Tepid Baths:
Swimming Pools
The Tepid Baths in Auckland’s Viaduct were built in 1914 as heated saltwater pools, with separate bathing areas for males and females.
The men-only pool—at the time, the biggest facility of its kind in New Zealand—was a 25m six-lane lap pool; the women-only area, an 18m four-lane leisure pool.
Both of the original pools are still in use, however, these days, male and female swimmers trawl up and down the Tepid Baths’ lanes in happy coexistence.
And today, this facility has become a destination for fitness and injury rehabilitation.
Moving your body against the resistance of the water, which is ten times that of air, involves major muscle groups—and even a few laps of the pool will give you a great workout, while supporting the body and taking weight off the joints.
It’s why the Tepid Baths have become a destination for rehabilitation programmes. It’s also why this facility has secured its own full-time physiotherapists.
This team, specialising in sport injury rehabilitation, muscular skeletal conditions and injury prevention, are backed up by a group of masseurs who lean of a variety of massage techniques such as sports, Swedish soft tissue manipulation, relaxation, remedial, deep tissue and lymphatic drainage.
In 1997, the YMCA won the contract to manage the Tepid Baths and those original, segregated pools—which have been chlorinated fresh water since 1974—were upgraded to include new sauna and steam rooms, a fitness club, cardio studio, and a café.
Swimming coaching remains a focus with the Y-Swimming programme dipping babies as young as six months into the water. Swim lane seasons, with set lane usage timetables, ensure that serious swimmers can train unencumbered by recreational dippers.
So, a lot’s changed since the Tepid Baths’ inception—yet some ninety years on, it still remains one of this city’s key swimming facilities.
The Tepid Baths is located in Downtown Auckland, in the Viaduct Harbour precinct.