to think this is not what you do in a spa?

[surroundedbyvulpices]

Having a much needed relaxing afternoon in a spa, doing what one does - sauna, steam room, jacuzzi, lazy lengths in the (smallish) pool (don't judge me, I was desperate).

This guy comes striding out of the men's changing room, goggles on, throws himself into the pool with an almighty splash, and furiously front crawls straight at me without looking. Startled and somewhat intimidated, I get out and find a lounger, while he continues to circle the pool in a savage, noisy and overly splashy manner for a good twenty minutes.

AIBU to think you don't monopolise a quiet spa environment, and certainly not like a bull in a china shop?

Tapping the feet is standard etiquette in any swim club to overtake. Tap once, lightly, then hang back, they then wait at the end for you to go past. Problem is, public swimmers don't know this rule!

Must be relatively new then as it certainly wasn’t done when I was a swimmer. You overtook on the turn or down a clear length, or rearranged yourselves at the start and end of a set. It actually really freaks me out and the first time it happened I just stopped dead as I didn’t know why they were doing it.

And I swam as a club swimmer into my 30’s.

This is a great thread!

The OP has painted a great picture in the opening post and the replies are brilliant!

Oh god, the Splatty McSplashfaces. All male, IME.
I belong to a health club attached to a small hotel, most of the people who use it aren’t hotel guests but HC members.
The men are absolutely the worst. Their technique is often so bad that I feel like asking them if they were ever taught to swim properly or did they just pick it up as they went along.
The worst offender does a type of tumble turn where he brings both feet down with an almighty crash and splash as he comes out of the turn, drenching anyone sitting on the chairs at the poolside as well as other swimmers’ belongings left on the side. Others swim extremely erratically, smoothly for a bit then they splat their arms and legs down with as much noise and disruption as possible. No women I have observed there swim so badly and or inconsiderately.
In fact one young girl (14-ish?) is so good that she just seems to glide through the water barely making a ripple, leaving all the men way behind quite effortlessly. They don’t tend to like that!
She swims competitively. [Grin]

Ugh this is why I never go swimming anymore - there is always one dickhead man who does this and thinks it constitutes good swimming. Being excessively splashy is not good technique!

This would be me

The ones i encounter usually pick the fast lane, then take it as a personal insult when i keep overtaking them. Sprinting to catch up, tapping me on the feet until I stop to let them past, then slowing down and getting in my way because they can’t keep up the pace.

The way I deal with this is to swim just behind them, not overtaking, but forcing them to keep swimming at a pace they can't maintain. I can keep going at a fair old pace for up to 3 hrs so at some point they have to stop and pretend they need to adjust their goggles or similar, allowing me to go past. The state of them when the finally give up is a picture.

he continues to circle the pool in a savage, noisy and overly splashy manner

This is the aquatic equivalent of man-spreading

I've only been in the spa at Center Parcs, but the pools in a spa aren't for fitness swimming...

They are for pootling about in.

I stopped going to the mixed sex swimming because of this. Men thrashing their way through the water with no consideration for anyone else.

swimbecile

Yep, I hear you too OP. This kind of wild water swimming where the object seems to be to create wild water is always done by men and not on in a spa pool.

This would be me if someone tapped my foot in a bloody spa pool!

Is there anyone else around OP? I think you need a quick synchro swim practice don't you? Like this! Then see how long aqua man lasts!

It's physics really. If you're wasting all your energy sending water all over the shop, then you're not swimming effectively. I still only do the breaststroke and the backstroke, never front stroke as I can't get the breathing thing right (asthma attacked me so I was taken out of swimming lessons). But the breast stroke is good for exercise.
Must go back actually, if Splasher has left the pool.

As a teen me and bff took it in turns to splash the woman with the best hairdo!!

This is the aquatic equivalent of man-spreading isn’t it. Person with penis coming through! Make way everyone while I dominate the space, make a lot of fuss and make my presence felt to everyone. 

Love this. And swimbecile. So funny.

And op yanbu.

Could be worse, I was on holiday and was having afternoon tea at the “quiet” pool side, there was about three people, reading and having tea (it was a relaxing pool and named so, not the louder main one) one guy requested a massage next to the pool. The noises this guy was making! Anyone would think I’d down sat in a brothel!

OP,

Not everyone will view a spa day in the same way as you. Some people may enjoy it for exercise and intend to swim and then relax afterwards. You do not know why he was staying in the country hotel, it could be business and this is his way of chilling out.

Perhaps he should have been more considerate to swim around you rather than directly at you (the way you described). However, a swimming pool is used for swimming and it is perfectly acceptable to swim in a pool as thats what its for!

As a teen me and bff took it in turns to splash the woman with the best hairdo!!

I still do
Anyone tapping me on the foot in a pool had better be ready to get said size 7 in the face.
I’m phobic of being in the sea because things touch your feet and legs, ok whole body, and If I thought my safe swimming space had things in it, I’d be kicking out full force

Should be laws against it. I stopped going to my gym because of the numbers of men who would sprint out of the steam room and dive headfirst into the five foot two deep end, partly because I didn't fancy getting knocked out by their sweaty, unshowered bodies, but mostly because I couldn't be arsed to stay and give a witness statement if one of them eventually managed to snap their neck doing so.

I really hate (some) men's behaviour when swimming. They come right up behind you or wait until you're almost at the end of your length when they're fiddling with their goggles and then set off in front of you. Speed up if you try to overtake them and don't stop at the end of the lane to let you past. The ladies only session is much less unpleasant but they only offer 45mins once a week in my local town which isn't really long enough for me.

Also the splashing so hard you choke if you try to breathe while near them. And the breast stroke in the fast lane coz I'm a Man so I Must be in the fast lane.

My mum once told me that John Redwood went to the same gym as her, and he swam like that.

Your first mistake was getting out of his way. Tsk tsk. Hold your line next time, woman. Make sure your nails are extra long & flailing quite a bit as he approaches...

Must remember to add "swimming in a swimming pool" to my long list of things that inexplicably annoy Mumsnetters.