Swimming pool opening?

anniehoo

Got a flyer on my windscreen today for kids swimming classes starting in July in UCD. Does anyone know when the exact opening date is and prices yet?

WeeBushy

Emailed them this morning and got this reply:

Dear WeeBushy,

The new UCD Sport & Fitness facility will be opening its doors from Monday June 25th.

Currently registered students at UCD will have free access to the facility between now and the start of term in September. From September, access to the pool will be at an upfront rate of €100 for the year for unlimited usage, or €4 pas-as-you go.

I hope that this answered your query. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Le gach deá-ghuí,
...

Dr Strange

WeeBushy wrote: »

Emailed them this morning and got this reply:

Would you know who to contact about staff rates, by any chance?

Or would it be better to take out membership as an alumni? Whatever is cheaper.

Also, as I am only interested in the pool, what are the opening times for the pool? Thanks!

WeeBushy

Preusse wrote: »

Would you know who to contact about staff rates, by any chance?

Or would it be better to take out membership as an alumni? Whatever is cheaper.

Also, as I am only interested in the pool, what are the opening times for the pool? Thanks!

Dunno the answers to any of those, except from that email you can join just the pool, so that would probably be the cheapest for you. I emailed fitness@ucd.ie and they got back to me pretty quickly.

Chucky the tree

€100 for the year? I thought it was free all the time.

WeeBushy

Chucky the tree wrote: »

€100 for the year? I thought it was free all the time.

The rest of the facilities are but the pool is extra, as far as I can tell.

Liana*

I emailed them about the staff rates and was told it was €450 per year for staff with no pool only membership or pay as you go facility :mad:

WeeBushy

Liana* wrote: »

I emailed them about the staff rates and was told it was €450 per year for staff with no pool only membership or pay as you go facility :mad:

They said that you can't pay as you go for the pool

Liana*

WeeBushy wrote: »

They said that you can't pay as you go for the pool

This is the email:

"Unfortunately, no there is no pool only membership or pay as you go/drop in facility."

I take from that, that if you want to use the pool as Staff you have to pay €450 for the year. It's a pity as I don't have that money to spare and was looking forward to using the pool.

WeeBushy

Liana* wrote: »

This is the email:

"Unfortunately, no there is no pool only membership or pay as you go/drop in facility."

I take from that, that if you want to use the pool as Staff you have to pay €450 for the year. It's a pity as I don't have that money to spare and was looking forward to using the pool.

That sucks.

anniehoo

WeeBushy wrote: »

That sucks.

It more than sucks, im so annoyed over it. Students get it for next to nothing whereas staff have to fork out €450 with no option of swim only or pay as you go. Ridiculous.

WeeBushy

anniehoo wrote: »

It more than sucks, im so annoyed over it. Students get it for next to nothing whereas staff have to fork out €450 with no option of swim only or pay as you go. Ridiculous.

I'm not defending it, but I would imagine their reasoning is that students helped fund it through the student levy fee, so its only fair that it is 'free' for them. Staff didn't fund it, so why should they get it for free? Also, it's has to make money some way, and staff get paid while us students are poor.

anniehoo

WeeBushy wrote: »

I'm not defending it, but I would imagine their reasoning is that students helped fund it through the student levy fee, so its only fair that it is 'free' for them. Staff didn't fund it, so why should they get it for free? Also, it's has to make money some way, and staff get paid while us students are poor.

I dont expect to get it for free at all, but those prices are near enough to the National Aquatic Centre prices which i cant afford either. A swim only membership should be offered in fairness.

WeeBushy

anniehoo wrote: »

I dont expect to get it for free at all, but those prices are near enough to the National Aquatic Centre prices which i cant afford either. A swim only membership should be offered in fairness.

Well again from their point of view, their facilities aren't far of NAQ standards so a similar price would be reasonable. Completely agree a swim only membership should be offered, that's pretty poor.

dajaffa

Graduate price list (should be) attached - I'm pretty unimpressed that the graduates who contributed (I paid 4 years of contributions) have to pay more than staff who get a better discount. I've no issue with a staff discount, but there should be a better deal for those who paid a lot towards it when staff didn't financially contribute.

As for the €100 extra for the "private" changing rooms and sauna...

Dr Strange

As I'm an Alumni, I think I can say that my fees for my degree contributed over the years as well. So I am wondering what will happen to alumni, do they have their own rates or what?

Bobby42

Anyone reckon they'll do adult swimming lessons?

gerardduff

I mailed fitness@ucd.ie today.

The opening hours will be 6am - 11pm. I presume that's year round.
There is no off-peak rate for staff...:rolleyes:

They must be expecting a scrum at six am.

There is an off-peak rate for the general public which I believe is more than the E450/year staff rate.

Off-peak is defined as 9am - 4pm.

Staff can avail of a direct debit option which works out E90 more over the year (E540).

I've attached some more info from a brochure they sent...this is the only other tariff info I have.

Raphael

Might as well complete the set:

Staff Rates
Graduate Rates
Private Rates

Edit:dajaffa, what are all the asterisks about in the graduate rates?

dajaffa

Raphael wrote: »

Edit:dajaffa, what are all the asterisks about in the graduate rates?

Paying supplements for the private changing room and sauna and that a family is 2+2 etc

Victoria.

What's this about a private sauna? Are the students not allowed in the sauna at all?

