Florida resorts pool policy when there is lightening.

[Jan M.]

In the past several weeks we've stayed at Glacier Canyon, Reunion and Bonnet Creek with our 2 granddaughters. They cleared the pools when there was lightning. At Bonnet Creek they wouldn't even let us have golf clubs either. Most places the policy is pools are closed for 30 minutes after the last lightning in the area. We weren't thrilled about having to get out of the pools but we aren't stupid.

We live in Florida not far from the Pompano Beach resorts and got home on Tuesday evening to find our AC wasn't working. I quickly booked us into Palm-Aire until tomorrow. A little while ago I stepped out on to the balcony to look around as the sky was really dark overhead, I could see lightning and hear thunder. I stood there and watched four kids playing in the pool while there was significant thunder and lightning happening. And it hadn't just started either. It was loud enough to be heard indoors. I was very surprised that no one came out to clear the pools.

Florida is the lightning capital of our Country. Last year my husband retired from working for an insurance company. As part of his job he did claims investigations. All of Florida from Sarasota over to Fort Pierce and clear down to Key West was his territory. He did more claims than the rest of the people in the entire 10 State Southeast region put together and a good percentage of them were lightning related and in this Southeast part Florida

I don't normally do the surveys they send after our stays but I will make sure to do it this time. I'm sure Wyndham has a policy about lightning and clearing the pools because of the liability.

 

[geist1223]

Several years ago when we were at the Worldmark in Seaside, Oregon in November. A group of us were enjoying the night in the HotTub/Spa with tasty beverage. We were watching a big storm at sea with lighting and thunder. It was beautiful. We were doing the Count between flash and boom to determine how far away the storm was. Suddenly there was a hugh flash of lighting above us and no delay before the boom. We all levitated out of the water and headed inside.

 

[TheHolleys87]

I wonder whether there's a difference in terms of legal liability between pools with lifeguards (who can enforce the resort's lightning policy) and "swim at your own risk" pools?

 

[rapmarks]

Jan, that Monday night that your family left glacier canyon there was a horrible storm and that kind of weather continued for a couple of weeks.
On Wednesday evening there is a small scramble on Christmas mountain golf course. We could hear thunder a little way off and saw lightning. We finished up on the second hole that goes right past the large pool. It was packed with people. I thought we were stupid for finishing the last hole, but I couldn’t believe the lifeguard did not clear the pool.

 

[OutSkiing]

At Rio Mar in Puerto Rico it sprinkled a bit every day and then sun came back out. No lightning .. was a pleasent experience where everyone just ignorded the rain.

Bob

 

[jwalk03]

I am at Ocean Walk as we speak and was very surprised earlier this week when we were in the pool and lightening lit up the sky in the distance and they never closed the pools. It wasn’t that close and I never heard any thunder, was it still surprised me that everyone just kept swimming as normal.

 

[rapmarks]

Lifeguards are afraid of being complained about to management. That is why people continue to bring glass into the pool and every so often the pool is closed because of broken glass in the pool.

 

[sjsharkie]

Frankly, I don't care what the FL resorts' policy on lightning is in terms of clearing the pools.

If I think the lightining is too close in the area, I'm getting my kids out of the pool. Especially at smaller resorts with (assumed less staffing), you can't rely on them to be monitoring the weather and closing the pool for safety reasons (IMHO).

-ryan