9th St Y Pool

kaiserkai · January 2010

Hey,

anyone using this able to share some experience?

I am looking for a pool where I can get a 30 minute window for my own lane to swim in.
I am not a good swimmer and would slow down traffic in a "mass" lane event.

Does the Y offer this?
If so what are the wait time/ booking options?

Now with the Armory open i am thinking of getting the double deal and really the most interesting to me is the pool.

hamilton · January 2010

try the Y at Atlantic Ave. and Court St.

thea · January 2010

Subject: Lap Pools

I don't know the pools on Brooklyn; but MPHC on W. 43rd in Manhattan has a fabulous pool. The lanes are designated fast / slow / intermediate and though I often had to share a lane with one onther person they are plenty wide. The club is open til 11:00 M-S and till 9:00 on Sundays.

opossumqueen · January 2010

if the OP is like me, location is very important. I am a member of the 9th Y and besides not wanting to waste time getting to another gym, I don't want the additional fees. I am impressed with people that travel far for a gym as I have always stuck to the most convenient to home or work to make sure I could fit it into my schedule. Plus, traveling makes it more likely that you'll have to use those incredibly gross gym showers instead of being able to just run home to your own bathroom.

kaiserkai · January 2010

Yeah I am specifically interested in the 9th st Y.
Atlantic and court i could do, but its already far enough for me to know I wont go regularly.

Anyone ith specific experience in the 9th St Y?

curlygirl · January 2010

The Y's pool is small (20 yards, I believe, instead of the more standard 25) so many serious swimmers give it a miss in favor of regulation-length pools. If you go at off-peak times you can often get your own lane, or split a lane (if there are two people then one takes one side, the other takes the other side). The slow lane at that pool is often really, really slow. Like, people doing water aerobics very gradually across the pool.

Wait is always first come first serve, and varies significantly -- because there are only three lanes, two people arriving changes the dynamic dramatically.

BUT, in general, the Y is an extremely supportive environment, and generally, if you communicate with the people who come to share your lane, then it tends to smooth things. The lifeguard can also clue you in on general pool etiquette.

8thandprez · January 2010

I use the Y pool frequently. As Curlygirl says, it's not standard length, but sufficient for doing laps. There are three lanes: slow, medium and fast. To "qualify" for the fast lane, you're supposed to be able to swim a certain distance in a minimum amount of time. I can't remember the distance or the time because no one checks or cares.

You can usually expect to have at least 2 people in each lane. The lanes are wide enough that two can split the lane and swim laps comfortably. It's very common to have 3 or even 4 people in a lane, however, and this is when it gets complicated. The fast lane (where I swim) is usually populated with people who IMHO belong in the medium or even slow lanes. This usually means I end up having to wait behind someone or do a flip turn in the middle of the pool to get some distance between me and the slowpoke.

All in all, I get decent workouts in, even with the hassle of having slow people in the fast lane. It's also worth mentioning that the Y is building a new pool, atlhough I have no idea what the ETA is for that facility.

kaiserkai · January 2010

Thank you very much for the replies.
I guess theres only one way to find out for sure.

ljnd · January 2010

"Take the plunge?"

Thank you, thank you - I'll be here all week.

tyroneshoelaces · January 2010

8thandPrez nails it -- especially about the Fast Lane. It really kills me when I'm stuck behind slow swimmers in that lane. The natural tendency to equalize the number of people per lane always overpowers the logic of skill based lane ranking. I've learned to swim in sprints as I almost always have to wait for the person ahead of me to get almost to the other side before I launch again.

I figure a 40 minute window for a 20 minute swim. You just don't know until you're dripping wet (they require a shower) and all exposed on the deck.

The slow lane is the water aerobics lane. The medium lane is a slow lane.

Can't wait for the new pool.

8thandprez · January 2010

Ah, the shower requirement. Reminds me of the last time I went to swim... I showered and then came >this close< to walking onto the pool deck holding my bathing suit in my hand.

tyroneshoelaces · January 2010

When I'm at the Y, I always wonder who from this forum is sweating along with me. Most of you probably know each other, but I often think we should wear little Secret Society pins while we're out in public. If you see me at the pool, I'll be wearing the pink cap with the rubber flowers and chin strap. It has a lot of drag, but draws attention away from my hairy legs. You'll know me by my half removed minimum security prison tattoos.

Oh, and isn't it hard to get a swimsuit on while you're soaking wet?

old goat in fl · January 2010

Hey Kaiserkai. I swam in the 9th St Y pool in the 40's & 50's. I know it's not much help now but back then it was great. A lot of groups use to run coed "Splash Parties" on Saturday nights. During the week it was boy's & men only and we swam b.a. No swim suits! The shower room had HOT water running at all times. You did not turn it off and on. The shower heads were about 10 feet high or at least it seemed that way. Back then the pool was kept clean and so was the shower room. My brother was one of the LifeGuards. Also swam in the Pool in Manual (Now John Jay or whatever) You could not graduate without passing a swim test. I do not know if they still have a pool or if it is open to the public.

:roll:

kosherdave · January 2010

They're getting a new pool? Anyone know when/where or what the deal is with this?

opossumqueen · January 2010

To those of you who have said how full it is when you go, when do you go?

When I joined a year+ ago they were talking about the pool but had no idea how many years it would be until it was done, but it is supposed to be much bigger.

I think the pool at John Jay is used for kids (lessons, teams) and from what I've read isn't open to others, but someone please correct me if I'm wrong.

9th St Y Pool

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