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Receipt and Filing of the Report Regarding the Culver City Plunge’s Lap Swimming Structure.
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Meeting Date: March 3, 2026
Contact Person/Dept: Dani Cullens/PRCS
Phone Number: (310) 253-6471
Fiscal Impact: Yes [] No [X] General Fund: Yes [] No []
Public Hearing: [] Action Item: [X] Attachments: []
Public Notification: (E-mail) Meetings and Agendas - Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission (02/27/2026); (E-mail) Parks, Recreation & Community Service Department Updates (02/27//2026)
Department Approval: Adam Ferguson, PRCS Deputy Director (02/26/2026)
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RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) Commission receive and file an update regarding the Culver City Plunge’s lap swimming structure.
BACKGROUND
Operated by PRCS Staff, the Plunge is 50-meter x 25-yard Olympic size competition pool. It also includes a 25-yard x 52-foot diving well with one-meter and three-meter springboards. The Plunge opened on August 31, 1949. At a PRCS Commission Special Meeting on November 21, 2025, specific concerns that were mentioned by the PRCS Commissioners included the types of programming being offered at the Plunge, issues with accessibility through the required registration system, revenue concerns, and lack of availability for the public.
At the PRCS Commission Special Meeting on April 17, 2025, the “Plunge Procedures Ad Hoc Subcommittee” was formed to specifically address different drop-in programming options at the Plunge and find solutions for staffing shortages. At the PRCS Commission Regular Meeting on September 2, 2025 it was recommended to temporarily offer drop-in lanes from September 8 to December 13, 2025. During this period, staff offered a survey to the public to receive feedback on lap swimming. The survey results are Attachment 1.
DISCUSSION
Drop-In Programming
The Municipal Plunge can be configured for two types of swimming formats. For short course (25 yards), the pool is set up across its width, creating shorter lanes of 25 yards. This configuration allows for a greater number of lanes, which is beneficial for swim lessons, recreational swimming, water fitness classes, and local swim team practices. Short course is the most common setup for community and school swim programs in the United States. The Plunge can have 19 lanes when formatted for short course. However, in short course, the City dedicates one of the lanes to family swim, which is a program that requires a one-to-one ratio of parent/guardian to child and is intended to introduce young children to the water.
For long course (50 meters), the pool is set up lengthwise, creating Olympic-distance lanes of 50 meters. This format is used for higher-level training, competitive swim meets, and events that prepare athletes for regional, national, or international competition. Long course requires more pool space per swimmer and reduces the total number of lanes available. The Plunge can have 9 lanes when formatted for long course.
For lap swimming, the number of lanes and the times offered throughout the hours of operation changes quarterly based on the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) needs for the Plunge, staff availability, maintenance closures, and PRCS programming, such as swim lessons. In addition to lap swimming, PRCS also offers lanes for private rentals, private sports teams, aqua fitness classes for seniors, and recreational swim.
The usual lap swim schedule is shown in the below chart.
Usually, participants must register for lap swimming through the PRCS department’s online registration system, Activenet. Participants can register for the top of the hour in 60-minute increments. The cost per 60 minutes is $4 for adults and $3 for youth and seniors. People with disabilities get a 25% discount. If a participant does not show up for their registered time, a grace period of 10-minutes is given and then a standby participant who has not registered in advanced is allowed to fill the slot. Lifeguards blow their whistle at 55 minutes to signal that the hour is about to end. Participants have five minutes to finish their laps and exit the pool. Traditionally, 2 participants swim per lane.
From September 8 to December 13, 2025, drop-in lanes were offered allowing participants to swim for as long as they would like without the need to register beforehand. The cost to the participants remained the same as the reserved lane and up to 4 participants were allowed to swim in the drop in-lane. If the drop in lane was at capacity, participants were required to wait until one of the participants left before being able to drop-in.
The lane allocation for drop-in lap swimming offered from September 8, 2025 - December 13, 2025 is shown in the chart below.
Overall feedback from the 78 survey respondents indicated a clear preference for registering for lap swim rather than using a drop-in option. When asked to choose only one lap swim format, 87% selected registration as their preferred method. 74% of respondents indicated that when utilizing the registration option, they had an easy time identifying their assigned lane. The survey results indicated a preference to the structure and consistency that the registration option provides. Due to limited demand or low participation when drop in lanes were offered, staff is recommending discontinuing the drop-in swim lane option.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
There is no fiscal impact to this discussion.
ATTACHMENTS
2026-03-03 ATT1 Plunge Survey Results
Recommended Action
MOTION
That the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission:
1. Receive and file the update regarding the Culver City Plunge’s lap swimming structure.