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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Swimming pool etiquette?

202 replies

miaowmiaowhiss · 28/07/2015 16:36

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 Angry

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?

OP posts:
Anit333 · 29/07/2015 10:25

This reply has been deleted

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chrome100 · 29/07/2015 10:35

I usually swim in the fast lane. My bug bear is people who are good swimmers doing a few lengths of crawl, then stopping and going slowly with a float. Swap lane if you want to do that! You wouldn’t slow down to 40 in the fast lane of a motorway.

TriJo · 29/07/2015 10:40

^ Agreed chrome - either put fins on or swap lane if you're going to switch to a drill that's going to slow you down considerably.

smogsville · 29/07/2015 16:29

blondegirl73 you are hilarious. And sadly, right on all counts.

I'm so looking forward to going for a run tomorrow morning. Just me and my shuffle. No need to interact with anyone else for a full 45 mins. I should add I had asthma as a child (hence all the swimming) and am no means blessed with a runner's natural physique but it's still less stressful than swimming!

Angel1983 · 29/07/2015 20:59

I am just in from swimming in my local pool. I have to be honest it was an absolute nightmare.

Whilst I am a faster than average swimmer, I am aware that there needs to be some give and take in crowded pools. However, tonight was just outrageous. The slower swimmers in my lane could see me having to wait behind them (I don't like to tap feet) and instead of just letting me pass at the end of a lap, they just pushed off in front of me.

What is going through their minds?! Confused

TalkinPeace · 29/07/2015 21:03

I missed my swim today, but love the fact that most of the time in my pool I can get a lane to myself - swimming head up in my bikini Grin

sleepwhenidie · 29/07/2015 22:52

Oh Angel I feel your pain. I will toe tap after someone hasn't given way twice at the end of a length when I'm clearly right behind them, sometimes switching to breaststroke instead of crawl Hmm. If they don't get a clue after that then I do get a bit PA, but would never overtake and block an oncoming swimmer. I think these people are the same ones driving in the middle lane on motorways when they aren't overtaking - no awareness of others!

minkGrundy · 29/07/2015 23:18

There are written lane speed/times where I live too. Narrow lanes and usually only two. Lots of people swim lengths in the open pool.

EBearhug · 29/07/2015 23:37

If someone is really, really annoying... I was once swimming in a fairly empty lane, so I decided it was safe to do backstroke. I did a bad arm move, more out to the side than up by my ear. Unfortunately, there was a bloke going down the other side of the lane, also on his back, and I caught him right in the groin. As I'd been swimming quite fast, there was a bit of force behind it. I felt really, really bad. But I did think, if someone was just swimming like an arse, you could accidently-on-purpose hit them... (Not if it's busy - backstroke when it's busy means you'll swim into or onto people.)

arethereanyleftatall · 29/07/2015 23:53

I don't think any of you guys swim in my local pool.
I'm a good swimmer (about 20 mins for 1500m, so 1.20 per 100 as a casual pace), and whenever I swim (about once per week), I go in the fast lane and everybody always, without any exceptions, either moves out of the lane, or waits at an end if I'm within half a length, so that I never end up catching anyone up. I have never asked anyone to do this, neither do I expect it; but it's interesting that my swimming would give many on mn the rage, whereas in real life all I ever get is niceness.

ElkeDagMeisje · 30/07/2015 00:31

arethereanyleft that's actually what happens at all 3 pools I swim at too.

And people tap other people's feet if they have been swimming behind them for a length or more but can't get past. As a sign that they should stop at the end of the lane and let the faster swimmer past.

I cannot imagine it would be more comfortable to swim in a less busy fast lane, getting in the way of a much faster swimmer, than to simply go into a more crowded middle lane, but with people more of a similar speed to yourself.

sleepwhenidie · 30/07/2015 09:14

arethereany I don't think anyone has said that you would give them the rage, most people are happy to give way to faster swimmers at the end of lengths and you don't sound like you are behaving like the guy in the OP, swimming fast isn't offensive, being a dick (overtaking when there's no room, swimming under etc or indeed swimming too slowly for the general pace of the lane so that you regularly hold people up and don't give way or change lane) is!

