Pool Length

RE: Pool Length

__steve__ — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 11:45:35 GMT

Have measuring tape in my car. Usually get a few laughs from the lifeguards (old dude measuring diving area, then swimming all-out 13.8m's with plenty of rest).

RE: Pool Length

srcoyote — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 09:29:16 GMT

Was that with jersey barriers? I've heard of them being used in other pools that are too long. Specifically in some of the older 35 yard pools on some military installations that I mentioned previously. They placed the barriers so they'd be right at 25 meters and then that leaves 25 feet or so for a play area for the kiddies. Dan I don't think so, but similar perhaps. This pool in the spa/gym area where only adults allowed. The other side of the wall did seem to be for just sitting, and it was largely decorative.

RE: Pool Length

orca1946 — Fri, 04 Mar 2016 05:04:59 GMT

At least your life guards are looking at you. Some of our guards are looking at their phones while walking around not in the chair.

RE: Pool Length

srcoyote — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 11:00:23 GMT

Just got back from an overnight business trip to Las Vegas. The spa pool (not the recreational) was marked with two lanes on bottom but no crosses at the walls nor lane lines, and the pool was one stroke short (my stroke count very consistent at 14/25 yds). Nope. Not a 20 yard pool. With no pace clock, I estimated time and work out distances as best I could. Oddly, the distance marked at one end by a tall decorative cement barrier that segmented the pool from a smaller shallow end for reclining. Move that wall a 4 feet or so, and it's a regulation pool. But, hey, the towels were big and fluffy.

RE: Pool Length

orca1946 — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 06:48:00 GMT

That sounds like my H S swim team when we played "no rules "water polo. It's a good thing we could all swim & hold our breath cuz there was lots of "fouls"

RE: Pool Length

knelson — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 04:08:52 GMT

RE: Pool Length

ForceDJ — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 02:38:33 GMT

This, along with the other current threads regarding lap vs. length, and pool length, reminded me of something I've often tried to get them to do at my pool (especially in the winter) -- maybe once a week take out the lane lines and make an actual lap circuit. I think it'd be fun for us longer distance open water swimmers who are restricted to the pool during the winter. Moor some buoys in the four corners about a lane's width from the sides, perhaps connect a lane line between them...and we'd have an actual lap of about 75-80 meters and wouldn't have so many flip turns. Maybe do it just once a week or so, at a special time so the traditional lap swimmers' workouts wouldn't be disrupted. Dan

RE: Pool Length

Sumorunner — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 02:33:06 GMT

RPI is where we always had big meets growing up (silvers/golds). The smaller pool was great for easy swimming between events. Still gets used a lot today for AD age group meets; too bad a masters meet can't be organized there. Why not? There is a coached masters swim at RPI in Troy, Mon-Fri, 6:30-7:30 PM, by Jeff Maxwell. Also at Union College in Schenectady, by Rita Kalmikova. So, why can they not organize a meet there?

RE: Pool Length

Sumorunner — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 02:23:41 GMT

My college pool was like that too: rpiathletics.com/.../GEN_0519103709.aspx (halfway down the page). I've never seen it without the bulkhead. As is Union College. I think removing the bulkhead would be quite a chore. I always thought they did that so they didn't have to have two separate circulation systems for a swim and dive pool.

RE: Pool Length

ForceDJ — Thu, 03 Mar 2016 01:55:01 GMT

Oddly, the distance marked at one end by a tall decorative cement barrier that segmented the pool from a smaller shallow end for reclining. Move that wall a 4 feet or so, and it's a regulation pool. But, hey, the towels were big and fluffy. Was that with jersey barriers? I've heard of them being used in other pools that are too long. Specifically in some of the older 35 yard pools on some military installations that I mentioned previously. They placed the barriers so they'd be right at 25 meters and then that leaves 25 feet or so for a play area for the kiddies. Dan

RE: Pool Length

habu987 — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 10:43:38 GMT

The pool my morning youth swimmers practice at is 27 yards. I believe it was built about 30-40 years ago. Not sure if it was intentionally built to be 27 yards to discourage competition, or if that's just what it ended up being. It's next door to a high school, so while it's the high school's home pool, they don't do any meets at it. I've swum there a few times on my own and it's odd. The flags seem to be somewhere between 5y and 5m from the walls, so my back turns are kinda funky.

RE: Pool Length

Former Member — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 09:15:09 GMT

RE: Pool Length

orca1946 — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 05:17:21 GMT

OR some american that couldn't figure out how to turn yards into meters !!??

