I’m reluctant to share this — in fear of never finding an open lane again — but Northeastern University has open swim six days a week.
Barletta Natatorium in the Cabot Physical Education Center on the Boston campus is a 25-yard indoor swimming pool with a diving section.
Twice a day on weekdays — usually from 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. and again from 7:45 p.m. to 9 p.m. (although times may vary), the six-lane pool is open to faculty, staff and students. The pool is also usually open from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.
Simply hand over your Husky Card to the desk at Cabot to get a towel and a lock.
And while the locker rooms and communal showers are decidedly old-school in comparison with SquashBusters or Marino, the water in the pool itself is comfortable and the lanes are wide enough to share.
Most importantly for us amateurs, the fellow swimmers vary enough in ability so that you don’t feel guilty doing laps of a steady breaststroke while your neighbor does the individual medley for time.
A few words of wisdom.
During the summer, the “bobbers” — who kind of just soak rather than do actual laps — can be frustrating and can crowd the pool, so get there right when the pool opens to claim your lane.
Also, please let the first swimmer know before you split or start circle swimming so that they don’t get mowed down. And be warned — you need goggles. Mine once broke mid-swim, and my eyes burned for the next three hours.
But those are small inconveniences considering that open swim is free — and memberships for gyms with pools can get very pricey.
Plus, it’s a perfect break from work — nobody can either recognize you or bother you when you’re underwater.