Swim update as at 31 May 2022:

FAQs:

• If you can’t make it to a session you’ve booked, please cancel either via the link in the confirmation email, or via the training sessions entry page on Nifty Entries.
• The transfer button on Nifty Entries doesn’t work for training session bookings.
• Everyone has equal chance of getting a place in any session.
• Once a session is finished the next week’s session is opened for booking.
• Try putting a reminder in your calendar to book in the evening or following morning after a Monday or Friday swim. If you can’t commit to the next week’s swim at that point, keep an eye on Nifty Entries for any spaces which pop up when someone cancels. And/or  book in for an uncoached swim, where the numbers are not as restricted.

Pool sessions – where and when:
We are ramping up back towards our original swim sessions, as the numbers attending make it affordable to reintroduce sessions. Sessions are split between Christleton and City Baths, all mixed ability, with lanes arranged by speed. We will continue to secure more lanes/sessions when there is enough demand.

Christleton:
19.00 – 20.00 Mondays & Fridays, 5 x lanes

City Baths:
06.00 – 07.00 Wednesdays, 5 x lanes

16.00 – 17.00 Saturdays, some lanes technique, some lanes squad swim (except 11 June, 9 July, 6 August, see above)

18.00 – 19.00 Sundays, 5 x lanes (see above for June, July, August)

Planned to be reintroduced next:
Combined squad swims 1500-1600 Saturdays @ City Baths will be reintroduced when possible.

Important to remember:
Book in advance via Nifty Entries (bookings go live 1 week before each session). Cost £4 + 30p transaction fee.
Changing rooms and showers are again available at both pools.

Open water venues – please check their websites/FB for details (see links on open water swimming page).

If you are going to swim outdoors, we suggest to refresh/prepare yourself with some outdoor swimming tips from sensible sources. You can find various resources about open water swimming here on the club website. We don’t recommend open water swimming alone, particularly in cold weather.

Limited swim spaces? Read on for details about why we have limited spaces, what we’re doing to make more spaces available and how you can help.

Issue: British Triathlon Federation now places limits on how many swimmers coaches are allowed to coach (not a Covid restriction).
Solutions: We’re offering a mix of coached and uncoached sessions, with Mondays, Fridays and Sat technique sessions coached, Wednesdays, Sat squad swims and Sundays uncoached. If coaches are unable to make it to a particular session and it becomes an uncoached session, we open more spaces via Nifty Entries and put a message out via the club facebook page. As existing club coaches qualify to higher level BTF qualifications, the number of swimmers they can coach increases. Another option could be to pay for external coaches, but we want to keep training as affordable as possible for all so we’re not keen to put prices up. (CTC swims are a lot cheaper than other clubs and rides and runs are free).
How you can help: We also need more qualified coaches in the club, to share the coaching. If you are interested in / curious about doing a coaching qualification, please email for details about qualifications the club will pay for, the commitment in return, what the courses involve etc.

Issue: Limited pool time available around the Chester area and Brio have reneged on their commitment to give us our pre-Covid swim times back at Christleton.
Solutions:  Sunday have been restarted at City Baths (1800-1900), with a coach written set on the board, no coach on the poolside, so spaces are not limited. Sunday evening sessions are great to prolong your weekend, relax muscles after a weekend race or a long run/ride and if you can’t get a space on Monday! We have been looking for more pool time at other pools.

How you can help: We welcome any suggestions of other pools we could move to or take additional pool time at, particularly if you have any contacts there.