swimming pool temp??

Originally posted by mandymoo I just recently moved into a new apartment complex with a pool and started swimming some laps to get into shape. the water is way to cold for swimming laps, or swimming in at all really. i don't know what the temp of the water is but it feels like its refrigerated and you try to swim in it and your muscles tighten and cramp. I want to say something to the landlord but i'm not sure about what the safe temp for swimming is, i have an idea of what it is but i'm not sure. Generally accepted pool temps for workouts range from 78-82. But anything over 70 up to about 85 is doable for most people - though temps at both ends require some getting used to. I know that a lot of people that are used to swimming in cold Pacific Ocean water start to whine and complain about the water getting "hot" somewhere around 70 degrees. The English Channel is generally swum in water from the mid 50s to low 60s. That takes a LOT of getting used to. The temperatures YOU will find most friendly will be the result of a combination of what you have gotten used to and how hard you are working. At high intensities you'll find lower temps much more comfortable than if you are just piddle-paddling around. And what temperature the water feels like when you first get in has almost nothing to do with what it will feel like after 5-10 minutes of constant exercise.

Agreed with what emmett has said. Personally I love to race in water that's 78º (F).

General experience (but not universal) is that YMCAs keep their water too warm for lap swimming. Or at least at the high end of "acceptable". Often Ys keep their pools at 84-86. That's because they have ot accommodate more than just lap swimmer needs. (And even among lap swimmers you'll find a range of preferences. Some of the slower lap swimmers complain about 85 degrees being too cold for them!) But kids taking lessons don't work as vigorously, so even 85 might bee too cold. Ditto for some of the "low impact" aerobic classes. (I call them the manatee classes because of how slow some of those people move!) Some time ago I called the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and chatted with the pool director. They said that 84 degrees is the threshold at which a body is able to adequately dissipate heat in the water. Above 84, and you can't dissipate enough heat through your skin. Your only recourse is to breathe harder and expel some heat with each breath, and that's very inefficient. Above 84 makes your heart pump faster and your lungs work harder, leaving you less energy for your muscles. The OTC pool is kept at 80.1 degrees. They found that when the elite swimmers with low body fat do full workouts (several hours) they get chills in the latter part of their workout if the water is below 80. So, mandymoo, "too cold" is a relative term. Find out what temp your pool really is. Maybe you just need to swim harder. Or maybe the pool really is too cold.

Most high school competition pools are set at 79*. However for recreational swimming I would say that 82 would be pretty comfortable.

Originally posted by elhscoach What year did you graduate from sexton? I graduated from EL in 97 and swam club since 87. Coached club for a few years, and now coaching EL. I've got quite a few years on you. I graduated in 1988. Swam for Golden Serpents probably from about 1985-1988. My good friend Steve Bargwell coached at EL for a couple years, but it may have been before you were in high school.

Welcome elhscoach! Small world here. I swam high school at Sexton, but swam several years of club swimming in EL and also swam at Michigan State. How's your team looking? Sorry for going off topic here. elhscoach: you can respond via pm if you want.

What year did you graduate from sexton? I graduated from EL in 97 and swam club since 87. Coached club for a few years, and now coaching EL.