Why aren’t people going swimming - am I missing something?

[MyNameIsNotMummy]

So another boiling day today and my local pool (only one for miles around in a large town) was virtually empty! I was quite happy as it meant DS and I could have a lane to ourselves but I was surprised more people don’t want to go swimming in this weather. It was the same on Thursday and last week on another boiling day.

CV is inactive in chlorinated water and I just make sure to take anti bac wipes to use on lockers, door handles and the bench in the changing rooms, with lots of hand sanitizer of course.

Am I missing something about swimming in the current climate?

I’m not sure, but it’s not really an option here. There is still no opening date planned for the local council-funded pools, and the open-air pool in a near-by town is fully booked as far into the future as you can book!

i cant swim in an outdoor pool, the sun is too bright and the reflection hurts my eyes

I swim a lot and I am really missing it but I am concerned about the virus in the air around the pool and in the changing rooms where it is warm and muggy.
I am in another country and the government are telling us that airborne transmission is the greatest risk and now that they have studied clusters and outbreaks their scientists think that the risk of catching it from a surface is very low. So I'm not bothered about changing room lockers etc but I am worried about breathing in the air.

I've been swimming a couple of times in lakes but now we are at the height of the tourist season every lake is completely overrun so the parking is a nightmare and then you have people packed like sardines on the grass.

Ridiculous, councils trying to save money by refusing to bring furloughed staff back to work.
All outdoor pools should be opened for the health and fitness of local people. Indoor pools with limitations.
Swimmers go ready dressed to swim, towel off after and slip on tracksuit, shower at home..... what's so difficult about that?

Typical local government officers taking maximum advantage to save pennies rather than looking after their constituents.
Deluge them with emails and demand they open.

I'd rather swim outside atm tbh, the changing rooms at our usual indoor pool are grimy at the best of times. Plus I prefer to swim outside when the weather is warm.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat

The water is nice and cool in ours (enough to shock at first!) very refreshing.

Well the water is but I’m talking about the actually building. Sweaty, muggy, humid, germ riddled pits when you could (should) be outside in the fresh air.

Same! Ours local one is newish and very well kept but even so, it's baking hot everywhere so as soon as you get out of the lovely cool water you are a sweaty mess - no appeal in trying to get dried and dressed in a tiny cubicle when you're hot and sweaty - plus it's £6 a go!

The pool nearest to me is open but lane swimming only and requiring booking and most people I know don't lane swim and cba with the booking process. I want to take the DC swimming but they aren't lane swimmers and the smallest is still a non swimmer so it's a no go for them at the moment.

The outdoor pool nearish to me is open but the changing rooms and toilets aren't. As it's a 20-25 minute drive, I have no desire to drive home in a soggy costume, desperate for the loo...

I've just had my nipple pierced and can't swim for 6 weeks
HTH 😉

Our pool is only open for lane swimming. DC are 6, 5 and 1 so not really lane swimmers yet. So it’s a no go for us.

Mine is similar to many - prebooked lane swimming only, changing rooms, showers & lockers closed (you get a space poolside to leave your stuff)

I was a regular early morning swimmer until lockdown but haven't returned yet, although the pool is now open.
I'm not worried about the risk, but the showers are unavailable other than for a quick after swim-rinse, and as you are required to shower before you go I cant be bothered with the faff of doing this, then having to come home to wash my hair/shower again. Much as I enjoy swimming its just too much getting dressed and undressed for me.

@Ken1976

Our local pool can be hired out for 2 hours at a time for £20 for up to 10 people in a 'bubble' . My daughter has hired it out tomorrow afternoon to take her daughter. DDs friend is also going with her boys too. It might appear expensive for just 5 people in total but it would be a lot more expensive to go trampolining or ice skating

That sounds like an absolute bargain to me, our local pool is £4.10 adult £2.75 concession. Lane swims are 30 mins and public swims are 50 mins. Depending on what the bubble has to be I'd more than happily split £20 with a friend to take 2 families for 2 hours.

Just had a look at our next nearest pool, £25 for a 60 minute family bubble (max 7) private hire session.

@Chasingsquirrels

Just had a look at our next nearest pool, £25 for a 60 minute family bubble (max 7) private hire session.

Actually, not private hire - a section of the pool with other bubbles at the same time.

The pools around us are either not open, or not accepting children

Our local leisure centre pool, which is huge, and also includes a smaller teaching pool and a toddler water play area is closed to DC unless the sign up for a course of their (utterly shit) swimming lessons. No free swimming of any kind is offered currently. I'd love to take my DC swimming

MyNameIsNotMummy: Anti bac wipes kill viruses as well so it says on the pack and Covid is a corona virus like flu is

You don’t need anti-bac wipes to get rid of Coronavirus (and it’s not clear that all antibacterial wipes will kill CV). Disinfectant wipes that kill viruses will work and then you don’t add to the problem of resistant bacteria.

People have been swimming! In the sea, rivers, lakes and filled quarry’s! Why would you go to a stuffy indoor pool on a lovely day! Find some outdoor water to swim in and enjoy getting out in the sun!

@Time2change2 lack of options and/confidence? I love open water swimming but I'm 60 miles from the sea and even the nearest safe river spots are too far for me as I don't drive.

They raised the floor? How the heck did they do that? I can see lowering the water level, but never heard of a commercial sized pool with that (in really expensive private homes yes).
Our public pool just opened. It has a retractable roof. Its busy, but it is also right next to the beach so attracts serious lap swimmers more at this time of year as youngsters are on the beach.

It was beautiful weather so I was swimming in a lovely lake instead. No dead skin or toenails! 😂

They raised the floor? How the heck did they do that? I can see lowering the water level, but never heard of a commercial sized pool with that

It's not that unusual, I know of at least 3 pools within 8 miles of me that have moveable floors. Biggest is 50 x 8 m

It's a different area to me though, our pools have only just opened up for pre booked lane swimming only

MyNameIsNotMummy: Covid is a corona virus like flu is

Please stop spreading your incorrect and dangerous nonsense.

“Flu” is caused by the influenza virus, which is an orthomyxovirus.

“Covid” is caused by a coronavirus. Other outbreaks of coronaviruses include SARS in 2003, and MERS in 2012. Some common colds are also coronaviruses, but most as rhinoviruses (another separate family of viruses).

Still not open here.

A private gym membership would enable me to spend exactly one hour on the premises from walking in to leaving, if I could book a half hour slot knowing to the minute in advance when I would be able to get there. And no 30min lane swim is worth paying £74 a month for.