Swimming in Gosport

Indoor pools and open water swimming

Swimming options in Gosport include the indoor pool at the Holbrook Recreation Centre and open water swimming at Stokes Bay.

The Holbrook Recreation Centre has the borough's main public swimming pool, offering lane swimming, public sessions, swimming lessons, and aqua aerobics classes. The pool is used by schools during term time and is open to the public at designated sessions. Swimming lessons for children are available through the centre's learn-to-swim programme, and adult lessons are also offered. The pool is not large by modern standards, but it serves the borough adequately for recreational and fitness swimming.

Stokes Bay provides the open water option during warmer months. The bay has a long tradition of sea swimming, and the sheltered waters of the Solent are warmer than the open English Channel. However, tidal currents, boat traffic, and water temperature all require respect. Experienced open water swimmers use the bay regularly from May through to September, with some hardy souls swimming year-round. There is no formal lifeguard service at Stokes Bay, so swimmers enter the water at their own risk.

The Solent's tidal patterns create currents that can catch the unwary, and anyone new to open water swimming at Stokes Bay should seek local advice, ideally from experienced swimmers who know the conditions. Swimming parallel to the shore rather than heading out into the channel is the standard safety advice.

For a more structured open water experience, organised swim events occasionally take place in the Gosport and wider Solent area. These provide safety cover and a supported environment for open water swimming.

The nearest alternative indoor pools are in Fareham and Portsmouth, both accessible by bus or ferry. The pool at Fareham Leisure Centre is a larger, more modern facility than Holbrook.

HMS Sultan has sports facilities including a pool, but access is restricted to military personnel and authorised users.