National Sports Centre 50-Metre Pool Opens
The Board of Trustees of the Bermuda National Sports Centre today [May 28] announced the opening of the island’s “first 50-metre swimming pool,” which part of the new $23.4 million National Aquatics Centre located in the Bermuda National Sports Centre on in Devonshire.
The National Aquatics Centre will be open to the public from 7am until 7pm Monday to Saturday and 7am until 5pm on Sundays during the summer months. Winter opening hours “will be subject to demand.”
Entry fees are: $15 for adults; $12 for youth [13 to 18] and seniors [65 and over]; and $8 for children [6 to 13]. A family ticket is available for $32 for 2 adults and up to 4 children, all of whom reside at the same address.
Multipack swim packages of 10 tickets are also available, as well as monthly passes. There will be higher entry fees for public sessions when the floatables are in use.
Sean Tucker, Bermuda National Sports Centre CEO Bernie Asbell with lifeguard staff in the background:
Sean Tucker, Chairman, Bermuda National Sports Centre, says: “For Bermuda, with a population of just over 64,000, to have a 50-metre pool puts us in a very strong position by international standards.
“Our research has determined that a 50-metre pool is available for approximately every 590,000 people in Canada, every 700,000 people in U.S.A. and every 1.2 million people in the U.K. From this perspective, it is phenomenal that we have been successful in opening such a facility in Bermuda.
“The new National Aquatics Centre will cater to everyone in Bermuda and is available for use by master swimmers, those wanting to enjoy a fun-filled day at the pool, seniors, school students and everyone in between.
“This world-class facility provides the perfect opportunity for the community to get active as swimming is a great workout for your entire body and, because it is low-impact, it is a good form of exercise for all levels of fitness and ages.”
The fresh water pool, maintained at 80 degrees Fahrenheit, is fitted with a moveable bulkhead to allow either 8 lanes of 50 metres or 16 lanes of 25 metres. The bulkhead will be adjusted to accommodate 50 metres at specific times throughout the week.
“These additional lanes triple the island’s existing public swimming capacity”, a spokesperson said. “A diving well is combined within the pool beneath a diving tower with boards at 3, 5, 7.5 and 10 metres”.
Facilities at the National Aquatics Centre include showers and changing rooms, a sunbathing area, classroom and birthday party area, as well as a food concession. A giant floating slide and two fun obstacle courses are also available to book for parties, schools, as well as during scheduled public sessions.
The National Sports Centre will be the primary multisport host venue for the NatWest Island Games taking place from July 13 to 19, with the National Aquatic Centre as the host venue for all aquatic activities. This will follow the National Swim Championships on June 6-9 that will serve as a test for the international event.
Bernie Asbell, Chief Executive Officer, Bermuda National Sports Centre, says: “It is our goal to use the new facility to encourage the growth of competitive swimming and BASA affiliated clubs, and to spearhead interest in water polo, synchronised swimming and diving in Bermuda as currently there are no clubs in existence on island for these pursuits.
“If that can be achieved, then we succeed in building Bermuda’s attractiveness to competitors in these sports as a place to train and compete.”
“The new National Aquatics Centre has created 10 jobs for Bermudians, including 8 lifeguards who were trained by a trainer brought to the island from Cayman. Four more jobs will be added this summer,” a spokesperson said.
“The completion of the 50-metre swimming pool represents the end of the first phase of the National Aquatics Centre project.
“As part of this initial phase, the plumbing and infrastructure for a further 25-metre, 6-lane warm-up and teaching pool has been put in place to allow for this facility to be constructed at a later date, subject to funding being secured.
“The completion of a warm-up pool would allow Bermuda to host the CARIFTA swim meet. Currently there are only four aquatic facilities in the CARIFTA region that meet the requirements to do so.”
FYI Bermuda: there’s free water and beautiful beaches somewhere along the south shore…
If you don’t like sand, there’s also public docks.
If you don’t like either. You shouldn’t be swimming…
Looks very nice. Wonder who is going to pay all the staff and the $90K/month to heat it in the winter?
They are going to close it in the winter… I believe it was Novermber – April (depending on the temperature)
If they close it November to April…. CARIFTA (50m pools) is held at the end of March. Our athletes will still have to train in 25m pools to prepare. Not much of an upgrade for competitive swimmers.
Did you not know that this pool wil only be open for 8 months of the year – unlike the other pools that are open year round!!!
