Swimply App - Twin Cities (but also, nation-wide)

 

Sometimes, you need to get away, even if you can’t plan a full-fledged vacation. And when my spouse and I get away, we generally need a pool Sometimes, it’s the inflatable kiddie pool in the backyard, and sometimes, it’s a little more… advanced.

 

If you’re not familiar with the Swimply app, then you need to GET familiar with it. The short explanation is that you can rent people’s swimming pools by the hour. Think of it like the Lyft app, but for pools. People have a pool they aren’t using, and they post it on Swimply and you can see if the dates and times line up with your calendar. It’s BRILLIANT. And they’re all over the place. 

 

I’ll show you a couple of places that we’ve rented, just so you know you aren’t being taken for a ride. We generally rent a pool for two or three hours and that’s plenty. The cost varies wildly (from like $30-100 per hour), but it depends on how fancy the pool is and what sort of amenities they have. If they have a hot tub and pool toys and a grill, it’s going to cost more than if it’s a more bare-bones operation. 

You can invite friends, but make sure you look to see how many people are included in your original cost. Sometimes, places charge a little extra if you’re over 5 people. But some places you can have up to 60 guests. Just do a quick check before you book it. We invited our friends last time and have now gotten them hooked on Swimply. 

 

One thing to keep in mind is most places don’t have an outdoor cabana or restroom, so you should probably expect to use a stranger’s restroom in their house. Sometimes, it’s sectioned off and it’s near the pool area, and sometimes, you’re walking through the living room and down the hall and petting their dog while they’re having dinner (I’m not kidding). We’ve had situations where we never saw the home/pool owners and other times the owners have come out and given us instructions or rules or told us where the restroom is or just checked on us to see if we were having fun.

The nice thing is there are usually plenty of directions so you know what to expect when you get there. They often tell you where to park and walk around which side of the house to the pool area. 

 

A couple of tips for those ready to dive in… see what I did there????

• If you’re going to bring drinks, don’t bring anything glass, just for safety. (Check that alcohol isn’t restricted, also)
• Please be discrete when you get there. The neighbors may not know the pool owner is renting their space and you don’t want to get them into trouble. Don’t sit out in front and honk or invite all your loud friends to park in their front yard. Pretend you’re visiting a friend and using their pool.
• If you’re going to be there for an afternoon or evening, bring some food to cook on the grill. Seems like every pool we’ve rented has had a grill. If you’re just going to be there for two or three hours, skip it, so you aren’t wasting time cooking when you should be recreating.
• Follow the rules and be courteous to the folks letting you borrow their pool.
• Don't pee in anyone's pool.
• Clean up after yourselves and put things back where you found them. This isn't a hotel.

We love this Swimply app and plan to use it when we go out of town or visit my relatives. We’ve been able to book pools the same day, if they’re available, so if you have a swimming emergency, try renting a pool. It’s waaaaay cheaper than buying one, my friends. 

 

I hope this helps you enjoy your summer!!!