National Aquatic Centre

cregser

Does anyone here currently use the National Aquatic Centre in Blanchardstown?

I want to join a gym and get my body active again. I used to swim competitively so I want a gym with a good pool. I found training in the competition pool in the NAC to be very refreshing unlike normal pools. Someone told me that they don't use chlorine in that pool and clean the water using some other process. Either way, I felt great getting out of that pool whereas I'd be stuffed up leaving others.

But it's been a while since I've been there (2004) and apparently it got into a state of disrepair and uncleanliness. The last news I can find is about an audit in April by the new management, the results of which are probably not puiblic.

So whats up with the place? I plan to get a tour anyway but I'd probably miss some things.

Malteaser!

I worked in The NAC from the time it opened up until last October!!

You're dead right about them not using chorine in the pool! the name escapes me at the moment but they use sumit else that doesn't wreck havoc with your eyes and doesn't smell rank.

The competeition pool closes for half an hour at 10am and 6pm to facilitate changover; From 50mt format to 25 and vice versa. As far as i can rememebr the competeition pool stays open till about 10pm and there's be lessos on and stuff going on as well around that time!

If it's the gym you're after then be warned it is very very small. I can't express that enough. The free weights section is a corner of the gym with a bench and one tree of weights! They have a fair few cardio machines and resistance machines though, and when i was there it never really seemed to be TOO busy, but I'm sure its like any other gym in that its at its busiest between 6 and 8!

The place is generally kept clean, there's cleaners around all during the day and when the place closes, your friendly lifeguards have the pleasure of cleaning the entire centre from top to bottom But yea, to say that its fallen nto a state of disrepair and uncleanliness is pushing it a bit far, obviously it's not as clean as it was when it opened but it's not in BAD condition by any stretch of the imagination!!

Any more questions???

cregser

Cheers for that. I've never seen the gym so I'll have to have a look - if it's real tiny and they put a big price on it, I'll look elsewhere. I would be more interested in the pool though. Also I've never really done weights - happy enough with the muscles I have! So cardio and resistance sounds good. But the price better be right.

The FitnessDock

I recently joined the N.A.C. I live in Tyrellstown and it's really near my apartment.

Though the pools are obviously excellent, I joined mainly to use the gym. The machines are equipped with Fittlinx computers, which remember what weight you used, how many repetitions you did on a certain date etc. I like it a lot.

gazzer

I was a member of the NAC for a year up till October 06. They gym was fine when I joined first but it gradually got busier and busier and the free weights section is a bit of a joke.. I was always queing to use the squat machine or the bench press as there was always a couple of people using them. There was always some morons up there who would think nothing of taken about 5 sets of Dumbells with them for their workout and would look at you as if you had leprosy if you asked them if you could use some of the dumbells.

The place is grand for machine weights and excerise bikes, threadmills etc but I wanted to use free weights it wasnt for me so after my membership ran out I didnt bother renewing it

Awesome-O

Has anyone used the gym here more recently? I've been looking it up online, seems quite pricey but I'd like the use of the pool too. I used to be a member of Westpoint and liked it, how does the NAC compare?
I would mainly be using the cardio and resistance machines but don't want to have to queue for them.