Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Swimming pool etiquette

59 replies

Mypuppywontsleep · 26/08/2023 18:00

I swim at my local gym/pool regularly this year. They have a lane system where adult only members book online or turn up at reception to see if there is space, and book the lane speed that suits them slow medium or fast.

Each lane is sectioned off and has instructions of which direction to swim in each lane - up one side of the lane, back up the other side. You have to move over about 1-1.5 meters at each end of your length of swim to start your next length. It’s no hassle to do this tbh takes a second or 2. I always pick the slow lane which has one side against a rope and the other side is the pool wall.

The central rope side you will always get splashed by people in the faster lanes but it’s not a big deal. I swim to the rules, trying to time match others who swim in my lane to give them space so I am not getting too close to them or if they are a lot faster, I will let them go off before me.

I go at mostly quiet times and almost every time if there is only 1 other person in my section they will either ask me if we can just swim up and down in a straight line and they will ALWAYS be asking for the wall side, or they will just start swimming up and down against the wall and not say anything. If a 3rd person joins they will go back to swimming in the right direction. Not the same person, always different people.

I am a self taught (as adult) swimmer who isn’t that confident in the deep end so I choose to swim in a lane that isn't just in the middle of the pool. I’m not insanely slow but there are other lanes to use if you are a faster swimmer!

Recently I said no, sorry to someone who asked me to swim in the middle of the pool as I said I was still working on my confidence and they laughed and said I ‘seemed fine’. I didn’t ask for just the wall side, I said can we just swim in the rotation as per the rules? If they told me they felt worried and wanted the wall I would have let them tbh, but they didn’t.

AIBU that the directional system is fine and this way it means everyone gets to swim near the wall for one length if they need/want/like to?

OP posts:
tulippa · 26/08/2023 20:16

It’s really quiet sometimes last week I was the ONLY person in the whole pool!
That's my idea of absolute heaven - I'm jealous!

Lane splitting is way preferable as you are both free to swim at your own pace. Could you say yes but only if you can be by the side of the pool? Then you wouldn't have to swim in the middle at all.

Also I don't think I'd like booking a lane speed in advance. My choice depends on the speed of whoever is in the pool before me and how fast they're going.

RenegadeKeeblerElf · 26/08/2023 20:19

Interesting to see that so many people prefer to split the lane. I don't, I worry that it would cause issues when a third person joins. I don't see why it makes it easier - if one person is faster then they can just overtake then go back to the correct side once in front. What does annoy me is slower people not paying attention to where the faster person is and waiting to let them go past at the end if they are coming up behind them. Luckily my pool is pretty quiet and it's rare that I have to share a lane for my whole swim.

RenegadeKeeblerElf · 26/08/2023 20:21

I agree that it's odd to pick a lane speed ahead of time though - I tend to take a moment to judge the speed of those already in the pool and choose my lane accordingly - sometimes medium, sometimes slow (never fast, even if I am the fastest one in the pool at that moment!!)

IsItThough · 26/08/2023 20:28

You have to pick your lane speed ahead at our pool, but no-one would stop you switching if you'd got it wrong. They put how fast you need to be confident swimming (eg 25m in less than a minute etc) on the booking info.

Re splitting lanes, doesn't seem to happen much at ours. You weren't unreasonable to want to stick with the system OP. It would piss me off if someone just assumed they would do it to the point where I would carry on in the clockwise way as directed.

budgiegirl · 26/08/2023 22:11

I had our local pool to myself for a whole hour last week, it was a bit un-nerving to be honest, and I was very conscious of the lifeguards staring at me the whole time, because there was no-one else to watch! And I found myself still following the rules and going clockwise round the lane, force of habit I suppose.

OP, YANBU. It's fine to split the lane if you both agree, but if one of you doesn't agree for whatever reason, then you should swim as per the rules as normal.

DrJump · 26/08/2023 22:18

Lane splitting is a pet peeve of mine. I hate. Swim around. It's not hard. Just touch in the middle and push off to the other side. If the person in front is too slow just over take.

surreygirl1987 · 26/08/2023 22:34

Interesting to see that so many people prefer to split the lane. I don't, I worry that it would cause issues when a third person joins.

Why would it cause issues? You see someone get in, and automatically switch to clockwise or anticlockwise! No trouble at all.

I don't see why it makes it easier - if one person is faster then they can just overtake then go back to the correct side once in front. What does annoy me is slower people not paying attention to where the faster person is and waiting to let them go past at the end if they are coming up behind them.

