Turns if One End of the Pool has Steps

Several questions. Are you talking about a full size 25y/m competition pool that has steps in the shallow end? They go all the way across the width of the pool? Or, is this an apartment complex pool? Are flip turns absolutely necessary? If it’s in a small apartment complex pool, and you’re just doing straight continuous lap swimming…as opposed to sets and intervals…you might consider stationary swimming on a static line. — Dan

Thanks for your response. It's actually 169 feet long, about two lanes, constant depth of about 4 feet, and steps across one end. I could do flip turns at one end but not the step end.

Oh, 169 ft. That’s quite a long pool, longer than 50y/50m. I’ve seen this issue before. Some military bases I was stationed at in the Navy 1981-2001 had pools that were built around the end of WWII that were 35 yards long. Originally built as pools for simply training troops to swim, apparently this odd length was done so that outside organizations wouldn’t ask to use the pool for competition. Years later when they eventually decided to use the pool for recreation, they DID want it to be a common length. So, they simply put cement jersey barriers across the pool in the shallow end right at 25 meters. It was a good solution, and worked well. It created a shallow play area for kids without disrupting lap swimmers. Discuss it with your pool’s management. Cheap, jersey barriers are only +/- a few hundred dollars. You can get them in 4’ wide sections so that if you only want to do one lane. If it isn’t tall enough, it can be set on blocks. I’ve seen video of them used to create a 25y/m lap swim area in ponds and lakes too. Perhaps another option would be to use a section of those plastic jersey barriers that you fill with water. Easier to work with for sure. Although because of the buoyancy (even when filled) I don’t know if it’d weigh enough for a swimmer to push off of in a flip turn. But it’d be ‘something’ at least. Anyway…food for thought. — Dan