Swimming pool#Private pools

{{See also|History of water supply and sanitation}}

File:Roman Baths in Bath Spa, England - July 2006.jpg, England]]

The "Great Bath" at the site of Mohenjo-Daro in modern-day Pakistan was most likely the first swimming pool, dug during the 3rd millennium BC. This pool is {{convert|12|by|7|m|abbr=off}}, is lined with bricks, and was covered with a tar-based sealant.{{cite web|title=Great Bath, Mohenjo-daro|url=http://www.harappa.com/indus/8.html|website=harappa.com}}

Ancient Greeks and Romans built artificial pools for athletic training in the palaestras, for nautical games and for military exercises. Roman emperors had private swimming pools in which fish were also kept, hence one of the Latin words for a pool was piscina. The first heated swimming pool was built by Gaius Maecenas in his gardens on the Esquiline Hill of Rome, likely sometime between 38 and 8 BC.{{cite journal |last1=Wiseman |first1=T.P. |title=Maecenas and the Stage |journal=Papers of the British School at Rome |date=20 September 2016 |volume=84 |pages=131–155 |doi=10.1017/S0068246216000040 |s2cid=193579486 }} Gaius Maecenas was a wealthy imperial advisor to Augustus and considered one of the first patrons of arts.{{cite web|title=Gaius Maecenas, or Gaius Cilnius Maecenas (Roman diplomat and patron)|url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-356230/Gaius-Maecenas|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013195214/http://www.britannica.com/eb/topic-356230/Gaius-Maecenas|archive-date=13 October 2007|publisher=Britannica Online Encyclopedia}}

Ancient Sinhalese built a pair of pools called "Kuttam Pokuna" in the kingdom of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, in the 6th century AD. They were decorated with flights of steps, punkalas or pots of abundance, and scroll design.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lankalibrary.com/heritage/Anuradhapura.htm|title=WWW Virtual Library: ANURADHAPURA|website=www.lankalibrary.com}}[https://www.lankapradeepa.com/2020/11/kuttam-pokuna.html Kuttam Pokuna] by Lanka Pradeepa, 3 November 2020, retrieved 8 July 2022.

{{anchor|19th century}}

Swimming pools became popular in Britain in the mid-19th century. As early as 1837, six indoor pools with diving boards existed in London, England.{{cite web|url=http://homepage.ntlworld.com/oliver.merrington/lidos/refs.htm|title=Lidos: Links and References|access-date=19 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223150923/http://homepage.ntlworld.com/oliver.merrington/lidos/refs.htm|archive-date=23 February 2015}} The Maidstone Swimming Club in Maidstone, Kent is believed to be the oldest surviving swimming club in Britain. It was formed in 1844, in response to concerns over drownings in the River Medway, especially since would-be rescuers would often drown because they themselves could not swim to safety. The club used to swim in the River Medway, and would hold races, diving competitions and water polo matches. The South East Gazette July 1844 reported an aquatic breakfast party: coffee and biscuits were served on a floating raft in the river. The coffee was kept hot over a fire; club members had to tread water and drink coffee at the same time. The last swimmers managed to overturn the raft, to the amusement of 150 spectators.{{cite web|title=Historical Titbits|url=http://www.maidstoneswimmingclub.net/index.php/about-us/our-history|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125090314/http://www.maidstoneswimmingclub.net/index.php/about-us/our-history|archive-date=25 January 2012|access-date=26 October 2011|publisher=Maidstone Swimming Club}}

The Amateur Swimming Association was founded in 1869 in England,{{citation needed|date=April 2018}} and the Oxford Swimming Club in 1909.The City of Oxford Swimming Club, [http://oxfordswim.com/about/history/ History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623004813/http://oxfordswim.com/about/history/ |date=23 June 2018 }} The presence of indoor baths in the cobbled area of Merton Street might have persuaded the less hardy of the aquatic brigade to join. So, bathers gradually became swimmers, and bathing pools became swimming pools.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}} In 1939, Oxford created its first major public indoor pool at Temple Cowley.

The modern Olympic Games started in 1896 and included swimming races, after which the popularity of swimming pools began to spread. In the US, the Racquet Club of Philadelphia clubhouse (1907) boasts one of the world's first modern above-ground swimming pools. The first swimming pool to go to sea on an ocean liner was installed on the White Star Line's Adriatic in 1906.{{cite web|url=http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/adriatic2.html|title=TGOL – Adriatic|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150611113934/http://www.thegreatoceanliners.com/adriatic2.html|archive-date=11 June 2015}} The oldest known public swimming pool in the U.S., Underwood Pool, is located in Belmont, Massachusetts.{{cite book|author1=Belmont Historical Society|title=Belmont|date=2000|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|location=Charleston, SC|isbn=978-0-7385-0466-7|page=8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gU3-jvhbqEkC|access-date=15 November 2016|display-authors=etal}}

File:Yrjonkadun-uimahalli-1928.jpg, the oldest swimming hall in Finland, photographed on its opening day on 4 June 1928 in Kamppi, Helsinki{{Cite web|url=https://www.myhelsinki.fi/en/see-and-do/sights/yrjönkatu-swimming-hall|title=Yrjönkatu Swimming Hall|website=My Helsinki}}]]

Interest in competitive swimming grew following World War I. Standards improved and training became essential. Home swimming pools became popular in the United States after World War II and the publicity given to swimming sports by Hollywood films such as Esther Williams' Million Dollar Mermaid made a home pool a desirable status symbol. More than 50 years later, the home or residential swimming pool is a common sight. Some small nations enjoy a thriving swimming pool industry (e.g., New Zealand pop. 4,116,900 – holds the record in pools per capita with 65,000 home swimming pools and 125,000 spa pools).NZ Census, 7 March 2006.

