When we return to swimming.

I just read on SwimSwam that a team in Texas is now open with 4 swimmers per lane. I'm sure it's ok. Swim coaches know more about pool related epidemiology than actual epidemiologists at CDC. I've heard that a masters team in Arizona is allowing up to 4 swimmers per lane too. I wouldn't do that, unless I knew the others very well. And if you have 4 in each lane, you're going to be close to others in the neighboring lanes too. The pool where I'm swimming limits each lane to 1 swimmer, which I'm fine with. It hasn't yet been full.

The YMCA just revealed their reopening for the pool. Lap swim only on a reservation system. You can only reserve 45min at a time and only 3 days a week, starting June 8. It makes aztimm's hour in each pool with no limit on number of times per week seem like a dream.

I saw the USA document. Iâ€m just of the opinion that when you have a number of athletes working hard and swimming back and forth near each other, thereâ€s going to be some sharing of germs via respiration.

I lifeguard part time at a pool and I made this suggestion to the aquatics manager for whenever our pool is allowed to re-open. The CDC is recommending social distancing while in the water. Two swimmers per lane, each stopping only at the opposite end from their lane mate (assuming the lanes are six feet wide). In our six lane pool that means only a max of 12 swimmers at any given time. Thinking there are two types of swim workouts...those who want to do a traditional workout with "sets" in the various strokes, stopping frequently...and those who want to do continuous longer distance swimming. So, maybe the the swim session could be divided. During the first half the pool is set up normally so that the traditional workouts with "sets" can be done. That would be the max 12 swimmers at any given time. In the second half of the session, for the longer distance swimmers, lane lines are removed and swimming is done in a 'circuit' in a CCW rotation, swimming along in lanes 1 and 6, and along the walls at each end. Kind of 'open water' swimming. Each swimmer is assigned a starting/stopping place along the ends or sides. In a six lane 25m/yds pool this would allow for six at each end, and 8-10 along each side, for a total of 28-32 at any given time. Dan

Yes, seems I missed that. I just read on SwimSwam that a team in Texas is now open with 4 swimmers per lane. I'm sure it's ok. Swim coaches know more about pool related epidemiology than actual epidemiologists at CDC. USA Swimming has given direction on how to do that. it isn't like there are rogue coaches who are just throwing bodies in lanes. These were presented to teams on an LSC basis as a resource to work with local governing bodies to get pools open. I know when this was presented a few weeks ago, two of the states in our LSC were already swimming. Our state was opened for that, with group sizes of 10 or fewer, two weeks ago. Some local authorities were okay with that, others were not. Even a clarifying document released a week later wasn't sufficient for all. At any rate, here is what they laid out. I would guess this would be a 50M pool. www.usaswimming.org/.../facility-reopening-plan-guidelines.pdf

Elaine, a friend of mine's daughter is a pool operator who believes indoor pools may be safer, b/c sunlight (or heat?) breaks down chlorine in the water. If that's not the case, I hope someone can clarify. Our indoor pool is saline, so there isn't as much chlorine in the water as our outdoor chlorinated pool. Here are some pictures of the indoor pool and two sections of our outdoor pool:

I absolutely agree with you, and I guess our community's HOA manager does as well. Our outdoor pool is going to open as part of Phase 1 of our three phases of reopening the amenities. The indoor pool and gym will be opened in the last phase. I would feel much safer swimming in an outdoor pool rather than indoors. The lap section of our pool is only two lanes wide; however, they are only going to permit one swimmer to be in that section at a time. Since we don't have a lot of lap swimmers in our community, I don't think it will be too much of a problem. If somebody else comes, and my time is up, I will move to a quiet section of the main pool and do drill work, or I will go outside of the gate to the grass area and do dryland work until the lap lane opens back up. At this point, I have been out of the pool since March 13, and I am anxious to swim! I am not anxious enough, however, to risk my health. I am fortunate I live in a private community with our own pool! Elaine, a friend of mine's daughter is a pool operator who believes indoor pools may be safer, b/c sunlight (or heat?) breaks down chlorine in the water. If that's not the case, I hope someone can clarify. Unless guards are vigilant (which they are not in our outdoor pools here) about constantly checking chemicals and maintaining them, that is a risk. That's only one person's opinion. I feel safer going to my gym, which was constantly cleaning and sanitizing even before COVID. Last summer, I went to my pool (a stone's throw from my house in my private community) for the first time, with a 5 year old boy in tow. He immediately pointed to something on the steps of the pool. It was a pile of *** and looked human. The pool had at least 20 people in it. The guard was clueless. He didn't even want to remove it! I had to tell him he had to evacuate the pool and shock it. I don't trust these outdoor pools, and this happened in an elite community. Just my opinion.

Happy Memorial Day! In my area, outdoor pools are starting to reopen. One person is allowed per lane for 45 minutes, twice per week. You get a temperature check as you enter and masks are required until you get in the pool area. They even have alternate entries into the water. They clean the pool area and bathrooms after the first group leaves and before the second group enters. The exit to the pool is separate from the entry so there is minimal contact. It was wonderful to get in a swim after such a long time. There is hope for a return to normalcy!

Increasingly, here in Canada, where Governments actually pay attention to science / health experts (Aaww Jees.....I'm going to get crucified for that, aren't I?) it seems to me that it will be at least September when I resume regular indoor pool swimming. Anything before that will be a lovely surprise. One more reason to love Canada, in my opinion... I just learned that the outdoor pool in our Sun City community is opening on Saturday. It will be interesting to see how it will work with just one swim lane open for lap swimming. (The pool is a free-form shape with the 25-yard lap pool connected at one end. There are two lanes; however, they are only allowing one swimmer at a time.)

Increasingly, here in Canada, where Governments actually pay attention to science / health experts (Aaww Jees.....I'm going to get crucified for that, aren't I?)Well, not by me up here in Ontario as I'm quite happy with the aggregate response nationally, but there are provincial variations (e.g., BC is kicking Ontario's and Quebec's a**es) ...it seems to me that it will be at least September when I resume regular indoor pool swimmingI think you're right, but I think this is the wrong decision. There is no reason we cannot be implementing reservation-based, single or two-person lap lane uses now in Canada. Now that I've discovered some lakes I can train in, I'll be fine until mid-to-end of September, but Canada (and northern US states) do need to figure out a way to re-open pools. Beyond the health benefits across all ages, pools are significant investments in public health infrastructure that are sitting idle and being wasted.