Adults, After the Newness Wears Off, How do you use your Pool?

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M

mettius

Member
Jun 25, 2012
14
Austin, TX
I've noticed a trend for us (my wife and I, we have no children). We use the pool much less than we used to. Last year, I am certain I spent more time on pool maintenance than in it. (Some of this was extremely busy work & a beer just seemed more appealing than a dip, given the effort of checking the baskets for critters, changing swimming, changing again...). For context, we've now had the pool for five or six summers.

Year one, I was in that thing at least every other day. Sometimes only for a quick dip after working up a sweat outdoors or after exercise. Other times it was swimming laps or lazing on my back just doing enough movement to stay afloat.

Fast forward to last year. I swear I was in it for less than 20 swims all summer. In hind sight I feel like I wasted the season.
When we have the infrequent party, it gets used. My wife also is inclined to use it more often than me for exercise. Me, I have a tendency to laze around the shallow end with a drink and chill out until I get too wrinkled and get out. Typically about 30 minutes. When we have guests over we often manage to release the inner kid and throw "toypedos" at each other. That is fun.

So, how do you-all seasoned pool owners use your pool? After the newness fades, how do you find yourself enjoying the pool? It may sound stupid, but I feel like I could use some inspiration.

Cheers,
 
We are only in the second season of pool ownership and we have plenty of kids to keep us using the pool, but this is an intriguing question and one that I'm looking forward to following. Thanks for posting it!
 
Our kids were major users, and now the grandkids. What I love is a dip before and after weed eating or other hot work. Seems like you stay cool for a long while after swimming.

I had a knee injury several years ago, and the pool was wonderful helping me to recover. I still go out and swim laps in the evening.
 
Where I live, it's actually hard to use the pool during the day. The summers here are brutal (115F daytime temps, pool in direct sunlight) and most people who hang around Tucson for the summer season try to stay indoors during the day to keep cool. So I find that the kids use the pool in the late afternoons (4pm or later) simply because the sun is lower. If I tried to swim midday, the sun would bake me to a crisp. Swimming in 92F water when the air temps are 115F and the sun blazing down on you is not really comfortable. That said, the kids use the pool way more than I do so I am more of "the pool boy" & lifeguard than user....
 
I must have done something wrong. We put in the pool AFTER the kiddo started college. It was always intended as an adult noodle floatin', adult beverage drinkin', let the good times roll pool. Dang kids can't keep up with us anyway! Add some good speakers if you don't have them already, experiment with some new beverages, have more party friends over! Like you said, I spend way too much time keeping it up and I'll be dang if I ain't gonna enjoy it to the max.
 
Our kids don't spend much time in the pool these days, 16 and 17. We spend many, many hours every weekend floating around, listening to tunes and sipping beverages with friends or just us. We also have some friends with younger kids who come and play in the pool. Also great for cooling off when working outside. Although, productivity drops dramatically around here after the pool is warmed up!
 
pooldv said:
Our kids don't spend much time in the pool these days, 16 and 17. We spend many, many hours every weekend floating around, listening to tunes and sipping beverages with friends or just us. We also have some friends with younger kids who come and play in the pool. Also great for cooling off when working outside. Although, productivity drops dramatically around here after the pool is warmed up!
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judging from your pool temperature, you only get things done from December to February?

:) :) :)

No wonder you keep that cover on so much!
 
My wife and I would go out last year many times and lounge with a drink and book and listen to music. Definitely when working outdoors would go and dive in to cool off and then go back to working.
 
This is our second pool season and it's just the two of us, both in our 50's. Neither of us has ever had a pool before so it's still a novelty. My husband goes in most afternoons but he basically just jumps in to cool off and gets out. Depending on the weather (lots of afternoon thunderstorms in the summer here) I'll go in about 3-4 times during the week after work for at least a half hour just to float or swim some gentle laps. On the weekends my husband goes in and out as he's doing yard work. Since it's more work for me to change in and out of a swimsuit I usually take about an hour out of my day and lay by the pool, going in and out or using a float. Our pool isn't screened so during the height of summer it's just too buggy in the evenings to stay in for any length of time.
 

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We just built our pool 2 years ago, last year was the first full year. No kids and I'll say we don't actually get in it that much - maybe once or twice a week (compared to people with kids where it is non-stop), but it has made our yard and house so much more inviting. So while we may not get in it, we entertain more, we enjoy our back yard more - just hanging out and reading outside, listening to music and and a lounger. So it has changed the yard and how we use it, it truly does get used, whether we are "in it" or not. Oh and I should say we do have two bull dogs - one of them is in it daily on the tanning ledge while the other one won't get in at all, yet it is the only place he will drink, he will not drink inside from a bowl now. The things we do for our dogs.
 
Those thick multi-layer women's suits are a beating for sure. It takes them days to dry out! My wife switched to light weight bottoms and tankini tops (mostly from Lands End) and then wears mesh-y type cover ups.
 
pooldv said:
Those thick multi-layer women's suits are a beating for sure. It takes them days to dry out! My wife switched to light weight bottoms and tankini tops (mostly from Lands End) and then wears mesh-y type cover ups.
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Yeah I ditched the thicker suits as well and now go with the tankini tops and board style bottoms like the Zeroxposur suits. Your wife might look into that brand as they are cheaper than Lands End and still good quality.
 
Kids are grown and moved out. Husband is away on business often. So, it's just me. I use the pool for exercise, daily if possible. I set a goal of 100 laps by August. I warm up with some exercises I learned in a water aerobics class I took one winter. I also float with a drink at sunset and I love summer full moon swims. But I'll be honest, I have to be disciplined in the early season, with the cool temps and rain. But, once I get in the habit, it's easy to get in every day.
 
Often times on weeknights, I'll watch a baseball game. So now it's not uncommon to swim/float and listen to the game. I grew up listening to baseball and I really enjoy that.

Otherwise, I just love being outside so I'll hang around the pool or float in it. Our pool is away from our house so I'm not as tempted to make a quick stop back in the house. It's not unusual for me to spend a few hours by the pool on a weekend day, by myself or with whomever stops by from the house. My boys spend less time than they used to but do come down to swim then sit by the pool to play on their phones, and talk with me, or just be in the same place together. That would happen less without our pool.
 
bmoreswim said:
Our pool is away from our house so I'm not as tempted to make a quick stop back in the house.
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True for us also. We have a very weird "hatchet" shaped lot and the pool is in the "handle" of the hatchet. It is about 50-60 feet from the house I'd guess. Because of this I notice we "go to the pool", as compared to friends of ours who have it w/in 10' of their back door. For them if the back patio and pool are one. For us, we have two different zones. (and a screen of juniper in between). So we tend to either hang out on the back patio, or the pool. My smoker and grill are in the patio area, though sometimes I'll tote the Weber kettle to the pool deck for hot dogs at the pool. :)
 

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