A two-storey, white concrete swimming pool building composed of horizontal cubic volumes built in 1959 at the Royal Roads Military College is on the Canadian Register of Historic Places.{{cite web|title=HistoricPlaces.ca – Recherche|url=http://www.historicplaces.ca/visit-visite/affichage-display.aspx?id=2845|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090224080408/http://www.historicplaces.ca/visit-visite/affichage-display.aspx?id=2845|archive-date=24 February 2009}}

{{Further|List of largest swimming pools}}

File:Schwimmbad Moskwa.jpg, at one time the largest swimming pool in the world (1980)]]

According to the Guinness World Records, the largest swimming pool in the world is San Alfonso del Mar Seawater pool in Algarrobo, Chile. It is {{convert|1013|m|ft|abbr=on}} long and has an area of 8 ha (20 acres). At its deepest, it is {{convert|3.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} deep.{{cite web|last=Berlin|first=Jeremy|title=Big Dipper: The World's Largest Pool|url=http://blogs.ngm.com/blog_central/2010/03/big-dipper-the-worlds-largest-pool.html|publisher=National Geographic Magazine blog central|access-date=16 January 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110115111025/http://blogs.ngm.com/blog_central/2010/03/big-dipper-the-worlds-largest-pool.html|archive-date=15 January 2011}} It was completed in December 2006.{{cite web|title=World's Largest Swimming Pool |publisher=Guinness World Records |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/amazing_feats/big_stuff/largest_swimming_pool.aspx |access-date=24 January 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080113180917/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/amazing_feats/big_stuff/largest_swimming_pool.aspx |archive-date=13 January 2008 }}

The largest indoor wave pool in the world is at DreamWorks Water Park within the American Dream shopping and entertainment complex at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States, and the largest indoor pool in North America is at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in the Sonny Carter Training Facility at NASA JSC in Houston.{{Cite news|url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/entertainment/2018/11/12/american-dreams-indoor-water-park-takes-shape-body-slide-now-visible-meadowlands-nj/1981791002/|title=See the progress on the American Dream water park, now taking shape|first=Nicholas|last=Katzban|date=12 November 2018|access-date=9 March 2019|publisher=NorthJersey.com}}NASA, [https://web.archive.org/web/20031011122743/http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/shuttle/support/training/isstraining/eva.html Behind the Scenes: Training]. Retrieved 7 May 2007

In 2021, Deep Dive Dubai, located in Dubai, UAE, was certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's deepest swimming pool reaching {{convert|60|m}}.{{cite web|title=Deep Dive Dubai - The world's deepest pool|url=https://deepdivedubai.com/|publisher=Deep Dive Dubai|access-date=2 August 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/commercial/2021/7/explore-the-worlds-deepest-diving-pool-that-holds-a-sunken-city-667446|title=Explore the world's deepest diving pool that holds a sunken city|publisher=Guinness World Records|date=21 July 2021|first=Mohamad|last=Kaddoura|access-date=2 August 2021}} The Y-40 swimming pool at the Hotel Terme Millepini in Padua, Italy, previously held the record, {{cvt|42.15|m}}, from 2014 until 2021.{{cite web|title=Dive into the world's deepest swimming pool at 130ft|work=The Telegraph|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/11113946/Dive-into-the-worlds-deepest-swimming-pool-at-130ft.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140923041133/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/11113946/Dive-into-the-worlds-deepest-swimming-pool-at-130ft.html|archive-date=23 September 2014}}

The Fleishhacker Pool in San Francisco was the largest heated outdoor swimming pool in the United States. Opened on 23 April 1925, it measured {{convert|1000|by|150|ft|m|abbr=on|-1}} and was so large that the lifeguards required kayaks for patrol. It was closed in 1971 due to low patronage.{{cite web|url=http://www.sfzoo.org/historicsites |title=San Francisco Zoological Society – About the Zoo – Historic Sites |publisher=The San Francisco Zoo |access-date=10 March 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109232507/http://www.sfzoo.org/historicsites |archive-date=9 January 2012 }}

In Europe, the largest swimming pool opened in 1934 in Elbląg (Poland), providing a water area of {{convert|33500|sqm}}.{{cite web|title=Kąpielisko miejskie – Elbląg|url=http://miasteria.pl/miejsce/Kapielisko-miejskie-Elblag.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100626093905/http://miasteria.pl/miejsce/Kapielisko-miejskie-Elblag.html|archive-date=26 June 2010|access-date=13 November 2012|publisher=MOSiR Elbląg|language=pl}}

