Is your pool too hot !

RE: Is your pool too hot !

knelson — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 11:01:42 GMT

Could that particular variety of "too hot" be cured with a cold shower? (the classic "too hot needs a cold shower" CANNOT. I've tried.) Yes, probably. Unfortunately the showers are the push button kind that don't have any temperature control. :(

RE: Is your pool too hot !

Former Member — Sat, 24 Aug 2019 07:12:09 GMT

I start sweating after practice and can't cool down for about an hour. Could that particular variety of "too hot" be cured with a cold shower? (the classic "too hot needs a cold shower" CANNOT. I've tried.)

RE: Is your pool too hot !

67King — Sat, 24 Aug 2019 06:46:10 GMT

Am I really abnormal then? I am complaining about the temperature when it reaches the 80s where others are still doing well, and I actually prefer the upper 60s for racing. In the upper 80s, I will need to get out of the pool in the middle of the training to cool down myself. In the squad, when it is in the 70s, I am placed in the middle of the slow lane and still feeling strong when the set is finished, while in the upper 80s, I can't even catch up the back in the slowest lane and can't complete the set. There is a triathlete who swims at my gym who is like you in that she prefers the water to be pretty cold. I haven't swum in very cold water in a long time, but I recall eventually getting used to it. My problems with the elevated temperature are two fold. One is that yes, it affects my endurance. I can't make intervals at 86 that I can make at 82 without a problem. Two is hydration. If it gets too hot, I can't finish a workout without going through all of my water, whereas normally I drink less than half for a "distance" workout (i.e. longer intervals), and half to 3/4 for a "sprint" workout. I don't have the time to cool down in the middle of a workout, then warm back up again and continue. Either I have to go pick up my kids from their practice, or one of the classes starts up around the time I normally get done.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

Former Member — Sat, 24 Aug 2019 05:37:22 GMT

Could that particular variety of "too hot" be cured with a cold shower? (the classic "too hot needs a cold shower" CANNOT. I've tried.) It seems counterintuitive, but a warm or lukewarm shower will be better than cold. When hot, your body sweats (which evaporates & cools), and sends blood out to the skin & extremities to get cooled down When you take a cold shower, your body says "uh oh, we're COLD, better keep all that blood in the vital organs so we can live." Taking a cold shower after exercise makes your body try to warm itself instead of cooling. Taking a lukewarm shower encourages the body to continue its cooling response.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

Rob Copeland — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 09:13:42 GMT

Am I really abnormal then?I don’t know you well enough to make an informed opinion about this. However, I do believe that water temperature affects people differently; both from comfort and from capability. This summer our pool has reached into the low 90’s on a couple of occasions and thankfully being Masters we adapt the workout to the conditions. Some folks don’t seem to mind the temperature while some of us definitely feel the drain. Note to Paul – Some of my best practices were 6,000+ yards in 92 degree water.I’m going to start calling you Water Bear (Water Bear or Tardigrade, the king of extreme temperatures, capable of surviving highs of more than 302°F) Fran Crippen died of heat stroke in 84 degree water.I believe Crippen’s official cause of death was drowning. Albeit the heat likely was a huge factor; but since he wasn’t found for almost 2 hours after the race, determining an accurate actual TOD body temperature isn’t reliable.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

Former Member — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 06:55:20 GMT

Paul, I'm with you on that. I'd much rather have a warmer pool and do better than most in one. I guess it's what you get used to. When I did Key West several years ago, the heat there didn't affect me hardly at all, while many others complained about the temps there. Am I really abnormal then? I am complaining about the temperature when it reaches the 80s where others are still doing well, and I actually prefer the upper 60s for racing. In the upper 80s, I will need to get out of the pool in the middle of the training to cool down myself. In the squad, when it is in the 70s, I am placed in the middle of the slow lane and still feeling strong when the set is finished, while in the upper 80s, I can't even catch up the back in the slowest lane and can't complete the set.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

knelson — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 03:37:24 GMT

My normal pool is closed right now due to maintenance so I've been swimming at another pool. The water temp in the new pool is probably close to the same as my old pool (85 or so), but the deck and locker room temps seem to be considerably higher. To a certain extent I feel like I've adapted workout-wise, but I start sweating after practice and can't cool down for about an hour. Since I'm swimming there before work it's kind of disgusting since I show up looking like I just finished running a marathon. :)

RE: Is your pool too hot !

flystorms — Tue, 20 Aug 2019 09:21:57 GMT

RE: Is your pool too hot !

