BROOKLYN, NY. There was excitement in abundance last Thursday afternoon at the Sunset Park Pool in Brooklyn. Children and adults were splashing and swimming and sunning themselves in the vast expanse of one of New York City’s premier pools, albeit one that will be a century old in 2026.

The weather could not have been better, and the joy on the faces of the swimmers and the melodious sounds of summer—laughter and splashing—were in great evidence. What was not were lifeguards; despite a concerted push by the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, there were not enough guards available to open a lane for lap swim.

Incomplete staffing in no way impacted the fun at Sunset Park; a separate area for dedicated swimmers is perhaps too much to ask for when the city simultaneously opens 50 outdoor pools throughout the five boroughs. This is the magical time when any New Yorker can find their way to an outdoor pool, safely staffed with lifeguards, and—as long as you have a towel, a bathing suit and a lock—can swim for free. The city even provides sunscreen at no cost for those who need it.

So what’s the problem, huh?

A pool that came back online on Thursday after a year of renovations is the grand Astoria Pool in Astoria, Queens. It is the largest pool in New York City and one of the country’s grandest outdoor aquatic facilities. Mayor Eric Adams announced the pool’s reopening with great fanfare, touting a $19 million dollar renovation that took a year (give or take) to complete.

Adams touted a dream of our city’s politicians: egalitarianism: “We can share the same water, we can share the same subways, we can share the same schools, the same jobs.” It all sounds great—and having so many free outdoor swim options is fantastic. 

But the picture the Mayor Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue painted to the press assembled in Astoria was not complete. As Liam Quigley of Gothamist reported, half of the Astoria Pool was closed Thursday—the city does not have enough lifeguards to fully staff its public pools and beaches. As at Sunset Park, if you want to engage in lap swim, you’re currently out of luck. Quigley wrote recently that Park’s adult lap swim programming has not been available citywide since 2020 (that would be the summer of Covid). When Quigley contacted Parks representatives, they could not say if the program would return this year.

At the Astoria Pool Commissioner Donoghue was asked about the lifeguard situation, one of the biggest drags on her department the last few years. She stated that Parks currently has hired 600 lifeguards—more than at last year this time—and is shooting to 2023’s final roster of 850. Still, that leaves the city at least 150 - 200 guards short of what’s required to fully staff its pools and beaches.

This also significantly affects Parks’ capacity to teach kids and adults to swim; Commissioner Donoghue directed interested parties to the Parks website, where there’s information on a lottery for free summer learn-to-swim classes. If you do get a spot, there’s only one location in all of Brooklyn—Red Hook Recreation Center—that offers classes. The same is (mostly) true of the other four boroughs; a single facility provides lessons in the Bronx, Manhattan and Staten Island (Queens had two). It doesn’t seem likely that Parks will have impact this summer on the many New Yorkers who cannot swim, making the announced “Summer of Possibility” not so much for learn-to-swim.

Still, water will be available all summer as city pools are open every day from 11am to 7pm and until September 8. It’s a step in the right direction but if the city is really going to address its flagging aquatic culture, Parks has got to get more kids swimming and begin their transition to becoming lifeguards. Now.