Is it ok to pee in the pool (and how many people do it)?

Hmm…

Shall we answer this one honestly?

Well, okay then,

Because, no - of course it's not okay no matter how many people do it (because it's quite a few, in case you're wondering)

The issue of peeing in the swimming pool has been a major question for decades.

Is it okay?
Is it way over the line?

Is it only allowed at home or also in a public pool?

And it's impossible to answer them directly because people have different preferences and attitudes.

But in case some people do it, let's examine why it should be a problem at all?

So why is it so bad when people pee in the water?

The basic issue with peeing in the water is something we think almost no Irish realise.

The issue is that when you pee in the water, your urine reacts with the chlorine in the water, and the two things don't mix very well.

Because urine contains an element called “carbamide” (and that's what reacts badly with chlorine). In fact, exactly 9.3g per 1 litre of urine.

And in order to break down the “carbamide”, which is the job of chlorine, you need to put even more chlorine in the water to be able to do this. And chlorine is not good for the eyes, throat or head, which is why many people experience after a trip to the swimming pool:

- Difficulty breathing with the possibility of causing asthma
- Causes skin and eye irritation
- Damaged hair
- Bad smell

And with that background, it becomes quite bad for both the water and the air in general inside the swimming pool when you choose to pee in the water

BUT actually, it's not the amount of peeing in the water that is the main cause of the high amount of chlorine in the water.

It's actually the sweat on your body that you bring into the swimming pool. Because it also contains a lot of “carbamide”, only 1.3 g per 1 litre compared to 9.3 g in urine.

And if you compare this with how much people sweat when they swim and are generally inside the swimming pool. You will quickly realise that the biggest problem against more and more chlorine in the water is actually the sweat people get in there.

So blaming it on people peeing in the water is actually not quite right, but of course part of the issue.

Is it visible in the water when people pee?

We don't know if you've seen it before, but it's actually quite obvious when people pee in the water. Surprisingly obvious.

There is ALWAYS a bigger yellow cloud around it

At least if they haven't drunk much water. By the way, this is an incredibly good tip to avoid being caught peeing. Drink a lot of water, because then the urine will be completely transparent anyway and no one will notice your little “toilet visit” (unless they are standing right next to you at the edge, because you can't avoid it getting a little warm around you)

GET A DISCOUNT CODE WITH 10% OFF

The discount code can be used by all new customers on all products on the website, including the products recommended here in the article.

What are you waiting for? Get more out of your time in and on the water!

Success!

These types of swimmers pee in the water::

You could have done a larger study such as “Reasons why Irish swimmers pee in the pool” and interviewed several people.

The issue is that no one dares to admit that they do it (even though they do), and that's probably why it hasn't been possible to find such a study.

But what types of swimmers are the ones who often pee in the water if they don't want to talk about it? We've tried to generalise a bit (so that you can stay away from these “types” when you do jump in the water):

- Toddlers with lazy parents ALWAYS pee in the water

And that's just the way it is. And it's probably something everyone realises.

How many times have you seen parents of small kids run to the baby pool incredibly quickly after the kid has shouted that they want to go to the toilet? That's when the accident has already happened.

Luckily, there are some great swim nappies for little ones, so at least you don't have to worry about it getting out to the rest of us.

- All competitive swimmers pee in the water

Boom. That's it. And that's just the way it is.

And when we write “everyone”, we actually mean everyone - both boys and girls - and not just Ryan Lochte, who is probably the only person so far who has actually admitted publicly that he even does it regularly.

Another thing related to this, when all swimmers are already just peeing in the water, is all the “pee breaks” these competitive swimmers ask their coaches for all the time. They are completely unnecessary, and probably in reality just because the swimmers want to get out of the water for a while.

So what could be the solution to all this peeing-in-the-water?

A person in the US once did an experiment in their public swimming pools.

He had the problem that pretty much everyone just peed in the pool when the pressure was on.

To solve this problem, he introduced a “5-minute clean-up” every hour, where the entire pool was closed and everyone had to get out.

And what were people supposed to do during that time?

Well, they could go to the toilet because no one wanted to stand around freezing.

This ended up eliminating virtually all “pool peeing”.

Why don't you consider introducing this in Irish swimming pools?

But ultimately: Is it OK to pee in the water?

Short answer: It's 100% up to you, but it's also a matter of private vs. public pool.

But basically, you have three options when you feel the urge to pee in the pool:

1. You can go to the toilet and pee. Unless you're a non-competitive swimmer and in the middle of a series of swims, this would probably be preferable.
2. You can hold it and wait until you're done swimming
3. You can just release the pressure.

So the choice is really up to you. You're not alone if you do it, but you're certainly not being kind to the other swimmers either.

Alternatively, you can wear a swim nappy, which we sell right here, so you can pee all you want no matter how old you are.