Summer swim season has arrived at Los Angeles County pools, with people of all ages encouraged to beat the heat, get a fantastic workout and have fun at more than two dozen pools in parks and facilities operated by the Department of Parks and Recreation.

Locally, the pools at Val Verde Community Regional Park and the Castaic Regional Sports Complex opened for summer last Saturday.

The pools are offering free-of-charge recreational swimming at most locations from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily throughout the summer.

     Castaic Regional Sports Complex

     31350 N. Castaic Rd., Castaic, CA 91384

     (661) 294-6467

     Val Verde Community Regional Park

     30300 W. Arlington Rd., Val Verde, CA 91384

     (661) 257-7639

All ages are welcome, but guests 6 years of age and younger must be accompanied by an adult.

Patrons are urged to call individual pools (see attached list) for details.

Across the county, various pool locations offer exciting programs like Swim Team, Water Polo, Dive Team and Synchronized Swimming for youth ages 7-17, and aqua aerobics for those 18 and older. Most programs are free, and swim lessons are still available at the low cost of $20 for a two-week, 10-lesson course.

“Water safety and healthy recreation are critically important to our health and quality-of-life, and that’s why the pools and staff at Los Angeles County parks and facilities are of immeasurable value in our communities,” said Department of Parks and Recreation Director Russ Guiney. “Summer swim season provides an opportunity for people to enjoy these invaluable resources, and gives our lifeguards thousands of potential opportunities help the public better understand vital principles of water safety.”

Sign-ups for swim lessons are generally held every other Saturday; at some locations, slots are assigned by lottery. Members of the public should call individual pools for additional details about lesson sign-ups, but are urged to arrive early on sign-up days due to high demand. For those eligible, a limited number of swim lesson scholarships are available. Printable scholarship applications — as well as pool contact information and more on lesson enrollment — can be found online at pools.lacounty.gov.

Proper swimwear is required in all County pools. Cutoffs, basketball shorts, sweats, tank tops, colored T-shirts and shirts with logos are not permitted. Babies and toddlers ages 3 and under are required to wear swim diapers while using the pools.