Fails need to meet the needs of the children of Gisborne. Very poor council service. Waiting list for a lesson is about 600. Once you are able to secure a place the quality of instruction is poor, often with 1/2 of the lesson spent waiting while teachers work with children one at a time. Even though they are proficient enough to all be engaged in a task at the same time. Only one single lane is available for free play. Often there will be 20 people all sharing this small space while 3 lap lanes sit empty or with a single lap swimmer using each lane. When a group exercise class is on they will have no free play area available to the public at all and tell people to use the toddler or small children's pool. A number of staff are rude as has been mentioned in other reviews. Unfortunately there is no other local option.

Convenient 2 hour parking right outside the centre and the pools are clean and a lifeguard is always present and constantly watching. The swimming lessons are in small groups and the kids get a lot of attention. I am surprised how quickly the children progress in their abilities during these lessons. Staff there are efficient. There are dedicated swimming areas for lessons, hydro, toddlers pool and a lane pool with slow and fast lanes. Lots of benches to sit and watch too. Drinks and snacks are also available at reception. Entry isn't expensive and there are change rooms which are clean and have private shower stalls.

There is no consistent structure to the swimming lessons and the staff change every two or three weeks. This creates instability for my child who is therefore unable to get into a routine. Many of the instructors are not equipped to provide children with support beyond the lessons, ultimately reverting to discipline, or making the child feel inadequate to the point where they cry. The term "instructor" is also misleading, as the level of communication that is being provided by some staff is extremely low (extended periods of silence, followed by limited basic direction). To try to rationalise the poor level of instructor competence, the matriarchal supervisor of the pool implied that my son had autism. Their incompetence is being justified by the medicalisation of my child. After having visited the facility for two years, this was the first interaction we had with this supervisor. What an inadqueate approach: changing the child's routine every two weeks, then when they don't engage with the lessons, asking their parents what's wrong with the child. It's sad because my son loves swimming. I'm lost with what to do.

Super friendly staff, nice warm indoor pool, good environment.

Family friendly. Great for swimming lessons. Staff friendly but not over the top. Pool could be warmer but the kids don’t mind.

Staff are so professional and have given my boy the confidence to learn to swim and enjoy his lessons

Lovely staff, welcoming place & clean. Kids had an absolute ball in the different pool depths. The water aerobics looked energetic & fun. Keep your phone in your bag & watch your kids as you will be kept in check.

I would like to congratulate the Gisborne Aquatic Centre for making a great day for myself and my grandson on 12/4/22. I took my 5 year old grandson there over the school holidays to have fun on the water slide as well as a bit of swimming. From the moment we entered the facility the staff on the desk were so friendly showing exemplary customer service skills. We then went to the water slide and the lifesaver on duty suggested that my grandson should be wearing a life jacket before using the water slide, which I thought was an excellent suggestion as he was only young. I noticed that the lifeguards were always looking out for the children and adults alike. I felt that my grandson was in an extremely safe environment. I highly recommend the Gisborne Aquatic Centre.