Jeff Enge — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 12:02:25 GMT

That seems like a drastic overstatement. Just because over 82 is outside the recommended range doesn't make it dangerous. I think you'll be hard pressed to find many pools that are used for various activities that keep the water temp lower than about 84. Yeah, you're probably not talking "dangerous" for a healthy person (from a heat standpoint, not buildup of bacteria/ickies like Mike cited) until about 90 or so. Skin temp is cooler than body temp, maybe like 92? So you can still get some heat transfer until you get to that temp. Obviously not ideal for performance, though.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

knelson — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 11:53:28 GMT

And it is considered dangerous for lap swimmers at anything over 82. That seems like a drastic overstatement. Just because over 82 is outside the recommended range doesn't make it dangerous. I think you'll be hard pressed to find many pools that are used for various activities that keep the water temp lower than about 84.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

Windrath — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 10:32:17 GMT

Rob Copeland will probably reply to this post so... I know I am an outlier, but still...I love swimming in warm to hot water. Some of my best practices were 6,000+ yards in 92 degree water. Started out easy and by the end, I was shivering because I got rid of so much body heat. And, never drank an ounce of water. And, in case, you were thinking I was going slow, I was not - HR floating around 160-170 the entire time. Yes, I know, not the norm. Just passing this on, so you all know that there are some who love warm/hot water. :) Paul

RE: Is your pool too hot !

__steve__ — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 09:46:07 GMT

average sea temperatures near Fujairah in October are high 80’s

RE: Is your pool too hot !

knelson — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 07:08:35 GMT

Fran Crippen died of heat stroke in 84 degree water. I've seen some conflicting information, but this story says the water temp was measured to be 31 degrees C (about 88 F) at the finish: www.thenational.ae/.../death-of-us-swimmer-fran-crippen-was-a-disaster-waiting-to-happen-1.355354

RE: Is your pool too hot !

67King — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 03:46:39 GMT

Fran Crippen died of heat stroke in 84 degree water. Skin temperature will vary widely, with many factors, internal (i.e. one's own body) and external (i.e. ambient temperature). But, if the water feels cool, you are experiencing heat transfer. 82 degree water feels cool, but 82 degree air feels hot......because the water can absorb over times as much heat as air. WHich is, of course, why people wear wetsuits when the water is 70, but shorts when the air is 70. If the water does NOT feel cool, then you are not going to experience any heat transfer. I've tried to swim in 90 degree water. Got maybe half of my workout done, and I had already been through a quart of water. I usually drink half to 2/3rds of the quart. Our primary way of regulating our temperature is through sweating, which works by heat of vaporization, which is a couple of orders of magnitude higher than just normal heat transfer. In water, you can't cool off that way, because the sweat won't evaporate. 2 degrees of water temperature is like 8.5 degrees of air temperature. That's a big difference, particularly when you are exercising. If anyone runs or anything, I'm sure they'd say there is a big difference between 81.5 degrees and 90. It isn't just having SOME heat transfer, it is through ENOUGH heat transfer. It is about an equilibrium. You swim, you burn calories. Your body produces heat (as in energy, not just "temperature"). IN order to keep your core temperature at a safe level, you need to be able to shed that excess heat through some means. When you swim, the water absorbs it (and yes, you exhale some, too). So if you want to use 90 degrees as a baseline, then at 82 degrees, the water will be able to absorb 33% more heat than it can at 84. What happens to that extra 33% heat? Well, again, an equilibrium. Your core temperature will rise some, which will change the delta T, which helps the heat transfer. But at some point, it rises to a dangerous point. That's heat stroke, and that is how people die swimming in warm water. According to this site, the Red Cross actually recommends 78 degrees, and 81 for recreational swimming. Unfortunately, the references are no longer working links, so I can't find the real source. www.livestrong.com/.../

RE: Is your pool too hot !

Former Member — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 15:58:28 GMT

Well maybe it's not always about you. There's probably someone at the opposite extreme who likes the overly warm water. It's all about choices, dealing with what you've been given and making the best of it. Just like in open water swimming, you have to deal with the conditions and be ready for them. You can't do that by practicing in YOUR perfect conditions all the time. Here, once the water cool down to 24°C most people start putting their wetsuit on, at 21°C nearly everyone is in neoprene, except the very few hardcore marathon swimmers (like those swimming E-F, J-F, doing channel relay, doing ice miles, etc.) I won't sign up any long distance races if the expected temperature is more than 28°C, therefore the whole South-east Asia is out of my consideration. Anything more than 25°C is uncomfortable for me at race intensity. I did races last month in 22°C - 23°C and thought that it wasn't cool enough.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

mjtyson — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 11:54:31 GMT

"At temperatures above 78 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit, chlorine dissipates faster, algae grows better, and the formation of scale (calcium carbonate deposits) is more likely to occur." From Pool Chemistry Fact Sheet (link is a pdf) "Water chemistry is another factor that comes into play when the water is too warm it is very problematic to treat warm water with chemicals. Bacteria, algae and other organisms thrive under warm water conditions this is obviously harmful not just for athletes but the general public in a commercial swimming pool, for competitive pools the water should be no higher than 82°F (28°C), for recreational pools the recommended maximum is 84°F (29°C)." From What is the ideal temperature for a commercial pool. "When your pool water heats up to around the 85°F (29°C) mark, bacteria and algae get nice and comfy, and start reproducing at exponential rates. Keeping your pool below that mark won’t get rid of algae and bacteria completely, but will make it more difficult for them to bloom and grow and become a problem." From What is the perfect pool temperature. I have used this info successfully in the past when swimming in an overheated pool. The swim instructor complained that the kids were too cold at 89F. When I pointed out the possibility of cooties (technical term) from bacteria and more work/chlorine shocking required, they put a lock on the thermometer and set it at 84F.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

