Swimming was first taught in the sea at Eidi at the end of 19th century. The first swimming instructor was the photographer Friðrik Gíslason (1870-1906).
In the summer of 1912 the youth society received a grant to build dressing rooms at Prælaeidi. They built a ten room wooden house with a corrugated iron shell. West of the house was a small wooden wharf for entering the sea. The facility publicly opened on 22. June 1913 and was used for 23 years until the swimming pool at Miðhús
was opened.
The local's interest in swimming grew steadily until 1925 when the member for parlamenti Jóhann Þ. Jósefsson proposed a bill to incorporate swimming into the national school curriculum. The Westman Islanders were the first to implement the proposal on 9. August 1926.
The advent of the "sea supply" in 1931 which offered fresh seawater from a tank in Skansinn, finally made it possible to build a swimming pool. In 1933 the Rescue Society started building a swimming pool, designed by the civil engineer Finnbogi E. Þorvaldsson. The pool was 38 meters from the tank and had a capacity of 330 metric tons of seawater, which was heated to 22-28°C. From 1945 the heated sea water came from Vestmannaeyjar Electric Services utilizing the cooling water of the local generator. The swimming pool at Midhús was officially opened for business on 14. November 1934 by offering seamen a course in swimming. The pool was 20 x 12 m built with concrete, 1 m deep at the shallow end and 2 meters at the deeper end. Five dressing rooms accompanied the pool. The pool was considered one of the country's best. The project was a great success and long lines formed before opening hours. Swimming lessons soon produced excellent swimmers. The first swimming instructors were Friðrik Jesson, Friðþjófur G. Johnsen and Þuríður Þorkelsdóttir.
Soon discussions started about the length of the pool was too short as it was 5 m short of the official competition length. The dressing rooms were too few and consideration was given to building a roof over the pool. After many declarations, meetings and proposals it was finally decided on 19. January 1972 to add another service building housing spacious dressing rooms, baths and a special jogging corner. The day when the foundations were to be laid, 23 January, the Heimaey eruption started. The Miðhús swimming pool was engulfed by lava in this eruption of 1973 and is now 10,5 m below the surface of the lava.
Source: Local signage