Are you fond of swimming laps in your spare time or is it a passion you’ve always had since childhood? If you’re a swimmer trying to beat your time every time you dive into the water, swimming pool scoreboards are not new to you. Whether you’re planning on sprucing up your company’s pool for a project or you just want to invest in these screens, it’s best to learn everything you can about this device and what it means to use it. 

What do you need to know about before investing in these scoreboards? Starting with the basics is the best place to start. 

Defining A Swimming Pool Scoreboard

A swimming pool scoreboard is a tool used to record the swimming times of multiple players displayed all in one screen. Depending on the type of screen, you can display all sorts of content and deliver functions that can improve the experience of the participants in the swimming events. The scoreboards show all sorts of information, including timers and scores. They help swimming of all levels and their corresponding coaches monitor and track performances to help improve their results. 

When To Use Swimming Pool Scoreboards

Participating in a swimming competition means understanding the importance of the pool scoring system. And it is through the scoreboard that you get the result of the swimmer’s performances. However, is it necessary to use it every time you go out to the pool for a swim?

Technically, these scoreboards are meant to track athlete’s swimming records and performance. They are utilized for training and helping swimmers improve their skills and beat their previous records. The scoreboards may make it easier to see the result of your hard work. It’s one of the reasons why these devices are constant in clubs and swimming arenas. 

Besides training, swimming pool scoreboards are constant in swimming events, meets, and competitions. They make sure that everyone sees all the scores immediately in the competition and make the audience feel more involved in the event. 

With technological advancement, scoreboards have been improved to be more accurate. They have features that can help the audience enjoy watching these swimming events more. From highlights to slow-mo flashbacks, they have become much more interesting and fun to watch. 

Exploring Different Types of Swimming Pool Scoreboards

One of the vital decisions you need to make when getting a swimming pool scoreboard is the type to invest in. It’s an important factor for consideration, especially since it will affect some of the choices you’d have to make, including the pool scoreboard app to use and the add-on devices you have to use with the scoreboards. There are three major types you can consider when choosing a scoreboard for your swimming club.

Numeric Scoreboards

Just as its name suggests, a numeric swimming pool scoreboard solely displays numbers. These are some of the details often displayed on the scoreboard:

• Cumulative splits
• Running clock
• Event Number
• Time
• Place
• Lane 
• Heat number
• Current score
• Rotation number
• Total new score

Alphanumeric Scoreboards

Alphanumeric swimming pool scoreboards use both letters and numbers, which is true to its name. This is the most basic and popular type for swimmers because it is more affordable and convenient to use. 

Alphanumeric scoreboards differ depending on the number of lines they are composed of. They range from one to ten lines, depending on what you’re looking for. With its bright LED characters, the lines can display the following details:

• Event name
• The swimmer’s number and name
• Team code
• Team score
• Current score
• Total score
• Awards 
• Judges

Video Scoreboards

Video swimming pool scoreboards are the latest and most advanced type of device. They can be customized to show all sorts of content, including but not limited to the following:

• Live video feeds
• Replays and highlights
• Commercials
• Powerpoint presentations
• Movies

This type of scoreboard can be customized to whatever you want shown on the display, which is why it’s popular for its versatility. Some of the information shown on this device are:

• Team codes
• Team logos
• Splits
• Names of participants
• Swimmer times

Choosing the Perfect Swimming Pool Scoreboard

With all these swimming pool scoreboards to choose from, one thing that can help you decide easier and more efficiently is assessing all the important factors connected to your choice. Considering these factors first will make it easier to choose the perfect scoreboard for your needs. Here are some of the elements for you to look into:

Indoor vs. Outdoor

Will you need an indoor or outdoor swimming pool scoreboard? While swimming clubs are often found indoors, some are located outdoors so you’d have to take this into account. However, bear in mind that while there are many indoor scoreboards for swimming clubs, you might find it hard to get an outdoor version. While you can use most scoreboards outdoors, you will need to add some sort of protection to your ensemble. Just make sure you choose a scoreboard with high durability. 

Budget for the Scoreboard

Another vital consideration is the swimming scoreboard cost and other expenses you might face with your purchase. When you’re planning your purchase, you need to match the expenses to your running budget.

The good news is that swimming pool scoreboards with basic functions to display scores and time are affordable. If that’s what you’re looking for, it means that you won’t need a high budget for that. However, if you’re looking for a scoreboard that can display video content, including live feeds and highlights of the performances for a better viewing experience, make sure you prepare your budget accordingly since you’ll need advanced scoreboards for these functions. 

Content and Information

The content you plan to show will also affect your decision on what swimming pool scoreboard to use. If you’re sticking with timers and scores, numeric and alphanumeric scoreboards can work for you. If you want a more immersive and enjoyable swimming event, video scoreboards will bring the fun into these meets and competitions. 

Available Space

Where do you plan to use the scoreboard and do you have enough space for it? Depending on the available space in the location where you want to install the scoreboard, you can be limited to one-line swimming pool scoreboards if you don’t really have the space for it. However, if you’re working on a much bigger space, you have all the freedom to choose a ten-liner scoreboard or a large and more advanced video scoreboard (provided that you have the budget for it). 

Learning About Swimming Scoreboard Costs

Swimming pool scoreboard prices vary on many factors, which is why considering them can help you afford the device you need. To give you an estimate, you’d have to prepare at least $12,400 USD ($20,000 AUD) for a standard swimming scoreboard with basic features and functionalities. This number may change depending on several factors, including the following:

• Added features – The more functions and features you add to the scoreboard, the higher the prices they have. Advanced features will require more expensive additions to its cost. 
• Size – Bigger scoreboards are obviously more expensive than smaller scoreboards, especially for numeric and alphanumeric ones where the number of lines decides how big the scoreboards are. 
• Installation requirements – Added mounting options may need extra cost in addition to the installation fee. 

These are only some of the elements that can increase or decrease the swimming pool scoreboard cost you have to pay. Other factors may come into play (like transport) so you might want to check on them too. 

Conclusion

Swimming pool scoreboards make meets, competitions, and events more transparent, convenient, and enjoyable for both the swimmers and the audience. They are vital tools for swimming clubs and can increase the swimmers’ likability for these locations. If you’re investing in a club and would want to increase its marketability, adding a scoreboard is one way of doing so to attract more people into your business.