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I started swimming during the pandemic. The pool was never crowded so this never really came up. I'm wondering what the etiquette is regarding sharing a lane? Once there were no open lanes, so I waited until I could catch someone's attention and kind of gestured that I wanted to share the lane. I don't know if that was right. But today I was swimming and all of the sudden I almost crashed into someone... there was someone else in my lane. So I kind of followed her lead and kept to the right. But then she started doing some weird, slow backstroke and took up the whole lane, I couldn't even pass.
So what's the etiquette? If all lanes are full, do you ask first, or just start swimming? Keep to the right, or stick to one side of the lane, up and back?
If there aren't a lot of swimmers, but every lane has one person in it: Try to choose a lane where the person swims about your speed. When they approach the wall, get their attention and motion/say you want to share this lane (they have to say yes, but you're being nice). The best is to split the lane -- each of you gets one side. If more swimmers arrive, then you have to circle. Circling is done counter-clockwise, down one side and up the other side. If everyone is about the same speed, this works well and you keep a consistent distance from each other. Many swimmers can share the same lane this way.
The weird, slow backstroke taking up the entire lane would be hard to share a lane with. Watch the swimmers before you choose your lane. Good for you for swimming, it's great exercise.
Last edited by wildflowers27; 04-15-2023 at 09:24 PM..
Pick a lane that's moving similar speed.
Enter in a gap not right as someone is coming in for a turn.
Circle/split depends on how many swimmers are in the lane. If you're splitting a lane with one swimmer you split the lane. If there's 3+ in a lane you circle and stay to the right of the lane. If you're #3 it's kinda awkward. Loiter around until you get the two that are in the lanes attention... but sometimes they'll pretend not to notice because they're jerks. Mind the direction. Nothing is worse than some idiot that jumps in a lane going the wrong direction. Everything else is forgivable.
I started swimming during the pandemic. The pool was never crowded so this never really came up. I'm wondering what the etiquette is regarding sharing a lane? Once there were no open lanes, so I waited until I could catch someone's attention and kind of gestured that I wanted to share the lane. I don't know if that was right. But today I was swimming and all of the sudden I almost crashed into someone... there was someone else in my lane. So I kind of followed her lead and kept to the right. But then she started doing some weird, slow backstroke and took up the whole lane, I couldn't even pass.
So what's the etiquette? If all lanes are full, do you ask first, or just start swimming? Keep to the right, or stick to one side of the lane, up and back?
My Y has instructions on the wall for sharing lanes. They reserve certain lanes for slow, medium, and fast swimmers. I've never tried to do it. I wait until a lane is available.
My Y has instructions on the wall for sharing lanes. They reserve certain lanes for slow, medium, and fast swimmers. I've never tried to do it. I wait until a lane is available.
Yes, I've always waited for a lane too. But I've been curious about the etiquette, in case I ever needed to share. I was so surprised by the way this lady jumped in my lane without notifying me, I wondered if that was correct.
Pick a lane that's moving similar speed.
Enter in a gap not right as someone is coming in for a turn.
Circle/split depends on how many swimmers are in the lane. If you're splitting a lane with one swimmer you split the lane. If there's 3+ in a lane you circle and stay to the right of the lane. If you're #3 it's kinda awkward. Loiter around until you get the two that are in the lanes attention... but sometimes they'll pretend not to notice because they're jerks. Mind the direction. Nothing is worse than some idiot that jumps in a lane going the wrong direction. Everything else is forgivable.
Thanks, this is helpful. So when you say to enter in a gap, not as someone is coming in for a turn-- should you not try to get their attention and warn them you're entering? I see how you wouldn't want to interrupt. But it seemed dangerous to me how this lady was unexpectedly in my lane.
This has happened to me too. I learned to swim during the height of the pandemic when it was very quiet, and there was a reservation system. Then everything opened just like that, no more reservations, and I was faced with crowds of people coming in. Usually people would ask to share a lane, and we would split one side each, but one woman just jumped in the pool and started walking down my side of the lane as I was swimming in to the shallow area. I did not see her at all until I nearly crashed into her and it startled me. She had absolutely no clue the proper etiquette and it was frustrating. One other time a man three times my size got in and shared my lane. He decided to do back srokes failing his arms out to the side and smacked me in the face as I was swimming by, causing me to completely lose my focus and ability to swim properly for a few seconds.
I started swimming very early mornings on Mondays, Saturdays, Sundays to avoid the crowds and because I find those times are usually the more serious swimmers who want to exercise, not just play around. Unfortunately even then it can get really crowded now but at least these people tend to have better etiquette and know what they are doing as opposed to the afternoon crowd. Every place is different though. In summer I move out to the local lakes and swim out there for a more peaceful experience, though I have to find quiet lakes that are not popular with the boaters.
Pick a lane that's moving similar speed.
Enter in a gap not right as someone is coming in for a turn.
Circle/split depends on how many swimmers are in the lane. If you're splitting a lane with one swimmer you split the lane. If there's 3+ in a lane you circle and stay to the right of the lane. If you're #3 it's kinda awkward. Loiter around until you get the two that are in the lanes attention... but sometimes they'll pretend not to notice because they're jerks. Mind the direction. Nothing is worse than some idiot that jumps in a lane going the wrong direction. Everything else is forgivable.
If you ever in Australia, stay to the left of the lane. As we do on the road.
We don’t ask permission to share a lane, we just do.
It's the lifeguard's job, at the pool I work at, to direct new swimmers into the proper lane. If you have a pool of lap swimmers and you're lifeguarding, then it's not a big deal to get to know the swimmers and their speeds/abilities. If you don't know them, you ask the incomer about their swimming and make a decision. If they told you they're Michael Phelps and they're not, you move them.
I personally would never share a lane. When I do swim, I'm first into the gym. not a lot of people swimming at 4:30am
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