So who in the northern climes is still swimming?

[digger01]

We swam everyday last wkend. Temp 78. This comming week we would need a wetsuit especially for myself, cant comment for the kids!

I still have the solar cover on, but am getting ready to start closing it up. I will try to close in the next few weeks, sometime before a frost.

My pool company wants over $400 dollars to close the pool
He scared me last year with a warranty threat, But not this year

[fcfrey]

My pool is still 80 degrees. But with the front that came through yesterday it will drop pretty quickly. The solar system still adds some heat and the solar cover keeps it in but if it's cloudy.........

I look to close when the water temp drops below 75.

I was in day before yesterday but the air was 62 BRRRRRRR when you get out!!!!

[fcfrey]

Not me!
I'll probably get in, but I'll have a wetsuit on--too cold for my wimpy skin!

Just curious --- where did you get the wet suit?? Somehow I can't picture my CHUBBY body in a wet suit but.

The bottom fell out of the pool temp --- down to 72 this morning so I put the winter cover on but it's so depressing having to close.

[CarlD]

Just curious --- where did you get the wet suit?? Somehow I can't picture my CHUBBY body in a wet suit but.

The bottom fell out of the pool temp --- down to 72 this morning so I put the winter cover on but it's so depressing having to close.

Online. I think it was West Marine or a similar place. Cost about $100 from ankles to wrists. I'm no string-bean myself, but they come in all sizes. Just don't wear it when and where anyone who doesn't love you (like spouse and kids--wellllll--maybe not the kids) can see you!

Meanwhile, we had a cold snap and my pool hit 60, so yesterday I closed it down for the winter. As usual, figuring out which end of the safety cover was which was...interesting. I figured out which end was which, but it took my 12 year old to figure out which corner went where--BEFORE we unfolded all 42'x18' of it!

I drop the water enough so if I hang by my feet from the railing I can get the low drain in without freezing more than my arm to mid-bicep. I put on a diver's glove so the fingers don't go numb--elbow and upper arm don't matter. Otherwise I have to put on the wet-suit and get in.

It went surprisingly easy this year. The solar panels blew out faster, the cover went on faster, and the equipment (pump and plumbing) broke down faster. I must finally be getting good at it...

[ChuckD]

My pool is still 80 degrees. But with the front that came through yesterday it will drop pretty quickly. The solar system still adds some heat and the solar cover keeps it in but if it's cloudy.........

I look to close when the water temp drops below 75.

I was in day before yesterday but the air was 62 BRRRRRRR when you get out!!!!

Re: your sig - 'the solar only works when the sun shines', how true. 4 days last week without that sun part sent water temps below 70. Weatherman's talking about temps in the low seventies this weekend but the truth of the season is starting to hit home.

If the pool wasn't such a dominant visual feature in the backyard I'd probably close it now, but looking at that closed pool is just so sad!

[chem geek]

We're still swimming (near San Francisco), but with gas assist to heat the pool. With some rainy and cloudy days, plus cooler days and nights, the pool temperature drops quickly. With the opaque safety cover, the pool loses 3-4 degrees Fahrenheit overnight and if there's no sun during the day it loses another 2 or so during the day. The sun is much lower in the sky so the solar heat isn't as fast. If we didn't have gas heat, the pool would probably be below 80F now, but still probably above 75F due to some sun.

Since my wife uses the pool for swim exercise therapy, she'll probably use it until the first week or two in November. Then she'll switch to an indoor pool at a community center which is far less convenient. Heating our pool with gas to 88F ain't cheap. Without accounting for heat losses, it costs around $2.33 per degree Fahrenheit (with gas costing $1.39 per Therm).

Richard