I am responsible for booking the venue for our SCY state championship meet in 2012. The location we have been using for the past 10 years is getting too small for us. A new pool has opened up in the area with a lot more seating and deck space. The pool is a 25Y by 50M pool with two bulk heads. For SCY competition, the two bulk heads are used right in the middle of the pool with warmup/cool down lanes on either side of the bulk heads. A couple of issues have been raised concerning the configuration of the pool as it pertains to Masters swimmers and I am hoping to get some opinions on these issues.
1. Bulk head starts - while the pool can be used for SCY swimming from wall to wall, the touch pads and starting system are meant for the bulkhead and the starting system is integrated into the bulkhead. The bulkhead isn't that wide (~6 feet) and some are concerned swimmers will fall off the bulkhead.
2. The other issue is that the bulk heads have "cut outs" above the waterline and some are concerned bad flip turns will result in feet going into these cut outs. They wouldn't get stuck but since the material on the bulk head is a little rough (to prevent slipping) it could result in cuts.
Any thoughts or experiences with running large meets in this type of configuration. I could post some pictures of the pool if that would be of any help.
Thanks,
Brian
By suggesting we run the meet from wall to wall are you suggesting that the issues I brought up are serious enough that the meet should not be run from bulk head to bulk head (which is 25Y as well)?
Nope... just offering another idea, since you thought the issues worth noting in the first place.
I've seen 50m pools with two Bulkheads where they have a 25yd venue at each end, and use the space between the bulkheads in the middle for warm-up/warm-down. Allowed them to run boys at one end, girls at the other, -or- alternating events at each end so you aren't waiting to clear the prior event before starting the next one.
By suggesting we run the meet from wall to wall are you suggesting that the issues I brought up are serious enough that the meet should not be run from bulk head to bulk head (which is 25Y as well)?
Nope... just offering another idea, since you thought the issues worth noting in the first place.
I've seen 50m pools with two Bulkheads where they have a 25yd venue at each end, and use the space between the bulkheads in the middle for warm-up/warm-down. Allowed them to run boys at one end, girls at the other, -or- alternating events at each end so you aren't waiting to clear the prior event before starting the next one.