But that's precisely why splitting it is easier. No need for taking over whatsoever. Especially when, as you have pointed out, there is a slower person who is not paying attention. I'm almost always the fastest person in the pool and it drives me mad to have slow people in my lane who don't have good lane etiquette, eg not waiting at the end of the pool to let me take over. If there's only me and one other swimmer, it's FAR better for both of us if we split the lane.

LivStanshall · 26/08/2023 22:48

Lane splitting isn’t common in either of the pools I swim in. People are leaving and joining at different times so it just causes confusion and a need to adjust your swimming. However, yesterday at one pool, a woman was swimming up and down on the side of the pool against the wall and was swimming towards me and everyone else and we had to avoid her. I said something to her politely and she completely flipped, saying she had problems swimming next to the rope. I think if you aren’t that confident swimming the lanes properly you really should try and find another time to swim when there aren’t lanes.

surreygirl1987 · 26/08/2023 22:50

I think if you aren’t that confident swimming the lanes properly you really should try and find another time to swim when there aren’t lanes.

Absolutely!

NewName122 · 26/08/2023 22:57

I go lane swimming and we always go round properly, even if there's 2 people.

Original poster
Mypuppywontsleep · 26/08/2023 23:08

surreygirl1987 · 26/08/2023 22:50

I think if you aren’t that confident swimming the lanes properly you really should try and find another time to swim when there aren’t lanes.

Absolutely!

Well there is no other time. I’m swimming SLOW lane. The other time you can swim is family swim. Not suitable. I can swim many lengths, I have taught myself and I am not a total snail. I just don’t really understand hogging one side of the lane when there is a perfectly good system in place

OP posts:
Original poster
Mypuppywontsleep · 26/08/2023 23:11

LivStanshall · 26/08/2023 22:48

Lane splitting isn’t common in either of the pools I swim in. People are leaving and joining at different times so it just causes confusion and a need to adjust your swimming. However, yesterday at one pool, a woman was swimming up and down on the side of the pool against the wall and was swimming towards me and everyone else and we had to avoid her. I said something to her politely and she completely flipped, saying she had problems swimming next to the rope. I think if you aren’t that confident swimming the lanes properly you really should try and find another time to swim when there aren’t lanes.

Yeah sorry if this was interpreted incorrectly, I agree. There is a system you can’t really just do whatever you feel like. I like having both the wall to swim up and the option to swim without a wall to boost my confidence. It is annoying when you have to swap it all back to allow another person in. Just swim clockwise and be done with it. The only time I don’t is if I am alone in my lane

OP posts:
LivStanshall · 26/08/2023 23:53

Mypuppywontsleep · 26/08/2023 23:11

Yeah sorry if this was interpreted incorrectly, I agree. There is a system you can’t really just do whatever you feel like. I like having both the wall to swim up and the option to swim without a wall to boost my confidence. It is annoying when you have to swap it all back to allow another person in. Just swim clockwise and be done with it. The only time I don’t is if I am alone in my lane

Show quote history

I agree. I love it on the rare occasions I get a lane to myself but it doesn’t happen very often where I live. One of the pools I use is quite small too, so it all feels cramped and then you get people doing what they want and messes it up for everyone. Sometimes you get a man, and it is always a man, trying to do butterfly stroke when the pool is really busy. Everyone gets swamped and you are trying to avoid getting hit by their arms as well. I get lane rage then!

Aparecium · 27/08/2023 00:01

Why would it cause issues? You see someone get in, and automatically switch to clockwise or anticlockwise! No trouble at all.

I won't see them get in. I won't spot them swimming and recognise that we are in the same lane.

If someone gets in and starts lane splitting instead of circuiting, I won't see them at all until they are a few strokes away swimming towards me, and I will assume that they are on the other side of the lane from me. I'm sure I'm not the only short-sighted swimmer. The consistency of circuiting is safer.

surreygirl1987 · 27/08/2023 00:09

If someone gets in and starts lane splitting instead of circuiting, I won't see them at all until they are a few strokes away swimming towards me, and I will assume that they are on the other side of the lane from me. I'm sure I'm not the only short-sighted swimmer. The consistency of circuiting is safer.

Goodness! No, you're not the only short sighted swimmer - I'm extremely short sighted myself- but am capable of seeing that there is a shape entering the pool! I'm sorry, that must be very difficult.

