This is Paradise, but no indoor lap pool!
 

We are new here as of April and it is Paradise. However, I am shocked to see that with The Villages being a swimmer's dream (beautiful, clean pools everywhere) there is no INDOOR pool.

With the coldest winter on record this past winter, and with the almost everyday thunder/lightning storms, I can't be the only one who needs an indoor lap pool to workout. Also, many of us have to stay out of the sun.

I can't imagine how people whose main fitness regimen is swimming were able to swim last winter with 30's and 40's outside.

Having no indoor pool is so UNLIKE everything else (perfection) around TV. Any hope for one soon?

Didn't you check this out before your purchase?

There used to be a beautiful indoor pool as part of the fitness center that used to be in the hospital. Now they moved to Spanish Springs and no more pool :cus:
I totally agree! WE NEED AN INDOOR POOL!!!

And if I recall when that pool was closed there was an offer by a third party to run the pool operation. Turns out there was not enough interest to financially support the idea.

It's not a perfect solution, I know, but the pools are heated in the winter; and swimming earlier in the morning or at dusk you can avoid the sun.

Yes, we knew this (we rented first). It certainly wouldn't have stopped us from buying a home here.

If there was "lack of interest to financially support the idea", that doesn't mean residents don't want/need an indoor lap pool.

It means our monthly lifestyle fee ought to cover it, just as it covers all kinds of other facilities we might never use, such as paddle/cage tennis when there is already tennis and pickleball.

If your monthly fee did support it:

Where would it be located? Wouldn't people who lived far away complain that it is their money also?

Would just one indoor pool that was free be able to support 100K people in the winter months? Not likely.

I've read many, many people on this forum who swim and exercise year round (with maybe a few very cold days off) in the main sports pools. The lack of an indoor facility doesn't stop them. I do know that some handicap people might need an indoor pool but unfortunately one is not on the agenda.

I wouldn't support any raise in fees for an indoor pool. If there was enough support for it then some enterprising person, and there are many in TV, should build one and charge a monthly fee. Don't see that happening IMHO.

Lazlyn,
Welcome to TV! As you pointed out, there is way more to love than not.

One thing to consider is that table tennis is quite inexpensive to provide, an indoor swimming facility is not. Also, during most of the year, the weather is comfortable for the outdoor, heated lap pools.

PT,
Were you here last winter?:cold::cold:

Hi Whalen. I wasn't. Remember, I said during most of the the year.

Those seasonal pool enclosures seem like the ideal solution. Put over existing pool, saves energy loss from heated pools.

Since the pools are already located centrally, just use the seasonal pool enclosure to save money, heat energy and lap swimmers interest.

:agree:

One would think that the amenity fee fund would be strong enough to support a pool enclosure as a solution.
The energy savings should help on the operations of what is an existing cost.

It is also a misnomer, that just because a pool is inside you are safe from Lightning strikes! You should always exit a pool when lightning is in the area, it does not matter if the pool is inside or out.

Army Guy

My wife and I are thinking of retiring to the villages and I find the lack of an indoor pool and shower facility a real negative

What percentage want an indoor pool?. Please guess.
 

Alright now. I have to say this and I am probably wrong. I find that most of the folks I have encountered in the pools are "waders". I am not seeing many strong crawls being practiced when I go take my dip.

There are a LOT of folks using the pools during "the season", so it is hard to have uninterrupted swimming going on at that time

Mostly the folks at my pool get in and don't get their hair wet.

I am very sorry that not having an indoor lap pool is a deterrent for anyone to come here. There are OH so many things to make up for the lack of that in my mind.

I don't really, really, really think that more than say...five percent of residents or potential residents want or need an indoor lap pool.

But like Russ says, That is my opinion. I might be wrong.

What about a wave pool?
 

Gracie,
I agree with you about the neighborhood pools. I have, however, seen laps being swum at the sports pool, i.e. Seabrook pool. I would like to see a wave pool where one could walk with or against the current. :thumbup : They have a pool like this in a rec center right between where Gracie and I live/d in Ohio. Many people used it especially the older residents who might fall walking outdoors. The possibility that we might all need this someday is real.
Maybe they could cover just the sports pools, or rhe regional rec center pools.

I agree - the neighborhood pools don't see much swimming, but the sports pools definitely do. And there have been many complaints previously about the lack of an indoor pool. If you recall the cold weather we had last winter, to have to go a couple of months without being able to do your workout in a pool, is a real drag. I'm not much of a swimmer, but I agree we need an indoor pool, or at least something under cover, where the water will be warm, and people will be in the shade if they so desire.

We visited TV last February. Using a pool is my main form of exercise, and while an indoor pool would be nice during the winter months what really surprised me was not having a few pools with sun shading. With so much skin cancer, it would be nice to have the choice of going to a pool that was completely shaded.

Would it keep me from moving to TV? No, probably not; but it is something I would like to see available.

