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Covid

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Original poster

How safe do you think swimming pools really are?

62 replies

loveyouradvice · 15/04/2021 19:59

Just that really ... local gym opened up again - I went in enthusiastically and with 12 of us in three lanes in a quite a small pool I felt rather wary.

Is it safe? And what's the impact of chlorine and little ventilation?

OP posts:

TempsPerdu · 17/04/2021 12:47

Very annoyed that kids swimming is still no changing rooms just leave in your wet clothes which assumes everyone drives there

That’s really rubbish. I think there’s a big divide here between private and council gyms/pools - my private one has changing rooms etc fully open, while as far as I know our local council pool hasn’t even reopened yet (it took months to do so last time round, and even then with severe restrictions).

So grateful right now that I can afford to pay the gym fees - was lovely to get DD back in the pool this week, and I had a lovely swim/jacuzzj and outside coffee myself yesterday. Sadly I can see the divide between public and private facilities become even more pronounced in the wake of Covid.

Wakeupin2022 · 17/04/2021 22:55

Temps my kids go to Council pool. Well it's not council as its outsourced, but pretty much the same.

Changing rooms are open. You do go in beach ready through a side door. But they get changed what they are done.

I could easily afford to send them to a posher pool, but really can't he arsed with all the pretentiousness of that.

DonGray · 18/04/2021 09:24

The risk assessments seem to vary widely

council pool here allows changing after
swim club at a state school pool - no changing at all - parents not allowed on site

shouldistop · 18/04/2021 15:08

I went swimming 3 times a week heavily pregnant before they shut again in November where I am. So I thought they were pretty safe.

GreyhoundG1rl · 18/04/2021 15:10

I could easily afford to send them to a posher pool, but really can't he arsed with all the pretentiousness of that.
What on earth? 😂

SummerHouse · 20/04/2021 09:34

@GreyhoundG1rl

I could easily afford to send them to a posher pool, but really can't he arsed with all the pretentiousness of that. What on earth? 😂

DS8 was discussing why he didn't like a friend's very expensive gym because it was too exclusive for him. My friend asked about the pool and he said, "oh, no, the pool is very humble."

BaronessBomburst · 20/04/2021 09:45

The Corona virus is airborne but hates humidity. Pools, and even the changing rooms, are very humid places. The virus can't travel as far in humid air and degrades more quickly. It is also more likely to drop out of the air as the water molecules make it heavier - so it will land on a surface where you may touch it but you won't breath it in.
Swimming pools are pretty low risk, all in all.

beela · 20/04/2021 09:46

Not at all scientific, but.... Isn't there some chlorine in the air at the pool? You can smell it so there must be. I wonder if the chlorine evaporating off the water disinfects the air to some extent. I might be totally wrong, just speculating.

I'm not going back yet anyway, because I really hate not being able to swap lanes mid swim!

BiBabbles · 20/04/2021 10:03

I restarted swimming as soon as pools opened again- all 3 times.

I'm so envious - my local pools have decided each time to only open only for a few hours in the middle of the day for lane swimming with family swim about weekly during the lunch hour. I'm waiting for the family swims in the late afternoons to return so I can go back swimming and be able to help my DD1 be more confident in the water.

NameChangeforMoneyThings · 20/04/2021 10:22

@BiBabbles

I restarted swimming as soon as pools opened again- all 3 times.

I am very lucky to be able to but I ended up giving up my council gym membership and switching to a private gym + pool.

The council had almost everything closed, Inc changing rooms and showers, pre-booking only,half the pools shut, and the ones that were open only during working hours.

The private gym has an outdoor pool as well as indoor, has at least one not in use for lessons all the time and is open 6-10 every day. Changing rooms are fully functional.

Sadly my desire to actually be able to go swimming won out over my desire to support the council leisure centres.

Pancakepipsqueak · 20/04/2021 10:34

I’ve started swimming once a week with my partner and my 6 month old daughter! It’s in the training pool, the main pool is closed and there is only 3 families (3 people per family) in the pool so I feel quite safe doing it!
I don’t shower there though, we’re in and out and shower at home.
I love it. It’s 45 minutes a week of normal, fun, family time. It’s also very important to me that my daughter loves the water as much as I do!

DieSchottin93 · 20/04/2021 16:04

I went swimming nearly daily at my local council pool between September and Christmas last year and didn't pick anything up there. Our pool is a standard 25m one split into 3 lanes with a max of 6 people to a lane so a max of 18 people per session. We get assigned a locker and cubicle when we arrive which get cleaned after we leave. There are about 60 cubicles so very easy to space out and some of the cubicles have showers in them too The showers are in use but every second one has a sign up saying "Not In Use". There is also a one way system in place and face masks unless you're on poolside/shower area. It all felt very safe and well organised.

Sadly my local one won't be reopening next week (maybe something to do with the sports centre being used as one of the main vaccination hubs in my town) but that's probably a good thing as I'm not booked in for a leg wax til the 7th of May 🤣

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