Okay so last Saturday I woke up thinking, right, gotta get some pool toys for the kids before summer totally slips away. Saw some crazy shark floats online, you know the big ones? Looked awesome. Clicked around a bit, checked prices. Thing is, needed this stuff like yesterday.
The Online Hunt First
Figured I’d start easy, just browse online like everyone does. Searched for “pool toys san francisco”. Saw tons of stuff pop up, especially those massive shark pools and inflatable castles. Got excited! But then reality hit.
- Shipping times? All over the place. Some said next week, others vague like “ships soon”. Useless for my weekend plans.
- Actual availability? Hard to tell. One listing looked perfect – boom, “Temporarily Out of Stock”. Classic.
- Prices were bouncing around too. Same shark float, different sites, big price gaps. Felt messy.
Realized online was a gamble for getting anything fast. Needed to actually go out and touch the toys before buying.
Hitting Up the Local Spots
Grabbed my keys, went downtown. Figured big stores would be a safe bet.
- Target: Went straight to the seasonal section. Found some floaties, basic rings, water guns… fine for little kids. But the big, fun stuff? Like that cool shark lounger? Zilch. Just small inflatables. Left feeling underwhelmed.
- Big 5 Sporting Goods: Hey, thought they might have better stuff! Found more serious pool floats, better quality maybe. Saw some animal-shaped ones, like a crocodile, decent size. Prices felt a bit steeper though. Almost bought a couple of sturdy noodles.
Still missing that wow factor the kids really wanted. Needed to find the specialists.
The Specialty Shops Win Big
Made a detour towards Fisherman’s Wharf area after remembering a place.
- Local Pool & Spa Supply Store: Jackpot! This wasn’t selling pumps or filters, but actual pool toys. Found the good stuff: giant inflatable sharks you can actually ride, pineapple floats, giant rainbow unicorns. The kids would lose their minds! Staff even mentioned they had a rush last weekend but got restocked. Saw a huge flamingo and that shark I wanted online. Grabbed them immediately. Paid, felt pretty stoked.
What Actually Worked
So here’s the real scoop after scrambling around:
- For Fast & Simple: Big box stores like Target are okay for basics – noodles, small rings, tiny floats. Don’t expect much else.
- For Better Quality/Simple Stuff: Sporting goods spots like Big 5 had slightly nicer standard floats and animal shapes. Cost a bit more.
For the Fun Gear & Selection: Local pool and spa shops were the heroes. They actually stock the giant rides and cool floats. Worth the extra trip.
Ended up grabbing the flamingo and shark locally (so worth the drive!), picked up a few backup noodles and water guns at Big 5, and actually ordered a nicer inflatable duck raft online now that the pressure was off.
Kids hit the water yesterday. Seeing them ride that giant shark? Made the whole hunt totally worth it.