A Brief History of Swimming Pools

Swimming is, by far, one of the most popular pastimes in the world. It is also one of the oldest. As an organized activity, swimming dates back to around 2500 BC. Swimming was immensely popular in ancient Egypt, and there are a number of relics from the period which depict the act of swimming in vivid and awe-inspiring detail. In ancient Greece and Rome, swimming was taught to boys as part of their elementary school curriculum. Furthermore, the first known public swimming pools were built in Rome.

Under the direction of a wealthy Roman lord named Gaius Maecenas, the first heated swimming pool was also built for public use. Plato, himself, once declared that anyone who could not swim lacked a proper education. Who dares to argue with him? Aside from the Greeks and Romans, many other ancient cultures have left evidence of their love for swimming; among them the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Phoenicians. There is also evidence of competitive swimming in Japan over 2000 years ago.

In the 1830’s, swimming became extremely popular in England with the establishment of various swim clubs. At the time, the breaststroke was the most oft used technique. In 1885, Captain Matthew Webb became the first man to swim across the English Channel and the breaststroke was his technique of choice. Two of the most popular swim clubs from the time were The Otter Swimming Club and The Leander Swimming Club.

In 1896, the first of the modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. Naturally, competitive swimming played a significant role. The swimming event was held in the Aegean Sea, in the bay of Zea. The gold medalist for the swimming event was a fellow named Alfred Hoyos Guttman. Of the event, he said that his greatest struggle “was against the towering twelve-foot waves and the terribly cold water.” Swimming continues to play a prominent role in the Olympic Games.

Swimming continues to be the sport of choice for many of today’s athletes. Most cities have public swimming facilities, where you can swim for competitively or merely for fun. In fact, a number of public swimming areas also offer lessons for a very reasonable price. If you are a keen swimmer, you might even consider installing a pool in your backyard. With summer just around the corner, it would be a good time to start planning.

Examining Oahu Vacation Rentals: Points You Will Want To Consider

Are you in the process of planning your next trip to Hawaii? If you are and if you are looking to visit the island of Oahu, you will want to take the time to examine Oahu vacation rentals. When compared to other overnight accommodations, such as hotels and resorts, they come highly rated and recommended by tourists, especially those on extended vacations.

As you likely already know, you have a number of different options when it comes to Oahu vacation rentals. For starters, vacation rentals come in a number of different formats. These formats often include vacation homes, vacation condos, vacation apartments, vacation villas, and vacation cottages. You also have a wide range of options when choosing the specific vacation rental you want to book for your next vacation. With a number of different options, you are more likely to find the vacation rental of your dreams, but it should still require a little bit of research.

When examining Oahu vacation rentals, including Oahu homes, Oahu villas and Oahu condos, you will want to examine cost. Cost is one of the most important factors that you will want to take into consideration. When it comes to cost, it is important that you stay under your budget. Even if you aren’t on a budget, you may want to refrain from paying too much money for an Oahu vacation rental. The more money you save on your overnight accommodations, the more money you should have to put towards doing fun Oahu activities, like dancing and dining.

Location is another one of the many factors that should be examined, when looking to rent an Oahu vacation home, condo, apartment, or villa. When examining location, it is best if you already have an idea of which area of Oahu you would like to visit. Popular Oahu vacation destinations include Honolulu, Kailua, and Waialua. If you have yet to decide where in Oahu you would like to vacation, you may want to examine popular Oahu activities and attractions, as doing so may help you pinpoint the best location for your next Oahu vacation rental.

In keeping with location, it is also important that you examine the view. What is nice about taking Hawaii trips is the scenery. Oahu, as well as the other Hawaiian Islands, are full of beautiful views. Depending on the Oahu vacation rental you choose, you may get a perfect picture view. Although you will find some variances, you should gain access to an ocean view, mountain view, or at least a garden view.

Vacation rental features are another important point that you should take into consideration. Whether you make the decision to rent a vacation home, villa, condo, or apartment, your rental should come with a number of standard features. These features may include internet access, cable television, functioning kitchen appliances, and so forth. In addition to standard features, many Oahu vacation rentals, especially those considered luxury rentals, have additional features, which may include garden or patio areas, hot tubs, swimming pools, and so forth.

