Swimming Pool Etiquette

[CMP]

Just wanted to remind people utilizing West Seattle pools for lap swim purposes to swim with people that are your speed. Just because the easy/medium/fast lanes might be more crowded doesn’t mean you should swim in the very fast lane if there are fewer people in it. If everyone swam with people their own speed, we would all get in a good workout. Remember, if you’re being passed frequently, it’s time to move into a slower lane. And if you keep passing people, move to a faster lane. Very simple and logical…just like those lap swim pool rules state (which everyone should read). Thanks!

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[flipjack]

Sounds like people swim the same way they drive around here.

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[Wes]

I thought this was going to say, “We don’t swim in the toilet, so don’t pee in the pool.” This, of course, is also good pool etiquette.

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[CMP]

LOL…people do swim like they drive around here :) No common sense and they just make their own rules, which doesn’t work for those of us who are a little more accomplished!

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[SA]

As a new swimmer can you tell me how the slow/medium/fast lanes are supposed to be orientated? Is lane 1 the fastest, lane the lane farthest right or determined by the individual pool? I swim at Mercer Island and WS Allstar and I haven’t see anything posted. Also, what happens at a place like WS Allstar where there are always a minimum of three lanes open for lap swimming but switch to all lanes of lap swimming at a specified time… are people supposed to re-seed themselves and switch lanes?

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[CMP]

SA, a typical pool will put the faster swimmers in the middle lanes (i.e. 3 & 4), medium lanes in 2 & 5, and the easy lanes along the wall (1 &6). However, WS All Star doesn’t organize their lanes by speed making it a free-for-all. If a lane (or lanes) became available I would move over to it so I wouldn’t have to share anymore. I quit swimming there b/c the slower swimmers just loved sharing a lane with me since they knew I wouldn’t cross over onto their side of the lane. Well, I shouldn’t say slower since that’s insulting. They had poor technique and were all over the place. Anyway, it sounds like Mercer Island doesn’t organize their lanes either, which is unfortunate (Seattle city pools do…yea!).

I recommend swimming with people you feel are your own speed. That way if the pool gets crowded, at least you’ll be in a lane with someone you won’t be passing often, or who won’t be passing you. Here’s a link to the US Masters Swimming website about more pool etiquette: http://www.usms.org/fitness/content/pooletiquette

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[squareeyes]

I would love AllStar to implement speed lanes. I’m one of those very slow and not overly confident swimmers who mostly uses a kick board. I really dislike sharing lanes with much faster swimmers who pass me. I’m sure they feel the same. Come on AllStar, get with the program!

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[swimcat]

Squareeyes- sorry to say, but good luck with that request (I can’t help but be sarcastic). All-Star won’t lift a finger to make one improvement to that pool. Trust me, I went back and forth with them until I realized nothing would get done because they don’t know what they are doing. I only wish it hadn’t taken me so long to quit that club.

If you aren’t a confident swimmer, my advice would be to swim at a Seattle City pool where the lifeguards actually watch the pool and the pools are run efficiently and safely. Then if you have problems, they’ll actually be there to help you promptly (I would not be as confident with the guards at All-Star, which is an understatement).

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[swimcat]

Alright, this topic needs to be revisited since I just swam at Southwest and it amazes me that people won’t swim in the proper lane for their speed. I am usually the fastest person in the pool, and it is not fair or safe for me to have to continually pass people that are too clueless to get into a slower lane (I have been hit many times when passing people because they don’t know the proper way to be passed). So here is a hint- if you can not do a flip turn, or any stroke besides ‘freestyle’, you should NEVER EVER EVER go into the fast lane or very fast lane, even if no one is in there.

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