I would if it were the only pool conveniently available. For about 3/4 of a 2-yr period, i swam in a 50 ft pool, i.e. 16.67 yds. Had to take into account the extra turns to see what speed i would be going in a standard 25-yd pool, but i was still able to get a lot of good workouts in:)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Are you planning on doing master swims in this pool?

I swim in 3 different pools and they all claim to be 25m long while they are actually between 21 and 23.5 yards.

Unless you are an elite swimmer who needs to workout exclusively on multiples of 25... I dont see why you should change. Its just a matter of adapting your split times.

I would cancel, unless it was my only available pool, but then I compete primarily in swim meets. If I was doing triathlons, I would address it with the gym management, make it clear that you aren't happy that you aren't getting what they advertised, and negotiate some kind of a discounted rate on your membership fee.

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I would cancel too. Here is why: I have no idea what a good time is for a 21.5 yard pool. I don't know anyone to compare myself with, I wouldn't know if I had a good day, bad bad or in between. I am a "judger" I need empirical data to psychology feel like I have done well, I cannot simply perceive a good effort.

Ya, but you could figure it out pretty fast. 5 x 21.5 = 107.5 yd, just about 2 yd short of your 109.36 yd in 100 m, but then you have one extra turn, so your 107.5 yd times are going to be about 2-3 sec faster than your 100 scm times. After 4 or 5 sets of 10 X 107.5, you'd be getting it down:)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

^^^^^This.

My local pool is a 50ft., so the workouts definitely feel different than a 25yd. pool (turns play a much bigger role). You just adapt to it; which is fine especially if you are racing OWS. The weirdest part will be that "100s" will end you up on the opposite side of the pool. One option is to do a length of easy front crawl or breast instead of resting at the wall.
I liken it to running on all those weird indoor tracks during the winter (ex. 13 laps/mile).

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Exactly!!! My club's indoor track says it is 12 laps/mi but actually it is about 12.85 when measured with a wheel on the inside position. I tried to get them to change to 13 but they said that 12 was "close enough for most people":)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Depends on what your options may be

I'd keep swimming there if it was the only option, but I would do a wee just before I get out each time I swim.

yes. the pool I use at the community center is 20 yards, it's one mile away, & it's not cold as shit. the alternative would be to use the university pool which is a 25-minute one-way drive, water is cold as shit, and is populated by 13 year-olds who lap me every couple minutes. i'm king rooster from 5:30 to 6:30 am mon, tue, & fri at my pool.

so, basically, adapt. you'll be fine.

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You are over-reacting. I like the idea of trying to get a discount, though. My HS produced a lot of state champions from our dungeon-like 20 yard pool. Good excuse to work on your turns.

Spent an entire summer once training at The Plunge in San Diego's Mission Beach: 20 yards wide for lap swimming. Got really good nailing my flip turns.

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thanks for all the inputs. I like a lot of your ideas; especially peeing in the pool. lol

I would, and I have. I did virtually all of my training for IM Wisconsin several years ago in a 20m (+/-) pool. (A race that still stands as my PR, BTW). It wasn't the only pool around, but it was the closest and it was the club the rest of my family wanted to join. Mentally, it sucked, but physically I quickly realized my body didn't give a damn how long the pool was, just that my arms and legs were propelling me through H2O for workouts lasting X amount of time and/or Y distance.

I should say, I'm not a fish though. Just wanted to get through 2.4 miles. If you're a dedicated swimmer I could understand how it would bother you.

how much does 3.5 yards change the basis on which you decided to join in the first place? just revisit your original decision with the new facts and see if it changes.
if you're training for competitive pool swimming its probably a big deal getting the timing right. if you're training for open water swimming the issue is that you end up getting a lot of turning, not so much swimming in such a short pool. if you do flip turns you'll get very good at them, not so much actual swimming. if you do open turns just make sure you don't rest or breathe at the ends.

When I came back to triathlons in late 2012, after 16 years off, the only place I had to swim was a 20 yd pool at the gym across from my office. 50 lengths per 1000 and 200 per 4000 yds helped with the flipturns and when I would swim 2200 (1.2 miles) or 4400 (2.4 miles) in the 20 yd pool the time was always almost spot on relative to the 31 min or 64 min actual race time swims across 7 halfs and 2 full Ironman races. I now go to the YMCA at night to swim in a 25 yd pool, and initially it seemed a lot longer. I am now definately in better swim shape than when I was swimming in the 20 yd pool, but if you are left with lemons make lemonade as they say and from my experience while you might get dizzy with flipturns, you can still get a quality workout in a 20 yd pool, but it defianitly takes a willing state of mind and a strong set of legs to push off on.

I swam on a team as a kid and the vast majority of that time was in a 20 yard pool. We did 60s instead of 50s and 120s instead of 100s.

I was really good at turns and sucked at long course meets! :)

My regular pool is closed for renovations and I have a 70.3 this Sunday so I swam in a 20 yard pool last night. Seemed weird for sure.

You don't need to do any swim training for Louisville. It is a down river swim and will be wetsuit legal this year. Just float. Pink? You decide.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Like other said, I'd cancel if you have another alternative.

I swim in such a pool (18m) - it's a free public pool. I use it because it's usually empty, fairly warm and 3km from my house. I have two alternatives that are 25m and 25m/50m pools. Both are 15min from my place. First one has terrible hours, cold as hell and costs 5$ per access. Other is awesome, 3$ but more crowded.

Because the 18m pool is free and close, I use it 50% of the time, and the 25m/50m the other 50% of the time. However, if I had to pay for the local one I would not go and would just use the 25m/50m.

I cancelled a gym membership in raleigh just for this reason. Swim workouts can be complicated enough without adding an odd length pool in the equation.

Quote:

I swim in 3 different pools and they all claim to be 25m
long while they are actually between 21 and 23.5 yards.

How often are pools short?

I don't really care, but it would be nice to know. I can go to my LA Fitness with a tape measure, but I would surely feel very silly.

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Swim - Bike - Run the rest is just clothing changes.

I am surprised at all of the people who say they would cancel the membership. There aren't a lot of pools available where I live. The one at the gym a mile from my house is 50 ft long. Yeah, I would like it to be longer, but it is convenient and they don't put time limits on my workouts (there is a longer one close to work, but they limit workouts to 30 min). Like some people said, I touch at the ends but don't rest. I have found that my times in the pool come very close to my times in the local lake where I do OWS practice in the summer.

I never get odd distances here. But we have a random collection of 18m, 25y, 25m and 50m pools. I am not sure where the 18m standard comes from though...