[Baltimore Sun] Bags, books and bathing suits: 5 things to know about Baltimore’s pool rules (2024)

When Baltimore’s six park pools opened during Memorial Day weekend, swimmers gained an outlet to beat the heat. They’ll have even more options come June 14, when neighborhood pools open.

But getting into the water is serious business in the eyes of those who oversee them.

“We’re always looking to revisit our rules, but we have to be consistent across the city at all of our locations for the health and safety of our staff and patrons,” said Nikki Cobbs, Baltimore City Recreation and Parks’ chief of aquatics.

Safety is the “number one rule,” said BCRP Chief of Staff Jacia Smith.

A complete list of rules — including about supervision for kids, pool deck behavior and more — is posted on the BCRP website, along with instructions to create a required online account before arrival. Here are five things you should know if you’re preparing to take a dip.

The pool rules aren’t new, but this year’s priority is consistent enforcement.

The same rules apply to all of Baltimore’s public pools — indoor, park and neighborhood — and none of them are new this year, Cobbs said.

“These rules have been in place for years,” she said. Some include showering before entering the pool and bans on flotation devices, glass and diapers.

But that doesn’t mean every rule has been enforced uniformly at all pools in years past.

“We might have a pool where last year they had a manager who was kinda lax on the rules,” Cobbs said. “My top priority this year is consistency across the board.”

You can’t wear cotton on the pool deck.

You can show up to the pool in jean shorts and a cotton T-shirt, but you won’t be able to hit the pool deck while wearing them (more on where to store your clothes and other belongings later).

“Absorbent materials including cotton can break down in the water, causing fibers to clog the filters,” she said. “We have invested a lot of money in our new systems and we really want to maintain these good systems that we invested in.”

Cobbs said cover-up clothing can be worn over bathing suits if it’s made of the right material: Lycra, nylon or polyester.

Rash guards and hats are allowed, she said.

Parents don’t need to wear a bathing suit.

Parents who just want to watch their kids swim don’t need to wear a bathing suit, Cobbs said, so long as they’re wearing only Lycra, nylon or polyester.

“Historically, the people who said that they weren’t going to swim wound up in the pool” wearing clothing that’s not allowed, she said.

As for shoes, Cobbs said flip-flops and Crocs are allowed, but people will need to take off other shoes, like sneakers and boots.

Bags (mostly) aren’t allowed poolside.

You can bring towels, books and sunscreen out to the pool with you, just not in a tote. The rule banning bags “protects against the use of drugs, alcohol or weapons,” Cobbs said.

She noted that parents with baby bags can leave them in areas where strollers are set aside, and that they can access them as needed.

Accommodations can be made, she said, but the topic has recently drawn heat.

In an Instagram video describing difficulties at Druid Hill Park pool, Walking Discovery founder Stephen Offutt said his group of people with disabilities was allowed to combine their medication into a single bag, but still had staff “accosting” them about the bag during the day.

“What our lifeguard and the team at the pool did was make the best accommodations that they could based on those circ*mstances,” Smith said, noting a preference for accommodation requests made in advance and adding that there had been a conversation with Offutt since the incident.

“Our team is trained to be agile and flexible,” she said. The pools are “free and open and available to everyone.”

Lockers are available at many pools, but bring quarters.

All of the park and indoor pools have lockers, but there are none at the neighborhood pools, Cobbs said.

At different pools, there are different locker systems: a few, including the Druid Hill Park pool, require swimmers to bring their own locks, but at most locations you’ll have to pay with quarters ($1.50 for a large locker and $1 for a small locker).

“As we update our pools, we are moving toward the Druid Hill pool-style lockers,” Cobbs said.

Read More