How Many Swimmers Per Lane

Normally 2-3 others LC and 1-2 others SC. I was on a team once that had 6-7 adults per lane, that was terrible. We circle no matter what.

Our masters group uses has three designated lanes at a municipal pool. If we have a large turn out, we sometimes get four lanes. We typically swim with four people to a lane, not infrequently five to a lane, and occasionally six to seven per lane. We make it work by matching up by speed and event focus. The core group swims together enough that we can work around each other. The key is to be good about yielding the lane and not letting ego get in the way when people want to pass. A crowded lane beats not swimming at all.

weekday mornings about 3-5 in 5 lanes weekday evenings 3-4 in 5 lanes weekends 5-6 in 6 lanes Low is 1 (very rarely) and high is 7 (again rarely) this is all short course Wow, there are some low numbers here. How many people are registered on your teams? Our is at 145.

In my lane at Villanova Masters, there are about 4 to 5 in the lane at the long course practice. When I practice with my local Y masters practice, it is 1 to 2 per lane at the high school(we get the whole pool there) or 5 to 6 a the Y(we only get three lanes there). I heard something where this one lady at some Walnut Creek Masters or something(not sure of her name or where the program is), she swims in her own lane. Apparently, no one is allowed in her lane while there can be 10 people in another lane. Why are these people putting up with that. Plus, the coach should charge her more if they wants to swim alone. But, I heard that the woman is really fast. All I know is that we wouldn't put up with that in Philly. Hell, a bunch of us are thinking of dropping in one day and disturbing her solitude. I hope that coach is charging her more.

In my lane at Villanova Masters, there are about 4 to 5 in the lane at the long course practice. When I practice with my local Y masters practice, it is 1 to 2 per lane at the high school(we get the whole pool there) or 5 to 6 a the Y(we only get three lanes there). I heard something where this one lady at some Walnut Creek Masters or something(not sure of her name or where the program is), she swims in her own lane. Apparently, no one is allowed in her lane while there can be 10 people in another lane. Why are these people putting up with that. Plus, the coach should charge her more if they wants to swim alone. But, I heard that the woman is really fast. All I know is that we wouldn't put up with that in Philly. Hell, a bunch of us are thinking of dropping in one day and disturbing her solitude. I hope that coach is charging her more. You could look it up on Snopes.com, but they may not have it. I swim at Walnut Creek just about every day, right after I get off the deck in Oakland. I've been swimming with Coach O'Brien since 1982, long before I started coaching. So I feel empowered to tell you that what you "heard" qaulifies as an urban legend of the Masters Swimming variety. The Creekers swim in ten lanes of a 50 M pool going across (25 yds) at most of their practices, some are LCM (5 lanes) part of the year, and more often than not there will be at least three to a lane, five is not rare. If you tried to identify this "fast woman" you'd have a problem, one because she wouldn't be alone in her own lane, and two there's a lot of really fast women on that team. So do drop in for a practice if you're in the neighborhood. You and your Philly pals will get a wonderful welcome, a great workout, and maybe an a** kicking from several of those fast WCM women.

On average, we have 4... I don't mind circling just as long as I don't have to lap anyone. However, on my previous teams - we had 2 swimmers per lane and just split it - I got really used to that and would get annoyed when I had to circle in the event that the team had to give up a lane to the kiddies... but I'm totally used to it (circle swimming) now. There is a certain comfort level that you get when you don't have to share a lane.

Tell them 2 things. 1) Go start their own team if they're so pissed off. 2) Everyone in the freaking world has to share a lane, all the way from Michael Phelps to my four year old son.

Sarah-you better not be bashing your old team lol. You could have gotten in my lane. Currently for masters on my team, we all get our own lane in summer (really small team) obviously. In winter might be 2 in a lane. I prefer to circle swim, especially if doing stroke work. In fall/winter our morning practices we get 4 lanes, kiddes get 4 lanes. However, if a lot of kiddies show up, they funnel into my lane and I will swim with them.

Sarah-you better not be bashing your old team lol. ;) You know I love you guys!!! Hee hee, it was rare that we had 3 in the lane... but for some reason, I got so used to splitting, I got cranky when we had to circle - must be that 5:15am start time not helping too!!! ;) I should have split with you, would have had some nice drafting since you are so lightning fast!!! Tell everyone I said hola! Got any meets in the near future?

I've got you all beat. In the summer we only get three long course lanes. The other night we had 11 per lane. Tempers get short sometimes when you have that many in a lane. Anna Lea