Jun 12, 2026 - Things to Do

Renting strangers' pools in San Diego got awkward

For about a year after COVID, the city lifeguard crisis meant open pools were basically nonexistent. Desperate to get my young son comfortable in the water, I took to swimming in strangers' backyards.

The big picture: I reserved time in strangers' pools with the app Swimply. Sometimes it was fun — a few times it was pretty weird.

How it works: You can search for heated pools in your neighborhood and browse pictures and prices.

Pick a time and get emailed check-in instructions from the host, like Airbnb.
Usually, you just show up, walk around the back of the house through a gate, and hop in the pool.

The intrigue: Most times, the homeowners weren't there, so we swam in peace.

One time, the family came home while we were swimming, and their kids wanted to show my son their toys.
Another time, an older gentleman just hung around in the backyard while we swam, which was definitely weird.

Swimply didn't respond to a request for comment on my awkwardness.

The bottom line: Since pools have expanded their hours, I've stopped using Swimply. My tolerance for awkwardness is just not that high.

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