Images and Pools

ASw would like to feature photographs of swimming and swimming pools from across the world. Please feel free to share your experiences and photos of your local pool or of interesting swim spots and these will be added to the website.

Sea Lanes: Brighton

Brighton is blessed these days with two large lidos, the Saltdean and the recently opened Sea Lanes within miles of each other. On a short visit which coincided with storm Debi, I wanted to visit both, but sadly the Saltdean is only open for weekend swimming through the winter. No worries as Sea Lanes was not only open but could be booked anytime between 6am – 8pm. That was a good start. I booked my first swim with Debi blowing 50+ winds and given that Sea Lanes was propped right there beside an angry sea with howling gusts, I thought perhaps they would close for the day and batten down the hatches. Not a chance. The pool remained open and I was one of about 10 hardy swimmers slogging away on a midweek winter afternoon. What a swim it was. Waves lapped over each breath with an ‘uphill’ swim against the wind and a ‘downhill’ swim blowing from behind. An invigorating introduction. The day felt cold and the wind made it worse, but despite having read a few reviewers complaints about the temperature, the pool was certainly swimmable without a wetsuit at 19 degrees. For me, that’s perfect.

Looking down at the pool from the streets above, it’s presence seems implausible. Almost like it flew in at night and landed on the beach. Being so accustomed to pools in heavy Edwardian and Victorian buildings, this one seemed light as a feather like it could be dismantled overnight and moved. I noticed some of the materials in the changing rooms were made from recycled waste which seemed to fit with the ethos of the construction. The etiquette was laid back. The booking is for an hour but no one was there with a clock to say times up. The friendly staff at the desk let me start my swim earlier than my booking on the app. There’s a shoes off policy as you enter the mixed changing room which I initially missed, but I appreciate how this policy encourages people to come together at the entrance to take shoes off or put them on which inevitably provides a chance for conversations. Lockers require you to bring your own lock which caught me out. The changing room is no frills with an emphasis on function done in a lean style. Showers are hot, but it is one temperature only and no place to put glasses etc. This is really not a problem as no one is expecting to lounge in the changing rooms. Similarly, some website reviewers have complained about standing water on the floors in the changing room, but this doesn’t strike me as a big issue especially on the day that Debi doing her best to blow the whole infrastructure off the beach itself. Also, the number of swimmers with wetsuits means that there will be lots of water in the changing rooms.

My second swim was at sunset. Half way through the sun dipped below the ocean horizon, the pool lights came on and the neon lights of Brighton Pier appeared. All of this is visible through the transparent panels surrounding the pool. My final go was early morning the next day and this was noticeably busier with lots of swimmers getting a pre-work swim in. Some wore wetsuits and others like myself just braved it. It is lovely how the pool changes over the course of a day and I imagine through the seasons of the year. The pool is considerably exposed to the elements and it will be interesting to see how the facilities hold up over the years, but durability seems to have been a consideration in the construction.

There are many ways to swim and in an ideal world everyone should be able to find their own ‘swim heaven’ be it a beach, river, lake, leisure pool, paddling pool etc. Some people prefer warm water and some prefer cold. Sea Lanes is really a pool for lane swimmers and one that is particularly conducive to swimming considerable distances. It’s also one where the temperature of the water (in winter at least) encourages you to move quickly. For me, it doesn’t really get much better. A wonderful place.

KOPALIŠČE KOLEZIJA {College Baths} Ljubljana, Slovenia

I can count on my hands the number of times I have swum in an outdoor heated 50 metre pool. They are somewhat rare, sometimes inaccessible and at other times separated into two smaller pools by a bulkhead. Kopališče Kolezija is a lovely olympic-sized pool in Ljubljana that is open from early spring until autumn. Membership is not required and the price for entry was € 5 when I visited in 2023. The staff were welcoming and swimmers ranged from the members of the university team to OAPs. I refrained from taking photos of the pool but include one from their website and a link follows: https://www.sport-ljubljana.si/kopalisce-kolezija/