DORSET'S competitive swimming community have given an enthusiastic welcome to the concrete boom that has been installed at Poole’s Dolphin Pool.

As reported in Saturday’s Echo, the moveable boom has prompted a flurry of protests from public swimmers who enjoyed their 33.3m lengths.

But most swimming competitions and records are now based on 25m or 50m pools, as are learn-to-swim distance badges.

With its new boom (dividing pool barrier), the Dolphin now offers not only a separate pool for swimming lessons but a locally unique combination of:

• a six-lane 25m format with a large spectator gallery

• the option to include electronic timing

• all-day availability for competitions on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year

Although Bournemouth’s eight-lane 25m Littledown pool is more than a match for the Dolphin as a facility, it is also expensive to hire and is not generally available before 6pm except for the county championships and Bournemouth open meets.

And while there are several other 25m pools in the area, none have the spectator facilities offered by the Dolphin and Littledown.

Di Gibbs, secretary of the Dorset ASA, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that this project has finally come to fruition.

“The county will definitely be using the pool in the future for county competitions.

“It will be very suitable for events such as the Dorset Novice League and the Dorset Masters Championships.”

The boom is also likely to lure league secretaries and school gala organisers to the Dolphin.

Sheila Bryant, secretary of the National Arena League West, said: “We will definitely consider running galas there.”

Ironically, Swim Bournemouth and newly-promoted Poole may continue to miss out on home Arena League galas due to a proposal to increase the Premier Division from 18 to 24 teams and hold eight-team rather than six-team galas.

Littledown is the only eight-lane pool in Dorset.

Half the £100,000 bill for the boom, which was imported from Seattle, was paid by swimming’s national governing body, the ASA, and most of the rest came from local planning obligation money.

Gina Wilcox, secretary of Dorset schools swimming and the former Dorset swimming development officer, who has led the campaign for the boom, said: “Poole SC have talked about it for 30 years but it’s only in the past five years that it has become a real possibility.

“For spectator accommodation, it’s one of the best pools in the area but it has been underused because of the 33m length.”