lane swim etiquette
Lane swims offered at your local pool can be a great way to build your swimming endurance and practice your strokes. But as a new swimmer, a lane swim can be very intimidating.
How do you know where to swim? What lane to join? What happens if I can’t keep up or I’m swimming too slow?
Here are some general rules to follow that will help you to claim your space and feel confident joining in with your swimming community.
01
PICK A LANE
Depending on the layout of the pool, you’ll typically find three lanes allocated to Fast, Medium and Slow. In other cases where a pool only offers two lanes, they have only a Slow and Fast lane. If you are a new or beginner swim I would avoid these to start as they make navigating different speeds in one lane.
02
Direction
If there are more than 2 people in a lane, direction is circular going up the side of the lane rope and down the other side. Typically less than two people, each swimmer goes straight. When the lane is extra wide swimmers will go up both sides closest to the lane and then down the middle.
03
speed
The fastest person in the lane will sets the pace. If someone wishes to pass a slower swimmer, they enter the middle of the lane. Depending on the pool, the lifeguard typically does not get involved in the allocation of swimmers unless it is causing a safety issue.
04
equipment
Typically only swimming training equipment is allowed during lane swim. Items such as noodles and lifejackets typically are not allowed.
do’s & Don’ts
Do
- Ask the lifeguard if you have any concerns or questions.
- Upon arriving and deck, take a moment to get a general sense of the flow of traffic to determine which lane will best suit your workout and goals.
- Switch lanes depending on your focus. Slower lanes for kicking drills and breaststroke. Faster for Front Crawl and Back Crawl.
- Wait 5 secs after the last person has pushed off before going. Much like giving the car in front enough space.
don’t
- Tailgate. Give the person in front of you space. No one likes their toes to be touched.
- Stand for longer than 2 minutes at the end of a lane.