67King — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 11:24:21 GMT

There are some regulations around temps for therapy so it depends on what the pool is generally used for and the guidelines around it. www.usaswimming.org/ViewMiscArticle.aspx Your link redirects to a generic "Resource Programs & Services" page. What is the title of what you are trying to link to? I've read that both FINA and the Red Cross recommend 77-82 for lap swimmng, and 82-86 for lessons, etc. I've had an ongoing argument with my local gym about that, and at least the Zumba instructor is pretty assertive about it "It iisn't a lap pool, it is a dual use pool" "It is a lap pool 24 hours 4 days a week, and 23 hours 3 days a week, and a Zumba pool 3 hours a week. And it is considered dangerous for lap swimmers at anything over 82." Which inevitably leads to pointing to the Health Department's approval. I'd love to have something to take the the health department, but I have not found any sort of "official" document. She also says it is always set to 84, when it is often 86.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

flystorms — Fri, 16 Aug 2019 11:06:45 GMT

The outdoor pool that our club trains in is now too hot. In the past 3 months most of the time it was around 30°C (86°F), but in recent week it is now 32°C (90°F) so the squad training is a real pain for me. In particular, when the pool was 27°C (81°F) I was in the middle of the lane, but now I can't even catch up the group or complete the whole set! However, it is a pity that the club moves away from the home pool to a heated pool from December to March when the home pool is normally at the perfect temperature (18 - 22°C / 65 - 72°F) for me! Well maybe it's not always about you. There's probably someone at the opposite extreme who likes the overly warm water. It's all about choices, dealing with what you've been given and making the best of it. Just like in open water swimming, you have to deal with the conditions and be ready for them. You can't do that by practicing in YOUR perfect conditions all the time.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

Former Member — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 15:16:03 GMT

RE: Is your pool too hot !

Former Member — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 14:15:38 GMT

I used to teach swimming at a club where the pool was heated to 84 degrees - for the comfort of the small children taking 30 lessons. This also allowed the pool to be used for adults doing physical therapy. But the temperature was uncomfortable for serious swimmers. Much too hot. And bad news for the many club members who have multiple sclerosis. They need to swim or do PT in cooler water. So all of them had to find a different swimming pool. I don't think the higher temperature had anything to do with the comfort of water aerobics classes. These members, unlike the swim school students, didn't pay extra. It was all about the comfort of those who paid extra.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

Patrick W. Brundage — Wed, 13 May 2015 01:13:13 GMT

swimming in 85F water might be a little warm, but running in the same air temp is much worse (for me at least)Swimming in 110+ air temp with >85F water = summertime training in Arizona. I might be a complete cold wimp, but 85F water temp is a good day for training in the desert.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

__steve__ — Tue, 12 May 2015 10:07:51 GMT

swimming in 85F water might be a little warm, but running in the same air temp is much worse (for me at least)

RE: Is your pool too hot !

knelson — Tue, 12 May 2015 09:50:02 GMT

82 degrees is on the warmer side of suggested USAS temperatures for competition pools (78-82). It is not dangerously hot. No, definitely not. The pool I swim in is kept at 85 degrees and I can deal with it. If you're used to swimming in a cooler pool it takes a while to adapt, but you can. Just be sure to drink plenty of water. Complaining about 82 degree water seems almost laughable to me. In pools used for a variety of aquatic activities 82 seems almost like a bare minimum to me. The thing I've found that's nice about training in a warm pool is it doesn't faze you when you've got a competition in warmer water. I've been to meets where people are constantly complaining about the water temp and it's fine for me.

RE: Is your pool too hot !

flystorms — Tue, 12 May 2015 05:13:27 GMT

There are some regulations around temps for therapy so it depends on what the pool is generally used for and the guidelines around it. www.usaswimming.org/ViewMiscArticle.aspx

RE: Is your pool too hot !

gobears — Mon, 11 May 2015 09:53:07 GMT

82 degrees is on the warmer side of suggested USAS temperatures for competition pools (78-82). It is not dangerously hot. Lifetime Fitness caters to more non-swimmers than swimmers - you are probably lucky they keep the water at 82 and not higher. Many YMCA pools have elderly people constantly griping that 85 degrees is too cold for their water aerobics classes.