Signifiance difference in swim times between pools?

x2.

meters are about 10% longer, so expect a 10% increase in time.  That's what I found out after getting strange numbers at on particular pool a couple times.  I ended up measuring it..  yep, 25 meters.

Check out this thread.

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=122193&posts=13&highlight=pool&highlightmode=1#M1510529

Edit: I know there was another thread on this subject, that had more info on why some pools are faster than others, can't find it now though.

'fast' pools are not 2 to 3 seconds faster per 25. At that rate, you would be 12 seconds faster per 100.  Now think that the bejing pool, which is the fastest ever designed would be MUCH faster then that, and we would have seen WR's being destroyed by a lot more then they were.

I've swam in the IUPUI natatorium, where the pan-am games and the USMS lc nats were/are held, and  at around 2:00 per hundred, did not notice much difference between from my usual 'slow' lc pool.

It is much more likley that one is yards and one is meters.  That would account for about a stroke.  

The pool may not even be a full 25 yards or meters.  When I was in grad school, the [school's] pool I swam in was 24.5 yards long.  Turns out the state had a regulation saying that any university with a regulation length pool also had to have the facilities to hold state level meets.  The university didn't want to deal with that, so they didn't put in a regulation pool.

'Slow' pools, deep pools, number of lanes, and gutters have nothing, nothing to do with performance.  It's swimming, not microsurgery. At best, under the worst conditions, all these factors make little difference. Even the directions of the jets in the pool shouldn't matter much, as you get the resistance and the benefit by swimming both ways. 

The pool is either off lengthwise, or it's in your head. Just sayin.  Check 'em both.   

The difference between a "slow" pool and "fast" pool isn't going to be noticeable during training, certainly not by a "few seconds" per lap.  That is, unless one is shorter than the other.

I had a 25 yard clothsline that I have taken to the pools in my area,, the staff will always claim a pool is 25 meters, so I measure it and it's usually 25 yrds.. there are a couple that are about a foot short though and a couple for one gym that are actually 25meters...

just measure it...

I found an article on a triathlon swimming site that discusses the pool length differences and how they effect your swim, which may not exactly answer your question but it does compare time in short course vs long course pools...

 http://www.dobkanize.com/poolLength.asp

Most gym personnel have no clue if their pool is 25 yards or meters.  Don't believe what they say!  That being said, my impressions is that the newer pools are all being built at 25 meters, but I might be full of $h@#....

Brian

Most gym personnel have no clue if their pool is 25 yards or meters.  Don't believe what they say!  That being said, my impressions is that the newer pools are all being built at 25 meters, but I might be full of $h@#....

Brian