“A top-notch training facility. The flexibility afforded by the BBMAC allows us to do some of our best workouts of the year here. The athletes love the pool, as well as its proximity to the beach and to shops and restaurants. And the weather and natural beauty of the island are an added bonus! Hopefully, I can bring my new squad down to train in Coronado!” – Ben Loorz, formerly Head Coach, UNLV Swim Team (now Head Coach, Cal-State East Bay)

The benchmark of what defines one of the best Olympic-class aquatic facilities is not just what athletes and coaches have to say about it, but also why major events and teams chose the location. Numerous major colleges and universities, swimming and water polo organizations have selected the BBMAC. Australian National Swim Team; USA Masters Water Polo Tournament; Long Course Junior Olympics ; California State Water Polo Games; and California’s Interscholastic Federation (CIF’s) high school swimming championships to name a few. And it’s no secret why.

Located in the beautiful seaside community of Coronado, California, a short ride across the bay from downtown San Diego, the BBMAC is a fast and flexible Olympic-class pool, as evidenced by several record-shattering times in recent CIF swimming championships. A versatile movable bulkhead can split the 50-meter pool, providing two separate workout areas, or either eight long course swimming lanes or 19 short course lanes. The pool can also accommodate just about any course length or multiple courses for water polo, with seven covered bleachers providing fans with a great view of the action while shaded from the sun.

For swimmers, the consistent seven-foot depth of the main 50-meter pool enables them to speed through the water thanks to a unique gutter system that prevents waves from bouncing back toward the surface. The gutter system lets water flow out easily, with lane lines also helping stop waves from pushing into the middle of the pool.

Whether for training or for competition, the unique design of BBMAC’s 50-meter main pool puts it in a class by itself. But that’s not all there is. Just steps from the pool is a wealth of cross-training and conditioning options.  Within walking distance are numerous restaurants and hotels, plus Coronado Beach, which has been recognized as the third best beaches in the U.S. by the Travel Channel, CNN and “Dr. Beach”.  The beach can be reached in less than one mile from the BBMAC by a residential street. Once on the sand, athletes have access to cross-train on San Diego’s largest beach, measuring hundreds of yards wide and extending down the coast for several miles.

When you combine an Olympic-class facility with the convenience of multiple cross-training options and a pristine setting like Coronado, it’s no wonder the BBMAC has been the choice of numerous coaches and tournament directors to train their athletes or host their competitions in a one-stop shop island paradise.

THE BBMAC – BY THE NUMBERS:

• Main pool size and depth: 50 meters, 7-foot depth, with a movable bulkhead
• Main pool electronics: Colorado Timing System; three pace clocks; and one large scoreboard
• For swimmers: 8 long course lanes or 19 short course lanes
• For water polo competitions: 30-meter competition area, or split the pool to create a double course of 25 meters each for a large tournament
• Distance to therapy/warm water pool; weight room; classroom; track and 100-yard football field: Mere steps
• Distance to Coronado Beach for more cross-training: less than one mile
• Distance to Coronado’s Orange Avenue restaurants, hotels and attractions: less than a quarter of a mile
• Distance to Coronado bay front terminal and attractions for 15-minute ferry ride to downtown San Diego and bay front attractions: less than one mile
• Distance to San Diego International Airport: less than eight miles
• Average Coronado daytime temperatures: 64-68 in winter and spring; 69-75 in summer and fall (source: weather.com)