One of the largest swimming pools ever built was reputedly created in Moscow after the Palace of Soviets remained uncompleted. The foundations of the palace were converted into the Moskva Pool open-air swimming pool after the process of de-Stalinisation.{{cite web|url=http://www.xxc.ru/english/destruct/index.htm|title=DESTRUCTION (1931–1990)|access-date=19 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150401020529/http://www.xxc.ru/english/destruct/index.htm|archive-date=1 April 2015|url-status=dead}} However, after the fall of communism, Christ the Saviour Cathedral was re-built on the site between 1995 and 2000; the cathedral had originally been located there.{{citation needed|date=September 2015}}

The highest swimming pool is believed to be in Yangbajain (Tibet, China). This resort is located at {{cvt|4200|m}} AMSL and has two indoor swimming pools and one outdoor swimming pool, all filled with water from hot springs.{{cite book

|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=n_WNBLU660AC&q=yangbajain+swimming+pool&pg=PA28

|title = Travel guide to Tibet of China

|author = 安才旦

|publisher = China Intercontinental Press

|page = 28

|access-date = 30 November 2010 |isbn = 978-7-5085-0374-5

|year = 2003

}}

{{further|#Competition pools}}

File:Cairns Lagoon.JPG Lagoon, a public swimming pool in Australia]]

File:Rooftop pool NYC.jpg]]

Length: Most pools in the world are measured in metres, but in the United States pools are often measured in feet and yards. In the UK most pools are calibrated in metres, but older pools measured in yards still exist. In the US, pools tend to either be 25 yards (SCY-short course yards), 25 metres (SCM-short course metres) or 50 metres (LCM - long course meters). US high schools and the NCAA conduct short course (25 yards) competition. There are also many pools {{frac|33|1|3}} m long, so that 3 lengths = 100 m. This pool dimension is commonly used to accommodate water polo.{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}}

USA Swimming (USA-S) swims in both metric and non-metric pools. However, the international standard is metres, and world records are only recognized when swum in 50 m pools (or 25 m for short course) but 25-yard pools are very common in the US. In general, the shorter the pool, the faster the time for the same distance, since the swimmer gains speed from pushing off the wall after each turn at the end of the pool.

Width: The width of the pool depends on the number of swimming lanes and the width of each individual lane. In an Olympic swimming pool each lane is 2.5 meters wide{{Cite web |last=Swimming 101 |date=2022-09-13 |title=How Big Is an Olympic-Sized Swimming Pool? |url=https://swimswam.com/how-big-is-an-olympic-sized-swimming-pool/ |access-date=2023-10-12 |website=SwimSwam |language=en-US}} and contains 10 lanes, thus making the pool 25 meters wide.

Depth: The depth of a swimming pool depends on the purpose of the pool, and whether it is open to the public or strictly for private use. If it is a private casual, relaxing pool, it may go from {{convert|1.0|to|2.0|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=2}} deep. If it is a public pool designed for diving, it may slope from {{convert|3.0|to|5.5|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in the deep end. A children's play pool may be from {{convert|0.3|to|1.2|m|ft|abbr=on|sigfig=1}} deep. Most public pools have differing depths to accommodate different swimmer requirements. In many jurisdictions, it is a requirement to show the water depth with clearly marked depths affixed to the pool walls,{{Cite web |title=Section XXIV-701 - Depth Markers [formerly paragraph 24:013-13], La. Admin. Code tit. 51 § XXIV-701 {{!}} Casetext Search + Citator |url=https://casetext.com/regulation/louisiana-administrative-code/title-51-public-health-sanitary-code/part-xxiv-swimming-pools-and-natural-or-semi-artificial-swimming-or-bathing-places/chapter-7-general-standards/section-xxiv-701-depth-markers-formerly-paragraph-24013-13 |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=casetext.com}}{{Cite web |title=CHAPTER 4 PUBLIC SWIMMING POOLS - 2018 INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING POOL AND SPA CODE (ISPSC) |url=https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/ISPSC2018/chapter-4-public-swimming-pools |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=codes.iccsafe.org}} although this may not be the case for private pools in some jurisdictions.{{Cite web |title=SEC. 43A-6. DEPTH AND SLOPE; DEPTH MARKINGS. |url=https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/dallas/latest/dallas_tx/0-0-0-121947 |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=American Legal Publishing |language=en-US}}

Pools can be either indoors or outdoors. They can be of any size and shape, and inground or above ground. Most pools are permanent fixtures, while others are temporary, collapsible structures.

