Hi everyone...okay, for my first post I have an etiquette question...I just joined a Master's team a month ago, so I'm pretty new to all of this.
My question is about passing people during practice. I know that theoretically, the standard procedure is to tap the person's feet to let them know you want to pass, and then they're supposed to stop and "pull over" at the next wall to let you get ahead. But do any of you actually do this a lot during practice? Do the people you pass let you do so without a problem, or do they get mad?
Maybe this doesn't sound like a big deal at all and it seems silly that I'm concerned, but I haven't seen anyone even attempt to pass someone else during our practices, and so I'm afraid it would be rude. Plus, some people I swim with seem like they'd get offended, since they're pretty competitive. But last night, I was getting kind of frustrated because I was swimming behind someone who was slower than me, and I felt like I could go so much faster...is the appropriate thing to do to just suck it up and enjoy the "break", or attempt to pass?
Let me say that I just got moved up a lane in practice after being out many weeks having a baby and then working hard to get back into shape. The lane I'm in now is faster than me but I'm working hard to get back into their times. So, needless to say, I'm the slow one almost all practice long and I know it. When I see that someone behind me is too close, I will often stop and let them pass (usually they are lapping me). I don't want to hold them up since they earned that right to be in that lane and I feel I'm still "earning" it. If I need to pass, I have no problem doing the foot tapping. It is fine being done on me as well. It would be hard in our lanes to pass while still moving because the lanes are not wide enough for 3 swimmers comfortably across. Stopping on the wall is the best option for us and seems to be okay for all of the lane mates I have had the pleasure of swimming with.
Let me say that I just got moved up a lane in practice after being out many weeks having a baby and then working hard to get back into shape. The lane I'm in now is faster than me but I'm working hard to get back into their times. So, needless to say, I'm the slow one almost all practice long and I know it. When I see that someone behind me is too close, I will often stop and let them pass (usually they are lapping me). I don't want to hold them up since they earned that right to be in that lane and I feel I'm still "earning" it. If I need to pass, I have no problem doing the foot tapping. It is fine being done on me as well. It would be hard in our lanes to pass while still moving because the lanes are not wide enough for 3 swimmers comfortably across. Stopping on the wall is the best option for us and seems to be okay for all of the lane mates I have had the pleasure of swimming with.
