In the near future: An attractive pioneering Aquatics Academy is part of the groundbreaking  Phuket International Academy Sports and Leisure Club (PIASLC) is planning to become Asia’s finest competition, training and event facility when it opens this November.  Combining a outstanding location with unmatched facilities, it is already gaining interest from leading global sporting institutions and international corporations.

PIASLC is situated on 54 acres of land in the northeastern region of Phuket, Thailand.  It boasts a wide-ranging group of high-quality sports facilities including an International Rugby Board-standard rugby pitch, FIFA-approved football field, competitive fifty-meter eight lane outdoor swimming pool (suitable for water polo and competitive swimming), a fully shaded 25 metre, eight lane swimming pool, toddler’s and children’s pools and play area, 6 tennis courts, runners track and a fitness enthusiast gymnasium, along with  an arts centre and a Thai Herbal Garden Spa.   Phuket International Academy Sports and Leisure Club Sports, Leisure and Events Centre.

There are also two boutique hotels, providing one hundred and fifteen very nice rooms and suites for visitors, athletes, teams and corporate groups. The Sports and Leisure Club has rapidly earned recognition through high-profile partnerships with international sporting organizations including Brazilian Soccer Schools (BSS), NZRugbyResources (NZRR), and IronKids Triathlon.    Announcement of tennis and swimming relationships are anticipated in the near future.

The PIASLC  is working toward becoming the leading sports and corporate event center in Asia.   Not only offering Asia’s pre-eminent facilities for sports but also exceptional facilities and accommodations for conferences, incentives, retreats and teambuilding. 

PIASLC announced “Being in Phuket is a big advantage. It is not only an exotic location but the most exciting component of what we are doing is that every element of the club has been planned down to the finest detail from using cutting edge materials and equipment to employing the most qualified staff to manage and coach at the club.”

NZRugbyResources Director, David Adamson, said “Rugby is an extremely popular sport throughout Asia and growing in numbers every year and NZRugbyResources believes this is the finest training and playing facility in Asia. It is just amazing how much detail has gone into the planning.”

PIASLC] Brazilian Soccer Camp programme.   Successful BSS is based upon Futebol de Salao (FDS).  The training and game is characterized as a 5-a-side version of football with origins in South America.  FDS is played with a smaller (size 2), and slightly heavier (465gm) ball that has virtually no bounce to it. 

The PIASLC has also confirmed an connection with the US-based IronKids programme. This  association will focus on bringing four junior Triathlon events per year as well as training camps for youth aged between 6 and 15.

The PIASLCis organized into specialized sports academies.   has named former Muay Thai champion “Thanootong’’ Prasert Intanoo to manage the martial arts program at the new Phuket, Thailand sports centre.   Just as muay thai boxing demands commitment and expertise, the assignment is a further example of the PIASLC recruiting world-class specialists to work at the up-and-coming first-rate facility and help position it as the first choice sports and leisure destination in Asia.

The PIASLC  will be hosting a diverse of world-class sports, arts, wellness and recreational facilities and programmes for the enjoyment of visitors, students, their families, the local Phuket community and for visiting professional and amateur individual athletes and teams from around the globe.  PIASLC is going to establish a benchmark as a regional hub for sports, arts and wellness in Thailand and Asia, and perhaps the world.   PIA is an integrated facility hosting Phuket’s newest International School, a multi-faceted Sports and Leisure Club for elite athletes, amateur enthusiasts, artists and wellness seekers – all within the Mind Centre sanctuary that provides training in the cultivation of mental and emotional balance.  PIA  prides itself on being a responsible member of the community.  It is dedicated to operating with integrity as an equal opportunity employer and adhering to the highest principled standards to realize Mind, Body and Spirit Wellness

As part of a uniquely integrated complex, the Sports and Leisure Club works in synergy with both the Phuket International Academy Day School and Phuket International Academy Mind Centre .   The Phuket International Academy Day School is working to grow into a three programme International Baccalaureate (IB) World School.   As a pioneering international school in Phuket, it will integrate distinctive Asian culture with the best from Western educational methods, to cultivate inquisitive, knowledgeable, and empathetic young people who know how to conduct their lives with honor, cultivate true happiness, and who work toward a more peaceful and sustainable world.   Click this link for additional information on the Phuket International Academy Day School International School Thailand.

As part of a total commitment to sports excellence the PIAMC has started to deliver training in the cultivation of cognitive and emotional balance.   The Phuket International Academy Mind Centre will  provide  a blend of modern psychology and neuroscience alongside ancient Asian contemplative practices.  Featuring openess, the Phuket International Academy Mind Centre conducts retreats and seminars.     It teaches the practice of “mindfulness of breathing”, which is a successful technique for relaxing the body and calming the mind. A second method taught is both a shamatha practice and vipashyana, “insight meditation” or “settling the mind in its natural state”.  Phuket International Academy Mind Centre Meditation, Mind Studies, and Retreats.