Also, you have it the wrong way round... I was discussing going from lane-splitting to circulating with no problems. Nobody sensible would get in and randomly start lane splitting without ensuring the other person is aware!

surreygirl1987 · 27/08/2023 00:11

I just don’t really understand hogging one side of the lane when there is a perfectly good system in place

I guess it might be good for some but not for others. If two people agree to it and are both happy, I really don't see any issue with lane splitting. That said, they should be in agreement - as you're not, you just need to say so, and circulate. No dramas!

Deathbyfluffy · 27/08/2023 00:15

Silverdogblue · 26/08/2023 19:16

YANBU OP. Splitting the lane is fine but if you’ve not got a bid from your lane mate, you should follow the rules.

FWIW, I think pool swimmers are absolutely vile, selfish, ingrates. Last year I swam about 900 miles. 90% in open water for a very good reason. It’s hard to get territorial in the Pacific Ocean. Not so much in a 23 degree 25m pool in Basildon. Ugh.

Without stating the obvious, have you seen how far the Pacific is from Basildon?
Might be an option for you in your private jet, but it isn’t for everyone

CallieQ · 27/08/2023 00:46

Our slow lane is twice as big as the other two lanes and we always split it sometimes 3 or 4 ways

Someoneonlyyouknow · 27/08/2023 00:50

I still swim clockwise (or anticlockwise) in the lane on my own! I can see that splitting if only 2 of you would ease overtaking stress but if you havent negotiated it first then stick to your rotations and force them to go round you when you meet

MzHz · 27/08/2023 01:30

Silverdogblue · 26/08/2023 19:16

YANBU OP. Splitting the lane is fine but if you’ve not got a bid from your lane mate, you should follow the rules.

FWIW, I think pool swimmers are absolutely vile, selfish, ingrates. Last year I swam about 900 miles. 90% in open water for a very good reason. It’s hard to get territorial in the Pacific Ocean. Not so much in a 23 degree 25m pool in Basildon. Ugh.

Ahem… public sessions are vile mostly

you don’t get this shit at club level. That is why during the off season our club tends to meet up at public sessions so those who can’t swim but fancy themselves as ‘fast lane’ swimmers get to work out what fast actually is.

open water swimmers are awesome, club swimmers are great, swimming courses or Swimming holidays are all wonderful because it’s a different level. Public sessions are sadly too often a litany of stupid egos in Speedo’s who can’t possibly be over taken by a woman or those who think a swim needs to have 2 of you chatting up and down, or the worst someone WALKING in the sodding lane.

I say to those who suffer this, swim harder, swim faster and show them they need to switch lanes.

lljkk · 27/08/2023 04:10

Mypuppywontsleep · 26/08/2023 18:23

It’s really quiet sometimes last week I was the ONLY person in the whole pool!

usually there are 1-3 people in slow and 2 in the other faster lanes sharing

Show quote history

Ruddy heck. Our pool allows up to 12 to book a lane, and the slow lane is the one that may be full. Fast lane is the quietest for us, might only be 2-3.
I live in a place full of old people... but I actually encounter the fewest fast lane swimmers when I go to London.

hahahahahah · 27/08/2023 08:08

I have never experienced a session in which there were only two or three swimmers. Almost all sessions are full, and the health and safety instructions prevent inconvenience and injury.

The 'slow' section of the pool, is often populated by elderly swimmers. Some are very vulnerable, and it is great seeing them getting some healthy exercise at a pace they can manage and in a relatively safe environment. People adhere to the swim around in a clockwise direction rule, unless there is a need to overtake.

I tend to keep to the middle lane. It is common to be splashed by people in the fast lane, but normally you can see it coming and turn your head.

There have been occasions when someone has swum up and down the middle lane, and it is annoying. It means no-one can overtake, and that people have to pause on their circuit as the other person reaches the end of their lane.

Like others, I feel that if there there are just two or three people in the pool, then they can work out their own arrangement, but when there are more swimmers than there are lanes, adhere to the rules.

KimberleyClark · 27/08/2023 08:21

Hot tub hoggers get on my nerves too Went for a swim yesterday afternoon at my gym/health club. There was a man in the hot tub when I entered the pool and he was still there when I got out 45 minutes later.

Original poster
Mypuppywontsleep · 27/08/2023 08:32

It’s not a busy pool and gym, it’s perfect even the gym often only has between 5-10 people in it. I tend to go at quiet times for this reason. Saturday afternoons are often completely dead in the whole gym and pool. 7am swims also really quiet.

OP posts:
NameNew · 09/09/2023 13:44

For those who have commented about being short-sighted, did you know you can get prescription swimming goggles? I ordered a pair online a few years ago, about £20. I hadn't been swimming for a while before then as I found it too disconcerting not being able to see properly.