People who try to swim lengths during family swim time - why?

Goldbar · 2025-07-17T18:46:07+00:00

I took my older DC to the pool a few weeks ago during family swim time (called "swim for all" at our leisure centre. Part of the pool was cordoned off for the fitness swimming - it was completely empty. The "swim for all" section was not busy, but had 5 people who had essentially taken it over and turned it into lane swimming. They got very annoyed when I got in with DC1, who just wanted to dive for rings. We didn't take over a huge section of the pool, but I told DC1 not to worry about getting in the way of the "lane" swimmers as we were just as entitled to use the pool as they were. After a few huffy exchanges and being told to "control my child" (😂), who was being exemplary, I called the lifeguard over who told us we were perfectly entitled to swim there and the others would just have to swim around us. But after my child was kicked in the head (apparently "accidentally") by one of them, I asked the lifeguard if we could move to the empty "swim for fitness" section, which we had to ourselves for the rest of the session. Why, just why? Why not just book the correct session to begin with rather than getting huffy when kids turn up and want to do kid things in the family session? Can anyone shed any light?

Hedjwitch · 17/07/2025 20:59

I now avoid all this by swimming in the sea. Plenty of room for all. Although I do understand that's not an option for everyone!

RareDeer · 17/07/2025 20:52

My local has three lanes for slow, medium and fast and what makes me rage is when there are slow in all of them. Then when you go fast you keep having to stop because they’re breaststroking at a chilled pace and you can’t get past. It makes me so cross and lifeguards should move them.

LynetteScavo · 17/07/2025 20:51

This happens at the gym I go to. At the time I go, there’s usually only one up and down swimming lane. I don’t want to just go up and down so go in the wide half of the pool and get splashed by small childre and teenagers. I don’t mind changing direction or having a bit of a float. But some people just want to go up and down and seem annoyed that I’m being a bit irregular (I do mostly go up and down if the pool is clear). Swim in the up and down lane if you’re that bothered!

BallerinaRadio · 17/07/2025 20:46

Yeah the people that come to a family swim session and just swim straight through you as you're having fun and playing are just ridiculous. If I'm attending a family fun swim session I know I'm not going to be able to swim in a straight line up and down and to try and do so whilst glaring and tutting at young kids is stupid

Original poster

Goldbar · 17/07/2025 20:46

657904I · 17/07/2025 20:40

Can’t believe they kicked your child! I don’t understand why your child was causing them to be huffy,strange behaviour

My child was swimming for rings underwater, the "lane" swimmer ploughed over him and kicked him in the head. Tbf I don't think it was entirely deliberate, just that the lane swimmer didn't care if he made contact because he wanted to continue with his swim regardless and was annoyed that my child was in his way.

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Original poster

Goldbar · 17/07/2025 20:44

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 17/07/2025 20:36

I don’t understand why they weren’t in the lane swimming section / why the lifeguard didn’t move them there?

I suppose technically it's not against the rules to swim lengths in the family swim/swim for all. When we go swimming with two adults, we'll sometimes take turns to swim a few "lengths" in the deep end, which is usually empty. We usually stay to the side, swim around human obstacles and do a bit of leisurely breast stroke. And smile and apologise if we get in anyone's way or there are any unfortunate collisions.

It was more the fact that the entire section had been taken over by people doing some very serious swimming who did not want to stop, swim around or share the space with other pool users. And who seemed to expect that we would stay out of their way, which would have involved us spending the entire session sat on the pool ladder 😂.

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BruFord · 17/07/2025 20:40

That’s bizarre. I’m a lap swimmer and I swim in the cordoned lanes that are designated for swimmers like me. I don’t want to be in the open/family swim area, it doesn’t work for anyone!

Tbh, the lifeguard should’ve told them to move to the correct area- and perhaps create another lap lane if the family area was very quiet.

I also check the schedule to make sure that I don’t swim when there’s hardly any lanes, as do most lap swimmers.

657904I · 17/07/2025 20:40

Can’t believe they kicked your child! I don’t understand why your child was causing them to be huffy,strange behaviour

Wheech · 17/07/2025 20:39

Goldbar · 17/07/2025 19:55

Fitness swim = lane swimming.

Normally three lanes - slow, medium, fast. Everyone swims clockwise in the lane. But when swim for all is on as well, they just have one lane - medium.

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This is exactly why I left the Nuffield I was a member of. At the only times I could go there was a single lane for swimming at "medium" pace (aka the pace set by a single ignorant man who didn't want to let anyone past, most of the time). I miss the days when swimming pools were just one big space and you found yourself somewhere that looked clear and did what you were there for, whether that be swimming, learning or playing.

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 17/07/2025 20:38

CatamaranViper · 17/07/2025 20:04

But it's not family swim, it's swim for all. They are fully entitled to do lane swimming, just as you are to play with your DC. They did't have to go into the lanes, just like you didn't.
I do lane swimming during swim for all as it aligns with when I can go to the pool, but I do also accept that I might have to swim around other people if they're using it differently to me.

