Pool Rules Explanation: - YMCA of the Rockies

Pool Rules Explanation:
Take off shoes and leave in locker rooms.
o Please help us to keep the pool deck clean for people with bare feet and in swimsuits.
Walk. Do not run.
o Pool deck can become slippery with water present.
No glass bottles or containers are allowed in the locker rooms or on the pool deck. They can shatter and injure
patrons. Cleaning shattered glass from the pool requires the pool to be shut down for 2 ½ weeks.
Do not enter the water unless a lifeguard is present on the pool deck. Swimming without a lifeguard is
dangerous.
Leave strollers in the locker room or lobby; leave infant car seats in the locker room, lobby, or against the far
wall of the pool deck. Strollers and car seats will trap a child inside if they are pushed into the pool.
Leave the stair and ramp entry and exit areas clear unless entering or exiting the pool.
No dangerous play.
Dangerous play can result in injury.
Children under 8 must be actively and safely supervised by an adult (13 years or older) in the water. If the child
is on the pool deck, the adult must be on the deck as well.
o This is the YMCA of the Rockies policy for the safety of all children. We need adults to be an extra set of
eyes and ears for safety.
No food, drink, gum. Water in a plastic bottle is okay.
o Food and gum can be a choking hazard if brought into the pool. It can also make a mess on the pool
deck and be hard to remove.
Do not hang on rope.
o The ropes are there for people in need of help. If someone is hanging on the rope, it is signifying that
they need help. The rope will also break if there is too much weight on it.
Shower before entering the pool.
o Colorado state law. “4:11 Bather Control: a. All bathers, before entering the swimming pool, shall be
required to take a cleansing shower bath in the nude, using warm water and soap and rinsing off all soap
before entering the swimming pool.”
Only Coast Guard approved lifejackets. No water wings or “swimmies”.
o Coast Guard approval is the highest form of safety. Inflatable devices such as water wings can deflate or
slip off swimmers. If you wish to use an inflatable device such as a tube or raft, check with a lifeguard
first; we will try to accommodate you if the pool is not too full, the device does not make it hard for
lifeguards to see what is in the water under it, and it is not being used by non-swimmers. The lifeguards
will make final decisions regarding all inflatables.
o Swimmers in lifejackets must be within arm’s reach of adult at all times.
• If a swimmer is in a lifejacket, this signifies that they need help swimming. An adult must be
within arm’s reach to take responsibility for the non-swimming individual.
No cameras, picture cell phones, or recording devices in or past locker rooms.
o For the safety and privacy of all pool users, cameras and cell phones may not be used in the locker
rooms for any purpose. If you wish to photograph your own family or group in the pool, ask a lifeguard
for permission.
Outside toy use is up to guards’ discretion.
o Hard toys such as footballs and toys that use batteries may not be able to be used safely in the pool area
depending on other patrons in the pool and pool activities.
No breath holding activities of any type.

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Blackouts can happen when someone holds their breath too long. We do not allow patrons to hold their
breath for longer than 10 seconds.
A 10 minute break every hour is up to the guards’ discretion.
o During busy times, when a lifeguard is on the stand for more than one hour, a 10 minute safety break
can be called to clear the pool. This allows the lifeguards to take a break from scanning, use the rest
room and check the bottom of the pool for safety issues.
Lifeguards have final discretion regarding pool rules and policies.
o Lifeguards making reasonable safety decisions will have the full backing of the Aquatics Director.
Do not swim when you have diarrhea. You can spread germs in the water and make other people sick.
Do not swallow the pool water. Avoid getting water in your mouth. This prevents germs from spreading.
Practice good hygiene. Take a shower before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing
diapers. This prevents germs from spreading.
Take children on bathroom breaks or check diapers often. Waiting to hear “I have to go” may mean that it’s too
late. This prevents germs from spreading.
Change diapers in a bathroom or a diaper-changing area and not at poolside. This prevents germs from
spreading.
Wash your child thoroughly (especially the rear end) with soap and water before swimming. This prevents germs
from spreading.
Non toilet-trained children must wear a swim diaper under a tight-fitting swimsuit. This prevents accidental fecal
releases into the pool.
Diving Rules:
Slide Rules:
Standing dives only. No flips, twisting jumps, or back dives permitted.
o Flips, twists and back dives can result in a collision with the side of the pool.
Dive from edge of the pool. No running or hurdle steps to dive in.
o Running and hurdle steps may cause the swimmer to slip and fall.
Do not dive between red lines on the bottom of the pool.
o The red lines on the bottom of the pool indicate the slope into the deep end. This area is less than 9 feet deep.
Pool users must pass the deep water swim test to use diving well.
o Only confident and capable swimmers are allowed to swim in deep water.
Make sure the diving area is clear.
o To ensure there is not a collision with a swimmer in the water.
No floatation devices in the diving well other than adult fitness devices
o Non-swimmers and tired swimmers rely on floatation devices. If the floatation device is taken away
without notice, this could impact the swimmers ability to swim in the deep end. Coast Guard approved
lifejackets are acceptable for swimmers using the slide.
Swimmers must pass the deep water swim test to use the slide without wearing a life jacket, or a swimmer may
wear a life jacket while using the slide if the swimmer has an adult in the water near the end of the slide to
“catch” the swimmer and immediately exit the deep end of the pool.
o The slide exits into the deep end of the pool.
A lifeguard must be present for slide to be in use.
o A lifeguard must monitor the entry and exit of the slide at all times to make sure it is safe and secure for
patrons.
Go feet first only down the slide.

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Sauna Rules:
This allows the feet to break the surface of the water so the impact is not too great.
Clear bottom of slide area quickly after exiting slide- swim to the left and exit at ladder
o This allows for lifeguard to account for patrons’ safety and the next patron to be able to slide quickly.
Limit of 15 people.
o There is seating room for only 15 people. People should not be standing because of the chance of being
pushed into the heating unit, tripping and falling, or fainting.
Use for 10 minutes at a time.
o Longer periods of time can result in dehydration and heat exhaustion.
Must be 13 years of age or older.
o Children that have not gone through puberty do not have the same heat regulating internal systems that
adults have. They are likely to be victims of dehydration and heat exhaustion.
Do not use if you are pregnant, taking prescription medicines, have elevated blood pressure, diabetes, heart
disease, history of epileptic seizures, under the influence of alcohol, or are dehydrated.
o Excessive heat can aggravate the above-mentioned conditions.
Sit on a towel while using the sauna.
o This keeps it sanitary for the next user.
Shower before re-entering the pool.
o This washes off the sweat produced in the sauna and helps keep the pool clean.
Aerobic exercise is prohibited in the sauna. This can potentially make the user become ill.
Do not fill cup with pool water. Use only fresh water provided from bucket.
o The bucket is filled with fresh water to make clean steam for patrons to breathe in.