Swimming pool etiquette?

[miaowmiaowhiss]

Went swimming today and it was one of the set ups where they have slow/medium/fast lanes, and you pick the lane you swim in based on the people already swimming in them, not your own ideas of speed (eg you might think you're extremely fast, but if the fast line is full of Olympians, you'd pick a different lane). There are signs up specifically telling you to pick your lane in this way.

I was swimming in the fast lane with two other people -we were clearly faster than people in the other lanes, so it was the right place to be. Another man came and got in the pool twenty minutes after I got in, and he was swimming much faster than any of us were going - which obviously means he kept running up the back of other swimmers! Every time I knew he was directly behind me I'd pause at the end and let him overtake me for the next one, but he kept huffing and rolling his eyes. He then started overtaking all three of us during lengths - which is fine in principle, just not if it means the person coming the other way had to stop and wait and the person he was overtaking got nearly kicked in the face each time.

AIBU to think this is really inconsiderate/rude? There was just so much tutting and eye rolling at the audacity we had to be swimming faster than people in other lanes, yet not swimming as fast as this man clearly wanted to. Minor issue in the grand scheme of things but it really annoyed me - as well as actually being quite dangerous RE being kicked in the face/kicking him in the face - and made my swim a lot less enjoyable

Surely if you want to swim faster than everyone else you time it right and wait for everyone else to be on the length back before you start, or something, not just passive aggressively showing your displeasure at other swimmers?

Do you know, this thread is so depressing. I was considering going back to swimming, having had to give up for a few years due to illness. I think I'll give it a miss.

Kevin - what, where did I say that? If I did, I clearly didn't explain myself correctly because that's not the rules at my pool as stated in the OP. At my pool, there are signs up designating each lane as s/m/l, and asking you to chose your lane based on the existing swimmers, even if you think you 'should' be in a different lane.

So I would class myself as a medium swimmer in terms of all non-professional sportspeople who might turn up at the pool - but when I go to the pool, I would go in the s lane if m/f was too fast for me, or (as tends to happen when I go at this specific timeslot) in the f lane if s/m is clearly slower than what I'm going at.

So the 'rules' are that you consider everyone in the pool when picking the lane. Not that the fastest swimmer gets to set the pace for everyone in the f lane, and by extension everyone in the s/m lane. In an ideal world, people should go at the mean speed for the lane, but realistically people go for the most common speed. Not everyone trying to catch up with the fastest swimmer.

Elke - genuine question, how does your rationale work for the slow lane when the not quite fast enough people in the fast lane move to the medium one and force the medium swimmers into the slow lane...?

He was being rude, but if he was so fast, he could hardly go in the medium or slow lanes could he? When I'm in the fast lane and it becomes too fast, I move to the slow lane.

Elke your statement "Swimming pool etiquette is that swimmers in the fast lane swim to the speed of the fastest swimmer" makes absolutely no sense.

Surely the definition of fastest (a superlative) means the one, singular fastest swimmer in the whole pool. Therefore how can the other swimmers in the fast lane swim as fast as him/her, if they did he/she would no longer be the fastest?

Ignoring the grammatical inconsistency, what is the likelihood that in a pool of, say, 30 swimmers, the 10 fastest would all be able to swim at exactly the same pace?

Really confused that some people here honestly think it would be reasonable to have 14/15 slow to fast swimmers crowded into 2 lanes (I don't care how equally you space yourselves, this would be impossible), and 1 superfast swimmer hogging a lane to themselves. Because they are special!

sleep if there are only 3 lanes, and the slowest swimmers in the slow lane find it too crowded to swim properly or if they are getting in the other swimmer's way, they don't really need the benefit of being in a lane at all, and would be better swimming in the free area of the pool.

If there is no free area of the pool, there must be more than 3 lanes.

Its really quite simple. If you are getting in the way of the faster swimmers in the fast lane, get out of their way! Don't complain about there being fast swimmers in the fast lane!

I don't think OP expected him to go into the slow/medium lane BikeRunSki. I think all she expected him to do was acknowledge that the pool was busy, there was not enough space for the other fast lane swimmers to 'downgrade' to slower lanes, and therefore, though it was not ideal that he could not swim as fast as he wanted there was no alternative, so to NOT BE A KNOB ABOUT IT!
(shouting at him not you btw!)

I'm a fairly solid medium lane swimmer, I'm rarely passed unless we have fast lane refugees (I swim in way too many 5 lane 2s/2m/1f pools with a large type A male triathlete morning crowd for my own good). Ideally each lane should have a certain speed that most can keep to - one person way out can be very disruptive. If one person in the fast lane is massively out of kilter though there's no good solution - it will mean compromising their workout by possibly switching to drills, or disrupting the workout of all the others with toe-tapping!

sleepwhenidie - at any given time about 1/3 of the people in ANY medium lane should be in the slow lane tbh. People are horrible at seeding themselves correctly by speed in general, particularly men.

