Loveland Swim Club

Loveland Swim Club is a swim team based in Loveland, Colorado. We provide swimming lessons and training for a variety of ages and levels, ranging from swim-school for young beginners all the way up to our Senior Group which provides elite training for swimmers competing at the national and international level.

Loveland is a well-established team (est. 1966) serving over 200 swimmers ages 4-college. We are strong competitors in the U.S. Western Zone with a team that includes multiple national champions, US Olympic Trials qualifiers, Senior and Junior National swimmers, and age-group all-stars. We train across several pools in the Loveland area and host several well-attended meets each year. The Loveland Swim Club is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that is overseen by an elected board of directors. The head coach is supported by a team administrator, several assistant coaches from learn-to-swim through Senior level, and an outstanding group of parent volunteers. Loveland is located approximately 15 minutes south of Fort Collins, 1 hour north of Denver, and 30 minutes from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Skiing, fishing, hiking, mountain biking, and camping are all close by.Splash, level 4-5, is the higher level of Loveland Swim School, in these classes swimmers learn all four strokes and are taught the skills needed to advance to competetive swimming.The Navy understands that some circumstances can impact your ability to score well. Your recruiter can answer all of your questions about the ASVAB placement exam.Although the Navy wants people from diverse backgrounds and experiences, all candidates must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a valid Green Card, (officially known as a Permanent Resident Card).

There are many avenues to becoming a Naval Officer. You can become an Officer through the United States Naval Academy (USNA), Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC), or Officer Training Command (OTC). OTC includes Officer Candidate School (OCS) and Officer Development School (ODS). To determine which route is best for you and explore available career paths contact a Navy Officer recruiter.Some medical conditions such as contagious diseases, conditions that limit mobility, geographic placements or performance may disqualify you from service. Learn more about medical parameters by connecting with a recruiter.You won’t need to meet any physical fitness requirements before joining the Navy as an enlisted Sailor with the exception of Naval Special Warfare programs. There are requirements if you join through ROTC or another Officer path—your recruiter will provide the details.

You can still join with a medical disqualification as long as you get a medical waiver, which is issued on a case-by-case basis. If you have a specific medical condition and are not sure whether it disqualifies you, connect with a recruiter.Officer positions typically require an initial service commitment of three to five years, but positions involving longer-term training may involve longer service obligations.There is no requirement for women to cut their hair short. Short hair is permitted to be worn down if it falls above the collarbone. Long hair is expected to be pulled back in a bun, ponytail, braids or corn rows. The Military Services are responsible for the defense of the Nation and should not be viewed as a source of rehabilitation for those who have not subscribed to the legal and moral standards of society at-large. Generally, felons and those with several convictions can’t join the Navy, but moral waivers or felony waivers are available in some cases. The waiver procedure is not automatic, and approval is based on each individual case. The Navy has a zero-tolerance policy for drug use and alcohol abuse. Dependency on illegal drugs or history of drug use or alcohol abuse can disqualify you from service.Maintaining physical, mental, and emotional health helps you succeed in the Navy. These requirements are established to make sure you’re prepared to carry out your duties. Some medical conditions may disqualify you from serving in the Navy:

The Navy has a waiver process that you can take advantage of to prove you overcame a disqualifying issue that would otherwise prevent you from joining the Navy. After submitting a waiver, a review takes place to make sure you can join. If your waiver is denied, you can also look into pursuing a civilian career within the Navy. The triathlon has been helping Egyptians channel their energy into something positive amongst chaos. The sport is expanding despite conflict and terror as well as negative attitudes towards women training in Lycra. The hot weather and lack of public parks makes it harder to train. Most pools are found at hotels and at private clubs and the Nile River is too full of litter to swim in today. A quarter of the country’s population lives on about $28 a month making it difficult to participate in expensive triathlons. Swimming is one of the top choices for Canadians. However, 10.5% don’t participate in sports regularly. Statistics Canada saw that sport participation in Canadian kids is declining. A 2005 General Social Survey compared its results to another one conducted in 1992. Over the next thirteen years, sports participation in boys went down from 66% to 56%. While the participation for girls declined from 49% to 45%.Swimming has been a favourite pastime for Egyptians since ancient times. The River Nile was a popular place to practice and for competitions to be held. Noblemen’s palaces had swimming pools where princes learned to swim.

