5 Things to Know About Lap Pool Temperature

Training pools should be 78–82°F If you are swimming laps or doing intervals, your body generates a lot of heat. A cooler pool helps you dump that heat and perform better.

Recreational pools should be 82–86°F For floating, playing, or gentle strokes, warmer water is more comfortable. This is especially true for kids and older swimmers.

Water over 83°F kills lap performance Anything above that makes you feel sluggish and overheat faster. Your workout will tank after 20 minutes.

Multipurpose pools at 82–83°F please no one Splitting the difference leaves both training and recreational swimmers unhappy. Pick a pool that matches your activity.

Choose temperature based on what you are doing Do not pick a temperature that sounds nice on paper. Train in cooler water, play in warmer water.