Springtail or Water Boatman bugs?????

[sunlove]

They are what we call backswimmers which I think is the same thing as water boatmen. There was one dead one floating but the biggest one is still there, along with a couple other smaller ones. Neat to watch but I'm not swimming with them Will scoop them out and step on them if all else fails!

[PoolDoc]

Will scoop them out and step on them if all else fails!

Step hard and fast: they bite!

[AnnaK]

Wikipedia is your friend

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backswimmer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corixidae (Water Boatman)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springtail

Backswimmers swim upside down near the surface of the water. They are predatory and bite.
Water Boatmen swim near the bottom and don't bite.
Springtails are very much smaller than either of the other two and are probably not what you're seeing.

I seem to remember a discussion by Waterbear elsewhere that adding borates to pool water helps keep these insects under control.

[Watermom]

Boy --- that springtail is ugly!