Poor ventilation/warm water

I drive 20 miles, averaging 50+ minutes, from work to the University of Maryland's pool, three days a week. On the way, I drive past: Rockville Municipal Swim Center - public, 2 indoor SCM and 1 outdoor LCM (summer only) Montgomery Aquatic Center - public, indoor SCM B-CC YMCA - where I am a part-time member - 2 indoor SCY, 1 outdoor SCM Stone Ridge HS pool (indoor SCY) Georgetown Prep HS pool (indoor SCM x SCY) Silver Spring YMCA - SCM outdoor Tacoma Recreation Center (DC) - indoor 50m, usually SCYPrep's pool is actually really nice (it costs $23k/yr to go there). But for all the other convenient pools (RMSC is 2 mi down the street), I'd rather swim at UMD. I know the facility is clean. The air is not stifling. The water is bearable. The pool is not a small hole in the ground. The Masters team is active and good. The coaches are top-notch, ambitious, and very knowlegeable about the latest and greatest technique. You are one lucky swimmer to be able to use that pool! I used to live near several awsome pools in the DC area, but had lost interest in swimming at the time. Now I swim almost daily and don't have the time to drive more than 10-15 min. to get to a better pool. The Y will have to do....:sad:

Their pools are today at 84 and 86, and they have a lot of water buffalo classes. I believe the correct term is "aquapotamus" :bump:

Warm water temps at the Y are solely for the athritis classes aka noodlers. 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). From : ww2.arthritis.org/.../AquaticProgramManual.pdf p. 21 Water Temperature Guidelines To date, research shows that for a recreational warm water exercise program like the Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Program, the appropriate and safe water temperature range is 83-88 degrees Fahrenheit (see references below). Higher temperatures, particularly those used in therapeutic pools, i.e., 91 degrees and higher, are not recommended. In the field, there is constant debate regarding water temperature for our program partly due to the wide range of pools in which the classes are taught. It should be noted that therapeutic pools, those that are heated to high temperatures such as 91-99 degrees Fahrenheit, are inappropriate for active exercise programs like the Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Program. Ill-effects that may occur include an increase in core body temperature, a decrease in blood pressure and an increase in oxygen consumption and cardiac demands beyond a safe margin. When the program is periodically reviewed and revised, there is a review of current research literature related to aquatic exercise and as appropriate, changes are made in the program guidelines and content to accommodate new scientific evidence…. Water Temperature References Atkinson, G.P., Harrison, R.A. Implications of the Health and Safety at Work Act in relation to hydrotherapy departments. Physiotherapy. 1981;67:263. Golland, A. Basic hydrotherapy. Physiotherapy. 1981;67:258. Kirby, R., Kriellars D. Oxygen consumption during exercise in a heated pool. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1984;65:21 Ruoti, R.G., Morris, D.M., Cole, A.J. Aquatic Rehabilitation. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott; 1997. The Water Well. Vol. 6 An Official Publication of the Aquatic Exercise Association, Inc. (2000-2005). Retrieved June 24, 2005, from www.aeawave.com/consumer.htm Arthritis and Exercise. The Johns Hopkins University. (2002). Retrieved June 24, 2005 from www.hopkinshospital.org/.../water_workout O’Brien, D.B. (n.d.) Aquatics Offers Freedom. Retrieved June 26, 2005, from Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center Web Site: www.marrtc.org/.../aquatics702.html Twynham, J., Gross, R. (1997). Exercising your aquatic fitness opportunities. Retrieved June 26, 2005 from www.sandfordgroup.com/.../exercisingaquatic.html

don't want to be a thread spoiler here but we all know that swimming hot sucks.....period. the glanced over issue is poor ventilation in a chlorinated environment sucks more and is potentially dangerous!!!!!!!!!!!!! news.medill.northwestern.edu/.../news.aspx how many age groupers and masters already show up to practice with their inhalers in tow? if usas and fina and usms all got together on this one, i think they could have a profound influence on how our swimming pools were treated after all........you are what you swim in. (alright, maybe thats a bit too dramitic) I think what you are referring to is chlorine gas. The article in the link refers to a chlorine gas leak at a facility. That is nasty stuff. The issue there was not having adequate ventilation to remove the gas quickly enough. Once dissolved in water it is the most effective of the three agents( chlorine, bromine, iodine) used to "clean" the pool water of all the stuff we drag in on our bodies. Not a pretty thought so keep swimming. Here is a good link that describes what happens to chlorine once it dissolves in water. www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts172.pdf

My husband is the healthy water specialist at Centers for Disease Control and has been working on recreational water/pool issures for over 10 years; he works in partnership with pool operators throughout the country...so I asked him what he thought. His response: Poor ventilation in indoor pools is a public health issue for all--the competitive swimmers, the "noodlers", and young children in swim lessons. He suggested that you call the local Public Health Department and ask to speak to the person in charge of local pool inspections to check the records on that Y pool and ask them to follow up on the ventilation problems. If you are getting headaches, so are other people. I know it is often our inclination to not cause problems by speaking up on these issues, but as patrons, it is critical to address these public health issues in order to effect change and provide healthy swim environments for everyone at the facility. For more information on healthy swimming questions, check out CDC's website: www.healthyswimming.org Hope that helps! Lynn

Perhaps the article below on the USA-S site is helpful.... www.usaswimming.org/.../ViewMiscArticle.aspx

i'm glad to see this thread revived. air quality is an important issue.