Fast Pools

Pools don't make much of a different in time. I'm only swim one meet as a masters but in age group and school swimming in some fast pools I did great and others not. In your case it is probably conditioning.

Hello, Gosh, I didn't realize I'd get such a response, especially so fast. Just wanted to clarify a few points: 1. I had no intention of putting down one pool over another. 2. My main reason for posting was to see if others notice significant improvements from pool to pool. I've been a masters swimmer for about 5 years now, and at first I was reaching new times with every meet I competed in. Lately, however, it seemed that I had reached a training 'plateau' where I stayed around the same. There probably are MANY other factors at work that resulted in improved times, but I just wanted to see what you all thought of the pool issue. Thanks. Tim

Fast pools do exist, do not believe otherwise. That is why folks get excited about racing at places like IUPUI, Federal Way,et al..:)

I think the Phoenix Swim Club pool would be considered a "fast" pool: it's wide, deep (7.5 ft everywhere), good gutters (not sure what it's called when the pool level goes right up to the gutter wall and then waterfalls into deep gutters), good lane lines including double lines at the walls, kept well cooled, etc. (See ) Give yourself credit for some great improvements! --Brad

Fast pools do indeed exist. Some of the conditions that I've always associated with this have to do with pool depth. water temperature and gutter design. During high school we used to have our AAU finals at The United States Military Academy located in West Point. And that pool was deep, had crisp water temperature, and very good overhead lighting. Could have been the end of the year taper and shave, but the every member of the team would come home with personal bests year after year. I think the reality of the situation is that shallow pools, (25 yards), and less than eight lanes are more susceptible to wave action depending on the overflow capacity of the gutter system. And secondly there's something psychological about swimming in a deep, wide pool versus a 'bathtub' kind of facility. One of my teammates however, Bobby Hackett, went on to Olympic glory in 1976. And we were training in a six lane 'ghetto' pool. Go figure!

I'm the opposite of many swimmers. I don't like the very cold pools. As a kid if I could not warm down during the meet, I could not breath if the winter temperature was under 80 degrees. As for hottubs, I did really well in them. Some deep pools like Belmont Shores in Long Beach I did medocre in. East Los Angeles which is in my book a better pool than Long Beach not as deep but about 15 years younger, I did my best 100 yard butterfly time in but I was tapered and in my best shape. In fact I swam in some pools that were under 80 degrees and were built in the 1940's.

Pool conditions and dimensions can make a HUGE difference (in addition to personal conditions and dimensions!) Water temperature, weather (outdoor), climate control (indoor), lane width, lane line buffering, gutter systems, pool depth; all can be factors in how "fast" a pool is considered. To top it all off, if you have swum well in one pool and poorly in another, you may mentally build up one facility while making a second an "uphill both ways, against the tide" type situation. That said, all of these factors may not lead to you swimming well at one and less so at another. As Cynthia said, conditioning, eating habits, a great heat, or simply being in "the zone" can contribute the same if not more. I have swum at both facilities in Phoenix/Tempe. I really like the ASU pool and swam VERY well there in competitions. I only practiced at Phoenix and thought it was a nice facility. It however felt like a country club and I'm not sure how "fast it would be." (See, I may have created something in my own mind). Enjoy your times, remember how you trained, warmed up and felt/though during the races and USE THAT for your next big meet REGARDLESS of the pool you swim in. Oh, and stay away from the cheater-suits. No fun shaving!

Ian, Given the depth of the water all the way across for the short course configuration, I imagine the pool is faster for short course than for long course. It was a little shallow at the far end. But still, a very nice pool. - Maria D

At the latest US Swimming nationals, several swimmers complained about the shallowness of the pool. They said they kicked the bottom off of their turns. In that situation I would call it a slow pool. I think it was the Hall of Fame pool in Fort Lauderdale. I know many at this site have swum there (so have I, back in . . . 1969? it probably isn't the same pool). Is it that shallow, or is it more about how deep the elite swimmers come off the wall (backstroke especially)?

Back in the 1970's the pools were made less deep because we all had flat dives and we didn't do more than two kicks of dolphin for the butterfly and backstokers flipped on their backs and did flatter kicks. I still prefer the East Los Angeles pool over Belmont Shores. I was surprise to find that the CIF meet in high school went back to Long Beach which is an older pool than East Los Angeles. I swam in even a 33 1/3 pool which they don't create anymore, when I was in a novice summer league back in 1969 at 12 years old, and it had some strange lane lines.