Lap Pool?

[Dad207]

I swim for exercise and am also spending a lot more time at Lake W, year-round, Swimming in the lake in the summer is great, but the winter requires a pool. There are YMCAs in Concord and Portsmouth, but looking for a lap pool closer to Alton. Any facilities, ideas, community colleges with public access?

[ishoot308]

I swim for exercise and am also spending a lot more time at Lake W, year-round, Swimming in the lake in the summer is great, but the winter requires a pool. There are YMCAs in Concord and Portsmouth, but looking for a lap pool closer to Alton. Any facilities, ideas, community colleges with public access?

What about this place?…. http://www.thewellnesscomplex.com/

I know nothing about it but it looks promising…

Dan

[Dad207]

I know nothing about it but it looks promising…


Look great, thanks. I'll check it out!

[thebix]

No injuries in fitness center fire early Wednesday morning

Firefighters from departments across the Lakes Region responded to a serious fire at The Wellness Complex early Wednesday morning, entering to fight the fire before being ordered out of the building when portions of its roof collapsed upon them. No one was in the building when the fire started and there were no injuries.

An email was sent to patrons of the gym at 5:30 a.m. Wednesday notifying them the gym will be closed.

"Good morning, everybody. The Wellness Complex will be closed until further notice," the email from management reads. "Stay safe and warm. Enjoy your time with your family and have a wonderful holiday weekend."

https://www.laconiadailysun.com/news/local/no-injuries-in-fitness-center-fire-early-wednesday-morning/article_46742710-acde-11ef-9525-cf1ab90122b3.html

[Descant]

Some hotels/Timeshares that have pools and fitness centers allow the public to use same without being hotel guests. The pools may not be big enough for good lap swimming, so each will need to be checked. If you have enough interested people, maybe the Gunstock commissioners would add a canvas dome over their pool, that slides back in the summer? (I havew frioends wikth such a dome.)

[smith point boater]

Gunstock Inn used to have a membership option to use their pool. Not sure its still open for that

[MeredithMan]

What about this place?…. http://www.thewellnesscomplex.com/

I know nothing about it but it looks promising…

Dan

Good to hear that they have kept the pool going. I used to go there for swimming exercise a few years back before it went bust and the current owners took it over. I have often wondered if the pool was still going, and now that I know it is, I think I will check it out too! Thanks for posting this!

[chachee52]

What about this place?…. http://www.thewellnesscomplex.com/

I know nothing about it but it looks promising…

Dan

Nope, they had a big fire last week and are closed indefinitely. Ironically it was in the pool room area

[fatlazyless]

Here's a photo of the indoor pool at The Margate in Laconia ...... www.themargate.com/resort-amenities/ .

Maybe they allow people to pay to use their pool to swim laps if they are not an overnight hotel guest?

Anyone know if it is a 25-meter long pool?

[Winilyme]

Off season, my wife and I swim ​three times weekly here in CT at a local Y about 20 minutes away. Unfortunately, there are limited options in the Lakes Region if you​'re looking for a decent facility with a 25-yard indoor pool. We are in Meredith, May - October, and we vastly prefer a pool for swimming laps versus the lake. We often wish there were more options in the Lakes region and if the Moultonborough recreational complex was ever approved, we hoped they might help fund it through opening the facility to non-resident public memberships.

Prior to my recent retirement, during various years, my wife swam at the Concord Y, Gunstock Inn, and The Wellness Complex. The Concord Y is a decent facility but the pool lanes are approximately ten inches or so more narrow than a standard lap pool lane. That's a negative when you are sharing a lane as is required more times than not. Plus, you have to pay for parking - though it is convenient with a garage right next door. Gunstock had a pool and that's about it. Questionable cleanliness and maintenance and just not a very cheerful place to be. The Wellness Center was okay when she swam there another summer but it was often without a lifeguard and the overall attentiveness the building received from management was questionable. Also, past reviews of the facility were often poor.

This past summer, we decided to try the Goffstown Y. That's quite a haul (1 hour, 15 minutes each way from our home in Meredith) but we figured that with two of us swimming for about three hours each time, it might be worth it. It was. Free parking, clean facility with an attentive staff and spacious locker rooms. Wonderful indoor pool with, at least, a shared lane usually available during lap swim hours. They also have a brand new outdoor lap pool that we didn't try. The only disadvantage was the travel distance so we limited our time there to twice-weekly and frequently built into those trips errands we needed to run anyway in the Hooksett, Concord or Tilton areas.

