South Curl Curl Rockpool is one of the best lap pools on the Northern Beaches: 50 m, eight lanes, set into the rocks under the headland at the south end of Curl Curl Beach. It's free, with a shallow pool beside it for small kids, so serious swimmers and young families can share the morning.
Key facts
- Type
- Rock pool
- Length
- 50 m
- Good to know
- Kids area, Toilets, Showers, Parking
- Facilities and access
- Toddlers area, toilets, showers, car parking nearby; dogs prohibited
- Managed by
- Northern Beaches Council
- Cost
- Free
- Lifeguards
- Not at the pool
- Dogs
- Not allowed in the pool
- Best time to go
- Early morning, small swell; check the cleaning roster
- Water quality
- PoorSouth Curl Curl Beach, 0.1 km away. Sampled 26 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.
- Cleaning
- Dated roster published through 2026-12-28Council roster entry: Sun 01 Nov 06:00PM to Mon 02 Nov 05:00AM. Times change with weather and tides.
- Town
- South Curl Curl, NSW
What it's like
An old internal wall splits the pool in two. On one side is a full 50 m pool with lane lines, where the early crew swims steady kilometres; on the other, a broad, shallow wading area where toddlers can splash in safety. Swell regularly breaks over the outer wall, which keeps the water fresh and turns the far lanes choppy on a big day. Locals and the surf club pushed for a pool here in the mid-1920s, and it was reshaped to Olympic length in 1966.
When to go
Come early for laps and the best of the light on the headland. Families arrive mid-morning. The pool is out of use for several hours around each cleaning, and the dates are published ahead, so check the roster before you go.
Getting there and facilities
The pool is at the southern end of Curl Curl Beach, with toilets and showers close by. Parking is nearby but fills early on summer weekends.
Good to know
There are no lifeguards at the pool and dogs aren't allowed in it. The rocks around the edge are slippery, especially at low tide.