Lake or Pool

deaded · March 6th, 2006, 10:52 PM

For me it's pools, any day. I like to feel clean when I get out of the water. I want to think about swimming, not about getting wrapped up in kelp and fish poo poo.

Y3L · March 8th, 2006, 09:25 PM

It's a whole lot easier to gague your progress in a pool than in any kind of open body of water. And the whole cleanliness thing is good too...

Parents had a pool when I was little... I used to freak out when there was even a bit of algae in there. And then the frogs... ugh.

**arse21** · March 8th, 2006, 09:29 PM

I don't think so. I've gone swimming in ponds / lakes when there's still ice on them. I've gone in when it's 56 deg fahrenheit, raining, and late october in Maine...I kinda like the refreshing, mind numbing cold

kkk1234 · March 9th, 2006, 10:31 AM

I must agree with those that prefer pools for being cleaner. Besides, I've been in the pool business for so long that I am obsessed with water clarity and stuff.

TheKyle · March 10th, 2006, 07:09 PM

I like pools, but I hate trying to get that chlorine smell off.

On a nice summer day, i'd pick a lake hands down. The only drawback is weeds, i hate it when I touch them, yuck. Good thing alot of lakes around my home aren't weedy.

alkdim · March 16th, 2006, 01:15 PM

When is winter I like pools,water is clear and smell of chlorine but that is not a problem.
But when summer time go on -> sea is the BEST place to swimming

and another things....

Badjojo · March 27th, 2006, 09:23 PM

Lakes. Natural is better because you don't know what will happen, so uncontrollable and thats the best medicine for working out.

concac · July 13th, 2006, 06:55 AM

i like the lake

**cracken** · July 13th, 2006, 03:19 PM

I spend a lot of time in the pool teaching SCUBA skills, I hate the chlorine.
I prefer lakes over the pool & the ocean over lakes.

**g_samsa** · July 13th, 2006, 11:51 PM

I use to swim across Walden pond every day in the summer when I was a kid. It was cool, clean, and refreshing. When I was even younger I swam in the ocean in Maine which was even better than the pond. Since college though I've lived central Mexico, Fort Worth and Minneapolis. Not an ocean anywhere. I miss being a kid.

**helpmespock** · August 10th, 2009, 05:45 AM

off course pools.

**Option1** · August 10th, 2009, 06:35 AM

Being Australian, it was almost inevitable that I grew up spending nearly as much time in water as on land. However, most of my swimming was in the pool. While I've done lots of ocean swimming and a few lake swims in triathlons, I'm still somewhat uncomfortable if I can't see the bottom...

Neil

**tidalwave** · August 10th, 2009, 06:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Option1

I'm still somewhat uncomfortable if I can't see the bottom...

I agree. If I swim for fitness (i.e. laps) in a lake, I'll only do it where I can see the bottom and/or stand-up if I need to.

Pool has the attribute of a wall to push off. I'm not sure if this is an advantage, but it gives a nice rest for the upper body and gives one the chance to use explosiveness in the legs; good for sprinting. Without having a wall to use in the lake, I guess swimming 1600 meters in open water is much more difficult without the assist of a strong push-off.

The refreshing feeling of swimming in a lake (one would hope) is also something that I enjoy.

My answer depends upon which lake, but generally I will go for a pool if it's for fitness purposes.

**Russ_s** · August 10th, 2009, 03:26 PM

Here

or a pool

no I don't live there I just searched for a clear water image.
Not to totally side track, I've wanted to try swimming. I'm not very strong at it, we have a pool at our apt. complex that's only about 50 or so feet long. is that to short to begin with and get a good feel if I would enjoy swimming for a longer period of time?

**IMFREAKZILLA** · August 10th, 2009, 04:43 PM

pools.......too many snakes although a nice big lake is 'eye catching.and all the wave runners
and boats,thats about all I got to say about that.

**Option1** · August 10th, 2009, 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Russ_s

Here

or a pool

no I don't live there I just searched for a clear water image.
Not to totally side track, I've wanted to try swimming. I'm not very strong at it, we have a pool at our apt. complex that's only about 50 or so feet long. is that to short to begin with and get a good feel if I would enjoy swimming for a longer period of time?

Yeh, it probably is a bit too short. I think that really anything shorter than 25 metres is a bit too short to be of any real use. Is there a community pool locally?

Oh, and tidal wave - I'm not sure the rest at a turn is an advantage. Having just discovered that most Nth American 50m pools are split in two so that they're only 25m long, I'm realising how much I prefered the longer 50m lap. I also remember enjoying long training swims in lakes for triathlons - didn't find them tiring once I got over the psychological thing of being able to "rest" after 50m.

Neil

jakethesnayke · September 7th, 2009, 03:51 AM

what about the ocean?

**IMFREAKZILLA** · October 29th, 2009, 08:23 AM

Like Chevy Chase said to Bill Murray in Caddy Shack,pool,pond,pond be good for you.lol

**RunningMan27** · October 29th, 2009, 11:28 AM

I like swimming in a pool, but always prefer a lake or the ocean.

I am not too fond of gyms' pools as I can't help but think the water couldn't be much dirtier...people work out then swim then you get to swim right through that mess.