FINIS, a world leader in technical swimming products that maximize fitness potential and technique, announces the addition of an Endless Pools® Elite model on site at the FINIS office in California. For over 25 years, Endless Pools has been engineering pools for stationary swimming against a smooth current. Having sold more than 20,000 pools in 80 countries, Endless Pools appeal to people of all ages and athletic abilities, and are used for swimming, exercise, therapy, and fun.
/f/76838/400x266/7556c55a9a/bu588qsyt9saby2xlea3.jpg "The Elite Endless Pools swimming machine at the headquarters of swim company FINIS")
The Endless Pools Elite model is used by premier collegiate programs around the country, such as Auburn and Louisville, as well as Olympians around the world for stroke analysis and technique refinement.
Using a 7.5 horsepower motor, the Elite pool produces the most powerful swim current on the market. At its top speed, swimmers can swim faster than 51 seconds per 100 yards pace. The adjustable motor can also be set to slower speeds, making it great for drills, technique work and long, steady swimming.
The Elite Endless Pool will be primarily used for FINIS product development testing, technique analysis with streaming video, general swim instruction, and fitness training.
FINIS set up the Endless Pool in the Product Development section of their warehouse -- an area now aptly coined the "FINIS Stroke Lab." In addition to the mirrors that are already included with the Elite, FINIS has extended their Swim Mirrors above and inside the pool to allow for instant visual feedback. Track lights have been mounted around the pool and waterproof LED's placed under the water for optimal lighting. For video capabilities, FINIS has placed five GoPro Hero3 cameras around and inside the pool to capture high definition footage above and below the surface. The GoPro's link wirelessly to a local computer, which then transmits the video angles to a flat screen TV mounted on the wall. Because it is a live feed into a computer, the captured video can also be streamed online for interactive coaching sessions. Ultimately some pool sessions will even run through the FINIS Stroke Lab video analysis software and be available for public viewing.
"As a technical swimming company, it seems only natural to have a pool," said Mark Stephens, VP of Product Development and Marketing. "With this new laboratory, we can better test the hydrodynamic properties of our technical equipment and swimwear. Using instant video feedback with the GoPros, we are able to get slow motion, high-definition footage of how the swimmer and product interact. The controlled environment the Endless Pool creates lets us better understand body mechanics, drag, and water flow."
One of the perks of having the Elite Endless Pool onsite has been an increase in excitement of FINIS employees wanting to get in and swim. With the pool just 20 feet away from their desk, it is quite convenient to get in a swim during the lunch break.
The Endless Pool Elite will also be used for Marketing photo-shoots, and athlete demos. FINIS even plans to run swim lessons in the pool, with the goal of helping swimmers of all ability levels.
"We are excited to play a role in the development and testing of FINIS products," said Endless Pools Marketing Manager Mark Langan. "It's a partnership that makes sense as we already use several FINIS products in our corporate facility, as well as highly recommend them to customers. We look forward to watching the development of their new Endless Pool laboratory."
Founded in 1993 in Northern California, FINIS was started by John Mix and Olympic Gold Medal Swimmer Pablo Morales. The Monofin and the Swimmer’s Snorkel were the first products they developed for the US market; afterwards, they continued to focus on creating innovative training tools for swimmers and coaches worldwide. FINIS products are currently available in over 65 countries and are used by US and International Olympic teams, elite triathletes, and fitness swimmers.
Endless Pools, established in 1988, has served over 20,000 customers worldwide, and offers compact, customizable pools for indoor or outdoor use. With a series of six innovative products, from the Original Endless Pool to Exercise and Swim Spas, an Endless Pool can be tailored for rehab, competitive training, or family fun. Low-maintenance and environmentally friendly, Endless Pools has a product to meet virtually any need, from the novice swimmer to the Olympian.