The Rio 2016 Olympics gave Singapore its first Olympic gold medal in any sport. Joseph Schooling won the 100-meter butterfly in 50.39 seconds. The medals made a cultural impact in a country where studies take priority over sports. This impact specifically affected the younger generation. The Singapore Swimming Association’s National Training Centre was established in 2015 to support athletes.

Hungary is known to have produced some of the greatest swimmers in the world. It’s no surprise since the Hungarian Swimming Association started back in 1907. Competing since the very first Olympics, this eastern European country had plenty of wealth to spend on sporting facilities. So there were no problems when it came to practicing for one of their best events.Triathlons dominate Egypt and the Middle East nowadays. The sport became more prominent when health food and fitness movements took the spotlight across the world. There are dozens of vegetarian restaurants, organic salad bars and yoga studios in Cairo. Did you know Chile is home to the largest swimming pool in the world? The San Alfonso Del Mar Resort has a pool that’s 1,013 metres (3,324) feet long. This spectacle can be found in the city of Algarrobo that is 100 kilometers west of the capital, Santiago. The pool is on the coast of the South Pacific Ocean. Despite having a long coastline, many find the water much too cold to swim in. 27.14 million people aged six years and older used swimming for fitness in 2017. That was around 8.4% of the U.S. population. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 18.1% of people engaged in sports and exercise activities between 2009 and 2015. Of that group, 7.2% took part in swimming, water skiing or surfing.AquaMobile Swim School is a private swim school established in 2011, offering high-quality private swim lessons at clients’ homes. We aim to build confidence through sport with one-to-one teaching and custom lesson plans. Whether you’re in the pool for the first time, brushing up on technique, or training for a race, being taught in a comfortable environment facilitates a smooth learning process (and saves you time since our instructors come to you!) Swimming first became popular in Chile through the founding of the Chilean Swimming and Water Polo Association. However, the sport really started to gain traction when the country hosted the first South American Championship in 1929. Although Argentina won, swimming started to pick up more in Chile following this event. Swimming was the third most popular sport in Chile in 2018 according to survey conducted by Statista. 5.61% of Chileans choose swimming as their exercise of choice. It only comes behind soccer and cycling in popularity. It goes to show that it’s a craze that’s starting to catch on!Swimming is one of Singapore’s favourite sports. The country dominates swim meets in Southeast Asia. Singapore’s population was 5.61 million at the end of June 2016. The country’s 2015 sports index kept track of its activity level and sports participation. Swimming was the most popular activity followed by walking and running/jogging. Of 7602 respondents, 15.1% participated in swimming in the past year, 7.9% in the last four weeks and 5.9% once a week for the past month.

The United States has won 462 Titles in international swimming competitions including many Olympic medals. The United States wins so many Olympic medals because of its diverse population of 320 million and its wealth.The country and continent of Australia experiences warm weather year round. 9.3 million Australians took part in swimming in 2017. That adds up to 38% of the country’s population!

In modern times, Hungarians can swim in Lake Balaton. It’s the largest lake in Central Europe and this is a great place for swimmers to brush up on their skills. They also have many pools to practice in as well. Most of them are fairly close together. Three of the pools meet Olympic standards, which is why the country has hosted a number of international swimming competitions!

From 2015-2016, 4.18 million people in England swam on a monthly basis. Between 2007 and 2016, the number of monthly swimmers decreased by 1.4 million. According to Statista, the number of children aged 5-10 who swam monthly increased from 45.3% to 53.5% during the same time period.Even with these declining numbers, swimming made a comeback in 2017. Additionally, Royal Life Saving Society findings from the Australian Sports Commission’s 2016 Ausplay report supports this. They suggest swimming is the most popular after-school activity for children. It’s also the third most popular form of exercise for adults of both sexes.

Did you know that England was the first country to participate in swimming as both a recreational and competitive sport? Back in 1837, competitions were held in man-made pools in London. The National Swimming Society in England organized the competitions as the sport grew in popularity. The first indoor swimming pool was built in 1862 in England. The breaststroke and the sidestroke were the most commonly used styles in early competitions. Shawhan’s goals are to develop the club at all levels from the youngest age groups to the senior level, as well as to train and develop her coaching staff. Her range of experiences have helped her develop a philosophy of how to help swimmers enjoy reaching their goals. Winkler suffered fractures in his left wrist and right elbow on Friday, as he was involved in a biking accident while heading home from morning practice.As a competitive swimmer, she was a five-time All-American at Florida State and was the Seminoles’ MVP for the 1996-97 and 1998-99 seasons. She was named All-ACC each of her four seasons as she earned her degree in sport management.

