Ponds Forge, Hillsborough and other Sheffield swimming pool temperatures

[Justin Smith 10]

Yes thats what i said- both pools.

 

I guess you must be lucky, me and my other friends that take our kids all say the same that it could do with being warmer.

 

I went down to Hillsborough pool yesterday and it did seem rather cooler than normal. I would say mid way between the normal Hillsborough pool temp and Ponds Forge lanes. Whilst he was swimming our nipper was fine with it though. Normally I`d have been very pleased at slightly cooler water because when we both go with our lad we take it in turns to swim in the lanes. But, ironically, my wife wasn`t there, just me and my 2 year old, so I couldn`t take advantage of it !

[GlassBox 10]

With young kids I find Ponds Forge far too cold, this is the issue with it being a venue for competitive swimmers and families, there is no happy medium.

 

Hillsborough is hit and miss, but usually it is ok if little ones keep active!

[Justin Smith 10]

With young kids I find Ponds Forge far too cold, this is the issue with it being a venue for competitive swimmers and families, there is no happy medium.

 

Hillsborough is hit and miss, but usually it is ok if little ones keep active!

 

I agree with you that there is no happy medium for kids playing about (or even adults lounging about ! ) and lane swimming in water of the same temperature.

 

PF is too cool to play about in and/or spend significant amounts of time stood still on the side. But really small kids wouldn`t be swimming in the PF competition pool because it`s 2m deep and it`s purely a lane swimming pool, thus they`d have to be strongish swimmers. Anyone (including a child capable of swimming lengths) who swims strongly at PF won`t find it cold, not after a few minutes work anyway.

[Justin Smith 10]

As an addition, the Sheffield Telegraph reports that the temperature of Hathersage open air pool (when heated, usually late March onwards) is 28 degrees centigrade.

We love Hathersage pool, the only trouble is that when you really want to go (when it`s warm and sunny) is when everyone else wants to go, then, half the time, you can`t get in because it`s full ! And that`s a long trip to find that....... Has anyone any hints as to avoid that ?

[PeteM01 10]

As an addition, the Sheffield Telegraph reports that the temperature of Hathersage open air pool (when heated, usually late March onwards) is 28 degrees centigrade.

We love Hathersage pool, the only trouble is that when you really want to go (when it`s warm and sunny) is when everyone else wants to go, then, half the time, you can`t get in because it`s full ! And that`s a long trip to find that....... Has anyone any hints as to avoid that ?

 

Hathersage pool always seems warmer than 28C. I love swimming there when it is raining. It is much quieter, and still very pleasant.

[Justin Smith 10]

Hathersage pool always seems warmer than 28C. I love swimming there when it is raining. It is much quieter, and still very pleasant.

 

We once drove all the way out to Hathersage to swim in the pool and it was intermittently raining. We still wanted to swim but they wouldn`t let us saying there was a risk of lightning ! I have to say we were a bit annoyed.....

[PeteM01 10]

We once drove all the way out to Hathersage to swim in the pool and it was intermittently raining. We still wanted to swim but they wouldn`t let us saying there was a risk of lightning ! I have to say we were a bit annoyed.....

 

Haha, hazard of an outdoor pool, I suppose. I must have been lucky and had only safe rain...

[Jim_Tim 10]

The H'boro centre requires a much needed upgrade, everywhere. Looking tired compared to ponds forge these days.

[Justin Smith 10]

The H'boro centre requires a much needed upgrade, everywhere. Looking tired compared to ponds forge these days.

 

For me personally the best thing they could do to upgrade Hillsborough leisure centre would be to enable different water temperatures between the leisure pool and the lane pool. From what they tell me it`s not really possible though, certainly not without spending shed loads of money.

[mickelback 10]

This is the most boring thread ever

[Justin Smith 10]

This is the most boring thread ever

 

I take it you`re not a swimmer, certainly not a serious lane swimmer ? Might that not explain it......

[Justin Smith 10]

On ‎02‎/‎04‎/‎2015 at 14:16, Justin Smith said:

I was trying to find out the water temperatures at Ponds Forge swimming pool and Hillsborough leisure centre and discovered there are some incorrect figures on the internet, so I`m putting this thread on for people to find the correct info.

 

Ponds Forge

The competition pool is usually around 28 degrees, though this is usually dropped to 27 degrees for important competitions. Thus for a while afterwards, till it warms up again, it`s less then 28. Personally I`ve noticed it sometimes seems to overshoot and go a bit warmer than usual before settling back down. The competition pool is the best pool for lane swimming because it`s cooler than all other pools, it`s a bit chilly when you first jump in but once you start working it`s perfect.

The leisure pool is normally around 29 degrees.

I didn`t ask about the diving pool but I`ve noticed it`s a bit warmer than the competition pool but slightly cooler than the leisure pool.

 

Hillsborough Leisure Centre

Both pools (the leisure pool also known as "The Beach" and the 20m lanes pool) are about 29.5 degrees. Unfortunately because they both use the same water (it was originally built as one 33m pool for the World Student Games water polo competition) they cannot make the lane pool water any cooler than the leisure pool, which is a pity because most keen swimmers find the water is too warm for hard work. I certainly do, I can`t do more than 50m before having to stop to cool down !

The water is plenty warm enough for kids. Our lad`s been swimming there at least once a week since he was 11 weeks old, and he was born three weeks early ! And that`s without him wearing a wetsuit / long cossie, I`m very much of the view that kids like to feel the water on their skin and will get into swimming much quicker if they can. The first time he went he started shivering after about 25 minutes (so we got him out at that point) but that was only because he wasn`t moving much, plus the fact he was a bit thin and tiny, surface area to volume ratio and all that ! Once he started getting into it and moving more he`s been absolutely fine ever since. In fact he generally moans to high heaven when you get him out of the pool, even after an hour !

 

I have to say I`m a bit surprised to hear there`s apparently only 1.5 degrees difference between Ponds Forge (competition pool) and Hillsborough leisure centre, but the duty managers at each pool actually went down to the plant rooms to check on the readout !

 

Added 26 March 2016 : When we swam at both Concord pools with our three year old yesterday and a sign said the teaching pool was 31 degrees and the lane pool was 29.5 degrees. I have to say the latter felt marginally cooler than that, but maybe that was only in comparison to the teaching pool which is warm !

We've started swimming at Stocksbridge pool * now, and they quote 28 degrees. I have to say that makes no sense to me, I`d say it`s about the same as Concorde which is stated as being 29.5 ! Whatever the actual temperature it`s cool enough for reasonably hard lane swimming

 

* Stocksbridge  far better for lanes than Hillsborough, and there`s always parking which is also free, unlike at Ponds Forge (undoubtedly the best lanes pool), the latter also often shut for competitions quite often, esp at weekends. Stocksbridge is also much cheaper than SIV membership, unlimited use of the pool for a family (two adults and up to three kids) for only £385 a year