Ahh Maui, where the beaches are perfect and yet us swimmers still yearn for that chlorine plunge. As a competitive swimmer, a professional swim instructor, AND a momma of a 2 yr old toddler, here’s my honest review of Maui’s Top 5 Best Public Pools!
P.S. Did you know that all of Maui’s public pools are FREE to the public? Yep, for locals and visitors alike. So if you need a break from the ocean or want to swim laps for fitness, head to one of these fantastic free Maui public pools:
#1: Kihei Aquatic Center
Kihei Aquatic Center get’s #1 for a couple of reasons.
For Lap Swimming: For lap swimmers, this pool is perfect! With upwards of twelve 25 yd lanes for lap swimming, you can bet on always have a lane open to swim in. This pool is gorgeous and VERY well maintained as well as boasting a high and low diving board (open during certain hours). (In June, this pool converts to long-course with eight 50 yd lanes- a perfect time to train for distance swimming!)
For Kids: In addition to a full competition pool, the Kihei public pool has a warmer shallower “warm-up” pool. This pool is used for water aerobic classes and free group swim classes for kids (updated schedule here). During regular hours, half of this pool is reserved for keiki (kids) and offers a large in-water bench that runs along the side of the pool. There is technically a 2 ft shallow Keiki play area with a mushroom as well, but as of 2023, this is rarely turned on. But it’s still one of our favorite pools to bring our toddler to to get in a quick swim!
For Lap Swimming: If lap swimming is your thing, you’ll never do it with a better backdrop! Like Kihei, it can be set up for twelve short course lanes (which is typical) or eight long course lanes. This is a great facility nestled in the West Maui mountains between Lahaina and Kahului!
For Kids: There is a good area for kids area to swim in the warm-up pool, complete with a kids fountain. This kids pool is somewhat smaller than some of our other pools but is still a great pool for keiki (and again, THE VIEW!).
#3 Pukalani Upcountry Pool
For Lap Swimming: Our upcountry folks love this pool, as they should because it hosts the Masters swim club, water aerobics, and group swim lessons. This pool can be split in half into twelve short course lanes or six long-course lanes- great for getting in shape!
For Kids: Pukalani’s kid pool wins in this arena! With a unique shape, a graded ramp, AND a separate shallow wading pool, this is one of my toddler’s favorite pools. He loves walking down the ramp as it gets deeper and then… walking back up (he’s two ya’ll).
#4 Coach Sakamoto Pool
For Lap Swimming: This pool is centrally located in Kahului and it a great long-course facility. Named after the famous coach Sakamoto who’s coaching inspired the book “Three Year Swim Club”, this pool has 8 lanes that remind me of my competitive days with one end starting at 4 ft and the other side grading into a beautiful deep end. This pool also reminds me of my competitive days because it’s kept a bit chillier than others to keep us cold fast!
For Kids: Coach Sakamoto pool doesn’t have any separate pool for kids, and they only have specific hours available for kids to swim. During keiki hours posted on their website, they open a large lane for kids to swim but there’s no shallow area so kids who can’t swim will need to be held by an adult (no flotation deviecs are allowed at any Maui public pools).
#5 NEW Wailuku Pool
For Lap Swimming: Absolutely not. This pool is special for it’s keiki capabilities (read on). At a whopping 3-4 ft for the entire depth of this pool and only 15 yds long, there will be no traditional laps swum here. There are water aerobic classes held here!
For Kids: In my opinion, this one of Wailuku’s hidden gems for KIDS for two reasons. One, it’s the warmest public pool on Maui! Like, really warm! Perfect for little ones. ALSO, I love that it has two small stair sections that are perfect for littles to practice jumping and gliding. The hours at the NEW Wailuku pool are a bit tricky since it’s so small, so be sure to look them up online before heading over!
There are a total of 7 public pools on Maui, but the above are my personal favorite (both for lap swimming and for bringing the family to cool off in). I hope this helps you make a better decision when you’re headed out for the day! Let me know if you agree with my rankings, and which pool is YOUR personal fav. Happy swimming :)