Where is Christchurch's warmest pool for swimming? Which is the warmest pool near you? Below is a list of indoor
public swimming pool temperatures across Christchurch.
Christchurch's Warmest Public Pool:
The winner of the title of
warmest public pool in Christchurch goes to...(drumroll please)...
a four-way tie between the
15 metre teaching pool at Jellie Park, the
16 metre teaching pool at Pioneer,
the
14 metre teaching pool at Graham Condon, and the
11 metre teaching pool at Waitaha Aquatic Centre.
All of these pools are maintained at a cosy 32 degrees. Three of these pools are operated by the Christchurch City
Council, so it's not surprising that they are all the same. The Waitaha Aquatic Centre in Yaldhurst has restricted
opening times for the general public outside of swimming lesson times.
| Indoor Pool Venue | Temperature of Warmest Pool at Venue |
|---|
| Graham Condon Rec & Sport Centre (Papanui) | 32C / 90F |
| Jellie Park Rec & Sport Centre (Burnside) | 32C / 90F |
| Pioneer Rec & Sport Centre (Somerfield) | 32C / 90F |
| Waitaha Aquatic Centre (Yaldhurst) | 32C / 90F |
| Wharenui Sports Centre (Riccarton) | 29C / 84F |
| Aquagym (Linwood) | 27.9C / 82F |
In the list of warmest pools above I have only included pools in which you can actually
swim (as opposed to just bathing) and that are designated for active recreation by the venue.
This excludes spas, toddler pools and shallow leisure pools.
Christchurch's Warmest Lap Pool:
The Graham Condon and Jellie Park indoor recreation pools, and the Aquagym main pool take out the title of warmest lap pools in Christchurch.
The Graham Condon and Jellie Park lap pools are operated at 28 degrees, whilst Aquagym is operated at 27.9 degrees, but I'm assuming no one is
going to quibble about 0.1 of a degree when including Aquagym at the top of the list. All of these pools are 25 metres in length.
The recreation pool at Jellie Park is not the main lap pool, so when there are lots of kids around you might need to do your laps in the
25 metre sports pool, which operates at 27 degrees. It's a good test to how sensitive your body is to a one degree change in temperature to
have a swim in both pools at this venue, to see if you notice the difference.
The water temperatures for lap pools in the table below applies only to those indoor public pools that have a minimum
length of 25 metres or, if it was the longest pool at the venue (and hence designated for lap swimming),
a minimum length of 20 metres.
| Indoor Pool Venue | Temperature of Warmest Lap Pool at Venue |
|---|
| Graham Condon Rec & Sport Centre (Papanui) | 28C / 82F |
| Jellie Park Rec & Sport Centre (Burnside) | 28C / 82F |
| Aquagym (Linwood) | 27.9C / 82F |
| Pioneer Rec & Sport Centre (Somerfield) | 27C / 81F |
| Wharenui Sports Centre (Riccarton) | 27C / 81F |
| Waitaha Aquatic Centre (Yaldhurst) | 26.6C / 80F |
If you are planning to visit these pools, beware of clashes with classes, particularly after school
swimming lessons. Some hydrotherapy pools are also booked by health care providers. If you are not sure
when a pool is free, check out the pool timetables on the venue's website or ring ahead to save
yourself the disappointment.
To put the temperatures below in context, the water in San Francisco Bay (considered too cold for potential escapees
from Alcatraz to swim in) is 12-16 degrees and the water in Lyttleton Harbour ranges from around 9 degrees in winter to around
16 degrees in summer. Your internal body temperature is around 37 degrees. Most hot spas in public pools and managed hot springs
are 36 degrees or above.
Here is a map of the above information. The default map displays the temperature of the warmest pool at each venue. To
map the warmest lap pool, use the menu in the top left corner of the map title bar, de-select the warmest swimming pool option and select
the warmest lap pool option.
Comments:
If you think I have missed a public swimming pool that should be on this list, please fill in the comment box below.
I am also interested in your experiences after visiting, and any changes in swimming conditions. All fields are required if you would like to see your comments appear on this website.
