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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think swimming pool = swimming?

111 replies

thevassal · 11/06/2021 17:17

I love swimming. The pools by me have been closed or as good as throughout the pandemic and have only recently opened, which is great however has caused me to remember how annoying other people are!

I should clarify that I always go to a session called 'swimming for fitness' which is described as 'lane swimming for competent swimmers aged 11 plus.' The pool is set up only in lanes with signs saying what directions to swim in etc. There are lots of other sessions for families and general 'swim for all,' etc. which I tend to avoid.

AIBU to think if you are attending a swim session clearly marketed as swimming for fitness you should spend most of the time, well, swimming, and following the rules of the session, not standing chatting at the ends, floating aimlessly, glaring at people who overtake you, walking up and down, ignoring the 'clockwise/anticlockwise' 'slow/fast' directions and just swimming determinedly in "your" half of a lane at whatever speed you fancy, clearly not showering before entry so the whole pool can smell your stale smoke/overpowering perfume, etc etc. Or am I BU to expect too much from a public pool (unfortunately I cant afford to pay for my own, that would be the lottery winning dream!)

OP posts:
blettedmedlar · 11/06/2021 18:03

@CarnationCat absolutely not all (or even most) swimmers are slim and fit! Admittedly I do go in the daytime, but a lot are old and fat like me. I just plod up and down, get my sixty lengths in and feel a lot better after a session. That said, I can't swim with my contact lenses in, so can scarcely see beyond my nose end!
Swimming has always, even as a child, been the only exercise I really enjoy, and I really missed it during lockdown.

Newnormal99 · 11/06/2021 18:06

Equally at my pool I go to the family session of which there are not that many a week and a nightmare to book and there are lane swimmers! I am sorry but there are a billionty other bloody slots for you which are never full please use them!

thecatsthecats · 11/06/2021 18:11

@chocolatesaltyballs22

Am completely with you. My personal pet hate is those who 'jog' up and down the pool. I mean, why??
Give over. They're using the pool for activity, and at my pool, they're very mindful of other pool users.

I'm an absolute chugger, not a good swimmer at all stroke wise, but I do swim consistently for over an hour without stopping. Can't stand anyone who's just chatting, cooling off from the sauna or just mucking about, but pool walkers are fine.

Sometimesonly · 11/06/2021 18:13

My local pool is all people swimming - if you stop and chat the lifeguards tell you off. Grin You need stricter lifeguards!

FangsForTheMemory · 11/06/2021 18:18

What used to drive me nuts was my local pool had lanes: one lane for messing about in, one lane for beginners, and one lane for everyone else. so I'd go in the everyone else lane and THEN get asked to move because they were teaching a fucking class in it. I gave up going.

Ginevere · 11/06/2021 18:18

God yes OP! It’s Lane swimming, so swim in lanes!

I’ve got this down to an art now, I get in and hit 80 lengths at full speed without stopping then get out. This enables me to get my swim hat and goggles on, put my headphones in and just go for it without having to wait or interact. If I come across a slow swimmer, I overtake and don’t worry about them looking ticked off. If I see people chatting at the end of the lane, I reach right through the middle of them to tag the wall and turn around. I’m sure people hate me but I would never know, and they tend to move out of my way after a few laps. I gave up being polite years ago. They should just come after the fitness swim, it’s 1 hour a day!!

Castlepeak · 11/06/2021 18:19

The chatters need to go and people should get directed to the correct lane for their speed, but not everyone is going to go at your speed even with grouped lanes. There also should be a walkers/joggers lane. It is excellent exercise.

itsgettingwierd · 11/06/2021 18:20

This reminds me of when there was our local pool in dual use.

2 lanes for a swim school happening in half term and the rest for over 50's.
They had the entire 25m and 4 lanes worth and there was 12 of them.

They kicked up a stink because the 8 kids swimming in the 2 lanes made some splashes as they swam - 1 didn't want to get their hair wet Confused

But they also wouldn't swim away from right by the lanes because they can swim where they like in their part.

Still to this day I can't work out why such a fuss and why they didn't want any water being splashed up at all in a swimming pool HmmGrin

itsgettingwierd · 11/06/2021 18:23

@Ginevere

God yes OP! It’s Lane swimming, so swim in lanes!

I’ve got this down to an art now, I get in and hit 80 lengths at full speed without stopping then get out. This enables me to get my swim hat and goggles on, put my headphones in and just go for it without having to wait or interact. If I come across a slow swimmer, I overtake and don’t worry about them looking ticked off. If I see people chatting at the end of the lane, I reach right through the middle of them to tag the wall and turn around. I’m sure people hate me but I would never know, and they tend to move out of my way after a few laps. I gave up being polite years ago. They should just come after the fitness swim, it’s 1 hour a day!!

Brilliant!

My ds is a club swimmer and after covid dis some extra sessions in lanes as pools opened up. You actually had to book slow medium or fast.

