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Indoor Deep Water Soloing?

Original Post
Kevin Worthen · · Springville, UT · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 0

I am doing an assignment for a class and I am trying to collect data to see if an indoor climbing facility that has a Deep Water Soloing area would be something people would be interested in. If you have a opinion or suggestions please post them, Thanks.

mark felber · · Wheat Ridge, CO · Joined Jul 2005 · Points: 41

Sounds like something that would be ridiculously expensive to build and maintain.

Phil Raymond · · Minneapolis MN · Joined Jan 2012 · Points: 0

I think it would be great! It wouldn't be much more expensive than just having a pool and there are certainly ways that you could make it safe or at least as safe as bouldering. I am imagining half the pool dedicated to lap swimming as I have always thought there should be more workout equipment at my climbing gyms and swimming is an awesome workout. It does kind of seem like something that casual climbers would be more interested as it would be kind of a pain to stop and dry off in the middle of a bouldering session just because you fell once but at the same time I think that could become a mental incentive for me to climb more confidently.

barnaclebob · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 0

It would be cool to do a few times but would never be practical as a business.

RockinOut · · NY, NY · Joined May 2010 · Points: 100

I can just imagine it being overrun with kids for birthday parties...

Clint Helander · · Anchorage, AK · Joined Dec 2007 · Points: 612

Everyone wants to be chris sharma.

Not to be a negative nancy here, but think about it. what are the benefits?

I see the cons (but maybe I'm just a pessimist):
-Your shoes get wet every time
-your chock bag gets wet every time
-Holds get splashed and get wet all the time
-How high will you really be willing to fall from and bellyflop?
-Sounds dangerous having people going for big dinos with others falling all around them in the pool.

Interesting business theory, probably not a profitable theory.

Allen Sanderson · · On the road to perdition · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 1,203

No, it is a spectator sport. Most climbers will fall, wet shoes/chalk must be dealt with as most climbers have only a couple of pairs of shoes. Can have only a limited number of people on the wall at a time for safety/liability reasons. Life guards will be required. Pools are expensive to maintain.

Kevin Worthen · · Springville, UT · Joined Mar 2011 · Points: 0

Like I said it's just for a class not something I am actually doing, but if it was something I did there would be chalk stations on the wall so you do not have to carry a chalk bag and get it wet and there would be rental shoes just for that area that could get wet. I wasn't thinking like a 10 foot wall I was thinking more like 50 foot at the highest part. I know there would be limitations but I thought it was a fun idea to play around with.

Andy Nelson · · Fort Collins, Colorado · Joined Feb 2013 · Points: 336

I oversee the climbing wall facilities at Colorado State University which includes a climbing wall in our pool. College and community recreation centers are probably the closest current thing you can find to what you are talking about. A few downsides for climbers include: not being able to wear shoes, no chalk, etc. The wall here sees some use, but not by our student climbers. The issues of pool operations have already been addressed by a few other people.

It wouldn't surprise me to see a big company like Walltopia do something like your talking about in Europe, but most climbing gyms don't have the start up capital to add a pool into their business plan.

doligo · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Sep 2008 · Points: 264

I may have gotten it wrong, but it sounded like Chris Sharma was exploring to bring psicobloc to the States beyond the comp/pro level. They could definitely charge consumers money after the comps to climb the wall (with added routes) the way the US Open lets snowboarders and skiers ride their half-pipes after the competitions.

Animal Chin · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2008 · Points: 0

I would pay to climb a Psicobloc wall!!!

trese · · Salzburg/Innsbruck/Munich · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 125

Back home we have a permanent deep water soloing wall close to Innsbruck

Area47 Oetztal

George Bell · · Boulder, CO · Joined Jan 2001 · Points: 5,050
trese wrote:Back home we have a permanent deep water soloing wall close to Innsbruck
Even in the winter? ;^)
trese · · Salzburg/Innsbruck/Munich · Joined Apr 2011 · Points: 125
George Bell wrote: Even in the winter? ;^)

Sure - the landing is a little harder of course ;)
Eric Engberg · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Apr 2009 · Points: 0
trese wrote:Back home we have a permanent deep water soloing wall close to Innsbruck
Looks like the crux is at the top.
Joshua1979 · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 15

Why not do a foam pit instead? Seems cheaper and you won't get all your shit wet every time you fall.

Tom-onator · · trollfreesociety · Joined Feb 2010 · Points: 790
Joshua1979 wrote:Why not do a foam pit instead? Seems cheaper and you won't get all your shit wet every time you fall.
Great idea Joshua.
But...
How would you clean all the climber sweat off the foam blocks?
These could get rather soggy after several hours of use and be an incubator for bacteria.
Chris Schmidt · · Fruita, CO · Joined Nov 2012 · Points: 0

that would be so epic if there was a water park in Moab that had a deep water solo area

Victor K · · Denver, CO · Joined Jul 2003 · Points: 170

At the hot springs public pool in Seamboat Springs, CO, there is a small naturalistic bouldering wall adjacent to a deep hot-ish pool. It's pretty fun. It's mostly kids, but the main problem is about V0(barefoot and wet has it's challenges) and maybe 12' high. The safety protocol is very simple. One person at a time, everyone else behind rope. According to a staff person I talked to, it's so popular that they are considering expanding it. It's not deep water soloing, but you could probably find out more about their experience by just calling them up.

Joshua1979 · · Colorado Springs, CO · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 15
Tom-osaurus Rex wrote: Great idea Joshua. But... How would you clean all the climber sweat off the foam blocks? These could get rather soggy after several hours of use and be an incubator for bacteria.
Ozone machine at night maybe? Or you could treat the foam with some sort of anti-bacterial/anti-fungal treatment. Wonder what the gymnasiums that have them do.
sanz · · Pisgah Forest, NC · Joined Nov 2011 · Points: 210
Psicobloc wall at Parque Extremo Yunguilla, Ecuador

They have this setup at Yunguilla in southern Ecuador. The water is deeper than it looks. Still not very tall, but it does illustrate what seems like the kicker to me - the project would be way cheaper if you could just set it up outside over a natural pool.
Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

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