Does anyone else ever have the perception that each pool has one direction that is "faster" than the other? I swear that this is true, but can't really imagine the physics of why it would be so. In particular, it seems to me that going from the deep end to the shallow end almost always seems "faster" than going from the shallow end into the deep end. I speak specifically of 25 yard pools with one end about 12 feet deep and the other end about 3-4 feet deep since I have little experience with anything else. In all cases, the water jets are symmetrical in placement and seem to be pushing out the same amount of water (roughly). These are also indoor pools, so there are no wind effects and we aren't talking about when the water buffalo...err... water aerobics people are creating tsunami in the shallow end.
Or am I crazy? (No cheap shots on that one.)
-LBJ
This doesn't seem to totally make sense, but maybe it's a parallax thing. You know how closer things seem to be moving faster than things farther away? Like when you're driving a car the guard rail seems to whiz right by, but that barn in the distance hardly seems to move. Maybe your brain is confusing you like this with the bottom of the pool. When you start in the deep end and swim to the shallow end you think you're accelerating because the pool bottom is getting closer to you, and the opposite is true going the other way. Maybe this perceived acceleration is telling your brain that is the "faster" direction to swim.
tjburk, hey, I recognize your town! I moved to Oregon less that 3 years ago from Warner Robins. My husband's family lives there. Are you in the AF? I take it you swim at the base pool only? I used to work at the AF museum and swim at the Aquanatus pool. I hear it's a Y pool now. I hope they fixed the bubble problem - wind blew, bubble fell, elecrticity went out, bubble fell, you get the idea.
Are you on a masters team in WR? I swam for Dynamo since my sister and Dad swam for them, too.
Leonard, a lot of it can be due to the construction of the pool. We have a pool here on base where I work where the jets are pointed straight out the side...as you're swimming, you hit that area and it pushes you sideways. If the jets are stronger at one end or another (usually stronger at the jets closest to the filter) it can definitely slow you down.
I used to swim in a pool in Texas that had a hidden current. We didn't realize it for about 3 years! Finally someone put a pull buoy in the lane and it started moving faster on one side of the pool than the other. Needless to say swimming in lanes 1-2 were much more encouraging going one way and swimming in lanes 7-8 were faster going the other, so besides the 50M swim, it all worked out. Your pool could be built downhill also!! :D
Why don't you time yourself each way several times, then average the times together and see if there is a difference?
It would be cool if there were. Kinda like parking your car on the bottom of a hill in the middle of the night....and it rolls uphill...
I assume you've all heard that one.
I was serious about timing yourself each way. I freely admit to being a novice swimmer, and I have heard of "fast" pools and "slow" pools. I have been in some pools where I hardly feel like I am moving at all, and others where you zoom along. But not enough for me to know whether I just thought that or if it is true.
Since we tend to time ourselves anyway, I thought it would be neat to see if it is just perception or truly a change in speed. I have access to only one pool right now, and I can't tell a difference subjectively in speed going either direction, else I would do it myself.
I am totally intrigued!
Swimshark, the pool still belongs to the Aquanauts. James Parker is the head coach, I am the assistant. I retired from the Army about a year and a half ago. Flew on Joint STARS while here. Now I work with Northrop Grumman on base. We just got a new bubble for the pool this past year. Has only come down once this winter due to a power failure. Right now I am on a mission to get a new indoor facility for the area!!!! WE NEED IT!!!!!!!
Hope things are good up there!