Loveland sent four swimmers to the 2022 Speedo Winter Junior Championships – West meet in December in Austin. Among the club’s best-known alumni are D1 swimmers Bayley Stewart, Eryn Eddy, Brooke Hansen, and Morgan Friesen.

Away from the deck, Shawhan is a five-time Ironman finisher, including The Legend Challenge Roth in Germany. She and her daughter, Madeleine, look forward to exploring the state’s 14ers, camping and returning to the ski slopes.

The latest big Colorado swim club to announce a new head coach is the Loveland Swim Club in suburban Denver, which has hired former All-American swimmer Anne Shawhan as the program’s new head coach.

Before she began coaching, she worked for Nike World Headquarters, starting as an intern for the Director of College Marketing before being hired as a Marketing Assets Coordinator.

“First and foremost, I would like to thank the Loveland Swim Club Community for the opportunity to lead the program into the future,” Shawhan said. “I am thrilled to be heading back to the great state of Colorado as head coach of Loveland Swim Club and director of Loveland Sports Day Camp. The competitive program is rich in history and has been a central part of the city of Loveland for 57 years. I look forward to embracing and carrying on the past traditions by developing a strong strategic plan and building relationships in the community.”

“My personal values and vision blend perfectly with the core values of Loveland Swim Club. It is my mission to provide a safe, positive and dynamic culture that promotes inclusivity and celebrates participation and excellence through sport,” she said. “By fostering growth through long term athlete development, it is my goal to continue to build programming for all levels from learn to swim to high performance competitive swimming.” Arizona State’s Owen McDonald and Patrick Sammon both impressed on night 2 in Indy, but did you miss their swim? Read the swims you might have missed today The developer, Loveland Swim Club, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy.

Nonprofit Explorer has organizations claiming tax exemption in each of the 27 subsections of the 501(c) section of the tax code, and which have filed a Form 990, Form 990EZ or Form 990PF. Taxable trusts and private foundations that are required to file a form 990PF are also included. Small organizations filing a Form 990N “e-Postcard” are not included in this data.

In addition to the raw summary data, we link to PDFs and digital copies of full Form 990 documents wherever possible. This consists of separate releases by the IRS of Form 990 documents processed by the agency, which we update regularly. We also link to copies of audits nonprofit organizations that spent $750,000 or more in Federal grant money in a single fiscal year since 2016. These audits are copied from the Federal Audit Clearinghouse. Every organization that has been recognized as tax exempt by the IRS has to file Form 990 every year, unless they make less than $200,000 in revenue and have less than $500,000 in assets, in which case they have to file form 990-EZ. Organizations making less than $50,000 don’t have to file either form but do have to let the IRS they’re still in business via a Form 990N “e-Postcard.”If this organization has filed an amended return, it may not be reflected in the data below. Duplicated download links may be due to resubmissions or amendments to an organization’s original return.

What else does Swim Club have to offer? Involvement in a swim club provides a motivation for a swimmer taking swim classes or training with a squad to keep improving by giving them an opportunity to practise the techniques and skills learned in these classes/squads in a race situation. Participation in swim carnivals against other swim clubs adds another wonderful dimension to an association with a swim club. Joining a swim club is also a great way to make friends with other kids who attend local schools or the local swim school.If you live in a neighbourhood with a school or a community pool, then chances are you have the opportunity to join a local swim club and become involved in one of Australia’s most popular sports.

All sports require parent volunteers, and a swim club is no different. By volunteering to assist in one of the many aspects of running a swim club meet (timekeeping, marshalling, canteen/BBQ), parents have the opportunity to meet other parents while at the same time supporting their child and their local swim club. So, get involved in your local Swim Club, and take advantage of all the things that competitive swimming at the grass roots level has to offer!Many clubs award points for every PB recorded over the course of the season. A swim club season normally culminates in a Club Championship & Presentation Day where there are not only age group championships won, but there are also trophies awarded to swimmers in their age group who have accumulated the highest total of PB points over the season. In other words, you don’t have to be best swimmer to be a swim club champion, and the most improved swimmer is recognised as a champion in the same way as the fastest swimmer. Swim clubs are traditionally a place for kids doing swim classes or who are training with a squad to get some competition racing experience.

There is always plenty of social interaction on pool deck and in the marshalling area, and the bonding that takes place through the opportunity to support team-mates and to race in relay teams are wonderful additional benefits of a swim club involvement. Swimming is a proven form of exercise for staying healthy and active, and for improving overall fitness levels. Apart from the physical benefits, the competition available through a swim club provides a terrific opportunity to build the self esteem of a child.

