Being a pool owner can be a lot of work. While we love to help you make light of that work, we also want to be part of the fun! Test your pool pro knowledge with these fun facts and figures.
Did you know…?
1. The largest backyard swimming pool is located in El Campo, Texas and has a 500 foot lazy river. It holds 600,000 gallons of water and used to be a pond. It’s true what they say, everything really is bigger in Texas!
2.There are over 10.6 million swimming pools in the United States.
3. California is the state with the most swimming pools in the United States with over 3 million pools!
4. In 1907 the RMS Adriatic was the first ocean liner to have a swimming pool on board. The Titanic, which was built around the same time, had a heated swimming pool on board.
5. An hour of strenuous swimming will burn about 650 calories, more than walking or riding a bike for the same amount of time.
6. Swimming became an Olympic event in 1896. Women were allowed to compete starting in 1912. Today there are 16 swimming events but a men’s 800-meter freestyle, women’s 1,500-meter freestyle and a 4×100-meter medley mixed-gender relay are being added for the 2020 Olympic Games.
7. An Olympic size swimming pool can hold 700,000-850,000 gallons of water.
8. The world’s largest pool, according to the Guinness World Records, was built in Algarrobo, Chile in 2006. The Alfonso del Mar Seawater Pool is 3,324 feet long and covers 19.7 acres!
9. The cannonball is the most popular way to jump into the pool.
10. President Gerald Ford had an outdoor pool built at the White House in 1975.
11. 65% of Americans don’t know how to swim.
12. Benjamin Franklin invented swim fins. Unlike today’s foot flippers, the first fins were worn on your hands.
13. Australia builds more personal swimming pools per capita than any other country in the world. Since most of Australia is considered a desert or semi-arid, it’s no surprise!
14. The world record for breath holding underwater is 24 minutes achieved in 2016 by Aleix Segura Vendrell (Spain), in Barcelona, Spain! Vendrell is a avid free diver.
15. The breaststroke is thought to be the oldest of all swimming strokes. “Drawings in an Egyptian cave, appropriately called the Cave of Swimmers, depict swimmers in various poses, with the leg whipping motion believed to having been inspired by frogs.” – Your Swim Log
16. Swimming dates back to 2500 BCE as seen in ancient Egyptian cave paintings.
17. Elephants can swim an average of 20 miles a day using their trunks as snorkels.
18. 38% of pools having a diving board.
Have a fun fact to add? Drop us a line in the comments!
Wow! Such an awesome Campfire image you put here.
I had the same experience last year in my country and some of my friends were really enjoyed it.
Keep up the good posting.
Thank you, Jahid!
Great article! Thanks for sharing.. Swimming pools are full of fascinating facts! From ancient origins to impressive records, here are a few highlights:
The oldest known pool, the Great Bath, was built around 2600 BCE.
Olympic-sized pools hold 660,000 gallons of water, equivalent to 20 million cups.
The largest pool in the world, in Chile, covers 20 acres and holds 66 million gallons.
Saltwater pools produce chlorine from salt in the water.
The deepest pool, in Italy, goes down 138 feet for diving and freediving.
The fastest 100-meter freestyle swim record is 47.10 seconds.
The “chlorine smell” in pools is caused by reactions with sweat and urine.
Robotic cleaners make pool maintenance easier by removing debris.
Swimming pools offer a cool and enjoyable experience, and these facts add to their intriguing allure.