RMD

Although the rates are quite expensive it's a relatively small gym since straight away it has a "membership" of 24,000 students. If fair rates were offered for alumni and staff this could easily rise to 30,000+ "members". The simple fact is there isn't anywhere near sufficient space for that level of use. Obviously each student will not use it, but there will be a fairly large contingent of the "a la carte" gym user who has no idea what they're doing so just spends 20-30 minutes doing light cardio, 10-20 minutes on machines and leave. These people will only use it because it is "free" (Subsidised by a raise in contribution fee I'm sure).

Honestly as a student I'd much prefer to see no rise in contribution fee and instead a membership fee charged for students, it will stop people who have no interest in consistent genuine use popping in and getting in the way. I have no problem with people who would use it regularly, eat well and actually live a healthy lifestyle, but I despise the "a la carte" users who do next nothing and then eat shíte / drink their bodyweight in units because "they go to the gym".

Mardy Bum

RMD wrote: »

Although the rates are quite expensive it's a relatively small gym since straight away it has a "membership" of 24,000 students. If fair rates were offered for alumni and staff this could easily rise to 30,000+ "members". The simple fact is there isn't anywhere near sufficient space for that level of use. Obviously each student will not use it, but there will be a fairly large contingent of the "a la carte" gym user who has no idea what they're doing so just spends 20-30 minutes doing light cardio, 10-20 minutes on machines and leave. These people will only use it because it is "free" (Subsidised by a raise in contribution fee I'm sure).

Honestly as a student I'd much prefer to see no rise in contribution fee and instead a membership fee charged for students, it will stop people who have no interest in consistent genuine use popping in and getting in the way. I have no problem with people who would use it regularly, eat well and actually live a healthy lifestyle, but I despise the "a la carte" users who do next nothing and then eat shíte / drink their bodyweight in units because "they go to the gym".

I have no idea how the college managed to convince students to vote yes to pay for a building 90% will never get to use and for those that do to pay a massive contribution again. Celtic Tiger I suppose.

Stark

The recession must be over judging by those prices.

convert

Those prices are absolutely exorbitant, but what more can you expect from UCD? :rolleyes:

Just took a look at the membership rates for TCD. Far more realistic. http://www.tcd.ie/Sport/membership/

errlloyd

convert wrote: »

Those prices are absolutely exorbitant, but what more can you expect from UCD? :rolleyes:

Just took a look at the membership rates for TCD. Far more realistic. http://www.tcd.ie/Sport/membership/

Weird, I looked at those TCD ones last summer they were like 800 euro, a mate of mine in TCD and I used to joke about how ridiculous they were.

Tbh I don't really see why people are annoyed its an expensive (public) gym, there are a good few very good value gyms around UCD at the moment. This was one built for students of UCD, the high cost might help supplement a college that needs funding.

TimeToShine

So is the gym free for continuing students or do we have to pay 450e?

Mushy

Its 'free' in the sense that the reg fee pays towards it AFAIK. Also, now that its finished, will they still be seeking the student contribution, or will that be merged into the reg fee? I'm a graduate so doesn't affect me, just want to know.

small wet rubber ducky

WeeBushy wrote: »

Emailed them this morning and got this reply:

Dear WeeBushy,

The new UCD Sport & Fitness facility will be opening its doors from Monday June 25th.

Currently registered students at UCD will have free access to the facility between now and the start of term in September. From September, access to the pool will be at an upfront rate of €100 for the year for unlimited usage, or €4 pas-as-you go.

I hope that this answered your query. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Le gach deá-ghuí,
...

Few people I know got that email as well, but when I went in to ask they said it's not free. I rang them and asked about it after confirming that the email DID say it would be free and they said that no, definitely it is not supposed to be free over the summer. It's €4 pay as you and €100 for the year.

Victoria. wrote: »

What's this about a private sauna? Are the students not allowed in the sauna at all?

If you pay in to the pool area (€4 or €100 once off) students have access to the sauna.

Graduates can pay the graduate plus rate (€725) and get access to the private changing rooms - ie male and female, the standard ones are going to be cubicled unisex, and apparently the showers will be cubicled so you can shower properly... All changing rooms will have lockers, so if you want to gym and swim, you go down to the wet changing room and leave your stuff there and head upstairs to the gym, then back downstairs for your swim...

All a bit complicated. I seriously doubt the private and staff/alumni uptake will be high, those prices will have to come down. In fact, people would be mad to pay those prices. Sure if nobody pays they'll HAVE to reduce the membership to get people to join. If they made it €200 for staff and €175 for alumni, I'd say they'd get way more than double the people joining than will join at the current costs, but it wouldn't be that crowded cos most people who join don't go to the gym anyway so... :P

KillerToaster

UCD Sport & Fitness would like to apologise for an error with information provided. We would like to clarify that UCD students have access to the pool for €4 per session, or they can pay €100 for student membership for the academic year. They also have free access to the gym, except between the hours of 6.15pm and 8.15pm Monday through Thursday during term time, when access is restricted to members only.

This just got sent to me.

Johnny86

Bit of info for Alumni's, there is an open day on Sunday 24th June.

http://www.ucd.ie/alumni/

Seems like decent discounts available on memberships on the day (up to 32% apparently) and a tour of the place.

Ya have to register first though.