’Tis the season to chill in the pool

What is that one place where you can unwind, work out and even beat the heat at the same time? It’s the pool! With hotter days ahead and life almost back to pre-Covid days, this is the perfect time for us to make a splash as swimming coaching centres are finally set to reopen after staying out of bounds for almost two years. Welcoming the move, Kolkata’s swimming enthusiasts – professionals as well as amateurs – are excitedly looking forward to spending time in the pool.While hotels, clubs and resorts are busy chalking out plans to maximise safety, coaching centres are expecting a busy season ahead.
Gautam Nandy, secretary of a posh city club, said their pool has been in operation but with restrictions. “When we opened the pool after the third wave, we were allowing only two people at a time. Now, we let up to three swimmers go in. Swimmers are using every alternate lane to swim. Also, they are required to pre-book their pool time to avoid crowding. One can swim for a maximum of 45 minutes and we keep a 15-minute buffer time between slots for sanitisation, cleanup and shower,” he added.
While a few clubs are allowing members to bring in their guests, most places have restricted their pools to members only. “After a gap of two years, we decided to start our pool from April 1. Before the pandemic, members’ guests could also enjoy our pool. However, since maintaining Covid protocols is our top priority now, we
may have to restrict the pool activities to our members only,” said Chandan Roy Chowdhury, honorary secretary of a rowing club in south Kolkata.
Meanwhile, swimming coaching clubs are also gearing up for the upcoming session. “We have started distributing forms and if everything goes well, we will start the swimming session from April. We are expecting it to be a busy one,” said Subrata Kumar Ghosh, central executive member of one of Kolkata’s oldest clubs. Talking about the additional protocols, he said, “So far, we have not been required to cap the number of people using the pool because of the lukewarm response. However, in case the entries go up this season, we will set a limit. We are also making arrangements for complete sanitisation of swimmers before and after using the pool.”
‘Will make up for the pool fun I missed for two years’

I don’t have a favourite pool as such, but I’m very much a water baby. I love pools, beaches, hot tubs, jacuzzis, et al. An ideal vacation for me would be at a heated cabin surrounded by mountains with a hot tub to sink all my worries into. Now that pools are opening up, I’ll make sure that I make up for all the fun I missed out on in the last two years.
— Anusha Viswanathan, actress
‘Unwinding in the pool has been a part of my summers’
Not that I am a great swimmer, but relaxing and unwinding in the pool has always been a part of my summer activities. Besides going to clubs, my friends and I would thoroughly enjoy being in pools at resorts. The pandemic took that pleasure away from us. But now that life is inching towards normalcy, I am excited about taking a dip in the pool every now and then. This photo shoot was a pleasurable prelude to that.
— Susmita Chatterjee, actress
‘Love spending hours in the water, sipping on summer coolers’

I am not a swimmer but that never deterred my enthusiasm for spending time in the pool during summer. My friends and I used to spend hours in the water, sipping on summer coolers. I can’t wait to relive that experience after a gap.
— Ankita Singh, LIVA Miss Diva 2021- 4th Runner Up
‘Great workout, perfect place to hang out’
Every summer, my daughter and I used to spend time swimming. Besides being a great workout, swimming is also a lovely way to hang out with friends. The pandemic changed everything and we missed all the fun. Now that summer is here and the restrictions are slightly relaxed, I am really looking forward to going back to the pool.
— Shradha Agarwaal, entrepreneur
‘Hoping for my complex pool to start soon’
Being a fitness enthusiast, swimming was a treat for me. I found it extremely refreshing, productive and therapeutic. My partner and I used to swim at the pool inside our gated community. We were often joined by our friends and relatives. So, it’s one of the things that we missed the most in the pandemic. While the pools at clubs and hotels are reopening, we hope our complex pool too starts soon.
— Isha Dubey, who works at German Consulate, Kolkata
How to protect your skin & hair
To stop chlorine damage, apply a pre-swim hair defence
Pre-swimming lotion protects skin from chlorine & bromine
A water-resistant swimspray for chlorine protection in pools with SPF 30 provides long-lasting defence against chlorine, UV & salt water damage
Chlorine neutralising body lotions protect skin from chlorine, salt water
Post swim, use a chlorine removal swimmers body wash that repairs skin and removes chlorine odour
Use a chlorine removal shampoo and swim spray