to think swimming pool = swimming?

[thevassal]

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!)

When I can get a slot, I actually really like swimming at our local pool now because the capacity is controlled and it never feels too busy. But you still get the idiots who hang out and chat at the shallow end so there's no space for swimmers to push off. And then you get the ones who are swimming to the clock who push and push to overtake you - and then stop for their rest break right in front of you and spread their arms along the end so there's no room. And the tumble turners who do it even when they're overtaking in a busy lane (I have been kicked in the head and the stomach in the past). The latter two categories are always men.

To be honest I’d prioritise the joggers and walkers over the fitness swimmers. For the former, it might be their only exercise options and really important for health, the old ladies nattering might be getting valuable social time which is equally beneficial. The hardcore swimmers could probably do running etc as alternatives.

Even the hard-core swimmers might be there because high-impact exercise is too much on their joints. I certainly can't do running as an alternative. And if I were swimming slow enough to be nattering, it might well be relaxing, but it wouldn't be doing much for my fitness. You don't know why people are there unless they tell you.

The key is well-managed pools. Every pool does it in their own way,, and some are better than others as a result. Mine has notes on lane discipline on the back of the low signs at each lane end marking the lane speed, which are also on the website (or were; they recently updated things, and I haven't found everything.) I suspect not many people have read them, but they are there, and the lifeguards could show them to more difficult swimmers. I have swum in quite a few pools, and it's clear in some others that no one has heard of lane discipline- and I guess like workplaces and so on, everywhere develops its own culture.

The problem with asking the lifeguards to intervene is that they are generally young lads (or women) and I think are probably easily intimidated by entitled middle aged adults.

However, I remember getting splashed by fast male swimmers when I was pregnant with ds and the lifeguard told me I should swim faster to avoid it! The pool had 4 lanes and I was in the "slow" lane, but it didn't seem to make a difference.

And yes, the bigger ladies in my swimming class are faster than size 8 me.

@Tickledtrout

The number allowed in pools is so limited at the moment -that you just need to politely overtake and get on with it. Stop judging anyone else and just swim, jog, stretch at the end whatever. Our pool has one rule on display at the moment- be polite and patient to staff and other users. Join a vets swim club, or the swim session of a tri club, if it bothers you that much.

I'm laughing at this. So I should leave a session specifically designed and named for what I want to do, and join something that isn't what I want to do, which would impede the people there enjoying their activity (as I am not a triathlete level swimmer!) and which doesn't even exist in my area - I don't even know what a 'vets swim club is') so that people who don't want to do what the session is for can do things they can do literally anywhere else (chat, stand still, etc). Right, ok . I presume if I'd been doing park run and complained that people decided to ride quad bikes across the course you'd tell me to stop moaning and go and do the london marathon if I wanted to run so much?

Those who have said using the pool for walking due to joints therapy, etc that is a fair point. The reason I hadn't considered it was because all the 'pool walkers' I know (including my own father)) don't appear to have any mobility issues as they jump in and stride up and down at great speeds. Also because the pool I go to would be very hard, if not impossible, for those with joint issues because it doesn't have a shallow end, and is only accessible by those old fashioned, very steep and sharp ladders (which isn't ideal for most people, including children, let alone those who have any mobility issues). Because it is a chain with about 9 branches across the city, I imagine those using the pool for joint therapy would go to one of the other pools because they are circular shaped and easy access, so even in the 'lane fitness' sessions it would be impossible for the whole pool to be roped off, and there would still be room for walking, sitting etc. Whereas the one I go to is a rectangular, deep one that is completely divided into lanes (for the lane swimming sessions). But yes it is a fair point that if someone is otherwise following the rules (going in the right direction and in the right speed lane) they are not affecting me any more by walking than they would be swimming.

No opportunity for a break without leaving the pool? Even club swimming training lets you take short breaks within sets XD

obvious swimmers taking breathers is fine, i do it myself, but just hanging on to the side and chatting? nope, out you go. The lifeguards are watching constantly, they know what they're doing.

Stop Projecting
OP said "There are lots of other sessions for families and general 'swim for all,' etc"

no need for the joint-rehab folk or families to come to Lanes, in her pool .

I rarely say anything but our lifeguards may get a nag from some others to police the situation if someone is in the wrong lane; I've also politely said to someone (only a few times) "I think you might be more comfortable in another lane" or "... attending a public open session without lanes". It is possible to just talk to most people.

Typical replies:
"Oh, is this the fast lane?! I don't have my glasses!"
"When are the open sessions? When is a more quiet time?" And then we have a brief but nice chat where everyone leaves happy.

Resters can just sit outside the water, on the side to chat & linger, I dunno why they don't. Complaints about splashing, ffs, I have little sympathy with folk who can't handle splashing.

The problem with asking the lifeguards to intervene is that they are generally young lads (or women) and I think are probably easily intimidated by entitled middle aged adults.

It's part of the job (it was my job at that age.) They manage it at my pool from what I have seen. It is possible.

I only do adult sessions, there’s a hard core group of good swimmers at the local pool or I use the hospital one where people don’t point and stare at my injury.

To be honest I’d prioritise the joggers and walkers over the fitness swimmers. For the former, it might be their only exercise options and really important for health, the old ladies nattering might be getting valuable social time which is equally beneficial. The hardcore swimmers could probably do running etc as alternatives.

I don't really understand why the old ladies nattering couldn't natter in a park or coffee shop. Lots of swimmers do it because it's low impact and they can't run or jog.

Our lane swim has a no overtaking rule so all you can do is u turn if you're stuck behind a walker or a practically stationary breaststroke swimmer. You can't do lengths.

@EBearhug

To be honest I’d prioritise the joggers and walkers over the fitness swimmers. For the former, it might be their only exercise options and really important for health, the old ladies nattering might be getting valuable social time which is equally beneficial. The hardcore swimmers could probably do running etc as alternatives.

Even the hard-core swimmers might be there because high-impact exercise is too much on their joints. I certainly can't do running as an alternative. And if I were swimming slow enough to be nattering, it might well be relaxing, but it wouldn't be doing much for my fitness. You don't know why people are there unless they tell you.

The key is well-managed pools. Every pool does it in their own way,, and some are better than others as a result. Mine has notes on lane discipline on the back of the low signs at each lane end marking the lane speed, which are also on the website (or were; they recently updated things, and I haven't found everything.) I suspect not many people have read them, but they are there, and the lifeguards could show them to more difficult swimmers. I have swum in quite a few pools, and it's clear in some others that no one has heard of lane discipline- and I guess like workplaces and so on, everywhere develops its own culture.

Exactly. I'm not exactly I hardcore swimmer (firmly in the category of what someone upthread described as middling - even got the generic speedo swimsuit!) but no I can't run instead. I have serious joint problems that you cannot tell by looking at me, unless you observed my gait for a while and knew what you were looking for. Swimming is the most effective cardio I can do.