What is lap pool etiquette at the gym?
I joined a gym that has a lap pool and I want to start training for a triathlon, but I have never swam before at a lap pool and I don't know the rules. Are there slow lanes? Is there etiquette I should know? Thanks.
Answers:
Best way to swim? Once a day for 20 mins or once a week for an hour and a half?
You are so considerate for asking! Most people just jump in and do whatever they want. :)CHOOSING A LANE
It's best if you can swim in a lane with people who are about the same speed as you. Many pools will have a cone or some other sign at the end of the lane to indicate the speed. If not, you can ask the lifeguard, or just observe for a few minutes before you get in, to try to figure out what is the appropriate lane for the speed you are planning to swim. And of course, if you get into a lane, and keep coming up behind someone in front of you, or someone else seems to be consistently gaining on you, you can always switch lanes.
SHARING A LANE: CIRCLE SWIM VS SPLIT
In general, lap lanes follow a circle swim pattern. That means you always swim on the RIGHT side of the lane, which ends up making a loop pattern. However, if there are only 2 people in your lane, and it doesn't look like a third is going to show up, you can arrange with the other person in your lane to "split" the lane, where you choose one lane line and swim next to it the whole time--this has the effect of splitting the one big lane into 2 smaller ones. This only works with 2 people though.
PASSING AND BEING PASSED
Inevitably, you will want to pass someone in your lane or someone will want to pass you. This can happen because of differences in speed, but also when you want to take a rest. Try to pay attention to where the other swimmers in your lane are; if you notice someone coming up behind you, the most polite thing to do is to stop at the next wall, scoot over next to the lane line, and let them get ahead of you. (Wait about 5 seconds before pushing off behind them.)
Passing mid-lane happens in the middle of the lane; if you are passing, go quickly down the middle of the lane, being careful to watch for people coming in the other direction. Lanes are usually wide enough for people to swim three across for passing. If you are being passed, slow down a little bit, and stay as close to the lane line as you can.
ETC
My pet peeve is when someone is standing on the wall, waits for you to get almost to the wall to turn around, and then pushes off right in front of you. UGH. Don't do this. :) Just wait until they push off, and then follow a little ways afterward.
Also, it's good policy not to stop in the middle of the lane, or ten feet before the wall. If you need to rest, get all the way to one wall, and then stand toward the corner so others can still turn on the wall.
Enjoy the pool!
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At the YMCA I used to work at, we had a 4 lane pool, and during most of the lap swims, it was divided into 2 big lanes. One side was for the slower swimmers and older people doing water aerobics, and the other side was for the faster lap swimmers. At some pools though, lanes are first come, first served, where if you jump into a lane first and start swimming, everyone else who comes in after would have to work around your speed (ie find another open lane, swim with you, etc.)Also, at the Y, unless you coordinated with other people swimming with you, lap swim was circle swim, which means you swim up one side of the lane and back down the other, in a counter-clockwise direction. And if you need to pass someone, you do so in the middle of the lane.
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