Just about anyone can join in the fun! The only prerequisite is the ability to swim (anyway and anyhow!) up to 12.5m. Swim clubs like the Morningside State School Flyers have children as young as 2 years old competing (with the assistance of a “noodle” and or a lifeguard in the pool depending on their ability and level of confidence).

No matter what the performances at the season start, improvement as the season progresses is almost guaranteed. Whether it be graduating from a 25m swimmer to a 50m swimmer, learning to dive from the blocks correctly, or bettering a personal best time; your child will feel great about doing their best and seeing improvement in their results. Swim club membership is comparatively inexpensive – a season fee is usually around $100 (which covers insurance and administration costs). Even including fit-out costs (swim suit, cap/goggles and towel is all you need), swimming stacks up well in terms of price against other sports – and this buys you a whole summer season of weekly club meets and other inter-club swim meets if you want.We see you are using Internet Explorer as your browser. Microsoft no longer supports Internet Explorer so you will experience issues on our website and others. Please use another browser like: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Apple Safari.

The USA Swimming Foundation logo identifies clubs that receive support from the foundation for their adult swim-lessons program. These grant programs offer adult learn-to-swim lessons at a reduced cost. Most also are led by a USMS-certified adult learn-to-swim instructor.

The U.S. Masters Swimming–Certified Coach logo identifies swim clubs near me where you can find a USMS-certified coach. These coaches have furthered their Masters coaching education and have passed the certification exam. Note: A certified coach might not be at all locations or workouts. The Gold Club logo identifies Masters clubs and workout groups that provide members with the best Masters Swimming experience possible. Gold Clubs have a U.S. Masters Swimming–certified coach on staff, participate in fitness events, and offer a free trial to potential members, among many other benefits. One 2016 study involving 62 untrained premenopausal women found that swimming three times per week improved glucose (sugar) control and insulin sensitivity.Jake Tipane is a certified personal trainer in San Francisco, California. He specializes in fertility, prenatal, pregnancy, and postpartum fitness. Jake is the founder of Groundwork Studio, where he provides a whole-person approach to fitness. People who are 19–64 years of age should aim to get 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week. Younger children should be physically active as well. A person may choose swimming over another form of exercise for a range of reasons. It gives the body a thorough workout and has many advantages for people of all ages and fitness levels.

Bethany is the author of Doctor Vanilla’s Sunflowers and is a freelance writer and blogger. She has a master’s degree in creative writing and has just finished her second novel, SWAP, which should be hitting the bookshelves soon. When she’s not writing, she is usually walking her dog on the beach or baking in the kitchen.Caitlin Geng lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with her husband and three dogs. Her work, which has appeared in print and digital publications, mainly deals with health, mental well-being, parenting, and beauty. When she is not writing, Caitlin is usually curled up on the couch with her dogs, reading comics or a good book.Although the humid air of indoor pools may also help improve asthma symptoms, it is important to note that some studies indicate that disinfectant chemicals used in pools can make the symptoms of this condition worse. These chemicals may also increase the likelihood of a swimmer developing the condition.

Swimming does not put excess strain on a person’s joints. So, a person with arthritis or a joint injury may find swimming a suitable exercise, as the buoyancy of water reduces stress on weight bearing joints.Participants in the study engaged in moderate intensity swimming training for 8 weeks. The researchers found that the training had beneficial effects on blood pressure and the walls of the heart.

This activity engages several different muscle groups and the cardiovascular system, and it can provide an excellent workout for a wide variety of individuals. Swimming can help a person manage or lose weight, build strength, and improve breathing control. The benefits of swimming may also extend to mental health. Drinking water can support skin, muscle, and joint health. Drinking warm or hot water each day might offer even more benefits. We look at the research.

Aaron completed a Ph.D. in psychiatric epidemiology at University College London’s Division of Psychiatry and an M.Sc. in neuroscience at the University of Amsterdam. He works as a senior health analyst at the UK Health Security Agency and Public Health England, having previously held research positions at University College London, the Mental Health Foundation, and Monash University. Aaron’s research on the relationship between physical and mental health has appeared in leading scientific journals, such as The Lancet Psychiatry, and featured across many global media outlets, including the New York Times, BBC, Le Monde, NPR, and CNN.One study notes that “after adjustment for age, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol intake, and family history of cardiovascular disease, swimmers had 53%, 50%, and 49% lower all-cause mortality risk than did men who were sedentary, walkers, or runners, respectively.”