File:Redino. July noon - panoramio (cropped).jpg

Private pools are usually smaller than public pools, on average {{convert|12|x|24|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} to {{convert|20|x|40|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} whereas public pools usually start at {{convert|20|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{Citation needed|date=April 2010}} Home pools can be permanently built-in, or be assembled above ground and disassembled after summer. Privately owned outdoor pools in backyards or gardens started to proliferate in the 1950s in regions with warm summer climates, particularly in the United States with desegregation.{{cite news|last1=Applebaum|first1=Yoni|title=McKinney, Texas, and the Racial History of American Swimming Pools|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/troubled-waters-in-mckinney-texas/395150/|access-date=8 June 2015|work=The Atlantic|date=8 June 2015}} A plunge pool is a smaller, permanently installed swimming pool, with a maximum size of approximately {{convert|10|x|20|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip|sigfig=1}}.{{Cite news |last=Picard |first=Lia |date=2022-08-02 |title=Don't Call It a Swimming Pool |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/style/plunge-pools.html |access-date=2022-08-05 |issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web |last=Pavlidis |first=Savas |date=9 Oct 2024 |title=Plunge Pool vs Swimming Pool Installation |url=https://sandlpoolinstallationnj.com/plunge-pool-vs-swimming-pool-installation |access-date=8 Mar 2025 |website=S & L}}{{Cite web |last=Yang |first=Sarah |date=2023-10-27 |title=Emily Henderson Designed Her Portland Farm's Garden Around a Plunge Pool—Here's Why |url=https://www.sunset.com/home-garden/landscaping/emily-henderson-portland-plunge-pool |access-date=2025-03-09 |website=Sunset Magazine}}

Construction methods for private pools vary greatly. The main types of in-ground pools are gunite shotcrete, concrete, vinyl-lined, and one-piece fiberglass shells.

Many countries now have strict pool fencing requirements for private swimming pools, which require pool areas to be isolated so that unauthorized children younger than six years cannot enter. Many countries require a similar level of protection for the children residing in or visiting the house, although many pool owners prefer the visual aspect of the pool in close proximity to their living areas, and will not provide this level of protection. There is no consensus between states or countries on the requirements to fence private swimming pools, and in many places they are not required at all, particularly in rural settings.{{cite web|title=Pool Safety Guidelines|url=http://www.swimmingpool.com/safety/pool-safety-guidelines|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925021504/http://www.swimmingpool.com/safety/pool-safety-guidelines|archive-date=25 September 2011|access-date=19 April 2015}}

{{Redirect|Children's pool|the beach in La Jolla, San Diego|Children's Pool Beach}}

Inexpensive temporary polyvinyl chloride pools can be bought in supermarkets and taken down after summer. They are used mostly outdoors in yards, are typically shallow, and often their sides are inflated with air to stay rigid. When finished, the water and air can be let out and this type of pool can be folded up for convenient storage. They are regarded in the swimming pool industry as "splasher" pools intended for cooling off and amusing toddlers and children, not for swimming, hence the alternate name of "kiddie" pools.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}

Toys are available for children and other people to play with in pool water. They are often blown up with air so they are soft but still reasonably rugged, and can float in water.

File:Black Labrador Retriever kiddie pool..jpg|A black Labrador Retriever bathing in a kiddie pool

File:Kids.jpg|Children playing in an inflatable pool

File:Miami hotel swimming pool.jpg

File:Fra Mare. Foto by Victor Belousov. - panoramio (4).jpg

File:Tooting Bec Lido 20080724.JPG, in South London]]

Public pools are often part of a larger leisure center or recreational complex. These centres often have more than one pool, such as an indoor heated pool, an outdoor (chlorinated, saltwater or ozonated) pool which may be heated or unheated, a shallower children's pool, and a paddling pool for toddlers and infants. There may also be a sauna and one or more hot tubs or spa pools ("jacuzzis").

Many upscale hotels and holiday resorts have a swimming pool for use by their guests. If a pool is in a separate building, the building may be called a natatorium. The building may sometimes also have facilities for related activities, such as a diving tank. Larger pools sometimes have a diving board affixed at one edge above the water.

Many public swimming pools are rectangles 25 m or 50 m long, but they can be any size and shape. There are also elaborate pools with artificial waterfalls, fountains, splash pads, wave machines, varying depths of water, bridges, and island bars.

File:Children's Pool for SaiGaau Swimming Pool.jpg

Some swimming facilities have lockers for clothing and other belongings. The lockers can require a coin to be inserted in a slot, either as deposit or payment. There are usually showers – sometimes mandatory – before and/or after swimming.https://wpln.org/post/pool-rules-why-experts-say-you-really-should-shower-before-hopping-in/ There are often also lifeguards to ensure the safety of users.

Wading or paddling pools are shallow bodies of water intended for use by small children, usually in parks. Concrete wading pools come in many shapes, traditionally rectangle, square or circle. Some are filled and drained daily due to lack of a filter system. Staff chlorinate the water to ensure health and safety standards.{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}

: See: #Dimensions (above) and Swimming (sport)#Competition pools

File:UofMinnesotaNatatorium.jpg]]

File:Swimming pool 50m 2008.svg long course swimming pool standard, used at the World Championships and Summer Olympics]]

The Fédération Internationale de la Natation (FINA, International Swimming Federation) sets standards for competition pools: {{convert|25|or|50|m|ft|abbr=on|0}} long and at least {{convert|1.35|m|ft|abbr=on}} deep. Competition pools are generally indoors and heated to enable their use all year round, and to more easily comply with the regulations regarding temperature, lighting, and automatic officiating equipment.