RE: Pool Length

m2tall2 — Mon, 22 Feb 2016 03:36:18 GMT

Sorry to resurrect this old thread...I came across it when Google searching something about various pool lengths. But, I thought I'd add to it... As a military retiree, I swim at the pool on the local Navy base. They just built/opened a new 25m pool a couple years ago. But up until that time the pool used for recreation (MWR) swimming was 35 yards long. At one time there were actually two pool like this on the base...and some of the real old timers tell me of another that was razed many years ago. While on active duty in the Navy, I was stationed at a couple of other bases that also have 35 yard pools. So after asking the real old timers more questions about why the military build 35 yard pools I eventually was told that it was so outside entities (high schools, colleges, clubs) would not ask the to use the pools since they weren't of a length that could be used for records. Dan Our club practiced at a base pool in the summer. I can't remember exactly how it was set up because they stopped letting us use the pool when I was around 11 or so (the pool doesn't exist anymore). But it was L shaped with a shorter distance and longer distance. Neither distance was competitive length but both were "good enough for a workout". If memory serves me right, one way was 35 meters and the other way was 33 yards. In any case, it was a nice change of pace for June & July when the high school pool rental stopped. Fresh outdoor air and always feeling fast at meets were enough to make up for the frigid water and not really knowing how fast you are for two months.

RE: Pool Length

ForceDJ — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 05:43:28 GMT

RE: Pool Length

smontanaro — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:51:42 GMT

It's been many, many years ago, but I was a lifeguard at UCLA in the mid-70s, both at the Rec Center pool & at the pools adjoining the mens' and womens' gyms, apparently now called the Student Activities Center and Kaufman Hall, respectively. I have this vague notion that one of those gym pools was a non-standard length, perhaps 33yds? Looks the pools or their successors are still there. 7273 Are there any other old codgers who swam at those pools BITD who remember how long they were?

RE: Pool Length

knelson — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 11:36:59 GMT

There is pool in an old building on thi IU campus in Bloomington that is 4 lanes and 27.5 yd. It seems like a particularly goofy length until you realize events such as the 220 and 440 used to be commonplace and those distances are 8 and 16 lengths of a 27.5 yard pool.

RE: Pool Length

Bill Sive — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 09:48:05 GMT

...so last evening in this pool I did a 488 IM, followed by a 122 IM. I think I am ready for LCM season. I am feeling real good now about swimming in this pool. The far wall does not seem so far anymore, except for Fly. On another note it made CalTech seem easy.

RE: Pool Length

Former Member — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 12:33:25 GMT

There is pool in an old building on thi IU campus in Bloomington that is 4 lanes and 27.5 yd. It works out to be exactly 64 lengths for a mile. It was the old men's pool. Apparently swimming a mile was a BIG deal then.

RE: Pool Length

pmccoy — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 09:45:09 GMT

There's a pool a few miles from me that was build 200 feet (66.6 yds, 61m) in length. A local team used it for long course training despite the lack of lane lines or gutters. Must have been some really choppy practices. Two years ago, it took a direct hit from an F5 tornado and they have yet to re-open it.

RE: Pool Length

slknight — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 09:17:02 GMT

I grew up swimming in a 33.3 meter pool that was built in the 50s. We actually had NVSL summer league meets there. For 25s, you swam to the red flags and the timers leaned over the edge and judged when you came through the flags. For 50s, you swam down and back to the yellow flags. Same timing deal. There was also a nearby pool which was 37.5 meters. My USS team trained there for a short time one summer. I got really sick of doing 150s and 300s. :)

RE: Pool Length

sunruh — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 08:03:30 GMT

i am currently (sporadically) swimming at LT. they have 2 pools. 1 is a 20yd and 1 is a 25m. the 25m has no gutter system and is flat walls and mostly shallow. no place to put starting blocks. it would be about the perfect pool to NOT go fast in.

RE: Pool Length

smontanaro — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 01:03:01 GMT

I ran into one of the pool supervisors who manages this odd length pool, at a different pool this evening. She told me back in the 1950's and 1960's they built some odd pools to discourage competition, and competitive swimming. There's a chain health club near where I live, Lifetime Fitness. My understanding is that their pool was built short on purpose, precisely to make sure it's never considered as a pool in which to hold meets. Might be an insurance thing, or maybe to keep some smart aleck member from ever trying to get management to hold a meet there.

RE: Pool Length

Former Member — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:04:19 GMT

I was a Lakewood Lancer and swam there 1977 - 1979. :banana: Who was your coach?

RE: Pool Length

Bill Sive — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 11:50:32 GMT

I ran into one of the pool supervisors who manages this odd length pool, at a different pool this evening. She told me back in the 1950's and 1960's they built some odd pools to discourage competition, and competitive swimming. That the pools were designed for recreational swimming. I told here they are missing out on incoming funds from having a USA-Swimming team and/or a Masters Swimming team. She told me that back in the day they have a different mindset. That would probably not happen today. She also mentioned there is another pool in the area that I have not been to that is 40 meters in length. I'll have to check that one out and report back.