Cardiovascular, or cardio, exercise involves the heart, lungs, and circulatory system. A thorough workout routine, such as one that features swimming, will include this type of exercise.

It is important to incorporate strength training exercises into any routine to keep the muscles strong and flexible. As a person’s health permits, they should continue this for as long as possible throughout life.

In the event of a tie for the 4th highest point total, the athlete with the best place finish at the 2022 USA Swimming 10K Open Water National Championships will be the winner of the tiebreaker.

*Based on any adjustments to the 2023 World Aquatics Open Water competition calendar, the location for this event may change. Any changes will be outlined and communicated to athletes through SPORTS ORG’s method of communication and amended High Performance Support Funding Schedule.The United States Olympic & Paralympic Athlete Career and Education (ACE) Program services and empowers active and retired Team USA athletes in their pursuit of personal, educational, and professional success. ACE connects Team USA athletes to a trusted community of athletes, employers, mentors, career coaches, and resources to inspire confidence, self-discovery ad personal growth.

The important thing to note is that clothing shouldn’t be overly baggy or made of heavy materials such as denim or wool. These can become water logged and heavy, making it difficult to swim or float. It is also important to make sure pieces of clothing can not get stuck in filters or other parts of a pool, which makes lycra a good material to wear.Over the years swimwear has come on leaps and bounds. So have policies relating to guidance about what you can wear in pools. It’s important you feel confident and comfortable – but that you are also safe.

Making the decision to join a swim club clearly isn’t one you should just make on a whim. After all, you’ll be committing to the club both socially and as a member of the team. While that doesn’t mean you need to participate forever, you will benefit from more time spent working in practice with your teammates. You may even surprise yourself with how much you improve your swimming prowess. Of course, if you prefer being able to set your own routine and go at your personal pace, that’s fine too! Swim clubs aren’t for everyone. You can improve your fitness and swimming ability on your own as well. In the end, it all boils down to what style of swimming you enjoy the most. If you’re curious, why not ask your local club if you can sit in on a practice or a meet? It’s a good way to “test the waters”! Follow @SportNessUKSome studies have already demonstrated that swimming itself can help to alleviate stress and reduce rates of depression. Throw in the fun and friendly nature of swim teams and clubs, and you have a recipe for a lot of healthy, positive social interaction. We’ve already mentioned that this can help push to strive towards your goals. However, it’s also important to focus on the team aspect of joining a club. It’s about more than simply pushing each other to be better at swimming. You may find that you begin to join your fellow club members for other fitness activities outside of the pool. There’s a chance for real friendship to blossom, which has its own long-term benefits, of course! From time to time, we all get a little bit down about our fitness. That’s when your teammates will be there to lift you up and keep you on track. The camaraderie can contribute to the development of excellent cooperation skills, too. Teamwork is necessary in the pool, and the more time you spend in a club, the better you’ll be at cooperating with others. However, it is important to note that these clubs aren’t for everyone. From the casual swimmer to the solitary fitness lover, there will be drawbacks for some. Let’s consider a few of those drawbacks and why you might prefer to go it alone.

First up, those with limited time may find they simply don’t have the extra hours necessary to commit to club membership. It’s important to participate after joining; if you can’t get to practices on a regular basis, you may be better off finding a more casual group with which to go swimming. It can also be something of a long-term commitment. If you only swim as a hobby, you may wish to continue that path. The competitive aspect is another potential drawback. While some individuals flourish in competition, others can find it immensely stressful and anxiety-inducing. There’s no doubt that there can be pressure to perform well at times. For some, this can detract from the fun of swimming in a substantial way. If you have concerns about being able to cope with the competitive pressure, then a club might not be for you. However, it’s worth considering that there may be less competitively-focused clubs in your local area. Before writing it off, be sure to check them out and ask some questions! If you’re still early in your journey towards fitness, the highly demanding nature of a swim club’s practices could pose a challenge. You don’t want the difficulty level to be discouraging; instead, it should enable you to aspire towards goals. There’s no reason to rush to join a club ? take the time to improve your ability first. Finally, the heavy swimming schedule a club presents could put you at increased risk for some common swimming injuries. If you have a history of sports injuries, speak to your doctor before joining a club. It’s always better to get the medical “all clear” before beginning a new strenuous activity.However, walk any distance away from its center, and you’ll find a tranquil spot for a swim. The water is warm, the bottom sandy, and gently sloping, and there are no currents, making Poetto one of the best beaches in Sardinia for less confident swimmers.You’ll be kitted out in a dry suit, as this is Iceland and the water is cold. Glacial meltwater has been filtering through lava and rock for about a century before it reaches Sifra.The Baths are reached by a short walk down a hill, topped by a restaurant. Be aware you’ll need to do some scrambling to get the very best of the experience.

