To wish you could still just turn up & swim

[Haveli]

All of the pools local to me used to have smaller children's pools where you could just rock up, pay and swim. Now you have to book a session at specific times. Dd was desperate to go swimming today but nowhere has a session. There was one 2-3 but it was already gone 2 at this point.

I get that they have lessons on at certain times but I've checked and there's none this afternoon so just whyyyy.

AIBU to think this is just stupid and annoying that you cant just decide to go swimming anymore or am I missing something?

We had to book precovid. The council pool always full. It’s nothing new. I think it depends on where you live.

Loads of pools have closed down while the population has probably doubled in many suburban areas. Since the 80s that is.

I prefer to book a swim using the app to book. I can see how many lane slots are already booked and avoid those times lanes are busy as I need the slow lane due to a knee injury. Separate bookable family swim sessions are great too.

They used to be open for a whole morning or afternoon and if it was busy you got a coloured band giving you an amount of time you could stay, then they would announce all red bands get out now and everyone else could stay in.
Nowadays they have set timed sessions with a 15 minute empty gap in between each one.

I much prefer booking as, as a PP has pointed out, turning up with excited DC who have their costumes on under their clothes, holding their swim rings etc, only to be turned away.

If your DC has Autism like mine - you're doomed! Trust me

That isn't new though.
I remember the 'red bands' 'blue bands' in/out system from when I was going swimming as a child back in the 70s and 80s.

This! At least this way there’s certainty - you’ve either booked and can go, or you haven’t so you can’t.

Much worse to have no booking facility and have to “turn up” and queue, or be turned away because it’s full once the kids have got excited about the idea.

It’s a very selfish attitude too, to want to be able to “stay as long as the children want” at the expense of others.

@Haveli Try your local hotels with pools. See if they have sessions for the public to use

I hate how short the sessions are, 45 mins isn't enough time and then in our local pool there's often only one family swim/free swim a day - literally 2/3 of most weekdays you can't access the pool as it's being used by swim club or some other private use which feels wrong when it is supposed to be a public amenity.

I don't mind booking, it's just the lack of swimming availability.

The local pool here closes at 2pm both weekend days. The nearest city in both directions closed their big leisure pools down due to costs, so it's a few hours to a pool with flumes.

It feels like the things we took for granted in the 80s and 90s are ancient history.

I go to an Everyone Active pool. There is only one lane for lane swimming "fast lane". You are only allowed to do front crawl, and must complete 25m in under 30 secs consistently.

Councils looking to shrink provision, everything from the council tip to pools and gyms. Impose bureaucracy, reduce footfall, claim there's no demand and close the facility.
Worse is the apartheid park, expensive tickets if your child wants to use the nicer climbing frames.
Our library has been under re-development for over a year, huge signs advertising a 'purpose-built library' under construction. It WAS a purpose-built library, now it will be a block of flats with some books on the ground floor. Several council-owned car parks have become blocks of flats, nobody is any the wiser as to what caused the loss of business for nearby shops.

The only thing that's changed here is you have to book, but in reality if there's space you can do that from the phone so doesn't require a whole lot of pre planning. Pre COVID you still had to check that there were actually public sessions on, whether it was lane swimming, women's only, clubs etc. I've swum in lots of pools over the last 30 years and there's never been any where you can just pop along whenever you fancy, there's always been certain sessions you have to align with.

Edit: actually, the Virgin Active pool at the gym used to be available pretty much all day.

The pool I swam in as a child, so nearly 40 years ago had timed sessions - you were allocated a coloured wristband and had to get out when a light of that colour flashed. Think it was an hour.

I can't remember getting turned away from swimming in the 80s but I do remember trying to take DD swimming about six years ago and driving a 16 mile round trip to three pools, all of which were full! Probably there is greater awareness of safe numbers in the pool for the number of lifeguards?

The booking systems have really improved this as at least you know you'll get in now with a slot booked. Our local pool will let you in if you turn up on the day but only if there's space and most slots are full by then.

Yea there's always 10-11 adult lane swimming; 11-12, aqua aerobics, 12-1, free swimming; 1-2, adult lane: 2-3 swim lessons and so on.
I think they should let after school and after 10am on weekends for free swimming, though they may have to limit numbers for safety.

Ugh! This is one of my bug bears. We ended up joining a private gym and it’s been brilliant just being able to swim whenever we want for as long as we want. I appreciate though we’re very privileged to have this and I really think everyone should have much better access to swimming pools.

One of my local pools was empty for half the morning because it had been booked by a swimming club but no bugger showed. Eventually the staff went rogue and opened it up.

I agree. It's mental.

We find the public swims are often empty while the family swim and the floats sessions are packed. You can take your kids to either.

I don't mind the booking so much now I'm used to it. A year or so ago if you didn't get online when the slots went up at midnight the week before the family swim sessions you'd not get one though and it was so stressful 😂 but seems to have relaxed a bit now/ not so restrictive on numbers

What's really pissing me off though is the water temperature - far too cold at the usual pool I go to - my pre schoolers were blue within 15 minutes and no hot water in the showers and the changing rooms also freezing

Tried a different pool today - marginally better water temperature but still fucking freezing showers

I don't mind so much having to pre-book, it's the fact the local leisure centre/pool hardly has any general swim sessions, because they have so many clubs or schools using it, or lane swimming, or aqua aerobics.... Even when they do have a general swim it's only half the pool as the rest is being used for lane swimming.

It’s not just swimming it’s blimmin everywhere since covid. I think conpanies do it to make more money.
As the customer it’s a pain because if you or your kid is ill etc you loose the money.

Yes we had the wristbands too.

I guess that is a good point. We once drove about 45 mins to a pool and they said it was full 😩 luckily then a few people left and they let us in but they had a lot of unhappy people behind us. So I suppose it has it advantages.

I agree. Swimming, cinema, meals out. It takes all the spontaneity out of life, especially if you live somewhere like my town where all the parents are super organised keen beans so everything is always fully booked. If you haven't booked something a week ahead, literally don't bother! It's very annoying.

You can...did you call the pool or try and walk up?
Most places have an app to book a session, but that's not necessarily the only way.