1 – WATER POLO
It’s the standard swimming pool game, the official Olympic waterball sport. If you swim or swam in California, you probably played the game. A few elite swimmers have achieved notable success in water polo. 11-time Olympic medalists Matt Biondi won an NCAA Team Title for his role on the Cal Golden Bears water polo team. Terry Schroeder is USA Water Polo’s resident icon, and 4-time Olympian Tony Azevedo is the sports biggest star. Internationally, Hungary is the water polo beast. Period.
– 7 players on each team
– two goals on either side of the pool
– an invasion game, one team strives to get their ball in the opposing team’s goal
1a. Murderball. Like water polo, but without much in the way of rules. One variation involves a standard water polo goal, others involve putting the ball in the gutter and holding it there for a 5-7 second count. Best saved for post-season, though, as this one can get a little rough.
2 – SWIMMING BATTLEBALL
Swimming Battleball is like water polo, but with more teeth and grit. Played in the 1970s and 1980s during first weeks of fall practice, this two hour marathon of war is an ideal way to get swimmers’ their feel for water back fast.
– Divide your swim team up, no matter how big.
– Split the pool in half. The deep end, if you have one, is the playing field. The back field is for two swimmers only from each team.
– Time on the clock? You play the entire workout, treading water the entire practice.
– The goal is a plywood board into which you cut a large hole.
– This is a two-ball game, ideally big balls, beachball-sized. The objective: get your big ball through the hole. Keep your opponent’s ball shutdown, or in the back field.
– You can dunk the person holding the ball (but SwimSwam’s not responsibility if you do as we’re merely reporting the rules).
– Once your team scores, one swimmer from the goal-scoring team, jumps out, grabs the ball, throws it to their player in the back field. Repeat.
***NOTE, many teams win by dominating the opponent’s ball. Often a strong Swimming Battleball player can simply bear hug the ball and lay on it, suffering multiple dunks without releasing the ball.
3 – SHARKS AND MINNOWS
Sharks and Minnows is as old as swimming. Cavemen painted it on walls… Ok, maybe it’s not that old, but swim teams and summer leaguers have been playing it since the 1950s You know the rules, but why not make the rules work for your development and success. Try our version, SwimSwam Sharks and Minnows.
– Always play the length of the pool, not the width, preferably in a 50 meter pool to test your skill.
– Pick your shark, the best swimmer on the team.
– Staying underwater isn’t enough for the shark not to get you according to SwimSwam Rules. You have to stay in a tight steamline position as you kick underwater to the other side. No streamline, you’re shark bait.
***Disclaimer: We use these rules to encourage tight underwater streamlines, but don’t push yourself too much. Swimmers can blackout if they hold their breath too long. Remember this is only a game. Breathe if you need to breathe.
4 – WHALE
Whale is nothing more than running on deck and jumping over the swimmer in the pool. We’re not a fan of this game. It’s popular, but it is not safe, and, frankly, most swimmers, hardcore swimmers, aren’t that agile on land. Whale is #4 on our list, but we if you play this game, be very, very careful.
5 – BEAN
Bean is famous…was made famous by SwimSwam co-founder Garrett McCaffrey, when he actually captured it on video many, many years ago… meaning 2007. Alas, the video is now gone from the web. (If anyone can find it, please forward the link.) The Rules? I don’t know the rules. They’re lost to time and the suckhole of the web. I know elite swimmers played it. I know Michael Phelps played it. I know it resembles a watery form of tag, though passive and sneaky, often executed during warmup or long distance sets. If you know the BEAN RULES, please educate us and share in the comments below.
6 – MARCO POLO
After enormous research, the evidence is fairly clear. This games suffers from more cheaters than any other in the world. You know the rules. One person is it. They have to close their eyes and try to find the other players. They shout “Marco” while the other players are supposed to shout “Polo” in response, but that’s rarely the case. If someone’s close to the person yelling “Marco,” they stay silent. Moreover the person yelling “Marco” tyically sneaks a peek. This game is lame, though wildly popular, which is why it comes in at #6.
7 – CAPTURE THE CHANGE
This is easy and always a winner with kids. Throw a few hundred dollars in change in a pool, and let your swimmers work on their underwater speed scooping all of it up.
8 – CAPTURE THE GOLDFISH
This game is even better for working on underwater speed, though peta might not approve. I played it at my summer league banquet party every year, and always got several goldfish for my fishtank.
GREASED WATERMELON FOOTBALL
If you haven’t played this, or watched it, you’re missing out on a simple pleasure in life. Lather up a watermelon with Vaseline and throw it in the pool. The first people to get it out is the winner. The game always gets bogged-down in a twist of arms, a pile of people, and typically the watermelon slips out and someone quickly rushes it to the edge of the pool or shoreline for the win.

