Swimming Pools in Netherlands

[fishdisco]

Has anyone got any experience of swimming at pools in The Netherlands?

I might be moving there for a job and hope I will be able to still go swimming in the evenings and swim lanes/lengths.....not even sure which area but it's a small country and I wondered what the general standard of pool were like there.

I've been to swimming pools in Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Norway) and the standard was really amazing compared to here so just wondered what to expect from Holland....

[FinswimmerJohn]

The pools are,as one might expect,of a very high standard. I have swum in two, one in Utrecht,'de Krommerijn' which is a convertible -in the summer it is an open-air pool but in winter the put an inflatable roof over it! - an excellent 50m pool.
The other place I have swum in in that Country is the City of Eindhoven, in the complex 'de Tongelreep' which is a water leisure entre - 50and 25m pools, flume pool, we used the 50m pool for the Dutch Open Finswimming in 2001.
Another top class facility.
What is it about these placesthat opur European cousins can do so well, while we don't seem to be able to quite match?...
Hope this helps.
FJ

[fishdisco]

Thanks for the info!! Will let you know when/if I go and when/if I find a good pool!

[broomhillsaved]

Swimclub member richard-broer lives in the netherlands, try sending him a pm.

[xml]

Has anyone got any experience of swimming at pools in The Netherlands?
Nope, but you could try http://www.swimmersguide.com/

[fishdisco]

Thanks!!

[richard-broer]

There are many indoor pools in our country. Most are 25M about 10 are 50m in length.
Almost every selfrespecting town has a pool, but many are closing due to rationalisation due to costs. The Hague, where I live near, has closed all outdoor pools 3 x 50m and many indoors. So now there are just 4 25m pools left. Same thing in the surrounding suburbs.

The pools in our country are mostly in municipal hands. Hours are rented by teams, but the pools also have many "open" hours. In wich you can swim laps. Sometimes.... That depends on the the speed you have. Fast swimmers are not alway appreciated because the splash with water and the lane-swimmers seem to want to keep their hear dry...
Some pools do have a plolicy to place te faster swimmers in a special lane.

The standard for the pools is very high. Starting blocks are standard. Diving boards not! Virtualy all pools have lining on the bottem and clear water. (I read the discussion on peeing in the pools in the UK. That is not done overe here!) Some modern pools have low chlorine/high salt, older pools do it with chlorine.

Most pools have a website (of course in Dutch or maybe Friesian - our second official language). Look for "baanjes zwemmen" That translates to lane swimming.

As I said, the pools rent out to teams. Let me know by PM what city you will be and I could possibly bring you into contact with one of the local swimclubs or the swimmingpool. Depending on the club they have af few or even dayly training hours. Some teams are not equipped for 25+ aged swimmers. The teams are only for youth swimming. The kids do not want an old man/woman in their lane.

My team is based in The Hague and has very good hours for adults: we are a Masters team (although only 3 occasions a week). Good enough for me as I do my training in open water aswell preceding and during the open water season.

[Salty]

Richard - I'm also in Den Haag. I used to use de Blinkerd and I started a SCUBA club called Randstad Harings, which used to train in the Sterrenbad in Wassenaar. What is your club? I've now become a totally unfit, very fat, ex-swimmer. Would it be any use for me to join just to get some fitness back ?? I'm trying the gym but it's not working out ...

[richard-broer]

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