An Olympic-size swimming pool (first used at the 1924 Olympics) is a pool that meets FINA's additional standards for the Olympic Games and for world championship events. It must be {{convert|50|by|25|m|ft|abbr=on}} wide, divided into eight lanes of {{convert|2.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} each, plus two areas of {{convert|2.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} at each side of the pool. Depth must be at least {{convert|2|m|ft|abbr=on}}.{{Cite web|title=FR 3 swimming pools for Olympic Games and world championships|url=http://www.fina.org/content/fr-3-swimming-pools-olympic-games-and-world-championships|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210002822/http://www.fina.org/content/fr-3-swimming-pools-olympic-games-and-world-championships|archive-date=10 December 2015|access-date=30 January 2018|publisher=Federation Internationale de la Natation}}

The water must be kept at {{convert|25|–|28|C|F}} and the lighting level at greater than 1500 lux. There are also regulations for color of lane rope, positioning of backstroke flags (5 metres from each wall), and so on. Pools claimed to be "Olympic pools" do not always meet these regulations, as FINA cannot police use of the term. Touchpads are mounted on both walls for long course meets and each end for short course.

A pool may be referred to as fast or slow, depending on its physical layout."[https://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2002/zesiger-pool-1009.html Zesiger pool design]", Zesiger sports and fitness center, MIT. Retrieved 4 February 2007 Some design considerations allow the reduction of swimming resistance making the pool faster: namely, proper pool depth, elimination of currents, increased lane width, energy absorbing racing lane lines and gutters, and the use of other innovative hydraulic, acoustic and illumination designs.

File:Steve Millard (2483680703).jpg

In the last two decades, a new style of pool has gained popularity. These consist of a small vessel (usually about 2.5 × 5 m) in which the swimmer swims in place, either against the push of an artificially generated water current or against the pull of restraining devices. These pools have several names, such as swim spas, swimming machines, or swim systems. They are all examples of different modes of resistance swimming.

{{Further|Hot tub}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2018}}

File:Home-spa.jpg

Hot tubs and spa pools are common heated pools used for relaxation and sometimes for therapy. Commercial spas are common in the swimming pool area or sauna area of a health club or fitness center, in men's clubs, women's clubs, motels and exclusive five-star hotel suites. Spa clubs may have very large pools, some segmented into increasing temperatures. In Japan, men's clubs with many spas of different size and temperature are common.

Commercial spas are generally made of concrete, with a mosaic tiled interior. More recently{{when|date=December 2024}} with the innovation of the pre-form composite method where mosaic tiles are bonded to the shell this enables commercial spas to be completely factory manufactured to specification and delivered in one piece. Hot tubs are typically made somewhat like a wine barrel with straight sides, from wood such as Californian redwood held in place by metal hoops. Immersion of the head is not recommended in spas or hot tubs due to a potential risk of underwater entrapment from the pump suction forces. However, commercial installations in many countries must comply with various safety standards which reduce this risk considerably.

File:Hot tub IMG 9519.jpg

Home spas are a worldwide retail item in western countries since the 1980s, and are sold in dedicated spa stores, pool shops, department stores, the Internet, and catalog sales books. They are almost always made from heat-extruded acrylic sheet Perspex, often colored in marble look-alike patterns. They rarely exceed {{convert|6|m2|abbr=on}} and are typically {{convert|1|m|abbr=on}} deep, restricted by the availability of the raw sheet sizes (typically manufactured in Japan). There is often a mid-depth seating or lounging system, and contoured lounger style reclining seats are common.

Upmarket spas often include a drinks tray, lights, LCD flat-screen TV sets and other features that make the pool a recreation center. Due to their family-oriented nature, home spas are normally operated from {{convert|36|to|39|C|F}}. Many pools are incorporated in a redwood or simulated wood surround, and are termed "portable" as they may be placed on a patio rather than sunken into a permanent location. Some portable spas are shallow and narrow enough to fit sideways through a standard door and be used inside a room. Low power electric immersion heaters are common with home spas.

Whirlpool tubs first became popular in the U.S. during the 1960s and 1970s. A spa is also called a "jacuzzi" there, as the word became a generic after-plumbing component manufacturer; Jacuzzi introduced the "spa whirlpool" in 1968. Air bubbles may be introduced into the nozzles via an air-bleed venturi pump that combines cooler air with the incoming heated water to cool the pool if the temperature rises uncomfortably high. Some spas have a constant stream of bubbles fed via the seating area of the pool, or a footwell area. This is more common as a temperature control device where the heated water comes from a natural (uncontrolled heat) geothermal source, rather than artificially heated.

Water temperature is usually very warm to hot – {{convert|38|to|42|C|F}} – so bathers usually stay in for only 20 to 30 minutes. Bromine or mineral sanitizers are often recommended as sanitizers for spas because chlorine dissipates at a high temperature, thereby heightening its strong chemical smell. Ozone is an effective bactericide and is commonly included in the circulation system with cartridge filtration, but not with sand media filtration due to clogging problems with turbid body fats.

