Italian regions impose uniform private‑pool safety rules requiring lifeguards for larger pools

Six Italian regions – Piemonte, Liguria, Puglia, Molise, Calabria and Sardegna – have each issued regulations that set a common threshold for private swimming pools: any pool larger than 100 m² in surface area and deeper than 1.40 m must be supervised by a lifeguard, otherwise its use is illegal. The rules aim to standardise safety standards across the country despite each region drafting its own decree.

In parallel, swimming experts highlight the challenges of open‑water swimming compared with pool training. They note that currents, lack of lane markers and colder water increase effort, and advise beginners on wetsuit selection, the trade‑off between buoyancy and flexibility, and the importance of regularly checking direction while swimming in lakes or the sea.