Lane swimming, help!

[user293948849167]

Hello, after some advice please!
Have said I will start taking my 2 teen DDs swimming in the evenings, it is lane swimming from 5pm at our local pool every evening, they want to start tomorrow.
I have never been lane swimming before, am not a very good swimmer so a bit worried about it!
What are the rules? Is there a slow lane, and what do I do if I’m too slow? Bit worried about causing a traffic jam 😬
My DDs are both strong swimmers so not worried about them, I could just let them go in alone but seems a shame because I could do with more exercise.

There is usually a slow lane and instructions on which way to swim (clockwise or anticlockwise). If someone coming behind you taps your foot you should let them pass you at the turn (just stop at the turn, move out of their way and let them turn then carry on yourself).

Best of luck. If you're not sure if anything just ask the lifeguard.

I regularly use the lane swimming at my local council pool. At the pool I go, there are lanes for slow, medium and fast swimmers. We have to book into a specific lane. Breaststroke swimmers tend to use the slow lane. Front crawlers use the medium and fast lane. Our pool
etiquette is that if someone is swimming faster behind you, just pause at the end and let them pass then continue on. That saves people from overtaking and getting stroppy! Usually everyone where I go are very friendly and I’m sure you’ll have a nice time. Enjoy your swim!

Thank you all! I think I will go for the strategy of going in the same lane as my DDs and swimming behind them

I’m a rubbish swimmer and do lane swimming a couple of times a week, just go in the slow lane.

That doesn’t sound ideal if they are strong swimmers and you are not - unless you are the only 3 in the lane.
You should go in the slow lane to start with.

OP when you walk in, look at what is happening and match your speed to whatever lane is correct for you. Probably the slow lane. When you're in, check you are not constantly holding people up. If there is someone faster than you just behind you, pause at the end to let them pass. The most annoying thing is if a slow swimmer launches out two seconds in front of you.

(I've been lane swimming for 40 years and no one has ever tapped my foot, I know it happens, but I've never experienced it. Faster swimmers either overtake or turn early.)

Fast lane swimming at my pool is mostly front or back crawl with the expectation that a 25m length is done in 30 seconds or less. Breast stroke ( even fast) is usually on the medium lane. And yes - when you get to the end, if someone is coming up fast behind you, wait and let them go first.

A lot of the etiquette is just about giving everyone in the pool the space to swim at their own pace.

Start in the slow lane - if you're the fastest one there, think about moving up if there are roughly even numbers of people in each lane. If you're the slowest then other people need to move up. Don't get out because you're the slowest.

When you get to the end of your length, look behind you and see if there is someone right behind you. If there is, let them go ahead. (If people are desperate to overtake they might touch your foot for you to move aside but most people are polite enough to wait until the end of the length.)

When you're starting your length, don't start off when someone is just coming into the end, let them turn and continue their set, and then give them a few seconds before kicking off yourself.

When you finish your length and want to rest, move to the edge of the lane and keep out the way of people turning.

It's worth persevering even if the first session is tough, you can improve your fitness quite quickly if you go regularly. I did the same with my daughters and it really helped me stick at it.

Exactly this. I think the other thing I would say is that I find the first 8-10 lengths pretty tiring but then find I don't really get much more tired than I have got by then for quite a while, so it's worth keeping going past that point if you can.

Def go in the slow lane. You might be faster than the slow swimmers, and if you are you can move yourself up a lane. Dont swim behind your dds. They will get ahead of you and end up chasing your tail. That will cause a jam and is annoying for faster swimmers. You can go as slow as you like in the slow lane! I always start in a lane that’s slower than I think I need to judge where I should be depending on the speed of the swimmers present. Sometimes I end up in the fast lane, until a big splashy man swimmer comes and takes over the whole lane. Then I swim breaststroke in the slower lane.

I find it's different depending on who else is there. Sometimes, as a relatively new swimmer who's having lessons to perfect the strokes, the slow lane is exactly where I belong. At other times the slow lane is women (always women) pootling along and chatting.

My individual lengths are getting quicker but my turns cost me time, so do I go in a lane that matches my swimming speed and let people pass at the ends or am I supposed to stay with people whose overall pace is the same as mine?

This is perfect advice

The fast lane is always occupied by big beefy men who always manage to kick you or whack you on your head as they butterfly their way down the lane. Even if you’re faster than them don’t bother going in as you’ll inevitably get bullied out of it.

I wouldn't do that if they are strong swimmers unless it's really quiet. Just go with the lane that is most appropriate for you. Start with the slow lane if you are a bit nervous.

Maybe that's your experience.
Sure, I've come across arrogant arseholes, but there are plenty of women (and men) happily enjoying swimming in the fast lane, getting on with their session.

Agree with starting in the slow lane and watching out for other people, if they are faster than you pause at the end to let them past, if you are significantly faster than them consider moving to the medium lane. I have never had my foot tapped in 40 years either. Our sports centre has lane bookings on the app which give guidance for the sort of speed you might expect in each lane.

Oh yes and my DD who is tiny has never had any problems with bullying men in the fast lane, there might be the odd one but she copes just fine.

Same. I've never had my foot tapped. I observe who I'm sharing the lane with and set off as appropriate. I'll know if the person behind me is faster (and I would have set off in good time) and pause at the end.

Seems I'm the only one who has ever had my foot tapped! It is pretty rare as I am generally paying attention and let faster swimmers pass at the turn.

Ex lifeguard here. Don’t do that unless you all swim at the same speed. Go in the slow lane. The advice feom @BeanNaGealaiis good, especially the bit about talking to the lifeguard. Also you need to be able to swim a length without stopping. If you can’t, you’ll need to improve before you go lane swimming. I

foot tapping is standard etiquette among club swimmers. I don’t think the average punter in a leisure centre knows about this though.

Well, presumably club swimmers know only to do it in club sessions, I know about it because DD was one but it has never happened to me. Perhaps because I don't use the fast lane, the club swimmers aren't likely to be in the medium and slow ones. I don't think it is going to happen to the OP if she is a newbie to lane swimming.

Yes. I think most regular lane swimmers know about foot tapping, but unless you're confident your lane mates know about it as well, you risk looking like a foot tapping weirdo!

I’ve been lane swimming three times a week for several years and I’ve never heard of foot tapping. I think the most important thing is for OP to go in the right lane for her speed. Whilst it’s very irritating for someone to be swimming too slowly in the middle or fast lane, it’s also equally annoying, and quite intimidating, to have someone swimming much faster than everyone else if you’re in the slow lane.

True. I had 2 competitive swimmers so was definitely aware of it from that but have had it occasionally when swimming myself. It has only ever happened in the fast lane so it may be people involved in masters swimming or similar.