Aquatics Facilities

There are swimming pools open for recreational swimming in the Cook/Douglass and Sonny Werblin Recreation Centers. Both facilities offer wheelchair friendly access to all public areas within the center including the pools and locker rooms.

The Cook Pool is equipped with (8) 25-yard lap swimming lanes that are 8 feet wide. The pool depth ranges from 4 feet to 10 feet deep, and the water temperature is maintained at 84° F.

The Sonny Werblin Recreation Center houses an Olympic Pool that is 50 meters long by 25 meters wide with a 17-foot diving well and an L-shaped “Patio Pool”. One side of the Patio Pool has a moveable floor that can be set at any depth from 0 to 6 feet. The other side of this L-shaped pool has a fixed bottom that ranges in depth from 4 to 4 ½ feet. The Patio Pool is heated to 85°.

The Cook Pool and Patio Pools are deck level pools like the one pictured in (fig. 1), and they are equipped with an ADA compliant stairway like the one pictured in (fig. 2).

Fig. 1 Fig. 2

The Patio Pool is also equipped with an ADA compliant lift like the one pictured in (fig. 3).

Fig. 3

Swim Program

Swim Program

We offer adaptive swimming instruction for adults with special needs by arrangement to ensure the best possible accommodations are made. Our certified Red Cross Water Safety Instructors complete additional training and certification through the MARINO SWIM Central Adaptive Aquatics program. With this training they can provide the best learning experience for each swimmer. Participants in this program may be required to have an aide in the water to assist with activities. Contact John Tuohy (john.tuohy@rutgers.edu) for more information and to start swimming today.

MARINO SWIM Central Adaptive Aquatics:

Aquatic activities offer unique experiences for the individual with developmental disabilities. Opportunity exists for motor skill acquisition, strengthening, and social/communication skills as well as fun and relaxation. The MARINO SWIM Central Adaptive Aquatics program includes important topics for special needs dynamics involved in swimming and water safety. The content prepares instructors to be more effective when teaching students with developmental disabilities.

Scuba Program

The Handicapped Scuba Association Introduction to Scuba Course

This course consists of some academics in a classroom setting and a pool session for basic skill development and underwater fun. Our HSA Instructors and Dive Buddies receive training to assist persons with disabilities to explore and enjoy underwater scuba experiences. This activity is a sampling of scuba diving and does not qualify the participant for certification.

The HSA Dive Buddy Course

This course is a special certification for divers who want to learn more about disabilities, gain experience in assisting divers with disabilities and discover how to share scuba adventures with friends and family members with disabilities. This course covers how to safely and effectively assist, travel and scuba dive with divers with disabilities.