I work for a health club and we keep our lap pool temperature between 78-80 degrees. Recently, my boss requested some sort of article or authoritative piece justifying the temperature. I know I have seen articles in the past on 78-80 degrees being the best temperatures for lap swimming, but it was several years ago.
Does anyone know of an article they have read commenting on this? Any help or direction would be fantastic. Thanks!
I personally like the water about what you are saying. I once tried to swim in way colder water at a college pool and it sucked the breath right out of me. of course I do competitive swimming mostly, but still. thats where I like it. Any warmer and you get tired really fast.
Oh, By the way. I am brand new here. this is my first post. I would like to take this oppurtunity to introduce myself. I am swimldsguy. I swim for a high school team. I hope you dont all hate me or anything because Im not a USMS member. However we do practice with some of them.
83 being too cold, you gotta be kidding. 86 is like swimming in soup, 83 isn't much better.
I think you will find the vast majority of pools do not, in fact, keep water below 85 but keep it at a ridiculous 86-88 due to the arthritis classes. This eliminates swimming as a viable exercise for fear of overheating.
This topic really annoys me. 86 is crazy hot water. It's too hot for enjoying even while just floating around. Beach water doesn't get that hot in the middle of the summer along the gulf coast. It is physically impossible to do anything meaningful or fitness related in soup.
I'd be interested in your supporting facts about water being 83 degress "almost everywhere." I swim at lots of places and, unless a facility maintains two pools, I have never found their main tank to be below 83, unless it's a dedicated serious swim facility (not a Y).
Laineybug - I'm moving to Thomasville although it does worry me that you will force me into one of your agressive water aerobics classes where I will flail pathetically.
I prefer a water temperature of about 86°.
Colder temperatures are suitable for racing, but not for recreational swimming.
Most pools used to be kept at about 83° as a compromise, but since lap swimmers are better organized (though fewer in numbers) than the general public, they've been able to convince pool managers to lower water temperatures (almost everywhere) to between 79° and 81°.
This trend has resulted in discouraging old folks and children from attending public pools, except in the hottest weather, although some YMCAs maintain two pools (one warm, one cold) so that all swimmers can enjoy the water.
No need to get your speedos in a twist.
You've already won the war. Most pools nowadays keep the water at about 80° in order to satisfy lap swimmers (who tend to be well organized and unwilling to compromise).
You can look up pool temps here: http://www.swimmersguide.com/
I guess I should have been more specific. I meant to say that 83° was the norm (in most, but not all, pools) before the great fitness craze that brought thousands of lap swimmers to neighborhood pools about 25 years ago.
I am most comfortable swimming in 86° water, but I'm willing to deal with 83°, since I understand the need to compromise when there's only one pool for everyone. I'm not arthritic, but unfortunately, I can't bear 80° water for more than 15 or 20 minutes.
I don't doubt that your experience is different, but not everyone is the same as you.
That's why I suggested that the best solution is that taken by many Ys... one cold pool for team practice and lap swimming, and a warmer pool for the rest of us.
Oh Aquageek, our indoor competition pool, which is used more by swim classes, aerobics, family swim, is maintained at 80/81/82 max and the lap swimmers are not 'organized.' The indoor pool is still undergoing reinovation and won't be openned until the end of December (at least thats the rumor). They have begun to heat the outdoor competition pool, which is again shared by every group, to a max of 82.
