Rain and lightning: when condo swimming lessons must stop

A condo swimming lesson should stop the moment lightning is within range, not when it starts raining. The rule is the same as at public pools: everyone out of the water when thunder is heard or lightning is seen close by, and no return until it has clearly passed. For condo swimming lessons booked on this site, the coach then marks the lesson rained off, nothing is deducted, and a make-up lesson is added to the end of your package automatically. The rest of this guide explains the reasoning, the rule of thumb coaches use, and what light rain does and does not change.

What if it rains during the lesson?

Rain on its own is not the problem. Swimmers are already wet, and a light shower with no thunder is safe to swim through; many good toddler lessons happen in a warm drizzle when the pool is empty. What stops a lesson is lightning, or rain heavy enough that the coach cannot see the learner clearly or the deck becomes hazardous. The coach makes the call at the pool, and can mark the lesson rained off from 30 minutes before the start until 60 minutes after it.

What is the lightning rule for pools in Singapore?

Singapore's public pools clear the water when lightning is detected in the vicinity and reopen only after a clear period, and coaches at condo pools can apply the same standard with two tools. The first is observation, using a version of the 30-30 rule widely taught in water safety: if the gap between a flash and its thunder is 30 seconds or less, the storm is close enough to be dangerous, and nobody returns to the water until 30 minutes after the last thunder. The second is the National Environment Agency's lightning alerts and rain radar, worth checking before leaving for the pool and again at the pool if the sky looks doubtful.

The reason for the caution is simple. Water conducts, a pool is often the most exposed point in a condo, and a swimmer's head is the highest object on a flat surface. Singapore records lightning on a large share of days in the year, with peaks in the inter-monsoon months around April and May and again in October and November. A rule that errs on the side of getting out is the right one.

What happens to my lesson and my package?

1. The coach marks the lesson as rained off. This can only be done from 30 minutes before the lesson to 60 minutes after its start, so it is not used to cancel a lesson hours ahead.
2. The lesson is not counted against your package. Your lessons-used figure does not move.
3. A make-up lesson is added automatically to the end of your run, in the same weekly slot with the same coach.
4. You receive an email straight away, so you are never standing at the pool wondering.

If a wet season produces several rained-off lessons in a row, the run simply gets longer; you do not lose anything.

Can the coach decide before setting off?

Only close to the time. The booking system lets a coach call off a lesson from 30 minutes before the start, not hours ahead, because a great many Singapore afternoons look threatening and then clear. If the radar shows a storm sitting over your area at that point, the coach can mark the lesson rained off before leaving for your pool, and you are emailed at once.

What about haze and heat?

Haze: when the NEA 24-hour PSI for your region is in the unhealthy range, the coach calls the lesson off in the same way as rain, with a make-up added. Heat: Singapore's midday sun is a comfort issue rather than a safety one for a 45-minute lesson in water, but for small children morning and late-afternoon slots, a rash guard and sunscreen are kinder. Cold: after a heavy storm a condo pool can be a few degrees cooler for the rest of the day, which matters for a 3-year-old and not at all for an adult; keep a young child moving and rests short.

Should I plan lessons around the rainy season?

Not really. The north-east monsoon from roughly November to January brings more wet afternoons, but lessons in the morning are usually fine, and with an automatic make-up lesson a rained-off week costs you nothing but patience. In the rainy months an 8-lesson package gives more room than a 4-lesson one, and a morning or early-afternoon slot suits a young child. Adults in the evening are the most likely to meet a storm and the least bothered by a cooler pool.