Swimming (pool) frustration. Any tips?

[Jewel1968]

I swim for fitness. I am a reasonable swimmer. I either go in medium lane or fast lane on a good day. I tend to hop between them depending on speed of swimmers. I have mobility (disability) issues so swimming is the only exercise I can do that challenges me aerobically and a bit strength. I also walk lots. So my frustration comes from the following:

• there are two sessions swim for fitness and swim for all. There are not that many swim for fitness sessions compared to swim for all. Swim for fitness can either be the whole pool divided into 3 lanes slow, med and fast but it can also be 2 small lanes and the rest of pool a free for all.
• there is no lane discipline and life guards rarely tell someone to move into a more appropriate lane. As a result there can be very slow swimmers in the med lane which can lead to faster swimmers overtaking causing collisions. I never overtake.
• there are people in the slow lane who are not swimming at all. They are doing some type of exercise (maybe walking underwater) which means the slower swimmers move to the med lane causing problems
• when there is a mix of free for all and lanes the people messing about in free for all section will hop into the lanes swim a lane or two. They can't really swim so cause collisions
• there are no sessions for fitness in the evenings or Sunday

All of the above makes it hard to use swimming as a form of fitness. I have contacted the pool but don't get a response. I have tried talking to lifeguards but they are often young and clearly don't want to challenge people. I also think there are risks to safety with non swimmers in deep water. Any suggestions on what I can try next?

Oh, I see. I apologise. The Swimfit sessions I have attended have been really well policed so I expected that to be the case across the franchise.

Sorry for the terrible suggestions.

Lifeguard here.

If my pool is anything to go by, lunchtime is the quietest time of day. The busiest time is in the first hour when the pool opens, then from around 9:15 to 10:30.

The lifeguards should stop people walking in the lane (we do). The moving people into the right lane for their speed is always a bit tricky because whatever you do (or don't do) customers get pissed off. However the lifeguards should really ask people to switch lanes. (I do on occasions).

I would suggest (1) going to the pool at a quieter time and (2) emailing the centre manager. The lifeguards should definitely only let lane swimmers in the lanes. Anyone doing anything else should be in the non-lane area.

@dizzydizzydizzy really good to know about lunchtime and I do think when I go at lunchtime it is probably the best time - not perfect but the best. Can't always go at lunchtime cos of work but I will try harder.

I once saw a woman who could hardly swim a stroke get into the fast lane still wearing her glasses/spectacles. The lifeguard did approach her (there is one lifeguard who does) and asked her to move. She refused and argued loudly. He didn't give up and she reluctantly moved to the med lane (still wearing her glasses). Eventually she seemed to get it and moved to the slow lane. She really was a danger to herself and others.

The pool I go to is split into 6 lanes so there's no room to overtake anyone (and I wouldn't do it anyway). I occasionally go to a different pool and you have to book your lane in advance (slow, medium or fast). I didn't like the idea of this this at first, but it works really well.

@PukkaP

The pool I go to is split into 6 lanes so there's no room to overtake anyone (and I wouldn't do it anyway). I occasionally go to a different pool and you have to book your lane in advance (slow, medium or fast). I didn't like the idea of this this at first, but it works really well.

It should be possible to overtake somebody swimming front crawl or backstroke. Lanes are usually about 2m wide. I get that it is difficult to overtake most breaststrokers.

[quote Jewel1968]@dizzydizzydizzy really good to know about lunchtime and I do think when I go at lunchtime it is probably the best time - not perfect but the best. Can't always go at lunchtime cos of work but I will try harder.

I once saw a woman who could hardly swim a stroke get into the fast lane still wearing her glasses/spectacles. The lifeguard did approach her (there is one lifeguard who does) and asked her to move. She refused and argued loudly. He didn't give up and she reluctantly moved to the med lane (still wearing her glasses). Eventually she seemed to get it and moved to the slow lane. She really was a danger to herself and others.[/quote]
Some customers are very difficult. We had one who decided we shouldn't be moving the lane rope and swam so we couldn't do it.

Yes this is the problem with swimming pools now. Evenings and before work booked by clubs, public sessions so broad in usage no one can do what they need to.

Suggestions:

Find a big pool- 50m like ponds forge in sheffield or london aquatics. These are often sectioned off so there are separate spaces for lane swimmers.

Join a masters swim or tri club. Often evenings only, but all abilities are catered for and people are there to swim, etiquette it observed etc.

Check for womens only or adult only sessions.