Conclusion. I've read recent reviews for the Wellness Complex which seem to have taken a turn for the better. Seems within the last year, they brought in new management. That's very encouraging so I'd suggest looking into that once it reopens. I think we'll look into it again as well. The Concord Y is a good alternative, albeit with the disadvantage of narrow lap lanes. Finally, consider the Goffstown Y which, for the OP in Alton, should be about a 60 minute commute. Add a minute or two to the drive and take the back route through Bow if you want to avoid the $1.00 Hooksett tolls.

[Dad207]

Some hotels/Timeshares that have pools and fitness centers allow the public to use same without being hotel guests. The pools may not be big enough for good lap swimming, so each will need to be checked. If you have enough interested people, maybe the Gunstock commissioners would add a canvas dome over their pool, that slides back in the summer? (I havew frioends wikth such a dome.)

That would be ideal— but would be a few years, and a dozen committee meetings, out. But thanks!

[Dad207]

What about this place?…. http://www.thewellnesscomplex.com/

I know nothing about it but it looks promising…

Dan

Thanks but just heard that they had a fire there. No swimming for quite a while…

[codeman671]

The Works in Somersworth has a 4 lane 25-yard lap pool, a 12-person hot tub and a family pool.

https://www.theworkshealthclub.com/

Its not far from exit 9, no more than 30 minutes from Alton Bay.

[fatlazyless]

Upper Valley Aquatic Center ..... www.uvacswim.org ...... in White River Junction, Vermont, which is across the Connecticut River from West Lebanon, N.H. exists in the Town of Hartford, Vermont, a town with 11,000 residents.

The proposed development of Laconia Village on the 217-acre Laconia State School property is predicted to increase the population in Laconia by 2000-residents, going from 16,800 to 18,800-people over a ten year period.

So, maybe the proposed Laconia Village could include a similar swim/aquatic facility ..... www.uvacswim.org/membership/ ..... for year 'round indoor swim pool use.

[Dad207]

The Works in Somersworth has a 4 lane 25-yard lap pool, a 12-person hot tub and a family pool.

https://www.theworkshealthclub.com/

Its not far from exit 9, no more than 30 minutes from Alton Bay.

This is very helpful, thanks!

[GTO]

I swim for exercise and am also spending a lot more time at Lake W, year-round, Swimming in the lake in the summer is great, but the winter requires a pool. There are YMCAs in Concord and Portsmouth, but looking for a lap pool closer to Alton. Any facilities, ideas, community colleges with public access?

margate has a pool and used to let people use their pool….at a cost of course. Give them a call

[Dad207]

Here's a photo of the indoor pool at The Margate in Laconia ...... .

Maybe they allow people to pay to use their pool to swim laps if they are not an overnight hotel guest?

Anyone know if it is a 25-meter long pool?

Thanks for this, Margate does have a pool membership so to speak: $68 gets you a "punch card" good fr 12 visits. Pool is roughly 20 yards long, swimmable, though not a competition or training pool, 10' deep and 3' deep at the ends. No lane lines or turn markers, but a good enough pool in a pinch to do your laps. Beats driving to the Concord Y.

[Dad207]

margate has a pool and used to let people use their pool….at a cost of course. Give them a call


I went by there today, nice pool, (thoguh not a training facility) and a very easy, and reasonable pool use program, Thanks for this suggestion.

[MeredithMan]

I went by there today, nice pool, (thoguh not a training facility) and a very easy, and reasonable pool use program, Thanks for this suggestion.

Was it crowded? I'm guessing on a weekday in January probably not? The Goffstown Y, mentioned above, is close to me when I'm in Bedford, but it is always packed, even at "off" hours.

[Dad207]

No, not at all -- I was the only one there for about 20 minutes and then two other swimmers arrived. No issues; staff told me that there are often classes in the morning about 9 am, just FYI.

[Geneva Point]

Another option is Plymouth State University swimming pool which allows lap swimming to the community with a membership fee. https://athletics.plymouth.edu/facilities/psu-natatorium/8