Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Exercise

Chat to other fitness enthusiasts on our Exercise forum.

Original poster

Will swimming pools ever drop timed slots?

37 replies

FlySwimmer · 08/06/2022 23:39

Before Covid, two pools I used regularly didn’t operate timed slots. They’re both pretty large so nearly always had a couple of lanes earmarked for fitness swimming, and you could basically stay as long as you liked within the designated ‘swim for fitness’ hours, e.g. 12-4. Now, both pools have 50-minute slots you have to pre-book. One I haven’t used for a good while so I don’t know how strict they are in enforcing it, we’ll see.

I would really like timed slots to go. I don’t want to stay for hours, but I’d like a bit longer than 50 minutes, especially as in some places the 50 minutes apparently includes showering/changing time! Especially during quieter times of the day, it feels like pools are taking the piss a bit now. Does anyone feel the same way?

OP posts:
DelurkingAJ · 08/06/2022 23:42

Our pool (attached to a gym admittedly) dropped them some months Bach (to my delight).

SkankingWombat · 08/06/2022 23:44

Yes, I would too although for me it is because often the time I want to go straddles the slots rather than wanting more time. My pool has 1.5hr slots, which are long enough but mean everyone turns up at eg 11am for the start of the session. It is then really crowded for an hour and dead for the following 30mins. Removing the sessions would create a steadier flow of swimmers IMO.

Sharrowgirl · 08/06/2022 23:44

I think there are some covid restrictions that some businesses have discovered rather suits them. This sounds like one of them and I agree it’s very irritating.

RightOnTheEdge · 08/06/2022 23:48

Our pool used to have a family swim on Sundays. You could just turn up and it was something like 8am until 2pm.
Since Covid they only do 45 minute slots and you have to book. There are still limiting the numbers of swimmers allowed.

TheUsualChaos · 08/06/2022 23:49

Yes I agree! Feel like so many business are now carrying on with covid measures for their own benefit not ours. I'm fed up of having to pre book everything in general tbh. Miss being spontaneous and saying shall we go swimming and just bloody going! Also, sick of the faff of having to set up online accounts and passwords practically everytime you want to do something 🙄

Punkypinky · 08/06/2022 23:52

TheUsualChaos · 08/06/2022 23:49

Yes I agree! Feel like so many business are now carrying on with covid measures for their own benefit not ours. I'm fed up of having to pre book everything in general tbh. Miss being spontaneous and saying shall we go swimming and just bloody going! Also, sick of the faff of having to set up online accounts and passwords practically everytime you want to do something 🙄

Yes this!

Original poster
FlySwimmer · 09/06/2022 00:06

Glad to see others agree. Part of what makes it tricky for me is because I use different pools (one near work, one near home), it doesn’t make sense to have membership at either. If I had a membership, as I understand it, I could book back to back sessions. But I think that pools should simply go back to how they were. I agree with @SkankingWombat that having slots actually creates bottlenecks unnecessarily. Sure, at very busy times it might make sense to limit times, but at 2pm on a weekday afternoon with few people, why can’t I stay for 1 hour?

OP posts:
emmathedilemma · 09/06/2022 12:25

My gym dropped them months ago but the local "council" pools are still pre-booking slots. I actually quite liked pre-booking for swimming because you could see how busy the pool was likely to be (I consider sharing a lane with one other to be over crowded!). We weren't restricted to only booking one at a time though so I'd often book 2 consecutive session, arrive part way through the first one, by which time some people were already getting out, then stay in for the 2nd session.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 09/06/2022 12:43

I much prefer having a time slot and having to book in rather than just turning up.

Previously we could turn up and be turned away as it was still too busy with people who hadn't left from earlier or too many walk ins. Now I can book on the app and see how many other people are booked in at certain times. This is great as I can pick quieter times if I want and I know I'll not be turned away.

BogRollBOGOF · 09/06/2022 15:13

There's about a 3 hour window of 45min family slots at the weekend rather than free flow created Coz Covid, and all it's done is congest the arrival and finishing changing into the same overlap of time which defeated the objective of reducing crowding anyway. Annoyingly the whistle is blown and pools cleared at the change overs. Admittedly my kids had stamina for swimming and could stay longer than average, but most families are chilled out in 45-60 mins anyway so I don't see what the great benefit is.

For laned swimming I tend to book just before leaving so fairly spontaneous but I do miss just being able to head out and turn up halfway through a long open session rather than aiming for a set time.