The post BEST POOL GAMES TO PLAY appeared first on Chattahoochee Pool Services.

Infinity pools are surprisingly easy to clean and maintain. This is because they have a specialized system for filtration which prevents stagnation of the water. However, these pools do require additional considerations in terms of keeping the water clean and full. Since the water in these pools circulates constantly and goes over the knife edge often, you may experience more issues with evaporation than you would with other designs. It also results in a heightened potential for calcium build-up, which needs to be addressed through regular wall-scrubbing or reducing overflight to 30 minutes per day.

Rectangular and Oval Pool Maintenance

Rectangular and oval pools are the most common pool types, and they’re also very easy to clean and maintain with regular and standard activity; they have smooth sides and edges which don’t tend to catch dirt or debris. Automatic cleaning machines have an easy time navigating the bottoms and walls of the pool, and your filter will run at regularly scheduled intervals to keep the water from stagnating. Just make sure you engage in regular cleaning and testing of the water’s chemical balance, and you’ll have minimal problems.

Free Form Pools

Free form pools are beautiful and can be shaped specifically to complement the natural landscaping of your yard. However, their structure and form can create difficulties in cleaning and maintenance. Because they may incorporate sharp and unexpected corners and curves as well as specialized features such as fountains, slides, rock formations and the like, there are many nooks and crannies in these pools that tend to capture debris and dirt. This creates the perfect environment for algae growth, which is something that you don’t want.

If you have a free form pool, you may need to schedule cleaning and maintenance by a professional pool service on a more frequent basis than with other pool types. Fortunately, the benefits and aesthetic grace of these kinds of pools can easily offset the costs of professional cleaning.

Considering Landscape

Your surrounding landscape also contributes to your maintenance needs. If you have a lot of trees nearby, for example, you may have debris issues from leaves and bark. Talk with your contractor about the best plants to have in your nearby landscaping and call us today if you need our assistance.

The post COOL POOL MAINTENANCE TIPS appeared first on Chattahoochee Pool Services.

The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses formal swimming instruction for most children ages 4 years and older. Teens and adults who don’t know how to swim should learn to do so and restrict wading or bathing to shallow water only and in the presence of a lifeguard.

Supervise Children

Children should never be allowed to swim unsupervised by adults anywhere. MedlinePlus reports that drowning can happen quickly and silently in as little as 2 inches of water. The CDC reports that most accidental drownings of children ages 1 to 4 occur in residential pools and most of those victims were reported seen within the home less than five minutes prior while in the care of at least one parent. Adults who are supervising children should remain alert, vigilant and never turn away or get distracted, not even for a moment.

Swim Only When a Lifeguard Is on Duty

When swimming in bodies of water other than residential pools, swim only when a lifeguard is on duty and in areas designated for swimming. Parents of young children and nonswimmers should carefully supervise their children even in settings where a lifeguard is present. All swimmers should respect the rules for swimming in a given environment and follow the directives of the lifeguard.

Do Not Swim Under the Influence of Drugs or Alcohol

Even strong swimmers can succumb to the effects of alcohol and drugs while in the water. Being under the influence of either or both seriously impairs judgment and coordination and increases the risk of injury or drowning.

Never Swim Alone

As tempting as it may be to catch some time alone in the backyard pool, deserted lake or ocean, do not do it. Accidents happen even to young, strong, healthy individuals who are good swimmers. Always swim with a buddy in a residential pool and with a lifeguard present in any other pool or body of water.

Do Not Swim During Thunderstorms

Never swim during a thunderstorm. Follow lifeguard instructions for exiting the pool. If swimming in a residential pool, exit the water immediately when you hear thunder. Lightning often strikes water and water conducts electricity. If you swim and lightning strikes, you risk serious injury or death.

Avoid Diving Headfirst

Do not dive headfirst into shallow or murky water, or water of uncertain depth. Diving in shallow water can cause injuries and drowning. Diving into murky water such as ponds, quarries or lakes without knowing the depth or underwater environment is dangerous. Rocks and other objects in the water pose hazards. It is best to enter the water feetfirst.

Refrain From Horseplay in the Water

As fun as it is to swim with friends or family, refrain from horseplay such as dunking, hanging on to someone or allowing them to hang on to you while in the water. Horseplay can lead to injury while in the water, thus increasing the risk of drowning.

The post SWIMMING POOL SAFETY TIPS appeared first on Chattahoochee Pool Services.