I agree that if you arrive at an almost empty pool then you would go for a lane that was emptyish. However if you gauge that you are probably a medium speed swimmer but were only in the fast lane due to the speed of the others when you arrived. Perhaps it would have been right to move to where you would normally be when the fast swimmer arrived?
Consistently lappng others who insist in swimming in faster lanes than they are able is tiresome. Particularly when they try to resist being overtaken.
I have never once seen a lifeguard intervene re. who swims where and the slow medium fast labels are open to interpretation.

TriJo at any given time about 1/3 of the people in ANY medium lane should be in the slow lane tbh. People are horrible at seeding themselves correctly by speed in general, particularly men.

That's true. Swimming pool lanes seem to be full of people who think they are faster than they are, and who seem more interested in defending their right to swim in a faster lane than they fit, than improving their swimming or, god forbid, moving down a lane.

Male swimmers are prone to racing you by resting a lot then pushing off the wall just as you come to turn, then getting in your way as they run out of steam halfway down the length.

Female swimmers seem prone to just going in lanes too fast for their speed/ability and then getting annoyed at other swimmers for going faster. I've lost count of the number of head out of the water breaststrokers in the fast lane, utterly oblivious to the mayhem they are causing around them.

Another swimming to the speed of the fastest swimmer isn't really that difficult to understand. You just swim so as not to get in their way.

I've seen that happen once, when it was to move a lady to the slow lane in the pool who was screaming at people when anyone passed her while she swam at roughly the speed at which I do kick drills while holding a float vertically in the water.

Exactly anotherone! Instead of him having a swim that wasn't ideal, we instead had a situation where he couldn't go fast, but the remaining swimmers felt pressured and stressed. No-one was happy!

And I know I keep harping on about the number of people in each lane...but Elke, do you honestly think the fairest solution to the situation was to give him his own lane and move us down the lanes, causing overcrowding and pacing issues in each one, resulting in slow swimmers losing the benefits of lane swimming altogether? Because the 1 faster swimmer deserves a better swim than the other 20 people also swimming?

Well, yes I do OP. If you're not fast, you shouldn't be in the fast lane.

I'm sure there is more than one fast swimmer that might want to use the fast lane while you frequent your local pool. Its not "giving him his own lane", its simply following the guidelines as to the speed recommended for the lanes.

I'd be really embarrassed if I was holding up a faster swimmer. I quite admire faster swimmers. There are some pools I wouldn't venture into the fast lane at all, even if it was empty, because I've seen really fast swimmers using it.

Incidentally, what is your speed? e.g. for 1500m (a mile) I do about 30 minutes, maybe 28 on a good day. I usually go for the middle lane, unless it is full of slower swimmers. If I go in the fast lane, I will go back into the middle lane if I start getting in faster swimmers' way.

It generally works itself out, because if more semi fast swimmers go into the middle lane, the slower swimmers there generally have the common sense and politeness not to get in their way and to change lanes.

Elke that's not my experience of women in the fast lane at all, never seen anyone doing head out of water breast stroke in fl in my local pool. Men on the other hand are much more likely to be found in a lane beyond their ability.

I swim fairly fast and usually choose fl but I recognise when I am slower than others. If it's one or two individuals passing every few lengths I always give way to them but if there are more than that, I change lane. It's ridiculous to suggest that one faster swimmer should force everyone else to crowd out and upset the pace of all the other lanes though.

I swim the same speed as you Elke but that's kind of irrelevant and I think it's crazy that you wouldn't go in an empty lane because you've seen really fast swimmers using it . It depends on the general spread of speed at the time you are there...

See, if I was getting people passing me a lot when I was swimming, I would definately move lanes. The better way to deal with that sort of mis-match in speed is to check for faster swimmers coming up behind you and wait at the end of the lane to let them past first. If you have to do that every single length or even every two, then theres such a mismatch in speeds, you really don't belong in the fast lane. And if you do do it, then even if there is a much faster swimmer than you, you don't hold them up and you don't constantly get passed mid length, but should get at least 3 or 4 lengths swimming in peace.

And if you don't do that if theres a faster swimmer than you in the fast lane, then its pretty rude.

OP - can you give any guidance as to your actual speed? I'm assuming you're around the same speed as me (e.g. about 1 minute 45 for 100m) if you find yourself between the fast and middle lanes like I do. I prefer the middle lane tbh.

On speeds where would you put 750-1000m in 30mins? About average or potteringly painfully slow?

I'm an ex club swimmer - often much faster than swimmers in the fast lane at my local pool. Luckily it's not often busy when I go, and most people are fine with me overtaking them. However, I always overtake people at the end of the lane, because in my mind it just seems politer and I'm less likely to crash into someone going the other way.

I think the overtaking guy was right for going in the fast lane and swimming at his own pace. But he should have been gracious and less impatient about overtaking. Sometimes overtaking is inevitable, and I've had to on many occasions after giving people a length and a half headstart - but there's still no need to be an arse about it.

