The Team Behind the Swim Team
For good IAQ, facility managers need to consider operating conditions and patron expectations.
The natatorium experience for a patron should be no different than in any other room in a building. A natatorium should be comfortable, healthy and have good air quality. When designing one, the first recommended step for the designers is to meet with the facility owners to discuss the desired operating conditions and expectations. Only once the operating conditions and expectations are defined can the designer effectively calculate loads and address all the key design aspects.
Check out Chapter Four “Indoor Air Quality” of the Natatorium Design Guide to learn more about creating good indoor air quality:
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With #MakeChangeIAQ, we hope to change the way people think about the indoor pool environment and ensure more communities have a greater awareness and deeper understanding of the importance of good IAQ. Not only does IAQ affect the health and comfort of the swimmers, but it also affects the communities they’re connected to, particularly their parents and other supporters in the stands, their coaches, the volunteers and facility managers. These communities make up what we like to call the Team Behind the Swim Team.
Poor IAQ is the bane of competitive swimming and the indoor pool industry.
In competition pools, every time a swimmer comes up for air, you want to ensure the air they’re inhaling is high-quality, clean air. Exposure to poor indoor air quality can make swimmers sick. Temperature and relative humidity play a critical role in human comfort levels and have a direct effect on swimmers’ health.
Check out Chapter Two “Health, Safety, and Comfort” of the Natatorium Design Guide to learn more.
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With #MakeChangeIAQ, we hope to change the way people think about the indoor pool environment and ensure more communities have a greater awareness and deeper understanding of the importance of good IAQ. Not only does IAQ affect the health and comfort of the swimmers, but it also affects the communities they’re connected to, particularly their parents and other supporters in the stands, their coaches, the volunteers and facility managers. These communities make up what we like to call the Team Behind the Swim Team.
Good IAQ is as important for parents and other supporters as it is for swimmers.
Good IAQ is as important for parents and other supporters as it is for swimmers.
Parents of swimmers spend almost as much time at the pool as their kids. Attending swim meets, parents, other family members and friends need to be comfortable. Good IAQ is critical in achieving a comfortable, healthy environment for spectators. If there is a dedicated spectator gallery of a suitable size, there could be an opportunity to create a separate microclimate for them during swim meets using a dedicated spectator HVAC unit. A dedicated HVAC unit can deliver the extra outdoor air needed to this area during the meet while also providing a slightly different (usually cooler) space condition that is more comfortable for the spectators. The introduction of outdoor air is essential to maintaining good air quality.
To learn more, check out the section on spectator galleries in Chapter Three “Humidity Control Calculations” of the Natatorium Design Guide.
With #MakeChangeIAQ, we hope to change the way people think about the indoor pool environment and ensure more communities have a greater awareness and deeper understanding of the importance of good IAQ. Not only does IAQ affect the health and comfort of the swimmers, but it also affects the communities they’re connected to, particularly their parents and other supporters in the stands, their coaches, the volunteers and facility managers. These communities make up what we like to call the Team Behind the Swim Team.
Swimming’s Greatest Ambassador for IAQ
We first introduced Rowdy Gaines, 3x Olympic gold medalist, as our official 2022 IAQ spokesperson in January but just scratched the surface on what exactly makes him the best spokesperson for our #MakeChangeIAQ initiative. Today, we are going to go into greater detail on Rowdy – the athlete, the voice of swimming, the philanthropist and the indoor air quality (IAQ) advocate.
Rowdy’s Swimming Career: Let’s Dive In!
Ambrose “Rowdy” Gaines, born in Winter Haven, FL, was the fastest swimmer in the world throughout the 1980s. He broke 14 world records throughout his career and won three gold medals at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles—and these are just a few of his accomplishments as an athlete.
In 1991, Rowdy contracted and was temporarily paralyzed by Guillan-Barre Syndrome, an autoimmune virus that attacks the nervous system. Just one year later, after overcoming the illness and regaining his strength, he won the 50- and 100-meter freestyle events at the World Masters Championships—talk about perseverance!
Rowdy is a member of the US Olympic Hall of Fame and International Swimming Hall of Fame and is referred to today as “Swimming’s Greatest Ambassador.”
Supplying air to the breathing zone is critical for not only swimmers but also coaches
Supplying air to the breathing zone is critical for not only swimmers but also coaches.
The single most important focus of the HVAC design is to provide adequate supply air down into the breathing zone (at the deck level and water surface). The supply air from the HVAC system has been conditioned and filtered with outdoor air blended in. When supply air is delivered down into the breathing zone, swimmers, coaches and volunteers will enjoy the best possible air quality. A properly designed facility will adequately control and remove chloramines while providing the treated and conditioned air to where it is most needed.
Check out Chapter 4 “Indoor Air Quality” of the Natatorium Design Guide to learn more.
With #MakeChangeIAQ, we hope to change the way people think about the indoor pool environment and ensure more communities have a greater awareness and deeper understanding of the importance of good IAQ. Not only does IAQ affect the health and comfort of the swimmers, but it also affects the communities they’re connected to, particularly their parents and other supporters in the stands, their coaches, the volunteers and facility managers. These communities make up what we like to call the Team Behind the Swim Team.
Working Together to Improve IAQ and support safe swim education
NEW | For every PoolPak unit sold with a Paddock Evacuator®, PoolPak will provide one child with swim lessons through Step Into Swim. Paddock Pool Equipment Co has offered to do the same, which means that for every PoolPak unit sold with a Paddock Evacuator® through this initiative, we will provide two children with swim lessons that last a lifetime.
Step Into Swim, in partnership with Every Child A Swimmer, is a Pool & Hot Tub Alliance initiative committed to safe swim education and drowning prevention and is run by Rowdy Gaines, 3x Olympic gold medalist and our 2022 IAQ spokesperson.
We are pleased to work with Paddock Pool Equipment to improve IAQ and support an organization that is near and dear to Rowdy’s heart.