Five Fun Facts About Swimming and Pools To Surprise You
Thinking about buying a swimming pool – you are not alone! Australia builds more pools than any other country – not bad for a country ranked 55th in the world density pecking order.
Estimates show that 25,000 new in-ground pools are built every year in Australia – and 70% are made from fibreglass. Perth is fast becoming the country’s swimming pool heartland.
Here’s five other swimming pool facts that may surprise you and your friends.
1 - Australia swimmers are among the best (and that’s official)
Australia takes home more Olympic medals in swimming than any other sport and more swimming medals than any other country except the USA! 58 of Australia’s 135 Olympic gold medals to date are for swimming. Ozzies swim like fish and have a competitive streak!
2 - Pool colour isn’t important
Most Australians want a traditional blue pool, but colour might not matter as much as you think because size impacts colour.
If you have a larger pool, the hue will appear darker because of the depth of the water and the refraction from the bottom.
The water closest to the ocean shore is transparent. Look further and it will turn turquoise. When the seafloor drops at its deepest point, it will turn dark blue. What colours are available for a pool you may wonder?
3 - Do the butterfly stroke if you want to burn calories
You don’t have to be Einstein to know that a swimming pool will make you healthy! Swimming burns more calories per hour than any other form of exercise. At a steady pace that’s 650 calories, 30% more calories than running.
Of course, the number of calories you burn varies depending on the weight and the speed you swim. The top stroke for swimming? Butterfly followed by breaststroke.
4 - Small swimming pools are becoming more desirable
Australian backyards are shrinking – it’s a trend that has prompted a surge in Australians wanting small pools or plunge pools.
People have fallen in love with small pools because it means the backyard can also incorporate other features like fire pits or an outdoor kitchen – all increasing in popularity.
5 - Home swimming pools only became popular in the 1950s
While public swimming pools have been around for hundreds of years, home swimming pools only took off in the late 1940s. Esther Williams, a keen synchronised swimmer, did much to whet the Aussies appetite for home pools. Her ‘Million Dollar Mermaid’ film made a house with a swimming pool desirable.
Better sanitisation meant pools were safer and easier to manage. By the 1950s, fibreglass pools were the most popular and they still are – three times as many are on the market than others.
So now you have all the facts – why not invest in a pool yourself?
Fibreglass pools manufactured by Factory Pools Perth come with a lifetime structural and surface guarantee and are all made locally at an eco-friendly facility in Forrestdale. Come and look at our designs at our showrooms in O’Connor, Mandurah and Joondalup to find one to suit you.
