Do any of you across this great land swim at a YMCA indoor facility that does NOT automatically close the pool whenever there are thunderstorms in the area?
Two of our three practices this week have been cancelled because of thunderstorms.
On another thread, someone posted how the total number of deaths from indoor pool electrocutions during thunderstorms--in the history of the world--total precisely zero.
I have made this argument endlessly to our Y authorities, all to no avail. Two university pools--Pitt and CMU--do NOT close their indoor pools because of lightning and, in fact, find the concept chortlesome.
If you do swim at a Y pool with a more enlightened policy, can you send word as to how you got your aquatic staff to override the (misguided) national YMCA policy about this?
Signed--
Slowly desiccating in Sewickley, Pa
I just completed Red Cross Lifeguard certification, and closing an indoor pool in lightning is one of their recommendations. My Coach, who taught the class, pretty much admitted that it's not a problem, but that's because he is confident in his pool. (Also, our pool has no windows, so who even knows?) It is technically possible that outside lightning can electrify an indoor pool, if Mars and Venus are aligned and the lightning hits at exactly 36 degrees to the ground... But extremely unlikely, especially if the pool is newer construction.
I just completed Red Cross Lifeguard certification, and closing an indoor pool in lightning is one of their recommendations. My Coach, who taught the class, pretty much admitted that it's not a problem, but that's because he is confident in his pool. (Also, our pool has no windows, so who even knows?) It is technically possible that outside lightning can electrify an indoor pool, if Mars and Venus are aligned and the lightning hits at exactly 36 degrees to the ground... But extremely unlikely, especially if the pool is newer construction.