Swimming is one of the best ways of staying healthy and fit. With this introduction it becomes a paradox to state that swimming pools could become a source of infections from the number of minor sickness or illness that result from entering a dirty swimming pool. Everyone at one time experience the swimming pool infection/s in their life. The eyes, joints, respiratory system, muscles, and skin are the in the front line of attack by those organisms inhabiting swimming pools. Therefore proper care is to be taken to ensure that the pools are adequately cleaned and the right type of disinfectants used to avoid transmitting diseases to the swimmers.

The popular term for these water born swimming pools diseases is recreational water illness and can be caused by many people sharing a single pool. If you have your own private swimming pool then you won’t have the problem of recreational water illness unless you want a huge pool party. Terrible cleanliness or poor disinfection can result in the transmission of swimming pool organism that causes the eventual water illness or disease. Most common unwanted organisms that occur in the swimming pools are E.coli, Giardia and Shigella Cryptosporidium. Chlorine or Bromine are disinfectants generally used in swimming pools but these also may not always be able to kill all the germs. Regular maintenance and healthy swimming pool chemicals help to keep the swimming pools clean and free from unwanted materials, please bare in mind that this needs to be done within few weeks even if the pools are not being used. You will also need to keep the pool cover, heater and pumps clean..

If you plan to swim in a public pool or wish to take your children for a quick few laps it is better to first evaluate the pool’s maintenance and cleaning. To do this you can ask people who are in charge of the swimming pool. Take extra care to avoid disease from the swimming pool and always have a clean shower from disinfectant shampoo or a soaf to avoid infections. Not only the swimming pool but swimming pool heaters and swimming pool covers needs to be looked after regularly too.

As we are stuck on the freezing weather of UK it is not mentally healthy watching videos and photos of people having a great time on swimming pools it makes me a bit jealous of them. I hope we have the same hot summer we had last year. Over the weekend I was just browsing through on the Net trying to learn and find new interesting facts for general knowledge purpose and came across the World’s largest swimming pool on YouTube. Just the look of the pool was so beautiful that I had the urge to go there sooner than later.

The world’s largest swimming pool is San Alfonso del Mar seawater pool in Algarrobo, Chile. It is 1,013 meters long and covers approximately 20 acres. It uses 66 million gallons of water and was open for use in 2006. Wow. Imagine how many pool covers they would need to cover up the whole pool. I am just intrigued to know how they would clean this swimming pool. I have a swimming pool at home and the swimming pool chemicals I need to clean the pool costs me a fortune in monthly basis, I just curious to know how much they would need to spend to keep this pool clean. These are the first few questions I want to ask them when I get to Algarrobo.

While browsing my wife looked at me and said I wish we were in Chile this Valentine. May be she is right we should have been there this Valentines but we are not. I thought about her words all night long and then I decided may be I should take her there for our anniversary this April. It will come as a lovely surprise for her as she has been pretty tensed and worked up by work these days. Thinking about it may be I shouldn’t tell her as it will be a even greater surprise if I just took her there without telling her, obviously when we reach the airport she will realise we are going to Chile but still would be great to see her reaction when she finds out in the airport.

It also seems like you can various different activities on the pool other than just swimming such as wake boarding, scuba diving and water skiing. I am very much looking forward to this holiday.

Now that you have a swimming pool, what else do you require?

Owning a swimming pool gives an opportunity to use it everyday for exercise or relaxation need but to do that everyday or regularly you do need to put your full attention in maintaining the swimming pool to get the best out of it. Few of the equipments you require to maintain the swimming are swimming pool chemicals, pool covers and pool heaters.

Swimming pool chemicals are essential to avoid algae and dead bacteria. You need to use the chemicals twice every month.. Ideally you should be able to enjoy swimming in crystal clear water with minimum fuss. You can accomplish this using the best chemicals to clean your pool, so that the water is crystalised and clear.

Swimming pool covers will help the swimming pool from any dust, dirt and from random weathers. Pool covers have come into increasing use over the past 5 years in an effort to save heating energy costs, water evaporation, swimming pool maintenance and most recently the safety of children.

Swimming pool heaters are generally used to warm the pump and water up. You will have to be very careful while using the heater. When the pump is frozen in the winter, someone people apply the heater in one position for a long time which then damages the pipes. The first thing when buying a heater is which heater to buy, oil, gas or electric heater. Gas heaters are by and large used and recommended and if the gas heater is not available then oil heaters or heat pumps should be your choice for big swimming pools and electric heaters should be the choice for small to average/medium swimming pools. TO be honest all of these heaters can be used on different size swimming pools.

Keeping your swimming pool clean throughout the year, you will need swimming pool equipments and also need to clean the pool ever few weeks, to make sure when the spring is near, your swimming pools are clean and ready to be used. You should be enjoying the pool in clean water.

Other equipments will also be required to keep your pool clean and tidy, such as; swimming pool heater swimming pool chemicals, swimming pool covers and swimming pool filters.

Manufacturers such as Certikin, Intex and The Laars Jandy provide different swimming pool equipments; doing some research on these companies could give you an idea of which equipments are reliable, long lasting and good for your pool.

The above are just examples of what you require to maintain your swimming pools. NOw let’s have a look at a different part of swimming pool, which is the safety..

