Posted: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:57 PM - 7,445 Readers

By: Pamela LeBlanc

Ack! I just can’t stand it! More bad news for Austin swimmers.

First, swimmers at Deep Eddy don’t want to share lanes in the pool. Now news that the city needs to shut down Barton Springs for six to eight months to make repairs to the bypass tunnel that runs under the sidewalk on the north side of the pool.

That means Deep Eddy — and other city pools — will get even more crowded. It also means that we all need to learn how to comfortably circle swim.

I’ve fielded phone calls the last few days from swimmers who prefer to swim alone in a lane. I do, too! You just can’t get the same zen feeling of swimming if you’re worrying about six people in the water next to you.

That said, swimming alone isn’t always an option. (Heck, I’d like to drive up MoPac without any other cars on the road, too, but that’s not an option either.)

And when people are waiting on a wall for their turn, I’m happy to share. I always tell slower swimmers to maintain their usual pace and not worry about me. I will swim around them. I also ask if they want me to tap them on the foot when I approach. Sometimes they want to know I’m there; many times they do not.

I try to be polite. I try not to intimidate. I try to be invisible so we can all enjoy the serenity that comes with swimming.

We all pay taxes, so the pool belongs to all of us. When people are waiting to swim, we need to accept the fact that this isn’t a private pool, that we have to try to get along and share the resource.

I also understand that for medical reasons some people cannot share a lane.

The pool recently designated four lanes as circle swimming lanes and left three lanes to self-regulate, meaning that people can swim alone or split those lanes with just one other person. Let’s hope this new system works.

No word on when the Barton Springs repairs will take place; the drought is complicating the issue. We can’t let the endangered Barton Springs salamander dry out when they drain the pool to make the repairs.

So where can open-water swimmers get their fix when Barton Springs closes? One reader already suggested Lake Pflugerville. I haven’t been there to check it out. Have you?

There’s always Lake Travis. The buoy line along the swimming area at Hippie Hollow is a popular destination for swimmers who like long swathes of water. (Remember, it’s a clothing optional beach. Some folks don’t like that.) Bob Wentz and Mansfield Dam parks are other options. But the water in Lake Travis is very warm right now.

Lake Austin is a cooler option, but only for skilled swimmers. To do it safely, you need a kayaker or support boat to accompany you, and you need to make yourself as visible as possible. (Think brightly colored swim cap.) Stay near the shore, out of the way of boaters. Do not go alone!

I’ve gotten in some good swimming at Blanco State Park, but that’s an hour away. Same for the San Marcos River. Here in Austin the pickings are slimmer.

Members of Pure Austin Gym at 4210 W. Braker Lane in North Austin have a wonderful option — Quarry Lake. But only gym members can swim at the small lake, so if you don’t belong to the club, you’re out of luck.

What other options do we have? Help me compile a list!

*  Story Contributed by: Pamela LeBlanc