These hotel pool rules were bonkers

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Stayed in a hotel with a pool this weekend for extended family get together. The pool had to be booked in advance by a group to use it - we knew this in advance. We didn’t know until we collected the key that we would have to have one adult per under 15 year old swimming, and 2 adults for an under 8 year old. This meant for our 5 children to swim in the pool we had to have 6 adults in the pool (kids age 14, 13, 12, 10 and 4).

AIBU for thinking this was health and safety gone mad? Does this actually seem reasonable to people?

That does seem a bit excessive.

Yes bonkers. Never seen a 2:1 ratio before.
Seems like they don’t really want kids in there at all.

Most pools allow 8+ to swim alone

That's excessive.

Was it the UK?

Swim England and H&S advice is usually one adult can supervise two under 8s. So 3 kids means two adults

Over 8s do not technically need an adult but must stay in the shallow end.

Was there a lifeguard on duty?

I thought the same about over 8s being allowed to swim alone, but that is in lifeguarded pools. This pool wasn’t lifeguarded, so I accept the need for an adult ratio, I just think this was utterly mad.

we actually had a lifeguard with us so asked if they could just lifeguard the pool instead of meeting the adult ratios but they said no.

What hotel??

A hotel in Dorset.

That sounds absolutely ridiculous, maybe they are trying to limit numbers in the pool by making it impossible for most families to swim!

My husband took my 3 kids to a hotel, all over 8 and good swimmers but could only take 2 in at a time, he would have booked it if he had known. It's just ridiculous! One had to sit at the edge and swap in and out!

I’ve seen 1:1, but 2:1 is definitely unusual.

Our local pool with lifeguards has a within arms reach policy for young swimmers. The adult needs to be in the water next to the child. Not all parents abide and it is hard to enforce at such a large facility, but it is a good rule in general.

This is bonkers. 2 adults per child? It’s like they’ve read 2:1 somewhere and misunderstood which way round the numbers should go 😂

Agree that in an un lifeguarded pool, 9 year olds shouldn’t be alone. But I’d have thought 1 or 2 adults with the children you mention would have been adequate.

it does seem like maybe they didn’t really want kids in there at all…

not sure it was designed to discourage children as the slots are booked by groups staying there, my children in the pool don’t impact on childless guests using the pool in their slot, groups don’t intermingle, if that makes sense.

All for pool safety, but these are extreme. Not sure they even make sense as sometimes two adults with a small child are less safe than one, as they may think the other is watching the child and then neither properly supervises.

Agree, I think some pools let older children who can swim well in on their own, but only with lifeguards as you say. Would expect most hotels to require an adult with children of any age, but the ratios are mad.

That's bonkers. I'm now at my eventual reward for the many years of weekly swimming lessons with a 12 & 14 yo that have completed stage 8 and are strong swimmers with DS2 now working through Rookie Lifguard. It's absolutely ludicrous that I'd have to have barely-swimmer DH in the pool to meet ratio to supervise them!

That's totally out of touch with usual pool ratios.

It's not in the hotel's best interest to put off paying customers. Sounds more like a complex issue connect with the hotel's insurance and public liability - all of which comes down to supervision, safety measures, etc.

Oh the famous one for kids?

Don’t think so - it’s one in Lyme Regis. No other grumbles about it.

That is a bit crazy. Also my 14 and 10 year olds are better swimmers than me now!

That's madness! Their business will fail in no time

I think it’s too excessive.

Kyoko Iwasaki of Japan won an Olympic gold medal for 200m breaststroke at 14.

Our kids (not the 4 year old) aren’t Olympians but have all swam in national competitions so were very taken aback!

Wow
National competitions at 4!

Re read my post.

Apologies

Unfortunately theres a lot of feral kids with shit parents
it not so much about water safety it’s about teenagers being pain in the arse unsupervised

I take it there's no swimming for the children of single parents 😳. Just wow!