Recreation Services

Rules and regulations  

Swimming Pool Rules and Regulations

The following rules and regulations have been established for the benefit of all users of the swimming facilities to assure the safe operation of the pools and to provide enjoyable recreational opportunities for all. Patrons are requested to cooperate in observing these rules and to obey the instructions of the Aquatics staff. Patrons violating swimming rules are subject to the revocation of their swimming privileges. No refunds will be given.

Admission Policies

1. No one will be allowed in the swimming area unless the pool is officially open and a lifeguard is on duty. Entering the pool area when it is not open for public use is prohibited and may be considered a trespass.
2. All persons entering the pool area must pay the appropriate admission fee or present proof of a valid membership or program registration (e.g. program pass, membership I.D.,  or receipt).We have different fee structures for the various groups who use our facility. Please bring your ID with you in order to ensure that you pay the correct admission fee
3. Organized groups must follow our group use policies, and must be directly supervised at poolside by an adult in swim attire. All groups should schedule their visits in advance.
4. Lifeguards and Campus Recreation Services staff have the authority to enforce all pool rules. Patrons who repeatedly violate the rules or reasonable requests of staff may be ejected from the facility.

Pool availability

The Wall Aquatic Center accommodates classes, programs, athletics, recreation, and lap swimming. The pool is not open to the public all day in order to provide services for all of these interests, and still meet the needs of the university. We have designated times for open swimming.

Facility

1. Food and drinks (other than water in an appropriate plastic container) are not permitted on the pool deck.
2. Glass containers, alcoholic beverages, drugs and pets are not permitted. Service animals are permitted in the pool area but not in the pool itself.
3. Employees are the only persons allowed in staff rooms, filter room, chemical storage areas and offices.
4. Smoking is not permitted indoors or within 20 feet of the building.
5. Portions of the pool may be closed and cleared periodically for a safety checks, cleaning, maintenance, or to apply chemicals.

Attire

1. All patrons within the pool area must be attired in swimming apparel. No street clothes are allowed in the pool. Clothing such as cut-offs, gym shorts and underwear is not permitted as swimwear. Swimwear should not have been worn for exercising immediately prior to pool use as soiled clothing can create an unhealthy swimming environment. All clothing must be colorfast and lightweight material suitable for swimming, such as Lycra, Spandex or nylon.
2. T-shirts (including those for modesty) are not permitted. Rash guards, which are more tight-fitting, designed for in-water use, will be permitted.

Behavior

1. Socializing with or distracting pool staff is prohibited.
2. No person within the pool area shall behave in such a manner as to jeopardize the safety and health of himself/herself and others. Such behavior, including abusive or profane language, shall be grounds for expulsion.
3. Loitering will not be permitted on the Wall Aquatic Center grounds or within any of its facilities.
4. Running, boisterous or rough play, pushing, acrobatics, dunking, wrestling, splashing, yelling, diving or jumping without care and caution, snapping of towels, improper conduct causing undue disturbances on or about the pool area or any acts which would endanger any patron are prohibited.
5. Spitting, blowing nose, urinating or defecating in the pool is prohibited.
6. Competitive or repetitive breath holding can be deadly and is not permitted. Hyperventilation is absolutely not permitted.
7. Gum chewing is not permitted anywhere in the pool area for health and safety reasons.

Supervision, Age, & Health/Safety Restrictions

1. Infants/children who are not toilet trained and adults who are incontinent, who wish to enter any pool, must wear a clean, disposable swim diaper covered by separate rubber/vinyl pants, all of which must fit snugly around the legs and waist. If the diaper becomes soiled, this person must exist the pool immediately and may not return until he/she has taken or been given a soap shower and has been covered by a new diaper with clean rubber/vinyl pants.
2. Children under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult supervisor (age 18+).
3. Persons under the influence of alcohol or drugs will not be permitted in the pool area.
4. Any injury occurring in the pool must be reported to a lifeguard or pool supervisor immediately.
5. All patrons must take a cleansing soap shower before entering the water.
6. Any person having a skin disease, sore or inflamed eyes, cold, nasal or ear discharge, communicable disease or who is wearing any kind of bandage or Band-Aid to cover an open (unhealed) wound will not be permitted in the pool.
7. Any adult or child who is experiencing even a mild case of diarrhea may not use the pool. Persons with diarrhea should wait two weeks after symptoms end before returning to the pool. Pathogens of concern may still be shed up to two weeks following the end of symptoms.
8. You are not allowed to borrow goggles from the lost and found or from staff members. Goggles that have not been decontaminated could spread infection.

Adult to child ratio

The skill levels of children in our facility vary widely, so we have a strict child-to-adult ratio in order to provide better control and proper supervision:

• children 4 years and younger
  • one adult to one child
• five to seven years
  • one adult to three children
• eight to twelve years
• one adult to eight children

Note and Float Water Safety Program

Equipment / Toys

1. Balls, life jackets, flotation belts, and toys can be checked out at the front desk with a valid ID. 
2. Swim toys, balls and the like may be used at the discretion of the manager on duty.
3. Inner tubes, inflatable boats and rafts, or inflatable bathing suits are not permitted in the pools.
4. Coast Guard approved and labeled lifejackets designed to provide vertical support may be worn. Water wings (“swimmies”) may not be worn. No back floats, bubbles, rings (including those built into bathing suits) or one-sided floatation devices are permitted. Inflatable floatation devices (floaties) are not allowed in the facility. Floaties give parents and children a false sense of security. Many children drown every year because of these devices. Stay within an arm’s reach of children who are not able to swim. 
5. The use of starting blocks is restricted to approved swim practices, swim meets and instructional programs only under the supervision of a properly trained instructor/coach. 

