pm.

The Masters program is posted on a white board and has had decent workouts that are both challenging and fun.

The spa was also very clean and kept at a nice 104* for a post workout clense.

The pool its self is 8 lanes by 25 yards with a wading pool and spa.

The only drawback is that you have to be a YMCA member to use or pay a...

This YMCA is blatantly cheating its members. Since June 1, 2025, the pool has been closed every single Friday evening, permanently, for water polo — with zero notification and their website still showing the wrong pool hours to mislead people.

On top of that, the pool is shut down 4:30–7:00 PM every weekday for swim classes, which makes it nearly impossible for working members to ever use the pool they pay for.

We’re paying full membership fees for services that are consistently denied. This is false advertising, disrespectful to members, and a total breach of trust. The YMCA clearly prioritizes private programs and profit over the people who actually fund the place.

Shameful and...