Swimming Pools

A swimming pool is an enclosed body of water in which you can enjoy recreational or competitive swimming. There are many different shapes and sizes and pools can be constructed from many different materials. A simple closed in brook or wading area can be called a swimming pool. Archaeologists have unearthed a large swimming pool at Mohnejo-Daro in the Indus Valley. This pool measured 12 x 7 feet and is believed to have been used as far back as 3000 B.C. The Ancient Greeks and Romans had artificial training pools for their athletes and warriors. However, it was not until the latter part of the 19th century that swimming pools became popular in England and in 1896 six pools with diving boards were built in London.

In the United States, swimming pools are measured in yards, but in Canada, the United Kingdom and Europe, they are measured in metres. In the US, pools tend to be either 25 yards long for short courses or 50 yards long for long courses. Like European pools, they can be between 10m and 50 m in width. The depth of the pool depends on its use. Most private swimming pools are between 1 to 2 m deep, but if they are intended for public use, they usually slope downwards from 3 to 5 m in the deep end. Some pools may have a play area for children where the water is only 30 cm to 1 m deep.

Many people have their own inground or above ground swimming pool located next to their home. An inground swimming pool requires that the land be excavated and a cement floor and walls be added. There also has to be a water pump and a chlorination system attached. The above ground swimming pools are meant to be only temporary so that you can pump out the water and dismantle them when the summer or the hot weather is over. You still have the luxury of taking a swim, but you don’t have the expense of having an inground pool installed nor do you have the problems associated with its maintenance. You can choose to have a heater in your pool or use solar heating to warm the water.

The Olympic size pool is the largest and deepest size pool. All pools for such competitions must be 50 m long and 25 m wide. The water in the pool must be kept at a constant temperature of 25 – 28 ºC and the depth must be at least 2 m. The largest swimming pool in the world is located in Algarroba, Chile at the San Alfonso del Mar Seawater Pool. The largest indoor swimming pool in the world is located in West Edmonton Mall, in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

A new idea come in the form of a very small pool which has a wave machine which you swim against, these are called infinity or endless pools. Needless to say they are becoming very popular because they require so little space and maintenance.