Cooling Off in College Park

A father stepped deliberately through water mid-thigh high, trailing close behind his three young children as they bounced up and down, giggling, splashing, ducking under and springing up from the water – again and again.

Fewer than two feet away, a little boy – his nose clamped between his thumb and index finger – took a deep breath and then jumped in, making a big splash. He popped up smiling, went back down, and then, rose again – just like the sun one overcast Sunday afternoon at Ellen Linson Swimming Pool.

Linson, on Paint Branch Parkway, is one of three top spots to cool off in College Park. It's also the only public pool in the city – run by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission.

With three outdoor pools, there's a designated spot for everyone. A pool for young children and another for babies is set back from the 50-meter pool that's sectioned off to accommodate its primary-blue-colored, spiral water slide; a deep end roped off for diving, lap lanes and an area where swimmers are tested to ensure they can handle the plunge into the deep end when they exit the slide. Those who pass the deep-water test wear green bands. Non-swimmers wear red bands.

The pool's vending room has six machines filled with a variety of packaged snacks and drinks; snow cones are sold on weekends. The last day for daily swim at Linson is Aug. 20. The pool will be open on Labor Day but will switch to a weekend-only schedule until Sept. 28, when the pool closes for the year.

Until then, you can continue to get relief from the heat at the pool. The lowdown on hours:

• Noon to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday
• Lap swim: 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., Monday through Friday
• 15-minute adult swim, every hour, every day
• Admission is $5 for adult and $4 for children

Fee assistance is available through the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in conjunction with the Prince George's County Department of Parks and Recreation. With certain exclusions, families receive income-based reductions of anywhere between 20 percent and 90 percent off parks and recreation and program fees.

Swim Clubs

Cooling off at pools owned and operated by The College Park Woods and Knights of Columbus Swim Clubs will cost you a bit more, but they are big and have diving boards. Both clubs offer alternative pricing for families who qualify and are always looking for new members.

"We try not to make it exclusive .... [Membership] is pretty wide open actually," said Clyde Wilson, 55, a Knights member.

Wilson's been swimming at the Knights pool since age 5 and now volunteers at the Knights of Columbus pool on Cherry Hill Road. His father and grandfather were also Knights.

Wilson said that, in special cases, the Knights waive fees or offer discounted memberships to financially strapped residents affiliated with community organizations and programs. Knights of Columbus annual swim club memberships are as follows:

• Family ($305)
• Associate ($345)
• Single Knight ($70)
• Couples with no children ($110)
• Senior ($65)

Pool hours: Noon to 8 p.m., every day

The Knights pool is surrounded by trees and sits next to a baseball field. There's a small concession stand at the back of the pool house that's open only on Sundays. The Olympic-size pool has plenty of space for swimming laps, wading or just splashing around.

Like Wilson, College Park Woods Swim Club's John Metrenas grew up at the Woods' Olympic-size pool, was on the swim team and has been a senior lifeguard for the past six years.

"I was a pool rat," Metrenas said. "I was here all the time."

Metrenas – now a 22-year-old student at Prince George's Community College – still calls the Woods home.

"This pool is like a private paradise," Metrenas said. "No one really knows about it."

The College Park Woods pool is also tree-enclosed, has a 12-foot deep end and six lanes – good for 25-meter laps. There's also a sizeable wading pool for children and a roomy clubhouse. Most every Thursday after 8 p.m. is raft night at the pool. Swimmers bring their own rafts to float around while they watch a movie.

There are three membership categories with reduced dues for rest of the summer:

• Individual – single adult over 18 ($120)
• Couples – two adults or single parent with one child ($168)
• Family membership ($270)

Pool hours: 1 p.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday and Sunday; 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Members can purchase one-time ($7) or five-time ($25) guest passes.

Emergency Cooling Centers
When the heat index surges to Code Red, Prince George's County and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission sets up a temporary cooling center in Davis Hall, the public works building in College Park. City cooling center locations are subject to change. Follow College Park Patch on Twitter for location updates.