Swimming pools have undergone a considerable evolution over the last two decades. In years past almost all new pools were rectilinear and tried to accommodate all users in the same water space. Commonly this resulted in a body of water that wasn't perfect for any group. Over the last twenty or so years there has been a movement within the industry to design separate bodies of water specific to each user group and individual programmatic function.

Competitive pools have drastically changed over this time period. While the racing course has dictated that the shape of the pools have stayed the same, the science behind what makes a "fast pool" has led to substantial changes in what happens inside the walls of these pools. In the last five years over 10 World Records, 20 American Records, and 30 US Open records have been set in pools designed by Aquatic Design Group (ADG).  Major competitions such as the Mutual of Omaha Duel in the Pool between USA and Australian swim teams, US Nationals, and Olympic Trials have all been hosted by facilities designed by ADG.

Specific Characteristics of Competition Pools Today Include:

• Deep Water - Deeper water reduces the turbulence that swimmers create when travelling down the pool which results in less resistance and faster times. In addition deeper water is preferable for other growing aquatic sports such as water polo and synchronized swimming and can add programmatic flexibility for your facility for activities such as kayaking and scuba diving.

• Lane Width - Similar to the concept behind the deeper water, wider lanes allow for less "wake" to interfere with swimmers in neighboring lanes.

• Surface Water Collection - Anyone who has watched competitive events has likely noticed a wave that follows swimmers as they travel down the pool. This wave with nowhere to go will bounce back and impact the swimmers creating more resistance and slowing their progress. A properly designed gutter system can eliminate this resistance by "swallowing" the wave as it reaches the sides and ends of the pool. This is also important for practice times with upwards of 100 swimmers creating waves and choppy water.

• Water Quality and Temperature - Proper water chemistry and water and air temperatures are also crucial to the success of the athlete. Active aquatic participants (as opposed to recreational users) desire cooler temperatures to keep their bodies operating at the highest levels. It is also crucially important to properly design the mechanical and chemical systems for competitive water to deal with the ammonia compounds secreted by athletes as their bodies deal with the strain of exercise.

• Indirect Variables - Many other factors contribute to "fast water" including deck space, air quality, adjacencies of bathrooms, locker rooms, areas to rest, additional water space to warm up and warm down, etc. ADG will help guide you through all these possibilities and more as together we create a facility that will allow your swimmers to swim as big as they dream.

View Our Competition Portfolio Here.