Congrats to the National Sports Centre trustees for completing this project and finally revealing the cost for this.
Now they all should be fired for over spending on the building of this and remove the overseas consultant!
I understand the other proposal was for $15.8M (with concrete bathrooms not the trailer park facilities they have installed). Please explain the cost differance?
Not sure why they state if is a “World Class facility” as the new norm is for a 10 x 50M pool it is also a slower and colder pool. We still cannot hold Carifta Games with this pool.
First Sandys 360 and now this? It would have been better to consolidate the two. Another hole in the ground to dump the tax payers money into…..it’ll never pay for itself. Carifta won’t happen here for another 10 yrs, College/Uni swim meets are cheaper to fund and easier to get to in the southeast ;-( should fill it in and plant a garden.
First off, knowing that there are only 4 facilities in the region that can host Carifta, Bermuda should’ve automatically built our pool to Carifta standard in the first phase. Secondly, any new build of large size that requires energy but doesn’t include alternatives in the design is foolish. SAGE Commission, this energy bill is not efficient and this facility should be privatized. THE END!!!
They failed to mention who has been contracted to maintain the pool and what is the contract worth?
If 8 out of 10 Bermudian jobs are lifeguards what are the other two Bermudian jobs they mentioned?
It is so interesting how we have so many critics to something that can be and is so possitive,I look forward to my children and grandchildren being able to compete in this pool and to utilize it to the fullest.
No different then the facility that was proposed to be put at the P.H.C in Warwick and leased to the government,when it gets up and running it will be an assett to Bermuda,so stop wining and give the pool and those involved a chance do do something possitive for all ages.
Job well done and it is great to know many will benefit from this facility.
What kind of return is that “asset” at Sandys 360 giving us?
I don’t know if your children and their children will be competing there, but I do know they will be paying off the debt incurred to build it.
We can’t afford it. They said it themselves. Most other countries have a pool for every 600,000+ people, basically a population 10 times the size of Bermuda can begin to sustain a pool of this size. How did they and do they justify building it at all. Now we will have to maintain it at a very high cost as it will never pay for itself or anywhere near it. Total lack of understanding of basic economics. It so represents the vision of the former Government. Champagne taste…
most sports stadiums/ facilities etc are built from tax payers money i.e england,usa ,canada and many more countries !!!!! do your research before you comment !!!!! you cant educate pork !!!!
Totally wrong. Most sports stadiums in the US, UK, Canada are built with private money, usually for specific sports teams.
The same is true of most auditoriums, theatres, concert halls, and similar facilitlies. Private money.
Many stadiums in the US are built and/or funded by private enterprise and they make money by holding events. Bermuda’s national sports center resembles a high school facility in the USA.
The difference being that those countries you compare Bermuda to actually have population sizes that can justify the building of such a facility. Bermuda’s population is just 64,000. A monument to the excesses of the past.
waste of good space and time..who can even afford to use it foe a party or just a visit at these prices? another show of the serious lack of economic understanding from the former government. disgusting !!!!
What are the hourly rates for swim clubs and how do they compare to the other pools? Will the swim clubs even train here?
Wont belong until this pool becomes another ghetto hangout! Wait it already happened!
Thank you PLP government another brick for the consolidation of Bermuda’s infrastructure; another wave which the OBA government will seek to ride and an answer to the many private beaches that still exists in this country.
No clue.
But Alvin it’s a $12m non-essential luxury that ended up costing $23m. And now we have to pay the ongoing costs as well. Where is the money coming from Alvin? Let me guess what you would suggest…more borrowing?
Just another one of governments [past and present] money pits!! dockyard wharf included where over the years throwing money at projects with no money coming in to help repay or substain itself..
Typical P.L.P. attitude;knowing damn well so many are hungry and homeless. $90,000:00 per month to heat this pool is crazy!(That is if what’s posted above be correct) Yes that is a real Re-gressive Labour Parties supporters attitude, “having champagne taste but only beer money”
So many negative comments. What about the swimmers who are going to use this pool for competition. This will bring revenue to Bemuda. Would you be so negative if a new football field was launched in Bermuda? I think not. As for a ghetto hangout, grow up and get educated. This ia a positive for Bermuda, swimming is on the map and should be recognised for the talent it has on the island. These kids are training to represent their country people , be proud. Better in the pool than on the streets.