An additional point that you will want to take into consideration is that of privacy. No matter what the intent of your vacation is, like to have a break with your family or take a romantic getaway with your romantic partner, you may want to have some privacy. After all, privacy allows you to enjoy yourself and that is the goal of all vacations, to have a good time. You can easily examine the privacy allowed with each individual vacation rental by examining pictures. You can also take the type of Oahu vacation rental into consideration. In most cases, standalone rentals, such as homes and villas, give you more privacy.

The above mentioned points are just a few of the many points that you will want to take into consideration, when examining Oahu vacation rentals. Other additional points that you may want to place a focus on include appearance and size. To examine a large number of Oahu vacation rentals with ease, you may want to visit a Hawaiian travel website, such as HawaiianBeachRentals.com. Most will allow you to examine privacy, appearance, size, features, cost, and location through the use of detailed vacation rental pictures and descriptions.

Pool Accessory Buying Guide: What to Consider and Where to Shop

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If you are interested in purchasing a pool, you are not alone. Each year, thousands of homeowners make the decision to purchase a swimming pool. Many of these swimming pools are in-ground pools, while others are aboveground pools. Regardless of which type of pool you are interested in purchasing, there is one thing that you should keep in mind. It is often difficult or impossible to purchase just a pool. In addition to a pool, you may need to purchase additional pool accessories or supplies.

When it comes to purchasing pool accessories and pool supplies, there are many individuals who are unsure exactly what they are, let alone where to buy them. If you are about to buy a swimming pool, it may be a good idea to familiarize yourself with some of the most popular and most needed pool accessories and supplies. Even if you do not plan on purchasing anything right away, you are still advised to consider what is available for your pool. Familiarizing yourself with all of your available options is a great way to not only find quality pool supplies, but find affordable ones.

Perhaps, one of the first things that you should think about purchasing for your new pool is cleaning supplies. In most cases, cleaning supplies will not be included in the cost of your pool. This means that you will need to purchase your own. Whether you purchase your swimming pool from an online retailer or a local pool supply store, you may what to consider purchasing your cleaning supplies and equipment at the same time. This will help to ensure that you do not forget these important items.

When purchasing a swimming pool, it is important that you examine all of the fixtures that are included in your package. Most swimming pool packages will include steps, for in-ground pools, or ladders, for both types of pools. Despite the fact that these fixtures are often included; it is still advised that you check before making your final purchase. In the event that these items are not included, you will want to consider purchasing them right away. Depending on the type of pool you have, you may be unable to go swimming without a way to get in or out of your pool.

Pool fixtures and cleaning supplies are the pool accessories that you should be the most concerned with. Once you have those items covered, you can begin to think about other accessories. These accessories, may include, but should not be limited to, pool toys, pool furniture, and other fixtures. When purchasing these items, it is important to remember that they are optional. While you may enjoy having floatable furniture or fun pool toys, they are not required.

If you are interested in purchasing pool toys, you will find that you have an unlimited number of different options. Pool toys come in a wide variety of different sizes, shapes, styles, and designs. By shopping online or by visiting your local retail store, you should be able to find a large selection of pool toys. These toys may include, but should not be limited to, arm floaties, swim rings, baby floats, beach balls, dive rings, and other floatable toys.

While shopping for swim toys, you may also want to examine pool furniture. This furniture may include, but should not be limited to, traditional floating chairs, floating lounge chairs, or floating rafts. While pool furniture may be a little bit more expensive than most traditional pool toys, you should be able to purchase them from the same locations. Many retailers, both online and offline, will carry a selection of floatable pool furniture. By purchasing your pool toys and pool furniture together you may not only be able to save time, but money as well.

The above mentioned pool supplies and accessories are just a few of the many items that can you can purchase for your in-ground or aboveground pool. For additional products ideas, you may want to visit your local pool supply store or visit the online website of a well-known retailer.

De-Stress with A Hot Tub

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If you are an American adult, you have stress. It’s everywhere, all around us; whether it’s the boardroom, the classroom, or the weekly volunteering you do at the city museum, no matter where you are in life, you have stress.

