Saltwater Pools?

[HLAuburn]

Can anyone tell me about saltwater pools? We're looking at renting a condo at the beach, and the complex has 2 saltwater pools. DD has eczema, and last year, she didn't like going in the Gulf because the salt water burned her skin...will the pool be the same? Does the water burn your eyes? They look amazing, but as much time as we'll be spending at the pool, I hope she'll go in.

 

[ahutton]

DH and I have been considering converting our pool to salt water. The community pools in our area are all salt water. DS has really bad eczema and he has never complained about the salt water in the pools. In fact, last summer he did swimming lessons 4 days a week in it, and his skin was better than when he wasn't swimming!

There are 50,000 parts per million in ocean water, and the recommended salt concentration in a pool is 2800 to 4000 parts per million. The Dead Sea is 8% salt which is 80,000 parts per million. I got this from a website DH was studying...

 

[HLAuburn]

Thanks! I was hoping the pool might be "less" salty than the ocean! That's a big difference.

 

[ahutton]

It really is. It feels like really "soft" water to us, the water in Arizona is super hard. I do have my kids wear goggles as their eyes get red in lessons, but I think that is because they are in the water for 45+ minutes and it is so many days a week.

 

[MoniqueU]

We have a saltwater pool and it has less of a burn from it then from the chlorine. Also the bathing suits last longer, skin is softer and you don't need goggles as much. I thought DH had lost his mind when I found out what it cost but now am happy with it. I think your DD will be fine. My kids have weird skin that is prone to all sorts of things and have been told to only shower every other day because of it, which is fine til they hit puberty. They go in the pool all the time and have no issues.

 

[Calliaz]

Most saltwater pools around here are the same salinity as tears (or lower).

 

[redrosesix]

I know people with exzema whose docs have recommended salt water for it -- we live right by the ocean, and I can tell you that the salt water doesn't hurt an open wound any more than unsalted water would. It really helps heal anything but sunburns.

As for goggles, I wouldn't think those would be necessary if the water is filtered. In the ocean it might be different, since there can be a lot of sand in the water, but I've never actually seen anybody wearing goggles at our beaches unless they were wearing contacts (which float right out of your eyes when you're in salt water)

 

[mhsjax]

I know people with exzema whose docs have recommended salt water for it -- we live right by the ocean, and I can tell you that the salt water doesn't hurt an open wound any more than unsalted water would. It really helps heal anything but sunburns.

As for goggles, I wouldn't think those would be necessary if the water is filtered. In the ocean it might be different, since there can be a lot of sand in the water, but I've never actually seen anybody wearing goggles at our beaches unless they were wearing contacts (which float right out of your eyes when you're in salt water)

I agree about the exzema, we have a salt water pool and my neighbors son has it, he loves swimming in our pool. He says it makes his skin feel so good and his mom sid that one summer when he spent so much time in our pool, his exzema cleared up. Also I never wear goggles in our pool. Chlorine hurts the eyes much more than the salt does.

THe salt concenration in the ocean is MUCH higher.