There are a few degrees of separation between competitive and recreational swimmers at Oak Harbor’s John Vanderzicht Memorial Pool.

The warmly debated issue of pool water temperature was finally resolved recently during the Jan. 22 North Whidbey Park and Recreation board meeting.

Recreational swimmers who want the water kept a little warmer won the debate with the district’s board approving a motion to keep the pool at 82 degrees, though conceding technical issues may cause unintended fluctuations.

The issue bubbled to the surface more than a year ago when representatives from both sides of the temperature debate approached the board.

The debate mirrored ongoing tensions about the use of the pool — whether competitive or recreational swimming should have priority.

As swim coach Dick Taylor explained last month, competition pools are usually 79 or 80 degrees, which helps the competitive swim teams from overheating while swimming laps.

Two of the pool’s recreational patrons told the parks board that temperature is too low.

“When it goes below 82, we’re not comfortable in there,” said Evelyn Henrichsen.

Henrichsen said she has exercised at the pool since moving to Oak Harbor in 2000 and estimates that she visits the pool 250 days out of the year.

“I do water aerobics,” she said.

“I can’t lap swim. I can’t get out there and have that much energy to heat my body up.”

She said that over the years, she’s seen elderly people come to the pool for low-impact exercise per doctor’s orders but then abandon the efforts at the Oak Harbor pool before very long because it’s too cold.

“I think just a little bit warmer would help the problem considerably,” Henrichsen said. “A degree or two makes a big difference.”

Sondra Keith said she agrees with Henrichsen, adding that recently she “got so cold, my teeth were chattering.”

“I’m using this instead of a walker,” she added.

“So, yes, I want this pool heated enough.”

Keith  said she’s also concerned about younger children who take swimming lessons at the pool.

“I would suggest a compromise anywhere in the 82 to 83 degree area,” said interim director Erika Miller.

“I would say no more than 83, because I don’t want to clean up what happens when those swimmers get overheated.”

Taylor said he was willing to compromise at 82 degrees, but will stay firmly on 82 degrees “to the day they put me in the grave.”

The board approved a motion to try to keep the temperature of the pool at 82 degrees, but there are two major factors that could affect the consistency of how comfortable people find it.

Fluctuating air temperature greatly affects how people respond to the temperature, Miller said.

The colder it is outside, the lower the air temperature inside the pool is, despite best efforts to regulate it.

When air temperature drops, people will feel colder in the pool even if the pool temperature remains the same, Miller said.

Parks board Chairman Sean Merrill said that the computer the district uses to set the temperature and the pool’s heater doesn’t always communicate the way it’s supposed to, so the heater will warm up or cool down the pool despite the settings remaining the same.

“There are going to be days when the pool temperature does dip below 82, and there also are going to be days when the ambient air temperature is going to play a factor,” Merrill said.

Board members said they’ll do their best to keep the pool temperature at 82 degrees and keep solid records of the temperature for the next month, after which they’ll revisit the issue.