Best water parks in Skegness

Let's be honest, you won’t always have stunning weather at Skegness, so when the heavens do open, you’ll be glad to know you can swim while staying warm and out of the rain. There’s an airy, full-sized swimming pool on site at our holiday park, along with a spa bath, sauna, and sunbeds available to help you relax.

23 miles from Skegness is the pretty Lincolnshire market town of Louth, a short drive up the A16. It’s a pretty place with an expansive leisure centre with two indoor pools. The first is a 25m, 8-lane pool aimed at adults. There’s also a kids’ pool which includes a curly flume ride and a pirate galleon for budding sailors to explore.  

Glide across the water in a bubble with Aqua zorbing or you can take beginners and improvers swimming lessons. If swimming doesn’t exhaust the little ones, the centre has a range of indoor and outdoor play facilities including swings, slides, and safe climbing apparatus.

If you’d rather get some sun while you’re chilling in the pool, the main city Lido has a heated 25m outdoor pool and an indoor one for those rainy days.

There’s gym equipment onsite with fitness and swimming classes year-round too, so it’s a great place for the little ones to learn or gain confidence in the water. It gets busy during the school holidays in the height of summer, so book an early slot if you can.

Water babies will love Skegness, with this picturesque paddling pool overlooking the beach. More than just a pool, this facility is a wiggly maze of watery trails and fancy fountains to splash through. Little ones will love exploring the recently renovated watery world – but do prepare to get wet, even as a spectator!

Another great indoor pool facility can be found south of the Wash at Hunstanton with some incredible sunset views over the East coast. The Alive Oasis also features a flume ride to launch the kids into the water, and it’s open from 7:30am until 9:30pm on weekdays, with shorter hours at the weekends. 

For serious swimmers there are lane sessions early in the morning and later in the evening. General swimming sessions are sprinkled throughout the Oasis schedule too, so do call to check times. There are water aerobics and swimming lessons too.

Day visitors are welcome at Skegness Water Sports, which is attached to a local camping site. Learn how to paddleboard or kayak or rent a pedalo or chili boat (a floating bicycle!) You can also hire an electric motorboat styled like a miniature ship. Rental prices are very reasonable, and all activities are safely supervised.

If you’d like to visit a classic British lido, the Jubilee Park outdoor pool at Woodhall Spa is the perfect spot. It's about 45 minutes from Skegness by car and the pool is open from 6:30am from Monday to Saturday. There are adults only sessions, general swimming, aquacise classes and swimming lessons. 

This community-run outdoor pool is 25m x 10m and well-maintained by volunteers. There’s a small slide and a sandpit for little ones to play in when they’re not swimming. 

Swimming is supervised with trained lifeguards and there’s a small refreshment kiosk. For more substantial refreshments you’ll need to go elsewhere or bring a picnic. Given that it’s unheated, a wetsuit might come in handy in colder weather.

Another great little community pool can be found at Metheringham. It’s heated and open from May to September. There are open swimming periods, plus adults only and lane swimming sessions. Uniquely, it’s available for private hire too, for parties, or for swimming lessons. 

Metheringham airfield is nearby, with a small museum dedicated to 106 Squadron RAF Bomber Command. The visitor centre contains vintage aircraft, and you can even take a look inside the cockpit of one.