As you know, USMS passed a rule that will require us to measure any pool in which we hold a meet, IF we want the times from that meet to count for USMS Top Ten. I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this - what sort of tape to buy, the best method to use, etc. (Can you tell that I'm an engineer?)
I'd like to hear from those of you who have measured pools. What brand of tape do you recommend? What length? (60 meters?) Any idea where I can buy such a tape? Any suggestions for how to get a good (accurate) measurement, especially over a 50 meter course?
FYI, below are the instructions on how to perform pool measurements, taken from the USMS Pool Length Certification Form.
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"A completed form must be on file or submitted with an application for sanction or recognition to your LMSC Sanctions Chairman. For pools utilizing bulkheads, completed forms from each session must be included with results sent to the Top Ten Chairman if the results are to be included in Top Ten submissions.
Measurement procedures:
--Measurements must be conducted using a measuring device with the minimum measuring quality of at least ± 0.005 m (±.0.20 inches or 0.016 feet) over the nominal distance. A laser based measuring device may be used but it must be as accurate as required for steel tapes. Tapes may not be combined to perform the measurements.
--Measurements may be reported in either the English system (feet/inches) or the metric system (meters/centimeters).
Instructions for pool length measurements:
--Measurements must be conducted for each lane. Inspect each end of the pool to insure that it is vertical. If there are any protrusions from the wall into the pool between 0.8 meters (2.5 feet) below the surface to the top of the touch pad or wall or up to 0.3 meters above the surface whichever is higher, you must use the protrusion as your measurement point. Otherwise, measurements must be taken in the center of each lane at water level.
--The measuring device shall be moved up/down and left/right at least 12 inches (unless you are on a protrusion) during each measurement and the minimum distance for each measurement recorded.
--Measurements may be conducted with or without touchpads in place. However, if touchpads are used the pool must still meet the length requirements with them in place.
--Permanent courses need only be measured once unless structural changes have occurred since original measurement.
--For pools with a moveable bulkhead, after each session a course measurement must be confirmed by a responsible person. Only the outside lanes and a single center lane need to be measured to confirm the integrity of the bulkhead and its placement."
For reasons that should be obvious, I need to not comment about most of what goes on here because one never know when one would be asked to intervene or interpret but I felt a story here was useful.
For a number of years now, I have been officiating at the USA-S Sectional meet that one and now both of my daughters have been competing. A couple of years ago, I was pulling duty as the turn judge at the turn end during the 1000 Free on the first night of the meet. The meet was being conducted in a 50 meter pool with two bulkheads set at 25 yards. I sat down on the corner of the pool and looked down to watch the turns and quickly noticed that the bulkhead was far from being straight. In fact the bow in the center of the pool was on the order of 4-5 inches! (In the 1000 that amounts to over 13 feet difference.) At the time I was not one of the assigned crew, so I got the attention of one of them and explained what I saw. Now at least half of the event had already been contested. No one did anything and I didn't push it that night.
The next morning, I went up to the Meet Referee and simply said "You have a problem". After he said "I do?", I brought him over and showed him the bulkhead. We then scrambled to do what we could. The first thing that happened was the double lane lines were reduced to single lane line that were only as tight as they needed to be. That took care of about half of the buldge. Prelims were run in that configuration. Between prelims and finals, the maintenance crew came in with two come-alongs, broke open the back of the bulkhead and pulled the two bulkheads together in order to straighten the competitive one. The meet then proceeded with what was close to a regulation course. Things like this happen and to this day, I wonder how many NCAA cuts were made in the center lanes of that pool.
For reasons that should be obvious, I need to not comment about most of what goes on here because one never know when one would be asked to intervene or interpret but I felt a story here was useful.
For a number of years now, I have been officiating at the USA-S Sectional meet that one and now both of my daughters have been competing. A couple of years ago, I was pulling duty as the turn judge at the turn end during the 1000 Free on the first night of the meet. The meet was being conducted in a 50 meter pool with two bulkheads set at 25 yards. I sat down on the corner of the pool and looked down to watch the turns and quickly noticed that the bulkhead was far from being straight. In fact the bow in the center of the pool was on the order of 4-5 inches! (In the 1000 that amounts to over 13 feet difference.) At the time I was not one of the assigned crew, so I got the attention of one of them and explained what I saw. Now at least half of the event had already been contested. No one did anything and I didn't push it that night.
The next morning, I went up to the Meet Referee and simply said "You have a problem". After he said "I do?", I brought him over and showed him the bulkhead. We then scrambled to do what we could. The first thing that happened was the double lane lines were reduced to single lane line that were only as tight as they needed to be. That took care of about half of the buldge. Prelims were run in that configuration. Between prelims and finals, the maintenance crew came in with two come-alongs, broke open the back of the bulkhead and pulled the two bulkheads together in order to straighten the competitive one. The meet then proceeded with what was close to a regulation course. Things like this happen and to this day, I wonder how many NCAA cuts were made in the center lanes of that pool.