He booked fast. The number of people who said "children shouldn't be allowed" (he's 16!) and said he shouldn't be allowed as he's too fast (it was fast lane and they were swimming breastbone so shouldn't have booked the fast lane!)

The good thing for ds was a coach from a bigger town club who train there spotted him and offered him a trial as they have higher squads and so he moved to a national training team instead!

Jellybabiesforbreakfast · 11/06/2021 18:32

YANBU. I'd never take my child to a lane swimming session.

BUT...only one of the pools round here has started up their family swim sessions again and the first session I can book is on a wednesday in July - not helpful since I work Hmm. When are kids supposed to swim?

MrsMiddleMother · 11/06/2021 18:36

Yanbu. I just like to have a little swim and go at my own pace and take many stops, which is why I never book lane swimming

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 11/06/2021 18:38

By contrast I take my two young kids swimming to a "family swim" session. Theres just one lane along the side, the rest is completely open. Its between 9 & 1 on a weekday, so it's clearly going to be pre-school age young non swimmers. The number of older people trying to swim laps in the open section, tutting at the kids bobbing about all over.... it does my head in.

LemonRoses · 11/06/2021 18:41

I think one of the joys of swimming is that it is inclusive - there re few who cannot swim. That means some will be slower, some will stop to rest, some will benefit from the social contact it brings. The problem is intolerance.

As a swimmer, I find the best solution is to find an outdoor pool and use it when the weather is less favourable. The lanes are virtually empty and nobody minds a few slower folk, as there are usually only a few using the pool. Outdoor swimming is so much nicer generally.

Librariesmakeshhhhappen · 11/06/2021 18:44

@chocolatesaltyballs22

I had to do that when I was 15, after I was hit by a car. Part of my recovery and really recommended.

But I did only do it during the open pool, free for all. Never did it during lane swim.

Staffy1 · 11/06/2021 18:48

Nothing wrong with floating about aimlessly, it's relaxing.

MoonCatcher · 11/06/2021 18:50

Yanbu
My pet hate is 2 or 3 swimmers swimming in tandem (tridem?) so making it hard when they're coming to you in the opposite direction to avoid them.
I loved booking a single lane to myself during the pandemic.

newnortherner111 · 11/06/2021 18:51

The walking up and down can be part of injury rehabilitation, but I agree not at the time of lane swimming.

I agree about short opening hours. Comes as a consequence of the contracting out of leisure facilities from the 1980s onwards.

MoonCatcher · 11/06/2021 18:52

Actually I don't mean in tandem at all. I mean 2 or 3 across in a row. Tandem/single file would be fine.

AuntieStella · 11/06/2021 18:52

@chocolatesaltyballs22

Am completely with you. My personal pet hate is those who 'jog' up and down the pool. I mean, why??
Runner, rehabilitating injury.

(I wouldn't dream of doing it in a lane swimming session)

Summersnake · 11/06/2021 18:56

I’ve been taking my son lane swimming in a morning,I was worried people would not like a child in the sessions ,the sports centre say he’s allowed in .
We both just do lengths ,one behind the other minding our own business,.neither to fast nor to slow.
But still we have had tuts ,and a man telling us to get out of his way ,other people glaring .
I came to the conclusion people just don’t like a child in the session .
Every single session ,is lane swim only ,so no opportunity to be in a different session,our money is as good as anyone else’s .
We are swimming the same as anyone else ,not getting in anyone’s way.
It’s not nice though

motogogo · 11/06/2021 18:56

Mostly yanbu but overtaking in the slow lane is very annoying, there's 5 lanes at my pool, I'm slow, if you swim faster go in a faster lane!

Violetroselily · 11/06/2021 18:57

YANBU. My local lido is obviously very popular in the warm weather. There are so many pests meandering in lanes/having a chat whilst swimming 2 astride/going in the wrong direction/standing in the middle of the lane etc etc I could go on.

Lachimolala · 11/06/2021 19:03

Try hotel pools instead.

InFiveMins · 11/06/2021 19:23

YANBU. It's incredibly annoying.

BogRollBOGOF · 11/06/2021 19:24

@LemonRoses

I think one of the joys of swimming is that it is inclusive - there re few who cannot swim. That means some will be slower, some will stop to rest, some will benefit from the social contact it brings. The problem is intolerance.

As a swimmer, I find the best solution is to find an outdoor pool and use it when the weather is less favourable. The lanes are virtually empty and nobody minds a few slower folk, as there are usually only a few using the pool. Outdoor swimming is so much nicer generally.

Clear pool management/ ettiquette helps a lot with managing a range of abilities. Plus people being considerate enough to look around them.

I tend to be on the cusp of medium/ fast so have to change depending on the rest of the clientelle. Sometimes it's too busy to do my favoured technique of alternating strokes. I love the pool being quiet enough to do my own thing, but sometimes I have to compromise my style.

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