Which London swimming pools allow diving equipment (i.e. masks)

[pthread]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and to freediving, so I will probably have a lot of questions in the future.

My partner and I will go on a holiday in Greece soon and plan to do some recreational freediving/snorkling (nothing too competitive, just observing sealife in shallow water). I was doing some research for good equipment and bought myself a Cressi SuperOccio.

However, I got told off by the lifeguard of my local pool for trying to use it there. :/

I would like to make sure that it doesn't leak, since I'm wearing contact lenses.

Which swimming pools in London (preferably North East) would allow the usage of equipment? (except fins of course, when other people are around :t)

P.

 

[apneaboy]

Even better.

Alist can be found here of pools in London that allow Freedivers, who can show you what to do

British Freediving Association - Clubs: BFA Affiliated Clubs

 

[shoutatthesky]

They won't let you use a diving mask in a pool? Why ever not? Why not arrange a large group of people to turn up at said pool all wearing diving masks as protest against this senseless rule? Down with the government! Down with the rule makers!

Happy holiday?

 

[apneaboy]

They let you use the goggles that are identical to the masks (the aquaspera and aquaspere) but not the mask version, they don't have a reason 'its the rules' :head

I can do surface mono sets with goggles and fins on but can't wear a snorkel or mask, so i have to do it apnea (25m only btw) and they say thats safer because 'snorkels are dangerous 'cos they don't know if you have passed out' :head

At least they let me in :friday

 

[pthread]

Even better.

Alist can be found here of pools in London that allow Freedivers, who can show you what to do

British Freediving Association - Clubs: BFA Affiliated Clubs

Cheers.

I contacted notanx already, impatiently waiting for a reply.

 

[pthread]

They let you use the goggles that are identical to the masks (the aquaspera and aquaspere) but not the mask version, they don't have a reason 'its the rules' :head

I can do surface mono sets with goggles and fins on but can't wear a snorkel or mask, so i have to do it apnea (25m only btw) and they say thats safer because 'snorkels are dangerous 'cos they don't know if you have passed out' :head

At least they let me in :friday

Well, I'm the kind of person who yells "WHY" and eyes people if they tell me something is not allowed and it doesn't make sense. The lifeguard said to me that the mask could break and then there would be bits on the bottom of the pool. :head

I didn't actually plan to hit my face flat on the bottom of the pool. :crutch ?

They let you in with fins? Wow, wouldn't have thought that. We usually train during public sessions. I would imagine a child with a fin sticking to its face is not a pretty sight either.

 

[apneaboy]

No-Tanx are good (as are the others on that site) Say hello to Sam for me

I have a pair of small rubber fins, even if you slapped somebody around the head with them it would just make a cartoon fin shape on their head and thats it.

Nip into a local scuba session and ask, thats an easy session to convince people fins and masks are safe.

p.s. Getting pool time is just about building up relationships with the lifeguards. They are experts at their job but freediving isn't mainstream. Normally i just keep my head down for the first month or so and once they know i'm not a danger to myself or others they are more accomodating and infact take a keen interest.

My masks are plastic which makes a difference as that is a potential problem in a pool, albeit highly unlikely in a swimming session. Just be nice mate, have humble pie for dinner and you will get in fins soon enough somewhere

 

[pthread]

I'm a mate-ess btw. :t

I understand the relationship thing, but it's a bit hard if I can't even see them from a 10 ft distance. (I'm a bit blind without contacts/glasses)

 

[apneaboy]

Mate is both sexes when i don't know the name

I'm a bit blind without contacts/glasses

Are you sure you asked the right person?

Maybe you walked into the chippy next door rofl

 

[pthread]

Entirely possible. From my point of "view" it could as well have been a 6 ft tall talking Banana.

 

[Lil Dragonfly]

The public pool here bans masks, fins, and snorkels.

Not that I care. I just wait until it gets dark, then jump the fence.

 

[samdive]

My pool bans masks as "you are more likely to get in trouble because you can't breathe through your nose". Bizarrely they are quite happy for me to swim underwater as much as I want - but don't listen to my explanation that I am more likely to drown doing what I do if my nose is NOT covered.

I have got around the issue by wearing goggles and a noseclip - it's a huge paradisia one, completely obvious, but they don't seem to care about that as long as it's not a mask!!

Crazy!

 

[Kars]

It's near impossible to convince most people, especially when their salary depends on NOT understanding.

Like said above it's about building up trust and a relation with the lifeguard and staffers. When they see your passion and care they can help by 'looking the other way'.

It can be different, in the pool I train in everything is allowed, masks, suits, UW swimming, weights, even big monofins. Also during lanes wimming, provided we take care not disturb and hinder the other swimmers. And off cause we like to seek out the "quiet" hours, sometimes having a 50m lane to ourselves

An approach you can also have is use Fabian technique of incremental-ism and conscious breaking of the rule, stretching it over time.

I remember a time where the pool was nearly empty and the lifeguard had new instructions not to allow monofins. But he I got a new fin, and nobody in our lane, nor in the next two. So after a while I just put it on and got in the water and started swimming. Ignoring the poor lifeguard who was in fear of his evil manager. But he succeeded in looking the other way Ok, not the way to go if you want to return, but what are they going to do, call the police because of two guys using a monofin in an nearly empty pool? What's the penalty for this crime?

Yes Shout in the sky I sympathise with your expressed sentiments. We have to take the power back and when the normal ways are blocked, we're left no other choice than use civil disobedience.

Freediving in not just a hobby, it's a passion even an obsession.

Love, Courage and Water,

Kars

 

[jay cluskey]

i have been really lucky so far my local gym let me use all my stuff (providing its not too busy) but i did sort of blackmail them into letting me do it when i signed up my for my membership ... he he.
and i have organised a good pool session at my local 50m pool .
by the way kars if you manage to find your self at this side of the north sea .. your welcome anytime bud