Rules for Recreational and Lap Swimmers

1. Note & Float policies and procedures must be followed. Persons who cannot pass the swim test will be restricted to shallow areas of the pools. Those under 4 feet tall must wear a lifejacket.
2. No diving in water less than 6 feet deep. The American Red Cross cautions against diving into water less than 9 feet deep.
3. Lanes are for those persons wishing to swim lengths undisturbed. Persons not swimming lengths should remain in other pool areas.
4. For effective use, lap swimmers should swim counterclockwise near the lane lines and pass in the middle when more than 2 swimmers are in a lane. Much like driving, swimmers should stay to the right while swimming in the lane, and pass on the left.
5. Lap lanes are intended for multiple swimmers. Lap swimmers should arrange themselves by speed in the lanes. It is not uncommon to swim four or more people to a lane if similar pacing is used. When swimming long course, this number can easily increase to eight to ten people in a lane. Challenges arise when you insert yourself into a lane that is too fast or too slow for your speed.
6. Stop only at turning walls. Move to the side to allow others to turn and continue. Turns are made in the center of the lane at the wall.
7. Lifeguards may ask to move you to another lane to more closely match your swimming pace. Please comply as this will make everyone’s swim more enjoyable.

Diving Boards

Availability of diving boards is subject to the setup of the pool (long course or short course), use of the diving area, and staff availability.

1. Head, neck and back injuries can result from improper diving, PLEASE use caustion
2. Anytime the diving boards are in use, the diving well must be cleared of all persons other than divers. No general swimming is permitted in the diving area or diving well unless the diving boards are closed by staff.
3. Only one person is allowed on the diving apparatus (including ladder) at a time.
4. Goggles and masks are not allowed to be worn when diving off of the boards
5. Minimum age to use the high dive is 8 years old.
6. Only NAU coaches and WAC employees are allowed to adjust the fulcrum. 
7. Anyone using a diving board must wait until the preceding diver has surfaced and reached the wall before climbing on the ladder. Those waiting to use the dive tower must wait at the line at the base of the tower until instructed to ascend by a lifeguard.
8. Running on the diving boards or platforms is not permitted. Serious injuries may result.
9. Divers may not spring/bounce more than once on the board.
10. Divers must dive straight from the front end of the board or platform facing front.
11. No inwards, reverse dives, back dives or other such dives shall be permitted. Exceptions may be made for competitive divers that are accompanied by a coach.
12. Cart wheels, handstands and other such gymnastic activities off the board, side of the pool or platforms are prohibited.
13. Upon surfacing, immediately swim to the nearest ladder or wall. Do not swim under the boards at any time.

Swimming Lessons

1. Only Northern Arizona University Wall Aquatic Center staff are authorized to teach swimming lessons within our facilities. No activity for private gain is permitted at any time.
2. Parents, in order to assist us in offering a quality program for your child, we ask that you do not remain at water’s edge during the class unless specifically requested by an instructor (e.g. Parent/Child lessons). Experience has shown that children are easily distracted by their parents due to their short attention spans.
3. The program fee covers only the lesson and no other use of the facility. Persons wishing to swim following their lesson must purchase a day pass or provide evidence of a valid individual/family membership as appropriate.

Weather / Environmental Policies

1. During electrical storms (thunderstorms) patrons must vacate the pool.
2. The pools will not reopen until 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder.
3. Power outages or mechanical failures due to weather/environmental conditions will result is pool closure. 
4. The Wall Aquatic Center will be closed during any university-wide closure due to weather. 
5. The Wall Aquatic Center reserves the right to close if environmental conditions prohibit safe transportation of staff to the facility.   

Showers

You will still be charged regular admission even if you are only using the facility to shower.

The main objective of the facility is to provide opportunities for exercise, training, diving, and recreation. Once you have entered the locker room, we cannot determine if you have only showered or decided to use the facility, so you are charged admission regardless. 

For safety reasons, you may only shower when the facility is open, and we have trained staff on duty to supervise the facility. If you enter the facility to take a shower when we are closed, we cannot respond effectively in an emergency.

Locker Rooms

1. Children 4 years of age or older must change in the gender-appropriate locker room.
2. Please leave valuables at home. The University cannot be responsible for personal property or valuables at any time. Lost & Found will be disposed of bi-weekly in accordance with University policies. Valuables may not be checked with the cashier or pool staff.
3. Lockers are available for your use. A limited number of lockers have been reserved for those who do not bring their own padlock to the pool. These are issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
4. With the exception of lockers that are rented out each semester, patrons are not permitted to leave locks on lockers overnight. Locks will be cut off nightly and locker contents will be placed into the Lost and Found and disposed of bi-weekly.
5. Food is not permitted in the locker rooms.
6. The use of cameras, video cameras or any device containing camera equipment of any kind is prohibited in all locker rooms, bathrooms and changing facilities.
7. The University assigns use of the restrooms and locker rooms in its recreational facilities strictly on the basis of anatomical or biological gender rather than on the basis of adopted gender.
8. Use of locker room facilities is limited to patrons for the purpose of changing. Activities such as washing clothes, coloring hair, and other personal grooming activities are not permitted.

Sitting on the deck

You are not allowed to sit on the pool deck at any time to watch or supervise swimmers. The lifeguard’s primary responsibility is to prevent accidents from happening whenever possible, and must be able to respond effectively to an emergency situation. Sitting on the deck can complicate a rescue situation.

Photography

Teams from all over the world take advantage of the Wall Aquatic Center to train in a high-altitude environment. You are allowed to view visiting teams during open building hours, but photographs and videos are prohibited without prior written approval from the athletes, teams, and Wall Aquatic Center.

Parking

The parking lots are controlled by Parking Services and have special designations.