I agree that a guide to actual time per 100 m is sometimes an easier way to gauge lane speed for lanes Elke, but in local pools for casual swims I don't think most people would know their times really. I swim in another 25 m pool in town close to work in that has lane speed recommendations and it works well. And the lifeguards regularly move people.

Re speed - would usually be 1.30 for a free swim 100m non racing, and so for a speed session or race I d be aiming for much faster to get closer to race times, dropping 15 seconds over 100m constantly for a session (ie sharing the lane with someone who would swim 1.45) is quite an uncomfortable swim for after a while and would feel like I hadn't a workout. I know I would feel frustrated constantly overlapping someone. This said I can understand the frustration of the other swimmer who is being swam around - and there s no excuse for swimming under or on top of someone that s just bad manners and dangerous.
It s fine to adjust your training set sometimes but if ona regular basis you come to the pool this happens then you miss your speed sessions completely. And there often aren't enough local pools and public swim hours and available free time to allow one to miss the training slot you ve made the effort to get to the pool for. to be constantly adjusting your session for the person that insists they are a fast swimmer when relative to the other paces they re simply not
, is irksome after a while. And it s possible the fast swimmer in this situation who constantly ended up overlapping the others considered them equally as rude and lacking in etiquette. The op stated the poolside 'rules' re self pacing, but if we re being black and white about it she didn't follow them - because she then is switching the focus to numbers per lane not speed of swimmers.
Personally numbers per lane wouldn't bother me if the pace was right as you can still churn along and get your swim. The aim of the faster swimmer I doubt was to get their 'own' lane, rather to get a sufficient workout.

Incidentally it s less safe In my opinion and more intimidating for other pool users for that fast swimmer to swim outside the lanes as someone suggested, in the non lane section there s often much more slower / walkers/ people floating leisurely at different spots - you end up with neck strain looking ahead all the time and more danger of ploughing into/ hurting someone.

Also if one or two moved from the fast lane then suddenly the over taking or pacing around the faster swimmer is a whole lot easier. It really often is the medium lane swimmer that doesn't recognise this that causes the difficulty. It s not that the whole lane need evacuate.

But again I do agree rudeness isn't ok. Not is that close passing and intimidating someone. And it honestly isn't about getting a lane to oneself, if the speeds are right everyone can churn along allowing more or less spacing. There s nothing wrong with a good few people in a lane if the speeds are similar, you still get your swim, it s the mis match that makes it difficult. And in a public swim that s going to change constantly as people come and go and I think leisure swimmers might find the number of bodies per lane a bit much too.

I have seen lifeguards ask people to move lanes. It s much better and saves embarrassment and dangers of crashing.

I spend many a pool session grumbling in my head about other swimmers who can't read the speed of the lane correctly. I flit between the medium & fast lane, depending on the speed of each. As a non club swimmer, I did know about the tap in the foot rule, but nobody has eve done it to me, so I think it's not practised in a public session. I'm swimming at odd times at the moment, around baby feeds, which means that I tend to avoid the busiest times of the pool day - it's a much more pleasant place when its less full.

I sometimes use the fast lane as a pace maker, swimming along side in the middle lane with someone belting along adjacent. OP, your experience is frustrating, it's only ever happened to me once, I'm much more likely to be the person huffing at the old ladies swimming side by side!

The thing is, if speeds are matched 5 people in the medium lane will have a more pleasant swim than if 2 decide to join 1 swimmer in the fast lane. It may look fair, to have 3 people in each lane but the critical thing really is how well matched people's speeds are rather than the number in each lane.

I love this thread. I have terrible swimming rage. I generally swim in the slow lane unless it's really slow in which case I'll move into medium - I can keep up with the pace I just prefer swimming slower. My hates are as follows: splashy showy off men (the ones who swim fast then have to stop). Women who swim without getting their hair wet and while wearing a tiny bikini and who still have amazing bodies (this may be jealousy). Anyone doing back stroke. When my pool does swimming lessons in the slow lane and shuts it off half an hour in advance at the busiest time. People who constantly overtake in the slow lane - just move into the medium lane.

Am wondering if swimming is actually not the calming leisure activity I claim it is.

Toe tapping wouldn't usyally work with us, because if you tried overtaking, you'd be headfirst into the person coming up the other side. You have to wait till the poolend - and the majority of swimmers do know to let faster swimmers go ahead, and that some people take rests - there's quite a bit of, "are you going, or can I?" interaction. When it's quiet and only two in a lane, then sometimes, mutual agreement allows you to stick to one side of the lane, rather than swimming up one side, down the other, which means you really can go at your own pace. And some days, I've had a lane to myself, which is bliss. That can hapoen if I can do 08:30-09:30, as it's between the pre-work swimmers and the no-lane swimmers, who are mostly retired. (Lane ropes come out at 09:30.) Of I have no meetings, I don't have to be in work till 10:00, so I can miss the main rush.