Swimming year round (Phoenix, Tempe: hotel, maintenance, live in)

[aj661]

Originally Posted by aj661

We hit overnight lows in the mid to upper 20's almost every winter in the east valley. My pool temp got down to 52 degrees this past winter and it's only 80 degrees today. Usually we can use the pool mid-May through early to mid-October, but only because we use a cover beginning in September to hold the heat in at night.

The weather was starting to look good this weekend but I hear it's dropping back into the 90's this week. algore's global warming seems to have missed the far east valley. Is 115 degrees in the day and 80 at night really too much to ask for? A couple days of 120+ would be sweet!

What a difference a year makes! I checked the water temp early on the day after Christmas and it was off the bottom of the scale, so it's between 38 and 33 degrees!!! Another week or two of dropping into the 20s at night and I think it would begin to ice over. Welcome to global warming in the Superstition Triangle...

If anyone wants to come over and jump in, you're more than welcome-I'll put on some coffee and call the paramedics for you.

Originally Posted by sheena

I swim from late June to early September toooooo cold for me other wise...........brrrrrrrr

I'm with you Sheena. I did get in at the end of the season when it was only 78 but I desperately needed to decompress my lower back that day. If only I could afford to winter in Australia.

[jessiesma]

I've lived on the Gulf Coast of FL for 2 years now. In Summer air temps are around 95º and the Gulf gets to around 85º and feels like a bathtub If you're just splashing around it's true that 80º can feel chilly but if you do serious exercise it's almost too warm. Maybe it's just the contrast between 100º+ and 80º in the dry desert? Here, the humidity mitigates the cooling effect which is the reason to have a pool, no?

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by minaflewis

Let me address this swimming in Phoenix thing. I moved down here thinking I would bask in the sun year round and swim in my pool constantly! I bought the pool and the guy I bought it from talked me out of heating it - saying it was seldom done.

Ok....what they do not tell you is this.... If the outside temperature is 100 degrees - your pool water is 80. You may not think this but wait till you try it...that is friggin cold....or feels cold - I am not sure..but we are talking jump in and it takes your breath away. Anything below that to me is insane!

My husband swam all the way till 70 degrees but seriously he was crazy and people would tell him so. He would be coming out bluish!

Then you have got outside temperatures that reach 120. Who eants to lay in the sun at 120. Try it for a while and let me know!!! That is miserable. So...What you have is a very short time that your pool - unless heated is enjoyable!

If you ARE going to heat your pool - count on VERY EXPENSIVE bills every month to do so! Also plan on a fire pit and having it ready to go for people that get out of the pool and need to get some warmth when they step out.

Having a pool in Phoenix is great..but ount on just a few months to really enjoy it. I woluld say when you have outside temperatures of 100-110.

People think that the pool temperature is the same as the outside. Think of leaving water in your tub and how much colder it is when you put your hand in it.

You really CAN easily subtract 20 degrees to be safe.

Trust me - I live here!

I thought the same thing when we first moved here. What I found was that I actually spend LESS time outside then I ever did on the east coast! How weird is that??? There really is no "summer" here, no beach weather or laying out in the sun weather. It's either too hot or too cold. There may be a week or two within the year where it's nice to hang out IN the sun here, but those days are very few and far between. Sad, but true....

[twiggy]

Originally Posted by londonbarcelona

I thought the same thing when we first moved here. What I found was that I actually spend LESS time outside then I ever did on the east coast! How weird is that??? There really is no "summer" here, no beach weather or laying out in the sun weather. It's either too hot or too cold. There may be a week or two within the year where it's nice to hang out IN the sun here, but those days are very few and far between. Sad, but true....

Me three!! When I go to MA for the summer you have those nice times on the beach when the sun is just right. Not true here, just about 2 weeks in spring and fall. It's too hot or too cold. ???? You don't picture that before you get here. But, no snow, remember! lol What is so bad about snow?
Anyway, I swim starting in June - Aug. My kids start a little earlier and go a little later. They start to get sick of it after awhile not to mention there skin and hair really suffer by Aug.

[AZBigJ]

Just checked my pool this morning and it is a comfortable 39*! Yikes! It is a beautiful 65* outside right now though

[randomguymike]

Originally Posted by twiggy

. But, no snow, remember! lol What is so bad about snow?

You obviously didn't have to cancel your New Years Eve plans due to snow and have to dig out of 10 inches of it this morning. Another day today that I wonder why I stay in Michigan. If I could only find a similarly paying job out there in my field, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

[twiggy]

Originally Posted by randomguymike

You obviously didn't have to cancel your New Years Eve plans due to snow and have to dig out of 10 inches of it this morning. Another day today that I wonder why I stay in Michigan. If I could only find a similarly paying job out there in my field, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

Bingo! I would gladly shovel for better wages.

[Clutch718]

Something like 9 months I think

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by twiggy

Me three!! When I go to MA for the summer you have those nice times on the beach when the sun is just right. Not true here, just about 2 weeks in spring and fall. It's too hot or too cold. ???? You don't picture that before you get here. But, no snow, remember! lol What is so bad about snow?
Anyway, I swim starting in June - Aug. My kids start a little earlier and go a little later. They start to get sick of it after awhile not to mention there skin and hair really suffer by Aug.

Nothing better than hanging at the beach on the east coast with water that's actually warm enough to swim in. LOL Whenever my kids and I go to San Diego, the water is friggin' FREEZING!!!!!! But the seals are fun to watch.....

[ILuvAZ]

My kids swam last weekend in our heated pool. It's heated with gas. Our pool is pretty large... it takes a full night and almost all day to heat it when it's this cold outside so in the dead of winter we only do it on occasion (it gets expensive). We are going to get a cover so we can heat it and cover it to keep it warm longer. The heater is REALLY nice, say in April, when it's warm out but the water is a little chilly because you can bump the heater on for a little while and the water will be perfect. I would never have a pool without a heater... but I am a wimp when it comes to cold water! If you are concerned about the cost of heating when it's really cold outside you can still use a heater... your swimming season can be comfortable and still affordable from say March - November.