File:SydneyRockPool.jpg in Sydney, Australia]]

In the early 20th century, especially in Australia, ocean pools were built, typically on headlands by enclosing part of the rock shelf, with water circulated through the pools by flooding from tidal tanks or by regular flooding over the side of the pools at high tide. This continued a pre-European tradition of bathing in rockpools with many of the current sites being expanded from sites used by Aboriginal Australians or early European settlers. Bathing in these pools provided security against both rough surf and sea life. There were often separate pools for women and men, or the pool was open to the sexes at different times with a break for bathers to climb in without fear of observation by the other sex.{{cite web|date=1 December 2005|title=Stories from the Yamba ocean pool|url=http://www.abc.net.au/northcoast/stories/s1519973.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060530222326/http://www.abc.net.au/northcoast/stories/s1519973.htm|archive-date=30 May 2006|access-date=28 December 2006|work=ABC News}} These were the forerunners of modern "Olympic" pools. A variation was the later development of sea- or harbour-side pools that circulated sea water using pumps. A pool of this type was the training ground for Australian Olympian Dawn Fraser.

There are currently about 100 ocean baths in New South Wales, which can range from small pools roughly 25 metres long and "Olympic Sized" (50m) to the very large, such as the 50 × 100 m baths in Newcastle. While most are free, a number charge fees, such as the Bondi Icebergs Club pool at Bondi Beach. Despite the development of chlorinated and heated pools, ocean baths remain a popular form of recreation in New South Wales.

A semi-natural ocean pool exists on the central coast of New South Wales; it is called The Bogey Hole.

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An infinity pool (also named negative edge or vanishing edge pool) is a swimming pool which produces a visual effect of water extending to the horizon, vanishing, or extending to "infinity". Often, the water appears to fall into an ocean, lake, bay, or other similar body of water. The illusion is most effective whenever there is a significant change in elevation, though having a natural body of water on the horizon is not a limiting factor.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}

Natural pools were developed in central and western Europe in the early and mid-1980s by designers and landscape architects with environmental concerns. They have recently been growing in popularity as an alternative to traditional swimming pools.{{cite news |last=Kurutz |first=Steven |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/garden/05pools.html |title=From Europe, a No-Chlorine Backyard Pool |work=The New York Times |url-access=subscription |date=April 5, 2007 |access-date=May 22, 2009}}{{cite news |last=Picard |first=Lia |date=May 25, 2024 |title=Come On Over, I Just Installed a Pond |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/25/style/natural-pools-ponds.html |work=The New York Times |url-access=subscription |access-date=May 29, 2024 |archive-url= |archive-date= |quote=Backyards that feature natural pools trade chlorine for plants, don't need to be closed for winter and may feature kois with names like Cutie.}} Natural pools are constructed bodies of water in which no chemicals or devices that disinfect or sterilize water are used, and all the cleaning of the pool is achieved purely with the motion of the water through biological filters and plants rooted hydroponically in the system. In essence, natural pools seek to recreate swimming holes and swimmable lakes, the environment where people feel safe swimming in a non-polluted, healthy, and ecologically balanced body of water.

Water in natural pools has many desirable characteristics. For example, red eyes, dried-out skin and hair, and bleached swimsuits associated with overly chlorinated water are naturally absent in natural pools.{{citation needed|date=March 2013}} Natural pools, by requiring a water garden to be a part of the system, offer different aesthetic options and can support amphibious wildlife such as snails, frogs, and salamanders, and even small fish if desired.

File:Centennial Beach.jpg aquatic park in Naperville, Illinois, United States]]

A zero-entry swimming pool, also called a beach entry swimming pool, has an edge or entry that gradually slopes from the deck into the water, becoming deeper with each step, in the manner of a natural beach. As there are no stairs or ladders to navigate, this type of entry assists older people, young children and people with accessibility problems (e.g., people with a physical disability) where gradual entry is useful.

File:Indoor Swimming Pool.JPG

Once known as "natatoriums", indoor pools are located inside a building with a roof and are insulated by at least three walls. Built for year-round swimming or training, they are found in all climate types. Since the buildings around indoor pools are insulated, heat escapes much less, making it less expensive to heat indoor pools than outdoor pools (all of whose heat escapes).{{Cite news|url=https://www.thespruce.com/swimming-pool-types-designs-and-styles-2737104|title=Get Inspired: Swimming Pools: Types, Designs, and Styles|work=The Spruce|access-date=25 August 2017}}

Architecturally, an indoor pool may look like the rest of the building, but extra heating and ventilation and other engineering solutions are required to ensure comfortable humidity levels. In addition to drainage and automatic pool covers, there are a number of ways to remove the humidity present in the air in any wet indoor environment. Efficient dehumidification in the indoor pool environment prevents structural damage, lowers energy costs for cooling or heating, and improves the indoor climate to provide a comfortable swimming environment.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

Some colleges, universities, and high schools have buildings that use the term "natatorium" in their names, especially when the building houses more than just a swimming pool, for example a diving well or facilities for water polo. The word natatorium was borrowed from Late Latin "place for swimming" into English in New England in 1890.{{cite web | url=https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=natatorium | title=The American Heritage Dictionary entry: Natatorium }}{{cite web | url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/natatorium | title=Natatorium {{pipe}} Etymology, origin and meaning of natatorium by etymonline }}