Check your local uni. Lots have their own pools and some allow public access. No kids or families, generally students swimming for fitness. Less of the middle aged male ego splashing down the fast lane too.
Often have clubs as well, but tend to have better hours throughout the day.

Thanks all for the suggestions. Never thought of university pools or clubs so deffo going to check those out. I know there is a secondary school nearby with a pool. Probably worth checking that out.

It depends where you live - where I grew up, there was only one pool in town, so that was the only option, unless you could drive. There are more options where I currently live - more than one price pool, and some private pools in gyms/hotels, where you can get membership, and I think a couple of the private schools just out of town also offer that.

I go to the main pool in town, which has a good range of hours, and is usually well- managed for lanes. There are clear signs for fast, medium and slow, and also signs about good lane discipline. I move between lanes, depending on my stroke and who else is in,but I'm usually in medium (which, on a Friday evening, I sometimes get to myself, which is bliss.) Our lifeguards are mostly good, even the young ones, and have asked people to change lanes to a more appropriate one. When they first reopened after lockdown and it was more restricted, they did have words with a couple of aggressive overtakers who were pissing other swimmers off. So it can be well-managed, but that's of less help to you if that's not close to you.

Sympathies op but if that’s the pool culture I think you’ll get nowhere. Try different times if possible otherwise it’ll have to be another pool

OP: why don't you overtake? You aren't saying you're too slow to overtake.

I have contacted the pool but don't get a response.

Hmmm... our local does respond on their Facebook. Also, staff are local residents in a small town in a region where everyone knows each other, they don't want aggro for next 10 years (!) The swimmers literally hosted the lifeguards as playdate guests 12 years earlier type situation. Why don't all the swimmers at your pool moan at lifeguards? Ours don't hesitate.

Slow lane swimmers are the worst for just bobbing randomly -- so say the slow lane swimmers who want to just get on with steady lengths. I'm grateful I don't need to go in there.

I don't usually overtake because I would likely meet swimmer coming the other way. When it's clear I will overtake.
Occasionally swimmers will say something about how the swimming is managed but it doesn't seem to have any impact. For instance recently they had one large lane for slow swimmers and a narrow lane for fast swimmers. This chap argued it should have been the other way around. The lifeguard agreed but did nothing.

It’s such a pain. Personally I find I do get better/braver at overtaking (though like I said our lanes are quite wide). I find it easiest to overtake at the end/beginning. So as we approach the wall I’ll quickly overtake and push off again, that way I know there isn’t anyone to collide with.
Or I’ll finish begins the slower swimmer and the push off hard and overtake at the start.
Overtaking in the middle of the lane is harder and more prone to collision.

There was another slow swimmer in the medium lane last night. Someone overtook her on every single lane. I was getting so frustrated at how oblivious she seemed but then when I looked over to the slow lane I could see people there just walking or doing exercises, and I can’t really blame her for not wanting to swim there either!

Lane swimming should be for lane swimming full stop. If you want to walk/do exercises/hang out and chat, use the public sessions, as this makes the lane sessions dangerous for lane swimmers and everyone ends up in the wrong lane.

Rant over😂 I love lake swimming in spring and summer but in winter I have to suffer the pool…

For instance recently they had one large lane for slow swimmers and a narrow lane for fast swimmers. This chap argued it should have been the other way around. The lifeguard agreed but did nothing

Actually I would say it’s right that way round.
Slow swimmers need space and time to overtake, so a wide lane is best. Plus more likely to be doing breastroke with a bad leg kick which needs room or they kick people. Faster swimmers are more likely to be ex club or experienced in lane etiquette, and will be able to overtake more easily without obstructing others. Therefore they don’t need the wide lane.

Why did this chap think faster swimmers needed the wide lane and slower swimmers the narrow one? That wouldn’t make sense to me. Maybe the lifeguard was agreeing to keep the peace?

I think the chap's thinking was purely based on numbers - fast lane was busy but with a mix of med and fast. More overtaking needed in the fast lane.

I went at lunchtime today. It was busy but disciplined. No aqua walkers. Problem with lunchtime for me is I can only swim for 25 mins or so cos of work.

Slow lane is the most booked session at our pool, they deserve a bigger lane.

Fast lane swimmers are most able to handle overtaking -- not saying perfect, some ppl are oblivious. But fasties can probably handle a narrower lane.

sWimming with pre-teen competitive club swimmers -- that was chaos. No hesitation to just squeeze past in non-existent space at rocket speed. Luckily I was amused not intimidated.