Etiquette

It's funny how when using the pool everyone seems to think that it's ok to have an incumbent swimmer adjust to the new arrival's exacting needs beyond just sharing. If you don't they seem to feel you are unreasonable or rude. I wonder how many people would think it OK to walk into the weight room, order the person doing bench press to get up between sets and unrack their weights so you can use the bench to do reverse crunches...basically I feel it's the same thing. Your response should always be polite but it can be along the lines of sure, you can have that side of the lane. Patrick I wish fly was a deterrent...it seems like a magnet for double arm backstrokers for me...perhaps they like to get in to try to force me to abandon fly...

I am so glad that I get to swim in an organized workout. I don't know how you can stand the frustration of trying to fit in with casual pool users. January is distance month for our team so I went in on Sunday to try to get in some extra distance. There is 1 six lane 25 yd pool and half of it was roped off for free swim. In the three "lap" lanes there were the following: Lane 1 - an elderly woman who swam a combination breaststroke/sidestroke with a twisting 2 1/2 layout breathing technique who swam so slowly that she literally defied the laws of physics. Lane 2 - an elderly man in full Sea Hunt regalia (sans tank and regulator) who swam what could be best described as a spider crawl - arms and legs never leave the water but instead move to the sides of the body but in the water in a manner that must be designed to make maximum use of the most water possible. Needless to say, this technique is on the slow side of a crawl (that's "a" crawl not "the" crawl). Lane 3 - a younger (compared to Lanes 1 & 2) person who apparently is training for the boy scout swimming merit badge and is trying to perfect the sidestroke and elementary backstroke sections of the test. It was apparent that sharing a lane would be dangerous at best and while I was not confident that any of the existing occupants would be able to last very long, there were 2 other people waiting for their chance to take over a lane of their own. Back to the subject of this thread, if that happened to me I would make a strong suggestion that the new person in the lane go and find another lane that did not have a wall.

I find it true as well, that butterfly doesn't always scare away the lap swimmers. I think they're looking more at sharing with the single person, vs. circle swimming in general. This happens to me all the time. Should I feel guilty that I'm doing fly and the nearly 80 year old lady is almost drowning? :) I vary my sets depending on who's with me, don't worry. :) Also, if I'm swimming at the Y, I just assume that at some point, I'll have a lanemate, so I just start swimming on the side that works best for me from the beginning. I was also yelled at by a bunch of 70+ yr old busy-body noodlers for swimming fly and allegedly swamping an 80 yr old - she later told me she was just fine. The noodlers also try to get in the lanes ahead of time to clog it up and complain loudly about making waves in the pool, which apparenlty inhibits floating and chatting (must make them sea sick). Even the lap swimmers at the Y don't like faster swimmers cause of the wake. The lanes are marked slow, medium and fast, and no one pays any attention - the guards don't care cause they're chatting with the noodlers. I don't mind swimming doubled up, stop my fly for an approaching swimmer, and always ask someone standing on the deck to jump in, no matter how big there mask and snorkel. However, I am dying to put my thumb over the snorkel hole (Caddie Shack) when standing at the pool end and one these guys makes a closed U-turn.:D

Also, if I'm swimming at the Y, I just assume that at some point, I'll have a lanemate, so I just start swimming on the side that works best for me from the beginning. I do the same thing. While Butterfly may not scare people off, I have found that monster paddles will. I have two sets - the small ones I use the majority of the time, and the ones I put on when I feel threatened by possible lane encroachers! I sort of have the opposite problem - when I have the good fortune to swim at lunch, because I am able to get there early, I get my own lane at first. Then this really nice, younger, and MUCH faster guy, who can't get there as early, knows I am agreeable to sharing (so many are NOT) - but then I nearly drown! He is very sweet, so I don't say a thing, but inside I'm kinda groaning! Like, if I could keep up with him, I would!! But neither of us complain, because swimming together is definitely better than sharing with a "leisure" swimmer or a noodler! :blush:

Also, if I'm swimming at the Y, I just assume that at some point, I'll have a lanemate, so I just start swimming on the side that works best for me from the beginning. I tend to do the same thing. I prefer to swim on one side of the lane anyways. I'm not a fan of circling if I don't have to. I did have one kind lap swimmer last week tell me that I should get the pool side because I was in the lane first and it was bigger. I thought that was very nice of her to say! I told her that I was finishing up and she would have the lane to herself in a few minutes anyway. Its amazing what being nice will do. Some people are just flat out rude.

I avoid that lane like the plague.I learned my lesson the hard way by breaking my small toe on the ladder while doing *** stroke kick-I did not realize how much I drifted toward the wall and next thing I know I'm in agony,hopping on one foot. Needless to say,since then,if I have to swim in the dreaded lane,I stick to the laneline-and it is understood that who ever gets in with me can have the rest of the space-at their own risk.

***What are your thoughts on the foot touching? Well in club workouts, I use the foot touch ONCE if I am preparing to pass someone and we are within 5-7 yards of the turn. Sometimes people don't realize you are bearing down on them, and I want the person to know that they should not "cross over" the lane while flipping, that I am going to move up along side them and flip and push off. Now the touch itself is no more than a tap or two on the bottom of the foot. This no foot massage, and I am not doing it to be annoying. Like I said, for me its just a heads up.

My my my... The perception of noodlers here is quite funny. There's probably a water aerobics site somewhere that complains about all those stupid lap swimmers. The fact is, they pay as much as we do to be there. They do pay as much. But if you figure you are paying for half a lane (no one circle swims at my pool), noodlers are often getting more than their fair share. Noodlers either get their own lanes or force real swimmers to modify their workouts because they are often either flailing about with arms and legs akimbo or are, sorry to say it, overly large.

Sometimes foot touching is necessary for a heads-up, but just be aware that for some people the practice is like when someone on a highway tailgates and starts flashing his high-beams. I *rarely* do it anymore, and when I do I use a very light touch and only when I worry the person will run into me otherwise. When there is a large speed differential, I can't imagine when foot touching would be needed.

My my my... The perception of noodlers here is quite funny. There's probably a water aerobics site somewhere that complains about all those stupid lap swimmers. The fact is, they pay as much as we do to be there. That said, they should be respectful enough to know that lap swimmers can't swim with a ladder in the way and that's its more efficient to "circle noodle" (new term) than to take up 7.5 lanes. The pool I use in boston is 3 lanes. One of them has a ladder in it. Usually I can get my own lane, occasionally I have to share, but sometimes I have to circle swim. This is extremely frustrating because I am almost always the fastest swimmer in the water. I feel awkward touching people's feet, especially every lap or so. I'm not sure if they understand that I'm being polite, asking them to pass, and not trying to be rude***. I actually love circle swimming when doing it with people of my ability. The choppiness of the water is... invigorating and reminds me of the good old swim team days. I also find many people don't understand the concept of circle swimming and lane splitting. I've seen far too many accidents at this one pool. Back in HS- one day there was this huge water aerobics fiesta. They took out one lane line to make one large whirl pool of noodles. The pool had a separate diving well, so the lap pool was about 5ft deep. The whirl pool was so strong that apparently the swimmers in the adjacent lane (freshman/sophomores) were having problems with their flip turns because of the suction caused by the whirlpool. ***What are your thoughts on the foot touching?