UBC Aquatic Centre - University of British Columbia

Vancouver, BC, CANADA

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Updated April 14, 2020.

Facility Overview

Facility Name
UBC Aquatic Centre - University of British Columbia
Address
6080 Student Union Boulevard
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
CANADA
Telephone
(604) 822-4501

Adult Admission Price & Policy

Drop-in/Casual
CAD 6.75; Senior Citizens (65) CAD 4.50. [August, 2022]
Note: Admission policies and prices shown in Swimmers Guide listings are believed to be correct as of the date(s) shown in brackets. If not correct now, please click on the "Edit" button so this listing can be fixed and the information brought current. This site works best when its users take an active role in the maintenance of the data.

Full-Size, Year-Round Pools & Boards

Pool 1
50m x 25m, 10 lanes, 2.4m - 2.5m depth, indoors, 78º - 80ºF (26º - 27ºC).
Pool 2
25m x 25m, 10 lanes, 1.07m - 4.5m depth, indoors, 81º - 82ºF (27º - 28ºC).
Diving
One 1m diving board and one 3m diving board.

Location

Location
On the University campus, next to the War Memorial Gym and Student Union Building.
County/Region
Greater Vancouver Area
GPS
49.267758, -123.248758

Teams That Use This Facility

Masters Swim
Click on the Team Name to view its website.
Triathlon
Click on the Team Name to view its website.
Youth Swim
Click on the Team Name to view its website.

Facility Notes

The pool is usually set up with three, double-width, fast/slow/medium speed lanes. A schedule showing when the pool is operated in long course and short course layout is shown on its website.
There is also a 55y x 25y, 6 lane, outdoor pool, with 1m, 5m, and 10m diving facilities open from April to mid-October.
A site visitor tells us that the UBC rents nice, reasonably priced accommodations to the public in summer, less than a 5-minute walk to the pools. "Beautiful and not far from downtown." See UBC Accommodations.

Facility Reviews

A wonderful facility near downtown Vancouver, accessible by transit ... Pool has regular slots throughout the day for public access.
The diving is lovely, although the staff are pretty inflexible about opening up the boards even when the pool is really very quiet. The outdoor boards are a joy: diving with a panoramic backdrop of the Coastal Mountains gives a tremendous thrill.
This is the best pool in the city, with high ceilings, clean lockers, and good lighting.
The pool is pristine, all pool toys available. It's a glorious facility. And it’s worth the price just to watch the team swimmers drill in the morning.

Bring your own towel. There are no toiletries so also bring your own shampoo, etc. The lockers are coin-operated. And there is no water extractor for your swimsuit so bring a bag for your wet suit. There’s a gender-neutral locker room which I used.

I stayed at Gage Apartments during the summer for a conference and bought a punch-card to use the pool when I checked in. It was so worth it.
[May, 2019]
This is an excellent facility. A swim cap is not required; backstroke flags are present; and male and female changing rooms are available beyond the “all gender” changing area, which could be useful for those seeking a whole-body shower.

Even for a drop-in swim, a login is required. Save trouble and keep the line moving at the front desk by doing this before you arrive. The website is confusing, full of loops, a challenge to extract pertinent information.

For those who do not arrive on foot or by ridesharing or public transport, parking in 2022 is $8 for two hours.
[August, 2022]
Depending on your duration of stay in Vancouver, consider purchasing a 10-pack of swims. This will give you access to many more "swim time slots," ones that can be reserved. They are not worth it for a one-time swim, but if you are going to swim more than twice, you might find the arithmetic (and expanded scope) appealing.
[September, 2022]