Just wondering from you more experienced public pool swimmers what the general social rules are for swimming in the roped off lap lanes?
I've tried doing so once with kickboard, but found myself going quite slow (and also needing to rest more) and decided to not use them until I felt I had the speed and stamina to not slow the lane down.
Our pool uses circular lane swimming, where a person can swim up the sides (either left or right) of a lane and then swim down the middle of it when going back.
Depending on the day, the lanes can either be completely open or have as many as 4 people in them.
Should a person requiring significant rest between lap cycles get out of the pool during that time? Should a slower person use the open pool area instead of lanes? What type of lap lane etiquette have you guys found most common in public pools?