Lake swim planned, today. It’s pissing it down with sporadic flashes.
Am I really, going to get struck by lightning. I mean REALLY?
Don’t be a fool. Just go find an indoor pool. Its not worth the risk
Thanks. Just askin’
I can probably wait till it stops thundering too.
Lightning would have to strike the water pretty close to you…(maybe 20’). Chances are astronomical against it…but do you want to be “that guy” people find via google in 20 years when they google “swimmer struck by lighting”? I mean, you get struck sitting on your porch, everyone will say “Wow…what an unfortunate person.” You get struck while swimming, everyone will say “Wow…what an idiot.”
As far as swimming inside, that wouldn’t be any safer than swimming outside. My pool closes if there is any lightning within 10 miles.
Your indoor pool closes for lightening??? Never heard of that. Maybe my gym doesn’t care as much about us???
It’s a YMCA policy.
I’m pretty sure the majority of pools are grounded in some way to protect against lightening strikes. Hopefully some will chime in with better details or truth.
Lightning would have to strike the water pretty close to you…(maybe 20’). Chances are astronomical against it…but do you want to be “that guy” people find via google in 20 years when they google “swimmer struck by lighting”? I mean, you get struck sitting on your porch, everyone will say “Wow…what an unfortunate person.” You get struck while swimming, everyone will say “Wow…what an idiot.”
As far as swimming inside, that wouldn’t be any safer than swimming outside. My pool closes if there is any lightning within 10 miles.
I was thinking the same thing.
The pool I use is not a YMCA and it closes as well.
The closing the indoor pool for lightning is a nationwide YMCA policy, at least that’s what the signs say at our YMCA. It seems a bit absurd to me, as that policy seems new at YMCA pools, and was certainly not the case when I was growing up. For that matter, I had one coach that would not get us out of the outdoor pool if he heard thunder, only it if he saw lightning. Of course, that was also back when just about every swim club had a 1 meter and a 3 meter board, and almost everyone had the starting blocks in the shallow end of the pool. Society’s perception of the risks related to diving boards and starting blocks has obviously changed a great deal since then so why not risks from lightning? Nonetheless, as an attorney, I would probably recommend a similar policy if I were representing a institution with an indoor pool.
If you google the subject, you find that there don’t seem to be any reported deaths by lightning while swimming in an indoor pool, but that “experts” believe that the risks of lightning are similar to people in indoor and outdoor pools and that no reported deaths is not the same as no deaths, just that none are reported. It also seems that the risks from the lightning don’t change much if you get out of the pool and then get into the shower, which is the logical thing to do after a workout, but the YMCA does not seem to have a policy banning showers for 30 minutes after lightning strikes. Hopefully, they won’t see this and add one.
As far as the OP goes, your risks of swimming in a lake during a thunderstorm might be less those associated with doing a lot of biking on open roads. But, your death would seem a whole lot more senseless in the former situation than the latter.
I argued at my YMCA. I’d sign a waiver to swim during storms. They aint going for it.
Knowing a little about electricity, I’d take my chances. Calculated risk and whatnot.
In a pool, I just don’t see my body being any part of the path of least resistance. I think all those electrons would flow to and through the plumbing and wiring. So unless you were holding onto the ladder or something everything would probably go around you.
Probably, as in maybe not. Lightning is unpredictable.
They close the pool, but the front desk still answers the phone, and I have yet to see them keep people out of the showers.
Paranoid people and insurance companies…
Well, if they aren’t going to let people swim indoors during a storm, they definitely shouldn’t let dudes take a leak. Think:
There’s more “discussion” but no more resolution about this issue here:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=2441515#2441515
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Do you seriously need to go for a swim THAT bad?
wtf?
Lightning would have to strike the water pretty close to you…(maybe 20’).
You should really refrain from giving advice on subjects you obviously know nothing about.
actually when lightning hits water the electrical charge dissipates rather quickly.
I also note as an n=1 perspective that I have spent a lot of time on lakes and never seen fish or anything else die during a storm. Not sure I have ever seem lightning actually strike a lake anyhow. Usually seems to strike trees, big ones. They kinda explode from the inside out. Pretty neat actually.
No I didn’t need to go THAT bad, I just fancied swimming in a lake, I don’t get a chance to do it every day, and it happened to be lightning at the time.
Having done a bit of “investigating” on another forum, I am advised that BBC Focus magazine ran an article on this very recently, the conclusion being that there is so much water round you, unless you get directly hit, you’re good.
You should refrain from telling people they are wrong when you obviously don’t know what you are talking about. If you have info the rest of us don’t, perhaps you’d like to share it. Otherwise, I’ll trust this guy:
**Q: Is it safer to swim in salt water than fresh water if lightning is in the area? **
A: It is definitely NOT safe to swim when lightning is in the area in any type of water. Even if current lightning is a few miles away, lightning can pop up in new parts of the storm very quickly. Salt water conducts electricity, which means that it can easily travel through the water toward you. The lightning current may spread out in all directions and dissipate within 20 feet or so, but don’t bet your life on how close the strike will be. As the highest object on the water, you may be the most likely target.
(Answered by Greg Forbes, severe weather expert at the Weather Channel, June 29, 2005)