Poor ventilation/warm water

I would alert the police you are making kids swim in a 20 yard pool, that's criminal!

Maybe contact your city's health inspector? If the air temp is 92 and the water temp is 88 then they probably have a very nice culture growing in the pool or have to use massive amounts of chemicals to make it "safe". Skip Montanaro

Consider using large fans deckside to keep the air just above the water moving. Kids with asthma will appreciate it. Our AG coach has a bout 3-4 going while he is coaching and it makes a huge difference. He has also figured out a way to rig the incoming waterpipes, so only cold water gets pumped into the pool during his practices. Not really something he should be doing, because chemicals are adjusted based on water temps. BUT I got to join his kids once for cold water practice and I have envied them ever since!

Jayhawk - I've seen that as well yet have never found a Y to keep the pool at the 83 mark. I can deal with 83. Here's the irony. I swim at 2 pools. Adjacent to one of them is a hot pool kept at 86-88 for the noodlers. In the noodling class at this pool the majority of the participants float and talk. Naturally if you are going to bathe you want hot water. The other pool is 78-80 and that is not subject to ever change as it is a swimming pool, not a floating pool. The aquatics classes there are vigorous with the participants working hard and the ages appear to be about the same at both pools. The conclusion I draw is that the desire for high temps has more to do with participant effort, and not for actual therapeutic need.

Mermaid - so here's the rub. Your post sounds good on paper. In reality is where things go wrong. There is no way to have hot water for noodlers and a satisfying swim team experience. The two don't mix. Second, just try to dismiss the noodlers, good luck with that. Most USMS teams meet very early in the morning or later in the evening, when the administration is gone. This versus the hordes of seniors who hang around for hours during prime shift and berate the staff for water temps under 86 constantly. I have two close friends who are aquatics directors and they both state the least satisfying part of their jobs is dealing with the complaints daily from the noodlers. Many times they will skip the aquatics dept and go straight to the head of the facility. Most of us lap swimmers are just happy to get lane space and the right water temp at a Y is like a miracle, so we don't complain much.

I don't see how competitive swimmers can "work" with noodlers either. I swim in two pools mainly. My team pool is 80 degrees -- perfect! I also swim at a county rec center pool, which is 82 degrees -- perfectly acceptable to me. There are noodlers and kiddies galore, and I haven't noticed anyone freezing (although I'm sure they're complaining). I'm surmising the reason the pool is kept at a decent temperature is because a major USA team practices there, a high school team practices there, and high school meets are held there. So I'm grateful it's not a typical Y. I tried to swim at my health club the other day, 84 degrees, no dice. Scraped a swim set and did a long kicking set where my head was above water most of the time. Bad ventilation really sucks for those with allergies and asthma.

I'm surmising the reason the pool is kept at a decent temperature is because a major USA team practices there, a high school team practices there, and high school meets are held there. I agree that this is the key. As a general rule no serious team is going to practice in a hot tub. The fallacy of the hot pool is that it is either so hot as to discourage active movement from the seniors as they could roast alive or is so comfortable that they don't exercise at all. You keep a pool at 80 and folks need to stay active to keep the chill off. There's a good chance I'll go postal if I hear one more complaint by a noodler in 87 degree water with a lane to herself as I'm swimming with 5 other adults in a single lane doing fly. Then there is the bum-rush at 4:59 am to get their "regular" lane but that's another thread topic.

for my point, i will disregard the temp of the air and water and comment on ventilation. chlorine exposure is bad. even if the levels of chlorine in the water are within safe limits, inadequate ventilation can lead to unsafe levels in the air (and to date, i have never seen a lifeguard or anyone else test the air quality before a swim session)

I ran into this issue years ago at a community center pool. Apparently, to be able to offer classes with some sort of Arthritis Foundation stamp of approval, they have to meet certain Arthritis Foundation guidelines. I just found those guidelines - they say 83 to 88 degree water temperature. While 83 degrees is still on the warm side for some of us, it's at least tolerable (unlike 88 degrees). Isn't that odd? I had a vet who said that cold is better for arthritis as it reduces inflammation, and he cited how some older dogs get a little more playful in the snow because of this...

As a trainer for the Arthritis Foundation and a level II US age group & masters coach - I completely understand the agony of all here. Yes, indeed warm water is a requirement for the AFAP. Studies have shown as well as personal statements that warm water is better for those with artihritis (and all its other names). Thus the guidelines established by the Arthritis Foundation. MS is different. Those folks need the cooler water temps. Competetive swimmers need the cooler temps. Air quality is another subject = everyone needs good air. As I suggested earlier, figure out a way to work around the noodlers, appease the administration & keep the swim team! If your facility needs to invest in a new HVAC system, get your board members involved. ps - I know that there are noodlers who don't like to get their hair wet or raise their cardio conditioning and are fooling themselves with a workout & complain that the water temp is too cold. Those are the folks who can easily be dismissed - I'm not concerned with them and their complaints.