Yeah, and if you want to do lengths, there is a cordoned off bit.

It’s potty they weren’t using it, and even pottier the lifeguard didn’t move them.

I guess you could go see the manager and ask them why that isn’t automatic OP

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 17/07/2025 20:36

I don’t understand why they weren’t in the lane swimming section / why the lifeguard didn’t move them there?

Shayisgreat · 17/07/2025 20:34

Yes - this drives me mad! I sometimes wonder if people actively seek opportunities for confrontation because I can't see any other reason for doing this.

Workingonthehighway · 17/07/2025 20:28

From the many different gyms I have joined over the years I have realised that for some reason the pool brings out the very worse in some people. They seem to think they own it and have more rights than others. At my local Nuffield the swim aerobics class was legendary for its foul bullying and excluding new people.

Original poster

Goldbar · 17/07/2025 20:21

Jamesblonde2 · 17/07/2025 20:19

The clue is in the name of course, swim. Was anyone in the “family” category swimming, or just splashing about in the water?

How do you think young kids "swim"? You're not going to find 3yos swimming up and down in straight lines, I'm afraid.

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Jamesblonde2 · 17/07/2025 20:19

The clue is in the name of course, swim. Was anyone in the “family” category swimming, or just splashing about in the water?

LemondrizzleShark · 17/07/2025 20:17

We had a woman removed from the pool for swimming OVER multiple children, in her bloodyminded quest to swim lengths in the family swim session (again, two lanes cordoned off for lengths which were completely empty).

Only flattening small kids, so clearly had some kind of problem with young children. She pissed off the wrong parents (she pissed me off too, but I just shouted at her whereas two of the other mums threatened to drown her)

Ours is literally called “Family Splash Time”, so it was perfectly obvious that she shouldn’t have been swimming lengths there. Some people are just obnoxious.

Original poster

Goldbar · 17/07/2025 20:08

CatamaranViper · 17/07/2025 20:04

But it's not family swim, it's swim for all. They are fully entitled to do lane swimming, just as you are to play with your DC. They did't have to go into the lanes, just like you didn't.
I do lane swimming during swim for all as it aligns with when I can go to the pool, but I do also accept that I might have to swim around other people if they're using it differently to me.

We couldn't go into the lanes. Young children aren't allowed in there (rightly).

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Sunflowersurprise · 17/07/2025 20:07

CatamaranViper · 17/07/2025 20:04

But it's not family swim, it's swim for all. They are fully entitled to do lane swimming, just as you are to play with your DC. They did't have to go into the lanes, just like you didn't.
I do lane swimming during swim for all as it aligns with when I can go to the pool, but I do also accept that I might have to swim around other people if they're using it differently to me.

But you’d use the lanes if they were there, no?

Original poster

Goldbar · 17/07/2025 20:06

Barney16 · 17/07/2025 20:02

Seems very odd. I swim at the local pool but in the part that's cordoned off into lanes. I thought that was what you were supposed to do.

I assumed that was what most people wanting a proper swim did. I was a bit taken back when we got in and there was nowhere in the pool we could go to escape the "lane" swimmers. We spent a couple of minutes sitting on the ramp bemused until I told my DC to plough on and do what they wanted.

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CatamaranViper · 17/07/2025 20:04

But it's not family swim, it's swim for all. They are fully entitled to do lane swimming, just as you are to play with your DC. They did't have to go into the lanes, just like you didn't.
I do lane swimming during swim for all as it aligns with when I can go to the pool, but I do also accept that I might have to swim around other people if they're using it differently to me.

nam3c4ang3 · 17/07/2025 20:04

because some people are just massive bellends. 😂

Barney16 · 17/07/2025 20:02

Seems very odd. I swim at the local pool but in the part that's cordoned off into lanes. I thought that was what you were supposed to do.

Ponderingwindow · 17/07/2025 19:59

You need to talk to management. They set up lanes for laps. Sometimes just one or two, sometimes the whole pool. The lifeguard should be enforcing where they are swimming laps.

the exception would be someone who is very, very slow and just sort of puttering along. They wouldn’t be running into a child though.

wanted to add. I worked at a gym as a teenager. We really had shockingly little authority. Hence why I suggest you talk to the manager, who can then tell the lifeguard it is acceptable to move the swimmers.

BIWI · 17/07/2025 19:55

TAAT?

Original poster

Goldbar · 17/07/2025 19:55

Meadowfinch · 17/07/2025 19:50

Not everyone can chose when to go. Maybe they work weekends and have to fit their swim around a shift.

They certainly shouldn't have told you to control your child though. Seems like the lifeguard provided a resolution though. What is "fitness swim"?

Fitness swim = lane swimming.

Normally three lanes - slow, medium, fast. Everyone swims clockwise in the lane. But when swim for all is on as well, they just have one lane - medium.

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