Stress can come in all shapes and sizes and for most of us, the options of dealing with our stress comes in the form of unhealthy choices; drinking, smoking, eating, and so on. How can we address our stress without bringing any of the questionable forms of relaxation into the mix, too? A hot tub will do the trick and you can reap the benefits of de-stressing in a hot tub by using it just a few times a week for 15-20 minutes.

It makes you wonder why every American home doesn’t come with a hot tub built right in. With the way the popularity of the hot tub is increasing and the need for us to have a way to de-stress is always an issue, I wouldn’t be surprised if we were to start seeing just that happen, homes will be built with the hot tub all ready to go when the owner moves in!

The medical communities have addressed the issue of everyday stress and the harm it can do to if it is not taken seriously and dealt with. It is widely recommended for a portion of the day, if it were to be spent in a relaxing and/or meditative manner, that the benefits will be amazing to the individual. Just getting into a hot tub can do the work of de-stressing for just about anyone and the great relief in being able to let go of some of the everyday stress is priceless.

What makes the idea of de-stressing with a hot tub and not just some quiet time is that when you sit in a hot tub, your blood is able to move more freely in your expanded veins and capillaries and your body is no longer being affected by 100% gravitational pull. The fact that your body is able to have a buoyant affect can take up to 30% of the pressure you carry around all day when you are not in a buoyant state that adds stress to your physical body all the time.

There are hot tubs that come with lounging chairs and are equipped with jets to blow water and air at any of your ailing parts that need the attention. Any number of hot tubs can be specifically and personally equipped to address any areas of your body that are particularly stressed. For some people it is their neck and back. There are hot tubs with just that de-stressing component in stalled; where the jets that are going to do the work on those parts of your body are custom-fit for a specific seat in the hot tub.

Maybe the issue you have is that the bottoms of your feet are achy at the end of the day. There are hot tubs that have the jets directly on the floor where you would sit upright and feel their healing power. No matter where stress takes its toll, a hot tub will help the de-stressing process.

Child Safety in Hot Tubs

There is nothing more enjoyable than watching a child play in water. Hot tubs are especially attractive to children because of their depth, which is usually not as deep as the swimming pool and because of the warm temperature. But there are dangers when children and hot tubs are mixed and there isn’t a clue as to what may happen if precautions are not followed.

First child safety tip in regards to a hot tub is to not allow access to any child to the water, especially in the absence of adult supervision. How is that achieved? That safety precaution is kept by having a lockable hot tub cover that will not allow a child access to the water.

No matter what, under any circumstances, should a child be left alone near a hot tub, if a phone rings and you need to answer it, take the child, too. There isn’t any reason for a child to be near a hot tub without adult supervision and many potentially fatal accidents have been prevented by the attention of an adult.

It is important to keep the temperature of a hot tub in mind if child safety is an issue. While most adults can tolerate high temperatures, children are less likely to because among other things, their skin is thinner than that of an adult. With thinner skin, a child is more likely to become over-heated, which can cause dizziness and light-headedness, which can lead to drowning. Children should not stay in a hot tub, with a temperature more than 104 degrees than five minutes or so. Again, this is where adult supervision comes in because a child will not know what is happening to them if they become disoriented as a result of prolonged time in a hot tub; and they may not be able to communicate that they are feeling over-heated or nauseous. As an adult, the monitoring of a child is entirely up to you, no excuses.

The environment in which we enjoy hot tubs can also be a breeding ground for all kinds of bacteria and if not treated, can cause serious illness. If there is any child with an open wound, they should not enter the hot tub, in their own best interest. If a child is too young to tell someone that they need to go to the bathroom, or if they are still in a diaper, they should not, under any circumstances be allowed in a hot tub. Any fecal matter in the moist, warm environment of a hot tub is a dangerous mixture and can cause many, many illnesses. Be safe with this one by keeping the pH levels balanced and having the proper chemicals on hand, if they are needed.

Because children are more susceptible to germs and have not been around long enough to have produced the antibodies it takes to fight some infections, it is imperative that their safety and the safety of those around them, not be compromised by not adhering to the point that children not yet able to express the need to use the bathroom be put in a hot tub, where they may cause fecal matter to be introduced to the atmosphere.