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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU - with my expectations for 'length swimming' lane in big leisure centre pool

46 replies

FunkyPeacock · 12/12/2015 16:39

So, I've just returned from our local leisure centre. Standard size 25 pool + large area with wave machine + toddler pool + dive pool + numerous slides etc .....you get the picture

My kids are old enough to do their own thing now so I headed for the section of the main pool which is roped off for lane swimming

AIBU to think that this area is intended for adults or older children who are competent swimmers only. E.g. If can't swim a single 25m length, in a recognisable stroke, at a consistent pace then you really shouldn't be in there!! So many idiots faffing around today including parents attempting to teach their kids to swim Xmas Angry

OP posts:
Trills · 12/12/2015 16:42

NBU

TinyMonkey · 12/12/2015 16:43

YANBU. They would be asked to use a different part of the pool by the lifeguards at the pool I use.

rumbleinthrjungle · 12/12/2015 16:45

YANBU

I gave up on my Virgin membership as most of the time when I could get there to swim 4/5ths of the pool was turned over to swimming lessons and three two foot wide lanes were all that were available for adults to swim in. Add one guy powering up and down one doing butterfly stroke like a dolphin on tartrazine so that lane was totally unusable, three ladies standing in the middle of another blocking it and having a chat for hours on end and about eight other women trying to swim nose to foot in a line in the one remaining lane.... the only thing getting exercise was my patience!

limitedperiodonly · 12/12/2015 16:47

Oh God yes. And people who do backstroke should be torpedoed.

helenahandbag · 12/12/2015 16:47

Hmm, I'm not a very competent swimmer but I enjoy it. I just flap about up and down in the slow lane doing a mix of something that just about resembles breast stroke and front crawl, and I'd hate to think that people were looking at me, thinking that I shouldn't be there. I try my best not to get in anyone's way.

However, YANBU when it comes to people teaching their children to swim in the lanes.

Ragwort · 12/12/2015 16:53

YANBU - I have a word with the guards if I can't swim properly in the lanes - to be fair, the life guards are usually very strict about enforcing the 'swimming lane' rules in the pools I go to.

What I can stand is the people who stop and chat to their mates each time they have done one length - and probably then think they are really virtuous about exercising. [gri].

DontOpenDeadInside · 12/12/2015 16:53

Can I just ask, how do you expect dc to strengthen their swimming? My DD can swim half a length in lessons, but when we go to leisure centre swimming, there is no clear space for her to practice, with kids playing or parents lounging about. The only place she would have to practice is the lanes. Or should she not practise until she can swim full lengths?

rookiemere · 12/12/2015 17:13

YANBU. I think you also have to accept that in a leisure pool at the busy time of day there are going to be limited opportunities for proper swimming so those teaching their DCs how to swim shouldn't be doing it in the lane.

However conversely in my Virgin pool they had two lanes clearly indicated for lane swimming then about of the third of the pool for fun family swimming.

So quite why people insisted in plowing down the family bit in preference to the empty lanes then tutting at DS and his pal when they were splashing around was a great mystery to me.

Original poster
FunkyPeacock · 12/12/2015 17:19

Helen - I don't have a problem with slow or weak swimmers, as long as you don't keep stopping for a rest mid length, it's unreasonable to expect everyone to swim at the same speed and the lane is just about wide enough for overtaking

Don'topen - I understand your frustration about lack of space but I can't agree that the single roped off lane for length swimming is a suitable place for DC who can't swim a full length at a steady pace yet. I suppose I would expect your DC to improve during lessons or a swimming club or at session where the whole pool was designated for length swimming rather than just a single lane

OP posts:
PurpleGreenAvocado · 12/12/2015 17:29

YABU if you expect the lanes to be adult only. DD and a couple of her friends do competitive swimming and they go to the lane swimming sessions to practice outside of training times,some adults don't like it but they are lane swimming just like the adults are.
YANBU if it's children who genuinely can't swim and are learning rather than doing lengths.

maybebabybee · 12/12/2015 17:33

I don't recall ever having to go swimming outside of my swimming lessons to 'practise' swimming full lengths Confused

We used to go 'fun' swimming at the weekend as children but we never used the lanes - they were for adults and competent swimmers only. Messing about in the water all helps with swimming - DC don't need to go and practise endless lengths outside of swimming lessons.

YANBU OP.

maybebabybee · 12/12/2015 17:34

though agree with purple that competent child swimmers are as entitled to use the lanes as anyone else provided they are behaving appropriately and not messing about.

PurpleGreenAvocado · 12/12/2015 17:35

Maybe they don't have to but they want to.

Duckdeamon · 12/12/2015 17:37

Yanbu. Lanes are for people who can already swim lengths.

Original poster
FunkyPeacock · 12/12/2015 17:40

Purple - I did say in my OP that IMO they are for adults OR older children who are competent. I've got nothing against children lane swimming as long as they are good enough to swim lengths and aren't messing about

OP posts:
maybebabybee · 12/12/2015 17:42

purple sorry, I wasn't talking about DC like yours who do competitive swimming (I used to do competitive swimming too), I was talking about DC who are unable to do full lengths/not yet strong swimmers.

BikeRunSki · 12/12/2015 18:04

It's people who swim the opposite way to the arrows, or up and down on the same half of the lane - then glare at me because I'm in their way - that annoy me.

rookiemere · 12/12/2015 18:08

There was an old bloke at ours who used to swim widths underwater whilst people were swimming lengths. He wasn't a fast swimmer either and used to bob up in the middle of the lane or pass under ones legs in a creepy fashion.

I think someone had a word with him, thankfully, as haven't seen him doing it recently, although I tend to mostly be in the gym.

originalmavis · 12/12/2015 18:12

Thems the rules. DS is a strong swimmer and used to swim m 4 times a week - every day if he was in holidays.

Consequently, he is a lot better than a lot of the adults in the 'open swim' but isn't allowed to be in the pool at certain times (not listed as adults only time) because, the manager said, 'some of the adults don't like kids in the pool'. I asked if it would be OK because he wanted to just swim by himself, practise his strokes and turns as he was trying out for a local club but the answer was still no.

PurpleGreenAvocado · 12/12/2015 18:19

Funky YANBU then - unlike some adults at our local pool who complain about DD and her friends going to the lane swimming sessions even though the adults are slower than DD and her friends (I do lane swimming at the same time so I know they are slower)

bruffin · 12/12/2015 18:30

We used to have the opposite problem, someone wanting to lengths in the middle of the pool while we were trying to get dc to swim across the short bit. There was a proper lane roped off.
There is one old bloke who insists on drifting along on his back, arms wide out so not easy to pass, when every one else is trying to swim head down full stroke, then he would have a go at everyone else. It was on a wednesday morning when no kids around so he could swim in the more open bit of the pool without getting in anyone elses way.

rookiemere · 12/12/2015 18:35

Original - that's sad. I'm always delighted to see anyone of any age who has decent lane etiquette.

originalmavis · 12/12/2015 18:44

We now use another pool not quite so odd. The old place never seemed to bother with adults canoodling, teens divebombing and shrieking but a ten year old butterflying up and down, minding his own business was obviously just too much for some people.

noeffingidea · 12/12/2015 19:06

limitedperiod I swim backstroke in lane. Torpedo me at your own risk.
Yanbu, OP. Lanes are for length swimming. If you have a word with the lifeguard they should tell the person to move to the open pool.

PurpleGreenAvocado · 12/12/2015 19:17

Original some people seem to regard front crawl, back stroke and butterfly as being the height of bad etiquette when lane swimming. I suppose they just want to stick to doing head up breast stroke so they don't get their hair wet and can carry on their conversation.