Pool water temperature

[admikar]

Just finished reading thread about student preparedness/satisfaction with pool experience.
One thing that struck me is ability to learn depending on water temperature (in a pool).
I know everyone has a personal cold resilience, but what interests me is, how different are pool temperatures?
Every pool (closed) I encountered has pretty much the same temperature, and at those values I could go kicking all day long, wearing just swimming shorts. I am used to quite cold rivers, one is around 12-14°C in August, but it can't be that much just to my feel of "normal", or am I wrong?

 

[RJP]

Every pool (closed) I encountered has pretty much the same temperature, and at those values I could go kicking all day long, wearing just swimming shorts.

Sure. But try just standing still in the water, listening to an instructor and watching the 3-7 other students in your class do skills for the better part of three hours.

I guarantee that you'll get cold.

 

[Littlerayray]

When I help struggling students with the pool session I am wearing either a rash guard the pool is 83 degrees but that's 15 degrees colder then my body temp and when diving your not splashing around as much as when swimming so you do tend to get chilled that being said I've seen many students come to the second pool session wearing a shorty or rash guard

 

[RJP]

When I help struggling students with the pool session I am wearing either a rash guard the pool is 83 degrees but that's 15 degrees colder then my body temp and when diving your not splashing around as much as when swimming so you do tend to get chilled that being said I've seen many students come to the second pool session wearing a shorty or rash guard

I wear a full wet suit when teaching, and strongly encourage students to do so as well. If they get cold during the first pool session, I require it for subsequent sessions.

PS - this also has the added benefit of students actually learning how to dive in wetsuit relative to buoyancy, weight, trim, comfort, range of motion, etc. Trim is a big one... much easier for most new divers to get/maintain horizontal trim with some neoprene around their legs.

 

[dmaziuk]

Diving wells are several degrees warmer than lap pools and should be OK for a couple of hours once a week. I expect you'll be cold in them if you go 3 hrs/day for several days in a row.

 

[TMHeimer]

Ours is about 68F/10C in summer, maybe 5F/3C cooler in Oct./Nov. due to building temp. and open garage door (I think). We all use shorties. It does get a bit cool (even for me) after 2-3 hrs. Hot shower available in between CW dive sections.

 

[RJP]

Ours is about 68F/10C in summer, maybe 5F/3C cooler in Oct./Nov. due to building temp. and open garage door (I think). We all use shorties. It does get a bit cool (even for me) after 2-3 hrs. Hot shower available in between CW dive sections.

Wow. That's irresponsibly cold in my book.

 

[divad]

Not if you're a swimmer.

 

[Hawkwood]

Our pool is usually in the high 80's. They start off in just their bathing suits.

They get a good lesson in heat transfer.

Students are often shorties after the first night.

 

[KevinNM]

The pool I most commonly practice in was 27c (80F) today. I was in a dry suit with heavy undergarments and it sucked, but I'm working on issues with doing stuff in a dry suit with heavy undergarments, so...

I've dove it in a bathing suit and doing stationary drills it gets kind of chilly after 45 minutes. The students in the class that pays for the pool are in shorties, and the instructors/DMs are usually in full light wetsuits and they are usually in for 1.5 to 2.5 hours per session.