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Aquatic Center: Pool Rules

Pool Rules

  • Please shower before entering the pool. Users must wear a clean bathing suit.
  • Any child under the age of 8 must be accompanied in the water by a parent/guardian of at least 14 years of age.
  • Any child under the age of 5 must have a parent or guardian in the water with them at all times.
  • Please walk while on the pool deck. Please reframe from climbing on each other.
  • Please reframe from eating or drinking, chewing gum or using tobacco products in the pool area.
  • Use of a personal swim gear:
    • Snorkels are prohibited.
    • Use in the small pool only:
      • US Coast Guard approved lifejackets (not provided) that fit properly and water noodles (not provided) may be used in the small pool only.
      • Use of barbells is restricted to children in swimming lessons.
    • Noodles that belong to the Young Center are for adult water exercise only.  Personal noodles are allowed in the pools.
    • No hitting others (or the water) with noodles.
    • No throwing balls at each other.
    • Inflatable tubes, waterwings or floats are not US Coast Guard approved flotation devices and can easily start to deflate, therefore the use of these types of devices is not allowed.
    • Outside balls or toys are allowed in the pools at the lifeguards discretion.
    • Only lap swimmers may use kickboards while lap swimming.
    • Aqua joggers, pull-buoys, fins, and other training equipment may be used, but only as they were intended.
    • Use of masks is restricted to swimmers who can jump in or submerge from the surface with a mask in their hand, place it on their face, clear it and return to the surface without any water in it.
  • No swimmer with open sores, infection, or contagious disease may use the pool.
  • No hanging on the rim of the basketball hoop. You must be in the water to shoot the ball.
  • Diving is allowed in the deep end of the large pool.
  • Swimmers in the deep end of the large pool may be asked to take a swim test at the lifeguard's discretion.  The swimmer must swim the length of the large pool, swimming the front-crawl, successfully without stopping. One must be able to swim a modified front-crawl, from the lane rope to the wall without stopping to occupy in the shallow end of the big pool (if cannot touch).
  • Adults and seniors may swim laps in the large pool or exercise in the small pool during lap swim.
  • Youth may swim laps if accompanied by a parent/guardian. Rec swim is for all ages.

Lap Swimming Etiquette

  • Several people (as many as 8), can fit in a lane if proper etiquette is observed and swimmers of like speed are together.
  • Circle swim is preferred with 2 or more, swim down on the right, back on the left. Enter feet first from the shallow end.
  • The best way to pass is at the wall. A light touch on the foot can signify this. Lifeguards may ask you to change lanes.
  • Lap lanes are for lap swimmers only. Water exercisers are encouraged to use the small pool.
  • Youth may swim laps if accompanied by a parent/guardian.

Pool Closure

The pool will close whenever there is a fecal or vomit contaminate. The pool closure will last approximately 12 hours providing enough time to superchlorinate and backwash. This procedure meets the guidelines of the State Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources. This process will remove the contamination and provide a safe environment for our users. We apologize for the inconvenience, but want to provide the best quality water possible for our users. The pool may close during severe thunderstorms and lightning (if power goes out), tornadoes or severe weather warning.

Water Temperature & Ventilation

  • The operation of the pools in the Aquatic Center must meet the needs of a diverse group of users. To meet this goal, a middle of the road approach has been selected for water temperatures. The small pool is approximately 92º, large pool is 83º and air temperature is 85º.
  • Water temperature affects several aspects of pool use. Probably the most notable is comfort. Exercise rate, length of time in the water, body type and rate of metabolism all come together to tell each of us what is ideal. Lap swimmers enjoy cooler temps than recreation swimmers. Teens tolerate cooler temperatures than youth or seniors.
  • Water temperature also plays a part in the life and action of chemicals in the pool warmer waters require more chemicals and increase the corrosive action with metal parts. Control of the temperature is done with a heater much the same as your home system, other than it is circulated from the pool to the heater and back. The pool temperature can be raised one degree each six to eight hours depending on the air temperature. Temperature loss is directly related to air temperature in the Aquatic Center and the outside air temperature. During summer and winter regulation of the air temperature is fairly easy. During spring and fall, when campus boilers are off, outside air temperatures during the day are 65-80º and the night temperatures are 40-50º, problems are created.
  • Ventilation is needed to protect the building and it’s users from moisture and chlorine. The outside air needed for ventilation cannot be heated and creates cold locker rooms and pool areas that make wet skin really cold. During this period we know that it is not an ideal situation, but we must work with the building design to provide the most ideal environment.

Special Equipment

The Dolphin Safetytube Waterslide can be used in just three feet of water so even the youngest swimmers can enjoy the excitement of the eight-foot ride. No water activation is required with the Dolphin, a wet bathing suit works great! The slide is semi-portable, so may be used in the small or large pool.

The AquaTrek Ramp lets people of all ages enter and exit the pool with ease. The handrails provide excellent stability. There are non-slip safety strips on each tread and platform. The ramp is considered capable of holding approximately 600 pounds. The ramp was approved for purchase by the City of Spearfish. The DEY Center is a beta-test facility for the first AQ-9000 Aqua Trek Ramp that will be compliant to the width requirements for the new ADA Accessibility Guidelines that are scheduled to go into effect in 2003. It is because of the DEY Center’s request for a 36” wide ramp that the managing director of Rehab Systems, LLC. sped up the process of research and development of this new product.

Pools Renovated - The Young Center swimming pools were closed for major renovations during the summer of 2006. The entire mechanical system for the pools were in need of immediate replacement. The filters were beyond repair and needed to be replaced for the optimum safety for our pool users. Problems with the filtering system have caused periodic unscheduled closures of the pools during the last year. The new state of the art equipment includes an enhanced monitoring system.