What Pittsburgh lacks is an ocean. An ocean with a beach, waves, salt spray, and clamoring gulls. We have rivers, but the water in our rivers have been through so much by the time it reaches Pittsburgh that we wouldn't want to submerge our bodies in it. Boat on it, fish on it, waterski on it (and try not to fall in!) but don't swim. North of Pittsburgh there are lakes -- Lakes Arthur, Wilhelm, Sandy, Pymatuming, the pond at Racoon State Park -- all within an hour or two of the city, all large enough to sail a small boat on, and clean enough for beaches and swimming. And in the city, we have our own resources. Sandcastle - Pittsburgh's premier water park. Pricey -- but look what you get for your $16.95! 5 water slides of varying heights and thrill. A huge swimming pool. A toddler's area, with wading pool and sprinklers. The lazy river. The biggest hot tub in Pittsburgh! And seniors can have all this for only $12.95. Bountiful lawn surrounds the pools. Bring your own deck chair or beach towels to rest on between dips. There is a boardwalk with fast food, beach wear and souvenirs for sale. Sandcastle is located in Homestead, just past the old Mesta plant. There is a new entrance drive directly off the Homestead High Level Bridge. The Wave Pools are run by the county; there is one in South Park and another in Boyce Park. Admission is more reasonable than Sandcastle, $4 - $3 for seniors and kids. Tubes cost an additional $3 but add immeasurably to the experience No sand, no lawn, you set up your towel or chair on astroturf. A snackbar is nearby. They cycle 20 minutes waves, 20 minutes calm at the wave pools. The kids flock to the water during the wave cycle, more serious swimmers take the calm period. There are a lot of kids here; many summer camp programs bus their kiddies for a couple of hours to the pool. Next in size and popularity come the community pools. No waves, but some have slides and diving boards. Some have lawns, some astroturf surrounds. Most have a snack bar of some sort. Entry fees are usually for the season, and by family. A typical fee would be $35. Seniors have it lucky; they can get a seasons pass for just $5! Motels will often sell pool passes for $3 a day. While the pools are smaller, they generally are not crowded. Unless a bus has just pulled in, crammed with a team of young boys on their way to a playoff. It's a risk you have to take! If you're lucky and belong to a spa, you can swim all year round! Balley's, in Penn Hills, has an outdoor pool, the rest of us must suffer indoors. This is probably the priciest solution, but you also have access to all those machines! And let's not forget that pool down the street! Are you friendly with those neighbors? Are they friendly with you? Can you abide the neighborhood kids? You have to admit, the commute isn't bad.