This type of swimming pool is suspended high above the ground. A prominent example is the Sky Pool in London's Embassy Gardens, the world's first floating pool.{{cite news|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/sky-pool|title=Suspended 115 Feet in the Air, the World's First Floating Pool Is Unveiled in London|work=Architectural Digest|date=30 April 2021|first=Jessica|last=Cherner|access-date=19 April 2023}}

File:2016 02 FRD Caribbean Cruise Deck 12 S0406387.jpg

Cruise ships often have swimming pools, water slides and other water features. The pools use filtered and chlorinated sea water.{{cn|date=May 2025}} The Titanic had a saltwater swimming pool.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

File:SAA Training pool 2015.jpg training pool for rescuing people on board aircraft in case of ditching]]

File:NASA Swimming Pool.jpg

Swimming pools are also used for events such as synchronized swimming, water polo, canoe polo and underwater sports such as underwater hockey, underwater rugby, finswimming and sport diving as well as for teaching diving, lifesaving and scuba diving techniques. They have also been used for specialist tasks such as teaching water-ditching survival techniques for aircraft and submarine crews and astronaut training. In some instances slope-sided, irregular swimming pools, such as the Nude Bowl, have been drained of water and used for skateboarding.

{{Main|Swimming pool sanitation|Swimming pool bacteria}}

File:Angel Saavedra and Joshua Caslill, both lifeguards, clean around the pool deck while a skimmer cleans the bottom of the pool during preparations for the 2010 swimming season at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas 100520-F-SS509-010.jpg

Levels of bacteria and viruses in swimming pool water must be kept low to prevent the spread of diseases and pathogens. Bacteria, algae and insect larvae can breed in the pool if water is not properly sanitized. Pumps, mechanical sand filters, and disinfectants are often used to sanitise the water.

Chemical disinfectants, such as chlorine (usually as a hypochlorite salt, such as calcium hypochlorite) and bromine, are commonly used to kill pathogens. If not properly maintained, chemical sanitation can produce high levels of disinfection byproducts. Sanitized swimming pool water can theoretically appear green if a certain amount of iron salts or copper chloride are present in the water.sahatchaiw.com. "[http://sahatchaiw.com/page1/files/Swimmingpool.pdf The theory of colors of water in the swimming pool]" (PDF) by Sahatchai Wanawongsawad

Acesulfame potassium has been used to estimate how much urine is discharged by swimmers into a pool.{{cite journal|title=Sweetened Swimming Pools and Hot Tubs|journal=Environmental Science & Technology Letters|volume=4|issue=4|pages=149|date=1 March 2017|first1=Lindsay K.|last1=Jmaiff Blackstock|first2=Wei|last2=Wang|first3=Sai|last3=Vemula|first4=Benjamin T.|last4=Jaeger|author5-link=Xing-Fang Li|first5=Xing-Fang|last5=Li|doi=10.1021/acs.estlett.7b00043 |bibcode=2017EnSTL...4..149J |doi-access=free}}

• {{cite news |author=Hannah Devlin |date=1 March 2017 |title=How much pee is in our swimming pools? New urine test reveals the truth |newspaper=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/mar/01/how-much-pee-is-in-our-swimming-pools-new-urine-test-reveals-the-truth}} A Canadian study estimated that swimmers had released 75 litres of urine into a large pool that had about 830,000 litres of water and was a third of the size of an olympic pool. Hot tubs were found to have higher readings of the marker. While urine itself is relatively harmless, its degradation products may lead to asthma.

Swimming pool heating costs can be significantly reduced by using a pool cover. Use of a pool cover also can help reduce the amount of chemicals (chlorine, etc.) required by the pool. Outdoor pools gain heat from the sun, absorbing 75–85% of the solar energy striking the pool surface. Though a cover decreases the total amount of solar heat absorbed by the pool, the cover eliminates heat loss due to evaporation and reduces heat loss at night through its insulating properties. Most swimming pool heat loss is through evaporation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy00osti/28038.pdf|title=Department of Energy: Conserving Energy and Heating your Swimming Pool with Solar Energy (PDF)}}

In areas which reach freezing temperature, it is important to close a pool properly. This varies greatly between in-ground and above-ground pools. By taking steps to properly secure the pool, it lessens the likelihood that the superstructure will be damaged or compromised by freezing water.{{cite web|title=Closing Your Pool|url=http://www.swimmingpool.com/maintenance/maintenance-guides/closing-your-pool|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924025830/http://www.swimmingpool.com/maintenance/maintenance-guides/closing-your-pool|archive-date=24 September 2011|access-date=19 April 2015}}

File:Poolcover.jpg

In preparation for freezing temperatures, an in-ground swimming pool's pipes must be emptied. An above-ground pool should also be closed, so that ice does not drag down the pool wall, collapsing its structure. The plumbing is sealed with air, typically with rubber plugs, to prevent cracking from freezing water. The pool is typically covered to prevent leaves and other debris from falling in. The cover is attached to the pool typically using a stretch cord, similar to a bungee cord, and hooks fitted into the pool surround. The skimmer is closed off or a floating device is placed into it to prevent it from completely freezing and cracking.