Original poster
FlySwimmer · 09/06/2022 21:59

Had a swim in one of the pools I haven’t used in a while today. There was someone checking people in at the front desk so you probably would have needed to book. But there didn’t seem to be much policing of the slots once in. There was a guy there mid-session when I arrived & he was still there 50 minutes later when I got out.

Now if only pre-booking could guarantee you would avoid the male swimmers who think they’re God’s gift to the sport…

OP posts:
tobee · 09/06/2022 23:03

Side issue but I wish they'd get rid of pre booking at the local council dump/recycling place around. Similarly, I think this will stay because the council prefer it.

BogRollBOGOF · 10/06/2022 07:34

tobee · 09/06/2022 23:03

Side issue but I wish they'd get rid of pre booking at the local council dump/recycling place around. Similarly, I think this will stay because the council prefer it.

Our council thinks this is a huge sucess... because everyone spills out to the surounding district council sites and uses them 🤦‍♀️
Oh and the fly tipping!

One of the other issues of timed slots for swimming is that it cuts off longer distance swimmers.

SmiledWtherisingsun · 10/06/2022 07:36

I just stay in as long as i want.

artisanbread · 10/06/2022 07:36

Ours (council) hasn't had them for months so it must be variable.

mumonthehill · 10/06/2022 07:40

We still have time slots and 3 lanes with 7 people able to swim in each lane. I really like it as I know it will not be busy and that I will definitely able to swim. We can still only use the changing room on the way out and have arrive swim ready and leave our stuff in a box by the side of the pool- I wish this would change!

LeafHunter · 10/06/2022 07:46

Neither our council or our local pool (attached to an independent school) has bookable slots. They haven’t for over a year - I think it’s worth asking the leisure manager how long it will be going on for.

SweetSakura · 10/06/2022 07:59

My (private) gym does a mixture, so some sessions are bookable and some aren't. I prefer booked slots as I know the pool wont get too busy.

SweetSakura · 10/06/2022 08:01

In fact, given the regular problem of turning up at a council pool pre covid on a rainy day to find the pool was full, I hope timed bookable slots stay at most pools for at least part of each day

greenbirdsong · 10/06/2022 08:02

I agree. Our local pool is the same. Still having 45 mins slots. It's not enough time and I wish they'd drop it.

Same with some holiday places. I went to haven a couple of weeks back and you still have to book swimming and only get an hour. I want to be spontaneous on holiday not prebook everything!

lljkk · 10/06/2022 08:06

Officially we're supposed to book, up to 12/lane, but I just turn up and scan in
My : ( is that we have fewer lane sessions than before (&/or shorter sessions).
I can't blame the pool in that our current sessions aren't over-busy, obviously the pool just isn't in as demand.

We have lost ...
30 minutes on each weekday morning & Saturday noon
about 3 hours total over weekdays (noonish times)
early morning Saturday slot
2 hours combined late weekend afternoons

Ledkr · 10/06/2022 08:08

It's so annoying
Myself and my children grew up using our lovely local swimming pool. It's outdoor and huge with lovely grassy areas and play ares. We used to get a season ticket and spend our summers there taking picnics.
Now it's still sessions and is really suged and not a whole day out.
I didnt get a season ticket for the first time in about 30 years.
Also booking for an outdoor pool at about 22 quid per family is a bit of a gamble with an outdoor pool and our awful British weather.
Greedy.

CaptainCorellisXylophone · 10/06/2022 08:43

I don't think that they will drop it, but:

My local pool has 50 minute slots at 10 minute intervals and there is definitely no monitoring of the 50 minute time. I am not sure how they would and I am fairly sure that they don't care.

Separately, the "Better" leisure centre app for booking swim times is utterly dreadful. One day I am going to count the number of taps, swipes and typing required just to book a slot when you are already logged in as a member.

wwyd2021medicine · 10/06/2022 08:44

Really irritating nonsense
Local leisure club - £75 a month - then you have to book for an hour slot 😡
So I couldn't even do my normal gym routine let alone have a swim too.
It's at a hotel chain and I'm so tempted to email management of the chain. I walk past the pool regularly early evening and it's empty. Such a waste and loss of income due to their nonsense. The whole point of paying is that you can go along whenever is convenient to you (after work etc which may not be predictable)

teaandtoastwithmarmite · 10/06/2022 11:05

My gym doesn't have this