Most of us don't have the luxury of our own private swimming pool, so those looking to take a dip in someone else's pool will be glad to learn that pool-sharing app Swimply has launched in Australia. It already has listings in across the US and Toronto, and now it's available in Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.
Swimply operates in a similar fashion to Airbnb by allowing residents or visitors to the area to book time at a pool owned by someone else for an hourly fee. Each pool is given a thorough inspection to ensure that it and the property complies with local health and safety standards. Once they have been approved, pool-owners list their pools on the site, complete with images, details, pricing and house rules. Swimmers can view all the details plus previous reviews and submit a request for the date and hours that they wish to use the pool.
Swimply lists outdoor, indoor, fresh water and saltwater pools, and some come with extra amenities such as BBQ grills, waterslides and hot tubs. The host is required to either have a special guest bathroom or a portable toilet onsite, or else provide guests with instructions for accessing one inside the home. Some listings come with specific guidelines - for example in relation to numbers permitted - and as these are private pools, guests should be aware that there will be no lifeguards on duty. In Australia, Swimply will offer three pricing tiers of $25, $50 or $75 (€15.41, €30.82 or €46.23) per hour depending on the location and the features of the pool.
The concept originated when founder Bunim Laskin was growing up in New Jersey. He approached a neighbour who had a swimming pool and requested to use it when it wasn't in use and help her cover costs. Soon other kids were doing the same and Swimply was born.
To see the full Swimply directory, please see the website here.