It is very important to have safety equipment installed with the area of your swimming pool. It is as important as the maintenance of the swimming pool.

Pool safety is essential if there are children in the household, always have life jackets and rung buoys next to the pool, just in case, you never know what can happen. Get the lifejackets and ring buoys approved by the Coast Guard.

The first aid kit completes the swimming pool safety device. They should be checked and re filled constantly. Anything that has expiration date should be replaced when it expires, which is just common sense really.

After all the routine check, of first aid kits and swimming pool equipments the pool is ready to be used. Make sure you make time to clean your swimming pool as in the winter the pipe gets frozen. Also make sure you do not heat one sport for a very long time as it can damage the pipes.

Enjoy swimming.

Tip:To make efficient use of your swimming pool chemicals, managing good water balance is the main factor

You must be familiar with the way your pool or spa works before adding any pool chemical Good water circulation and filtration are essential to achieving a safe and clear bathing environment.

The first step in treatment is to ensure good water balance, which will create the right conditions for bather comfort, chemical efficiency and equipment protection. There are three major factors affecting water balance, they are pH, total alkalinity and calcium hardness

Calcium hardness

Hardness depends on the levels of calcium salt in your water. This depends on where you live Low calcium hardness levels (soft water) can lead to corrosion of the materials of construction. Hard water (water high in calcium) can lead to limescale foriming in your pipes and equipment
these are guideline levels
•    Ideal calcium hardness levels are between 100 – 200 ppm (mg/l).
•    When the level is below 75 ppm (mg/l), use Hardness Plus
•    If the level exceeds 200 ppm (mg/l), apply Scale Inhibitor.

pH

pH can range from 1 to 14 where 1 is very acid and 14 very alkaline It is essential to maintain spa water within the 7.2 – 7.6 range which, because it is slightly alkaline, will protect equipment from corrosion and provide the perfect environment for the swimmers enjoying the pool or spa and also ensures  the best chemical efficiency.
•    Ideal pH level for spas is between 7.2 – 7.6.
•    When the measurement drops below use pH Plus
•    If the measurement is above 7.6 use pH Minus
Note
pH can be hard to control in spas because the system water turns over fast, is very agitated and is at higher temperature than swimming pools. [All these factors

pH rises can be caused by this which causes chlorine products such as chlorine granules to lose effectiveness. Much higher doses of chlorine sanitisers such as will then be required. This can be avoided by using Bromine Tablets, Bromine (HOBr) is a highly effective sanitiser, and it is stable over a much wider pH range than chlorine treatments. Unlike chlorine, bromine keeps working in a spa for longer and so helps you minimise your hot tub chemicaluse

Total Alkalinity

pH Changes are buffered by total alkalinity If TA levels are too low the pH will fluctuate widely.

•    Ideal Total Alkalinity is 100 ppm (mg/l) When it drops below 80mg/l remedy it with Alkalinity Plus
•    When Total Alkalinity exceeds 140mg/l use pH Minus to reduce it
The balance of the water needs to be monitored regularly because it is essential to the effectiveness of your other treatments

Test Strips/kits are available for you to test the water regularly.

Whether we live in an area with tropical climate all throughout the year, or we simply want our own private pool for use during summers and hot days, building a pool right in our own backyard is our best option.

While it won’t be cheap to build our own pool, we can accumulate a few savings in the long run as we can forego a couple of trips to the beach once we have our own pool in place.

Building a pool is no mean feat but it does require a few necessary steps in order to build one that’s right and safe for the entire household.

Things to Consider Before We Begin The Construction

Prior to building our pool at home, there are a few things we need to understand first. First, what kind of pool that we want to build? Would it be an aboveground pool or inground?

We should also consider the space where the pool will be located. How much space do we have? By determining the actual measurements of our allotted space, we can then look for the appropriate Pool Dimensions that will fit into the space.

Typically, an aboveground oval pool of twelve feet by twenty-four feet would need an area of approximately two hundred at forty square feet, while a smaller round aboveground pool would need about one hundred and thirteen square feet of surface area.

Inground pool will need a bit more space. For instance, a twelve by twenty-four feet swimming pool size requires a surface area of at least two hundred and eighty-eight square feet.

Once we have decided on the exact dimensions of our home pool and the surface area, we can take a look at the other details that would be needed to build a swimming pool.

Looking for a Pool Contractor

Next to consider, whether we will need professional pool contractor, or we would like to handle everything by ourself. If we decide to be the General Contractor of our pool project; we can oversee the entire building process and simply hire subcontractors to do the actual pool construction.

By undertaking the task of a General Contractor, we can save a lot of money. However, knowing some basic details of how-to-build-a-pool knowledge would be helpful so we can keep track of the actual construction precess.

As there are very specific jobs where we will be needing the help of professionals such as excavating, plumbing (read more: PVC Pipe Dimensions), electrical connections, landscaping if we want one, paving and putting safety measures in place; we can ask for referrals as to the perfect contractors for these kinds of jobs.

We can also find a few helpful information about pool building and where to look for subcontractors and suppliers within our area so we can start on our pool construction project the soonest time possible.