Sport & recreation  |  16 Nov 2020

With Christchurch’s outdoor public pools now open for the summer, pool users are being urged to respect each other and the lifeguards on duty.

“A visit to one of Christchurch City Council's pools is a great day out for the whole whānau and we love seeing people having fun,’’ says  Council Head of Recreation, Sports and Events Nigel Cox.

“Most of the people who come for a swim or a splash are really well behaved, but unfortunately there is a very small minority who cause issues for other pool users and for our staff.

“If you are enjoying the pools, please make sure that you supervise your children and that you respect other pools users and the staff on duty. Our lifeguards are poolside to make sure that people are safe in the water, not to be abused or to act as babysitters for young children.’’

Mr Cox says children under 14 years old should only visit the pools if accompanied by someone over 14.

“Children under eight need to be actively supervised in the pools by a responsible caregiver aged 16 or over. Active supervision means watching your child at all times and being able to provide immediate assistance. Children under five should always be within arm’s reach,’’ he says.

“If you are bringing children to the pools, please make sure they use the toilet before they swim. And check in with them regularly to remind them to use the toilet if they need to go. Children aged three and under should wear a swim nappy and ideally neoprene over-nappies to reduce the chance of leakages.

“If we get a pool closure, it can take from 40 minutes to 15 hours to clean it and reopen, which means that no one can enjoy the pool during that time, so please help us to keep the pools open,’’ Mr Cox says.

“If you or your child has had diarrhoea or vomiting in the past two weeks, please do not use the pools.’’

To respect other pool users, people should keep left when lane swimming, let faster swimmers past, and wear appropriate swimwear.