Any instructors here - do you teach etiquette?

Ben D Bus

I've just replied to a 'what drives you mad?' type thread in After Hours.

My post related to poor etiquette in the pool. Just wondering if any instructors ever point out the basics of not being a bloody nuisance in the lanes :pac:

You know, swim with the arrows, choose an appropriate lane to match your speed, don't stand in the lane blocking other swimmers etc. etc.

As I said in the AH thread, I'm off to the pool now and I'm already wound up in anticipation of the muppetry I know I'll encounter

And don't get me started on sauna etiquette and the basics of keeping the changing areas clean!

Foyler

Not the answer you were looking for but...

Go swim in the sea or lakes - no need for lanes, etiquette or to get stressed out, you can swim whatever direction you want, at whatever speed you feel up to and can stop and smell the roses when you feel like it.
In fact open water swimming is my antidote to the stresses of life.

I could list the advantages all day but fact that its always different and always free should be high on the list.

Seanie_H

I'm very intimidated in the pool because I probably don't know the ettiquette. I certainly would be conscious of staying out of the way and if I need a breather it will be in the corner of the lane against the wall.

But the other day for example I had a guy crash in to me head on. There were only two of us in the lane, which was not what I would call the 'lap swimming lane' (which was taken up by two people with floats drifting). Previously, I just followed the lead of others, two in the lane - one stays left and one stays right but it didn't work this time. The other guy was flying up and down too so saved him having to continuosuly overtake me aswell. He apologised and conceded but I thought I was possibly in the wrong.

No huge drama. It's not a busy pool so there's often nobody leading by example.

I completed 8 weeks of lessons a few weeks ago and there wasn't a peep about how to swim in the pool.

Freddio

Generally in lap swimming, you should swim either anti clock wise or clock wise depending on the alternate lane your in. Usually this is or at least should be signposted. If the guy you crashed into was a lot faster then this would be his expectation and this would be reasonable.

The idea is that as people are swimming in adjacent lanes there will be a lot less colliding smacks in the hand. Also as soon as a third person gets into the lane, the side by side thing goes out the window