Sometimes I see slow lap swimmers turn around quite a distance before they reach the end of the pool so that they can always continue without stop ahead of whoever has been waiting at the end to start. So the picture is like this: as they approach the end, see someone is about to start, right away they make a U-turn and swim back. Since they are slow (a faster swimmer should hardly cause any inconvenience), the person waiting would eventually catch up and have to pass him/her. So their turning around in the middle really does nothing but causing inconvenience for both others and themselves, and unnecessary potential for accidents. What do you think and what would you do in such cases?
I don't think it's necessarily bad etiquette because if you're standing at the wall they probably don't know when you plan to push off. They may actually be trying to get out of your way. One thing to keep in mind is that swimmers who only do continuous laps might not really understand that you are doing interval training. It's possible they just think you like to stop periodically. Perhaps if you explained to them exactly what you are doing they would cease and desist.
Let's face it, someone swimming continuously is virtually guaranteed to be in your way at times if you are doing intervals. I think it's really your responsibility to avoid them. That might mean you have to leave five seconds early or five seconds late sometimes, but it seems to me a swimmer who is swimming always has the right of way over someone resting at the wall.
I don't think it's necessarily bad etiquette because if you're standing at the wall they probably don't know when you plan to push off. They may actually be trying to get out of your way. One thing to keep in mind is that swimmers who only do continuous laps might not really understand that you are doing interval training. It's possible they just think you like to stop periodically. Perhaps if you explained to them exactly what you are doing they would cease and desist.
Let's face it, someone swimming continuously is virtually guaranteed to be in your way at times if you are doing intervals. I think it's really your responsibility to avoid them. That might mean you have to leave five seconds early or five seconds late sometimes, but it seems to me a swimmer who is swimming always has the right of way over someone resting at the wall.