ShelaghTurner · 30/07/2015 10:17

Oh my good lord, my dr has recommended swimming as a low impact exercise to aid weight loss. Given the amount of nerve it would take for me to actually get into the pool I now see that i would undoubtedly piss off every other person there. Sod that for a game of soldiers.

CMOTDibbler · 30/07/2015 10:23

Shelagh, swimming is great exercise, and most pools have plenty of time when there are either no lanes, or only part of the pool is laned. Just stay out of the lanes till you are confident to swim at the pace of the slow lane consistently. I started off swimming alongside the slow lane so I could check this.

Original poster
miaowmiaowhiss · 30/07/2015 10:31

Shelagh Noooo, don't be put off! It really is good fun and super good exercise. What everyone on the thread, even those who disagreed with my OP, seems to agree on is a hatred of people who are inconsiderate of other pool users. Of course, the only problem seems to be that inconsiderate is a subjective term!

(I will defend to the death my view that nearly kicking people in the face when overtaking is inconsiderate)

OP posts:
ShelaghTurner · 30/07/2015 10:31

Even when I used to swim more frequently during the war I never dared go in the lanes! Seriously though, I would literally be pootling up and down whilst stopping at each end to check I haven't actually killed myself with the effort. I would hate to annoy people.

Original poster
miaowmiaowhiss · 30/07/2015 10:32

And I clearly don't understand strike through

this?
or this

OP posts:
Fromparistoberlin73 · 30/07/2015 10:49

This just reminded me of one occasion when some man obviously felt I was going to slowly, but instead of overtaking me by swimming past, he swum UNDER me, and resurfaced inches in front of my face!

oh that's made me laugh. DICK!

Letsallgotobed · 30/07/2015 11:20

Oh to have lane swimming. I swim in a hotel pool wide enough for three people breast stroking and four people front crawling- lots of fun.

Verbena37 · 30/07/2015 13:15

I would have found it hard not to say "why don't you book your own private lane next time"
However, it does seem a very stressful set up...considering swimming is supposed to be relaxing!

At our almost Olympic size pool, they split it in half length ways. Then, generally the constant length people who don't want kids near them take the furthest lane and then more general swimmers and kids take the other h
Ad. It works really well.

Mindexplode · 30/07/2015 13:24

I have just started swimming as a recommended sport as I cannot run or cycle properly. I go to my local council pool at lunchtime and swim in the slowest of slow lanes, but I have to do back stroke as it's the only stroke I can do (I am a very poor swimmer but no money/ time for lessons). Yesterday I had my extra slow lane to myself and got a whole 10 lengths in (feel rubbish today though, still building up endurance). Should I keep going or am I annoying everyone else as I seem to be committing a lot of swimming sins!

TriJo · 30/07/2015 13:31

You're in the slow lane, as a slow swimmer. Nothing wrong with that.

(for what it's worth - my husband is exactly the same as you, he can only swim backstroke because he's always had trouble with breathing when swimming)

UptoapointLordCopper · 30/07/2015 14:58

I swim in the slow lane, or rather, the lane nearest the edge, because > I'm scared of deep water. This is despite being able to swim the lengths and being able to tread water for a few minutes. Blush It's quite irrational. The downside is that I'm stuck with the seriously slow people. Sometimes I tread water faster than the swimmers. Hmm

Blondegirl We have people who swim without getting their hair wet too! It's amazing. It's actually quite hard work, I think.

There are also people who splash A LOT and hardly move forward. I guess that's pretty good exercise too.

And I've had someone swim under me once too. If you could swear with your head under water I would have.

I've never heard of toe tapping! I just slow down and tread water. Maybe I'll try that. This very afternoon. Grin

ChatEnOeuf · 30/07/2015 15:14

I see both sides. I swim in a public pool split in two with three narrow lanes, unmarked apart from the fast lane. The remainder of the pool is open, and invariably full of people wanting to swim lengths but not in the lanes. In amongst this is a real hotchpotch of swimmers doing acrobatics, swimming with flippers, diving to collect items from the bottom...there is a lot of huffing and puffing.

On an entirely separate note. I do around 2k in just under an hour, but really struggle to keep count of lengths. How do you all do it?

TriJo · 30/07/2015 15:27

Much easier to keep track of a set than it is to just swim 2km straight! 300m easy warmup, 300m technique drills, 10*100m at a steady pace, 400m easy would be a bit easier mentally.

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