I'm a newbie and just had my first practice yesterday sharing the lane with other swimmers. There were five of us, and it was horrible. I could barely get across one length of the pool and I actually panicked because I've never swum with others in the lane, certainly not four or five other people, and I was afraid of hitting or being hit. I stayed close to the rope, so much that I hit it a few times. Now I'm thinking, should I have joined this program? Am I one of those people who just prefers to swim alone? It was pretty scary.
I know those of you who do this all the time probably think, pffffft. No biggie. But I've never been so tense in the pool and when I swim on my own, I'm fine, do lots of laps for about an hour with very few breaks, so I know it's not my skill level. But I don't even know if I want to go back to a practice. I got bumped a few times, bumped into someone else, and basically made a fool of myself.
I also noticed that certain people displace the water an awful lot, and that was a new sensation.
I wouldn't want to absolutely guarantee it, but that's the general rule everywhere I've swum. You can probably check with the lifeguards or other pool staff.
This should be the 'rule'. Where I swim, nobody gets it, though. We don't have very many actual swimmers (people swimming organized swim workouts, I suppose), but everyone seems to think that if they are the first in a lane, they own it. I just jump in with the person I think I will disrupt the least and ask if they circle swim. Some people look at me as if I'd suggested we do away with our suits for the day.
I do disagree with the sentiment that just because someone is walking or hopping or whatever that their workout is less important than mine just because I am swimming. I just wish they'd realize that about 20 people can share a lane while working out like that, and that three friends walking together don't need all 4 lanes.
I wouldn't want to absolutely guarantee it, but that's the general rule everywhere I've swum. You can probably check with the lifeguards or other pool staff.
This should be the 'rule'. Where I swim, nobody gets it, though. We don't have very many actual swimmers (people swimming organized swim workouts, I suppose), but everyone seems to think that if they are the first in a lane, they own it. I just jump in with the person I think I will disrupt the least and ask if they circle swim. Some people look at me as if I'd suggested we do away with our suits for the day.
I do disagree with the sentiment that just because someone is walking or hopping or whatever that their workout is less important than mine just because I am swimming. I just wish they'd realize that about 20 people can share a lane while working out like that, and that three friends walking together don't need all 4 lanes.
