Lane swimming : courtesy and discipline

[Cyclone 10]

I agree Fast swimmers seem to think it is their right to carry on regardless and they never give way or wait 5 secs at end of pool

They have a very superior attitude as if it is their private pool

 

At what point should it be necessary to give way or wait 5 seconds? If you're swimming a distance and want to know the time, either of those two things ruins it for you.

[Guest sibon]

At what point should it be necessary to give way or wait 5 seconds? If you're swimming a distance and want to know the time, either of those two things ruins it for you.

 

Probably when someone else is doing the same thing. All with their own personal targets.

 

I assume that you don't just blast your way through traffic jams in your car.

 

In the same way, surely you adjust your style of swimming to suit the conditions in the pool.

[Justin Smith 10]

Probably when someone else is doing the same thing. All with their own personal targets.

 

I assume that you don't just blast your way through traffic jams in your car.

 

In the same way, surely you adjust your style of swimming to suit the conditions in the pool.

 

I think this sums it up.

As I`ve stated on here I do my level best to adapt my swimming to fit in with other swimmers, but you can only go so far, after you`ve used up all your options you`ve just got to put up with appearing to be aggressive (see below), or you have to get out....

 

 

---------- Post added 17-10-2014 at 09:26 ----------

 

I agree Fast swimmers seem to think it is their right to carry on regardless and they never give way or wait 5 secs at end of pool

They have a very superior attitude as if it is their private pool

 

But remember......

 

There`s actually a bigger point here. Slower swimmers might get annoyed at faster swimmers overtaking them and think they`re being aggressive but the fact is that a faster swimmer has to swim that fast or (from a fitness point of view) it`s a waste of time them even being there ! A swimmer who can do a 100m freestyle in 1 min 10 seconds [and this really isn`t that fast.....] should be swimming 100m reps in about 1 min 20 or they really aren`t working that hard, believe me. If it was as slow as 1 min 30 they`d hardly be out of breath ! Obviously if they did a continuous swim they`d be going a bit slower (possibly 1min 35sec to 1min 40sec 100 pace) but they`d actually be overtaking even more swimmers because they wouldn`t be able to adapt their leaving times to try and avoid overtakes.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Justin Smith

[Cyclone 10]

Probably when someone else is doing the same thing. All with their own personal targets.

There are already rules about etiquette though, and they don't involve giving way (since you all swim in the same direction) or having to wait 5 seconds (since you all swim in the same direction).

 

I assume that you don't just blast your way through traffic jams in your car.

You don't get queueing in a pool, you're swimming in a loop

 

In the same way, surely you adjust your style of swimming to suit the conditions in the pool.

 

You have to. If you can't overtake safely, then ultimately you have to slow down. But that's not 'giving way or pausing'. You shouldn't expect the people in front to make way for you, if you can't already manage an overtake (due to the number of people in the pool).

 

(Obviously this still means your time won't be any use, but so be it).

[Justin Smith 10]

There are already rules about etiquette though, and they don't involve giving way (since you all swim in the same direction) or having to wait 5 seconds (since you all swim in the same direction).

 

You have to. If you can't overtake safely, then ultimately you have to slow down. But that's not 'giving way or pausing'. You shouldn't expect the people in front to make way for you, if you can't already manage an overtake (due to the number of people in the pool).

 

(Obviously this still means your time won't be any use, but so be it).

 

I think it comes down to this, treat other as you`d wish to be treated ?

 

I wouldn`t want to push off in front of someone who was quite obviously faster than me. Partly because I don`t like other swimmers "on my feet" and having to overtake me but also because I think it`s discourteous.

 

---------- Post added 17-10-2014 at 13:46 ----------

 

You don't get queueing in a pool, you're swimming in a loop

 

But you do get queuing in a swimming pool, that`s the whole point. Just because the Q is moving is neither here nor there. When you`re out driving if you get a tractor going along with a Q behind it most people think the tractor should regularly pull over to allow all the faster vehicles through, it`s exactly the same. In fact some people even think drivers doing the speed limit on a motorway should pull over to let motorists wanting to break the law (by overtaking them over the speed limit) do so !

