Is Sporting Club Beach good for young children?

Yes. One of the three saltwater pools is a shallow children's pool, separate from the deeper water and lap swimming, with lifeguards on watch. Children are welcome on every visit.

Do they teach children to swim?

Yes. Swimming lessons with coach Wassim Naser start with water confidence and safety for children, one-to-one or in small groups, in a supervised area of the club.

Can children go on kayaks or paddleboards?

Children can use a double kayak or a paddleboard together with an adult. Single kayaks are for adults and confident teens. Lifeguards keep watch on the launch area.

Bringing Kids to the Beach in Beirut

A beach day with young children is a logistics problem before it is a pleasure. The question is rarely "is it nice" — it is "is it safe, is it shallow, is there shade, and will anyone mind if my four-year-old is loud." Sporting Club Beach has been answering those questions for families for seventy years, partly because the families asking them now were once the children.

Here is the practical version, for parents.

A pool that is actually for them

One of the club's three saltwater pools is the children's pool — shallow, calm, and separate from the lap swimming and the deeper water. It is the part of the club where small children can be small children. One recent visitor on Google described it as "kid-friendly without feeling overrun by kids… a small pool with a lifeguard who was very sweet" — which is about the highest praise a parent gives.

Lifeguards watch the pools and the launch areas. The water is saltwater drawn from the sea, not heavily chlorinated, which tends to be gentler on young eyes and skin.

Learning to swim

If the trip is also about teaching a child to swim, the club runs swimming lessons with coach Wassim Naser, in a supervised area away from the busier deck. Children's lessons begin with water confidence and safety awareness before technique, one-to-one or in small groups depending on the child. The pace is the swimmer's, not the calendar's.

Older or more confident kids can also get on the water: children can use a double kayak or a paddleboard with an adult, with the lifeguards watching the launch.

What it costs

Children's day passes are $25 on weekdays and $35 on weekends and holidays (adults are $35 / $45). No booking is required — you pay at the entrance. For families who come often, the annual memberships work out far cheaper than repeat day passes; the memberships page has the details.

The club is open every day of the year, so a beach day with kids is not only a July plan — the children's pool and the calmer winter sea are there in the off-season too, with far fewer people.

Why families keep coming back

The real reason Sporting works for families is not any single amenity — it is that it is unhurried and familiar. It is not engineered for performance or spending. Children are welcome on every visit, the staff have usually known the regulars for years, and "no bright lights and grand designs" turns out to be exactly what you want when you are trying to keep track of a toddler by the sea.

Frequently asked

Is Sporting Club Beach good for young children?: Yes. One of the three saltwater pools is a shallow children's pool, separate from the deeper water and lap swimming, with lifeguards on watch. Children are welcome on every visit.
How much is a child's day pass?: Children's day passes are $25 on weekdays and $35 on weekends and holidays. Adults are $35 / $45. No booking required — pay at the entrance.
Do they teach children to swim?: Yes. Swimming lessons with coach Wassim Naser start with water confidence and safety for children, one-to-one or in small groups, in a supervised area of the club.
Can children go on kayaks or paddleboards?: Children can use a double kayak or a paddleboard together with an adult. Single kayaks are for adults and confident teens. Lifeguards keep watch on the launch area.