Wetlook World Forum

Clothing can be both a "pro" and a "con" when it comes to pool safety. Some clothing can be difficult to swim in which can increase the likelihood of a swimmer getting into distress and requiring assistance or rescue. Also, loose clothing can pose a risk because of the potential for it to entangle, get caught in drains etc. and trap the wearer underwater. On the other hand, clothing can be an aid to rescue because it gives the rescuer more to grab on to.

Almost all clothing, no matter how clean, can be problematic when it comes to maintaining correct pool chemistry. Particles released from clothing (trapped dust, broken fibers, etc.) to accumulate in the filters is only one issue. Everything that comes into contact with the pool water has the potential to react with the chlorine and "consume" it. Even small, simple articles of clothing actually have very large surface areas when you consider all the individual fibers. All that surface area increases the opportunity for chemical reactions which effectively use up the chlorine. So, the more clothing which ends up in your pool, the more often you have to add chlorine and make adjustments to the pH. The same goes if the pool gets used a lot, or if there's a lot of splashing about (if you have a fountain or waterfall feature).

Certainly, clothing can be a vector for biological contamination. Since one may not always know the relative cleanliness of a person or their clothing, the only reasonable assumption to make is what most public pool operators do. "Bathing suits only, shower before entering pool" to minimize both the likelihood of introducing contamination and the rate at which expensive pool chemicals are wasted.

When it's your own pool, your chemicals and your friends, you can certainly go crazy with the fully clothed swim parties. I'm pretty sure I would too. But I certainly don't hold it against public pool operators to set the policies they do. Disappointing and frustrating though it may be, it is done with sound reason.