Edited October 18, 2014 by Justin Smith

[Justin Smith 10]

Here`s a question for all you lane swimmers. Do you tend to pull to one side when you swim ? I do. When I get tired and particularly when swimming Freestyle, I tend to veer off to the left. Why this is of interest in a thread on lane swimming courtesy is that all other things being equal I swim in a lane going clockwise so I swim into the lane ropes as opposed into another swimmer coming back down the other way ! It`s something I think every lane swimmer should bear in mind when deciding which lane to get in.

[Fudbeer 12]

Here`s a question for all you lane swimmers. Do you tend to pull to one side when you swim ? I do. When I get tired and particularly when swimming Freestyle, I tend to veer off to the left. Why this is of interest in a thread on lane swimming courtesy is that all other things being equal I swim in a lane going clockwise so I swim into the lane ropes as opposed into another swimmer coming back down the other way ! It`s something I think every lane swimmer should bear in mind when deciding which lane to get in.

 

Do you breath on both both sides when doing freestyle ?

 

If not this might help.

[Cyclone 10]

A queue (in the British sense) is normally something you wouldn't start skipping. The pool might be congested, but you are free to overtake, you don't have to wait your turn, and so hence why I said it's not a queue.

 

No, I don't pull to one side. Even when tired. I do breath on both sides, if convenient (ie I want an uneven number of strokes for a breath), sometimes I breath one side, if I'm doing 4 strokes to a breath.

 

---------- Post added 03-12-2014 at 07:31 ----------

 

The comment about the queue was in response to someone comparing it "to a traffic jam".

Ie stationary.

 

You don't get that kind of queue in a pool.

[Justin Smith 10]

Do you breath on both both sides when doing freestyle ?

 

If not this might help.

 

I do about half the time, but it doesn`t really make much difference. The problem is worse when I`m tired towards the end of a hard rep, when your concentration starts going..... That`s pretty common, a lot of swimmers have a good stroke when they`re fresh but as the get more tired (physically and mentally) their stroke gets worse !

[Fudbeer 12]

I do about half the time, but it doesn`t really make much difference. The problem is worse when I`m tired towards the end of a hard rep, when your concentration starts going..... That`s pretty common, a lot of swimmers have a good stroke when they`re fresh but as the get more tired (physically and mentally) their stroke gets worse !

 

Yes I definitely find form gets worse as time goes on.

 

Probably telling me I am doing to many lengths!

[Justin Smith 10]

Yes I definitely find form gets worse as time goes on.

 

Probably telling me I am doing too many lengths!

 

You can`t do too many lengths, assuming you keep a good stroke !

Having said that, I remember the words of one coach about training :

It`s not how far you swim, and it`s not how fast (hard) you swim, it`s how far you swim fast.......

[superted4 10]

Could someone explain whether I`m being too thoughtful here, or, expecting all other lane swimmers to do the same, I am asking too much ?

 

When I go lane swimming the first thing I do as I`m warming up is work out who is faster than I am and who is slower than me, it`s usually pretty easy to do.

Once I`ve done this, if I`m about to leave from the end, if a swimmer coming in is faster than me I wait for him/her to turn and go before swimming off myself. If I`m faster than them I go just before they get to the end. Similarly, when I`m actually swimming I`ve a pretty good idea of where all the other swimmers are, if I feel there`s a faster swimmer "on my feet" I pause at the end to let them through.

After all, I don`t want to be in anyone`s way, and, similarly I don`t want anyone to be in my way, not forgetting of course that overtaking in lane swimming is potentially dangerous. I`m definitely not suggesting overtaking should be banned but I am saying it should reduced as much as possible. Which, is part of the reason I don`t do kick drills in the fast lane, and certainly not when there`s more than one other swimmer in it with me.

 

Isn`t all this obvious ?

 

Very Important ! A swimmer overtaking you isn`t being aggressive, they`ve got to do that !

 

I'm with you. I think it's just people in gerneral these days. There not intentionally rude (read that as thick) it's just something they don't realise they are doing!!