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The USMS website
has a great article on Pool
Etiquette from Dr. Philip Whitten. We are
going to cheerfully restate it!
The goals
of good pool etiquette are
twofold:
1) Safety. No head-on
collisions. No colliding with the wall or lane line. No blood
in the water.
2) Good manners. No one wants to
be the swimmer that keeps getting in everyone’s way...
accidentally. If you have any questions about lane etiquette,
please feel free to ask any of the coaches. Keep in mind that
it can be intimidating when first joining a workout, so experienced
swimmers need to have patience with those around you and make them
feel welcome! If we all know what to expect and what to do,
things go smoothly and there are no temper-tantrums. Especially
from the mouse in your lane. .png)
How to be a
lovely lane-mate:
1) Pick the right lane. In most
pools there are "slow", "medium" and "fast" groups. Choose a
lane compatible with your speed, and don’t be shy about
asking the coach for help.
2) Decide if you are going to
"circle swim" or "split the
lane". Swimming side by side is called "splitting
the lane". "Circle swimming", at least in the USA, means that
you stay on the right hand side and swim counter-clockwise - the
same way you expect cars to follow the rules of the road.
(Commonwealth nations follow the rules of their roads and circle
the other way). When you circle swim, proper turn etiquette
is to start preparing for the turn 5 yards in advance. When you
come up to the flags start swimming diagonally towards the left
side of the lane. This will allow the people behind you to turn
without running into you. Confused? Ask for help!
We don’t bite! most of us don’t
bite
3) Passing. If
you are catching the person in front of you, tap them on the feet -
once - twice at the most - to let them know you want to pass.
If you get tapped, stop when you reach the wall, stay to the far
right, and let the other person turn and go in front of you. As an
alternative you can slow down and move to the right so they can
pass as you swim, but this always seem fraught with peril to
me. Of course, the most courteous thing would be for the
passer to finish whatever distance you are doing and ask to go
ahead while resting on the wall (not always possible for longer
distances though).
4) If you are joining late - join the
set, don’t do your own thing - remember, the goal is to
prevent collisions and temper tantrums.
5) When you finish a set please move
over left and let everyone have a chance to finish by touching the
wall. mice don’t like treading
water
And a few last
"Do’s" and "Don’ts"
- DO introduce yourself to you lane mates!
Make friends, chat amongst yourselves.
- DO stop talking and listen to the coach when
they are giving the set!
- DO keep your toenails and fingernails
trimmed. and that goes for claws
too
- DON’T stand in front of the pace clock
and block everyone’s view.
- DON’T slap the swimmer in the next
lane - especially if you have paddles and fins on!
- DON’T jump on, dive onto or push off
into another swimmer - remember no blood in the
water!
- DO get a great workout, have fun and rest
when you need to, and remember, the coaches are here for you.
If you have questions, ask!
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