alt Hacker NewsI haven't been to a public pool in ages, but growing up in a small US town I can't say I remember any of the kids at the community center taking a shower before using the pool. It may be different now, but I would be disinclined to say a shower is universal at least based on my experience.
Replies
It’s pretty standard now.
But not so much for hygiene standards (the chlorine takes care of that), but more for maintenance issues.
Rinsing off before going in reduces the organic load in the pool, which reduces the amount of chlorine consumed, which reduces the amount of chemicals needed to maintain clean water (not to mention reduces chloramine levels which can irritate swimmers lungs).
I am staying at a north American hotel with a pool now, and I have noticed that absolutely nobody showers before (and they come with dry hair), despite the sign asking them to do so. I have been wondering if this is a cultural difference between Europe and America.
It's absolutely disgusting.
I also grew up in a small U.S. town, and the posted rules said you had to do this, but I don't think they were consistently followed or enforced.