One of the classic North Shore beaches on Maui, Hoʻokipa is popular with windsurfers, surfers, and parasailers. The adrenaline appeal of those more active sports masks how great a place it also is for swimming.Kits, as it’s known to locals, is famous for having one of the world’s top ten best city beaches. That has its own attraction if you want to enjoy open water swimming in the Pacific.

If you had to design the perfect Caribbean beach, you’d struggle to better Grand Anse, a perfect curving bay, two miles of powdery white sand, warm blue sea, and a fringe of shady green palm, almond and sea grape trees,Who can resist the chance to swim between two continents? Sifra is the crack between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, which widens by about three-quarters of an inch per year.Kieran is a freelance travel writer who has lived and worked in 12 different countries, on every continent except Antarctica. He now spends his time between Kerry, Ireland, and Granada, Spain, while writing for newspapers and websites worldwide.The beach is named for a rusting wreck lying in the sand (“navagio” means shipwreck). The boat is said to have belonged to smugglers, run aground during a pursuit by the Greek Navy.

Just three miles from Nassau, Blue Lagoon Island is a privately owned beach with plenty for everyone. The beach itself is beautiful: white sand and clear blue sea are a given here.Swimming in the company of, hopefully, a sea lion or three—and possibly even a Galapagos shark—is a real thrill. The large colony is now accustomed to visitors and will approach you as you swim around Turtle Rock in the bay.

You reach Stingray City by boat, but the water is only from three to four feet at its deepest. That makes it suitable for the least confident or even for non-swimmers.With over four miles of sparkling white sand, this beach is within easy reach of the capital, Cagliari. Those factors combine to give it the nickname of “Spiaggia dei Centomila” (Beach of 100,000) for its summertime crowds.The Great Barrier Reef stretches for 1,400 miles along the northeast coast of Australia. Its amazing corals and vibrant marine life form one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.The so-called “Seven Colors Lagoon” is named for its vivid colors that range from turquoise to deep blue. The spectrum comes from variations in water depth and temperature. It’s a great place to swim, but even better to snorkel in one of only three Underwater National Monuments in the US. Signs guide you through beautiful coral, across white sands and amid countless colorful fish that makes this one of the best spots for snorkeling in St. Croix. One is actually heated, but the authentic Finnish experience is to enjoy a full sauna before jumping into cold water. This is especially invigorating in mid-winter but can be enjoyed at any time of year as part of a cultural ritual.

However, what makes the island stand out is the chance to swim or snorkel with dolphins, rays, or sea lions. Beyond that, there is also a vibrant coral reef to explore. The depth of the pool varies from 2.6ft to just under 5ft, so even the least confident swimmer can feel secure. The water is opaque, so you’ll probably want to stick to breaststroke. You have a choice of snorkeling or diving—this has been called one of the top dive sites in the world, partly thanks to its geological novelty and partly because of the extraordinary visibility.

In Mahahual, you have a choice of several great beaches with every facility from sunbeds to spas. Even better is to take an excursion out to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the world’s second largest.With such a size, there are many ways to explore it. The popular resort town of Port Douglas is one base from which to enjoy a snorkeling or diving trip.

Hidden by towering white cliffs, this small bay is therefore also known as Smuggler’s Cove. All this adds to its romantic atmosphere, completed by soft white sand and clear blue water.

Canada’s largest saltwater swimming pool is 450 feet long, meaning you only have to swim 12 lengths to cover a mile. This massive public open-air pool is on the Vancouver waterfront at Kitsilano, near the famous Granville Island.Be warned that the after-glow of the hot sauna followed by the bracing water, said to be good for the heart, is a high that can become addictive. Celebrate it anyway with a drink in the pools’ rooftop bar.

If you have had your fill of warm tropical beaches, why not try something a bit different in the heart of Finland’s capital, Helsinki? The Allas Sea Pools are seawater pools, filled with clean water from far offshore.

After a few gentle circuits, however, you’ll be ready to take advantage of all the spa facilities; at the very least, make the most of the mud mask that’s given to every visitor. Incidentally, you can buy or rent a swimsuit here if you forget yours.