I have a friend who was thinking of moving here full time, but has been put off by the lack of an indoor pool. They're looking seriously at Del Webb.

Thank you for acknowledging what is a legitimate concern despite what some naysayers here say.

Another way that many communities have an indoor pool is at its public school campus. What about an indoor pool facility at the beautiful Villages Charter Schools?

It could be used to teach all students to swim in P.E. classes; house the high school swim team; and house the Villages Adult Swim Team. I saw the H.S. swim team practicing at Laurel Manor and they are magnificent.

Make friends with someone from Stonecrest and use their indoor pool. It's only fair since Stonecrest folks are always using TV amenities.


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Indoor Pools
 

Does anyone know what happened to the beautiful indoor pool at the former Wellness Center adjacent to the hospital?

The new indoor lap pool could be located next door to the ice skating rink that TV should build.

I'm sure a lot of Canadians are avoiding TV because of this glaring oversight.

Very funny Walt:jester:

Question: How big would an indoor lap pool (that was available free of charge) have to be to support 100K population. And if you think that enough people would pay a monthly fee for it then why hasn't some enterprising entrepreneur (and there are hundreds of them who live in TV) built it? I don't expect the developer to provide this since my guess is that it wouldn't be fully utilized in the majority of months where the temp is high enough to be outside.

Russ -
Many people avoid the outside pools in the hot summer months because there is very little shade
to escape the sun that can be harmful to some, i.e., melonomia
I for one would be in an indoor pool most of the summer and I feel certain others would be also.

P.S. Does anyone know what happened to the beautiful indoor pool at the former Wellness Center adjacent to the hospital?
__________________

That would be good except the Villages Charter schools use OUR sports pools for training.

Then my point is even more relevant. If that many people would use it: How many free ones would we need to build to support 100K people and/or why hasn't a private business built one or more if it were in such demand that people would pay an additional fee.

TV has many things but it can't have everything.

I have been looking for an indoor pool also. I thought I was the only one that need this.

It's nostalgic to see an old post from Islandgal, knowing she is no longer with us in physical form.

When I left TV in May, the beautiful indoor pool at the former Wellness Center was in the process of being filled in.

There may be a half dozen, thus possibly the reason that none is available. In truth there may be as many as two hundred or even five hundred who would like an indoor pool but that still is less than a percentage point of the total population.

My brother-in-law and his wife were in the pool every single morning during the winter. Don't know how they do it, but they are not the only ones. The water is warm enough - it's when you get out that you really suffer.

I see this is an old Thread revived---nothing wrong with that. Last winter was not near as cold as a couple years ago. I swim some but not an avid swimmer but prefer to work out at the Colony Fitness Center. Point is we pay extra for fitness. Why not a couple of heated indoor pools for those that have need for such facilities and charge similar to Fitness? Maybe there is not the demand.

We have a ton of pools & so many people complain about them being crowded. How many indoor pools do you think they would have to build so everyone has access to them ?
Indoor pools are great, but there is no way they could build enough of them for 100,000 plus thousand people.
Definitely more shaded areas are needed at our pools.

At least one indoor lap pool is needed and it doesn't need to be for "100,000 plus" people, given the number of existing sport pools most people would use when/if they can take the sun/skin-cancer risk and tolerate the cold of winter for a few weeks.

An example is that University of Florida-Gainesville has 50,000 students, and the need for lap swimming and team training is met there with one indoor natatorium of 8 lanes. And the fact that it is an indoor natatorium and not an outdoor one speaks clearly to the need in this region for an indoor one.

See link:
Stephen C. O'Connell Center at the University of Florida

Yes but I'll bet the general population of students has very limited time frames for its use.

The very fact that MVP has decided to build another facility in Brownwood and is not considering an indoor pool should show that people won't pay any extra fees for it. I'm sure they'd build it if it would generate extra revenue.

Don't hold your breath. it ain't gonna happen.

I expect the cost of building an indoor pool would be extremely high, and that may be why MVP did not build one - startup costs. There were numerous petitions circulated, and many signatures of people interested a few years ago. With the increase in population since that time, I don't think there would be any problem finding enough people willing to pay a fee for the pool. Just my opinion. But I agree jblum315, it ain't gonna happen. its a lot easier to take a building, fill it up with some exercise machines, perhaps leased, then to risk big money on a pool.

indoor pools
 

How many times have you been to the sports pools and talked to people who use the sports pools? We have water aerobics, water walkers, syncho swimmers, lap swimmers, water volleyball players, etc., etc. who would LOVE an indoor pool. There are many of us who would enjoy an indoor pool, many. There is not just a half dozen or a few hundred.

I personally have had a loved one die of melanoma. He spent every winter in Florida enjoying the beautiful sunshine while delighting in the outdoor pools.

Those of you who think there is no problem because the pool water is warm, try swimming in an outdoor pool in Ottawa in the cool months. The water is warm but the air temperature is so cold. It is COLD swimming in The Villages pools during cool weather and rainy weather.