Floating objects such as life rings or basketballs can be placed in the pool to avoid its freezing under the cover. Sand or DE filters must be backwashed, with the main drain plug removed and all water drained out. Drain plugs on the pool filter are removed after the filter has been cleaned. The pool pump motor is taken under cover. Winter chemicals are added to keep the pool clean. The innovation of a composite construction of fiberglass, with an epoxy coating and porcelain ceramic tiles has led to the pre-form, composite-type with significant advantages over older methods; however, it also has increased sensitivity to metal staining.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

In climates where there is no risk of freezing, closing down the pool for winter is not so important. Typically, the thermal cover is removed and stored. Winter sunlight can create an algae mess when a cover that has been left on all winter is removed. The pool is correctly pH-balanced and super-chlorinated. One part algaecide for every 50,000 parts of pool water should be added, and topped up each month. The pool should be filtered for one to two hours daily to keep the automated chlorination system active.{{Citation needed|date=November 2016}}

File:HK Wong Chuk Hang 包玉剛游泳池 Pao Yue Kong Swimming Pool 08 副池 2nd Pool Lifeguard May-2012.JPG swimming pool]]

Pools pose a risk of drowning,{{Cite web |last=CDC |date=2024-11-12 |title=Risk Factors for Drowning |url=https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/risk-factors/index.html |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=Drowning Prevention |language=en-us}} which may be significant for swimmers who are inexperienced, suffer from seizures, or are susceptible to a heart or respiratory condition. Drowning risk is increased for young children as well. Lifeguards are employed at most pools to execute water rescues and administer first aid as needed in order to reduce this risk.{{Cite web |date=2023-11-13 |title=Lifeguards Protect Swimmers at Majority of Facilities {{!}} Recreation Management |url=https://recmanagement.com/articles/153640/lifeguards-protect-swimmers-majority-facilities |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=recmanagement.com |language=en}}

Diving in shallow areas of a pool may also lead to significant head and neck injuries; diving, especially head-first diving, should be done in the deepest point of the pool. Different organizations have different minimum requirements on safe pool depth for diving. The American Red Cross recommends a minimum depth of 9 feet, while the Department of Health of the New York state prohibits diving in less than 8 feet of water.{{Cite web |title=Minimum Water Depths for Head First Diving From Pool Decks, Starting Blocks, Docks and Similar Low Fixed Platforms |url=https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/outdoors/camps/aquatics/minimum_water_depths_for_head_first_diving.htm |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=www.health.ny.gov}} Olympic diving pools for diving from up to 10 meters (~32 feet) must comply with the World Aquatics' guidelines, which require the pool to be 5 meters (~16 feet) deep.{{Cite web |title=MSN |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/fitness/olympic-diving-is-even-more-impressive-when-you-learn-how-deep-the-pool-is/ar-BB1qQhca |access-date=2025-05-11 |website=www.msn.com}}

In regions where residential pools are common, drowning is a major cause of childhood death. An article by the CDC states that a majority of drownings of children between ages 1-4 happen in swimming pools. As a precaution, many jurisdictions require that residential pools be enclosed with fencing to restrict unauthorized access. Many products exist, such as removable baby fences. The evidence for floating alarms and window/door alarms to reduce the risk of drowning is poor.{{cite journal |last1=Mott |first1=TF |last2=Latimer |first2=KM |title=Prevention and Treatment of Drowning |journal=American Family Physician |date=1 April 2016 |volume=93 |issue=7 |pages=576–82 |pmid=27035042}} Some pools are equipped with camera- and computer-aided drowning prevention or other forms of electronic safety and security systems.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

"Slip and fall" injuries can occur on the surfaces surrounding swimming pools if the surfaces are not made with non-skid materials or are in poor repair.{{Cite web |last=Editorial |first=BOSS |date=2024-05-13 |title=Common Causes of Slip & Fall Injuries at Pools |url=https://thebossmagazine.com/common-causes-of-slip-fall-injuries-at-pools/ |access-date=2025-05-10 |website=BOSS Magazine |language=en-US}}

{{Further|Mixed bathing}}

In public swimming pools, dress code may be stricter than on public beaches, and in indoor pools stricter than outdoor pools. For example, in countries where women can be topless on the beach, this is often not allowed in a swimming pool, and a swimsuit must be worn. For men, wearing ordinary shorts and a T-shirt to go in the water at a beach may be considered acceptable, but pools usually require real swimsuits or other dedicated water wear as swimming with regular clothes can potentially weigh a swimmer down should they need to be rescued. In France and some other European countries, board shorts are usually not allowed for "hygienic" reasons. In Nordic countries, in particular Iceland, rules about clothing and hygiene are especially strict.{{cite web|title=Thermal Pools |url=http://www.visitreykjavik.is/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-17/12_view-51/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101201141454/http://www.visitreykjavik.is/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-17/12_view-51/|archive-date=1 December 2010 |publisher=Visit Reykjavík – The official tourist website of Reykjavik |access-date=24 December 2009}}

{{div col}}

• Automated pool cleaner
• Bather load
• Lido
• List of water games
• Neutral buoyancy pool
• Pool fence
• Pool noodle
• Respiratory risks of indoor swimming pools
• Swimming pool service technician
• Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code
• Urine-indicator dye

{{div col end}}

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