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A quick review of Lane Etiquette

It makes life easier when we’re all aware of what’s expected and what constitutes ‘good manners’ in Masters swimming.

OMSC has anywhere from 15 to 40 swimmers swimming at workouts. With 3 to 8 lanes this means up to 5 swimmers per lane (25m pool) and up to 9 swimmers per lane (50m pool). If you are not sure where you should swim, talk with the coach, who will assist you to select a lane compatible with your speed and fitness level.

There’s nothing to be embarrassed about if you start in a slower lane or have to ask questions.  Our coaches are there to help get you and your fellow swimmers will be happy to help a new member of the family.

Many of the rules of swimming etiquette are unwritten, which can be really awkward, especially if you’re unknowingly breaking any of the important ones.  You have heard of ‘road rage’, well there’s also something called ‘lane rage’, and you can avoid it by following some important guidelines and rules.

1.     Entering the water: Never dive, jump, or push off into oncoming swimmers.

  • Wait until they have made the turn and pushed off the wall.

2.     Introduce yourself to the people in your lane:

  • This is the social part of our club. People in your lane become your friends, can help you decipher the workout and encourage you along your fitness track.

3.     Lane directions:

  • If there are two swimmers in a lane, you can agree whether one keeps to one side of the lane and the other to the opposite side, or whether you want to circle swim.
  • If there are three or more swimmers in a lane, they must circle swim.
  • If one lane is swimming counter-clockwise, the next lane should swim in the opposite direction.  This will help reduce the incidence of “colliding” arms.

4.     Follow the workout: Make sure everyone understands each section of the posted workout before you start out.

  • Each lane develops its own leaders, usually determined by the speed of the individual swimmers. Each person has their own stroke strengths and weaknesses. It will take you a few sessions to figure out where everyone belongs. Don’t get discouraged, you will work it out.
  • All the swimmers in the lane need to be doing the same thing to avoid disruption and collisions.  If you can not do the posted exercise, you are responsible for ensuring you are not a disruption to the rest of your lane mates as they work out.

5.     Joining a workout if late: Determine where your swim mates are in the workout and join in at that point.

  • It is disruptive for someone to show up late and break the rhythm of the swim already in progress.  It’s also discourteous to the coach and fellow swimmers to arrive late, or to leave early, so try to avoid doing it if you can.
  • If you do arrive late, its best to wait until the swimmers are resting at the wall to announce your arrival.

6.     Passing swimmers:  If you need to pass a swimmer, pass on the inside, when safe to do so, or at the wall.

  • Preferably tap the foot of the person in front of you before passing. If you are being overtaken at the turn, stop, and wait until the other swimmer has pushed off.  It is best to make the pass at the wall rather than in the middle of the laps, as follows:
  • Passer: Gently taps feet of Passee;
  • Passee: At the next turn (wall), pulls over to the far lane corner and stops;
  • Passer: Turns at the opposite lane corner at the wall;
  • Passee: Starts swimming again, behind the Passer.

7.   Stopping: If you need to stop for a rest / clear your goggles / adjust your fins / gasp for air, do so at the end of the lane.

  • Squeeze into the corner out of the way of incoming swimmers, so they will have sufficient room to turn.

8.   Timing:  Remain 5 – 10 seconds apart when starting.

  • If the lane is going 5 seconds or 10 seconds apart, do not leave 3 seconds back.  In no time at all, you will be on the feet of the swimmer in front, and that is annoying.

9.   End of lane:  Allow others to finish their set when circle swimming.

  • Usually the way this works is at the end of a lane, the first person touches and moves over to one side. The second person touches in the centre, and remains there or moves as close as possible to the first. The third person touches and moves away from the wall to the centre of the lane. Now the fourth person can touch on the open side. It seems complicated, but it works if everyone plays along. With more than four swimmers, each additional person needs to move to the centre of the lane after they touch in on the right.  NB: it is annoying for a swimmer coming in to finish, if there is no space for him/her to touch the wall. Touching the wall is part of the finish.
  • You will know you are about to touch the wall when you see the ‘T” at the end of the lane on the bottom, or have counted the number of strokes appropriate for you from the backstroke flags when on your back.

10.  Lane Awareness: At all times be aware of what is going on within your lane.

  • Try not to kick or swing your arms into another lane or across your own lane especially when near to another swimmer.

11. The ouch factor: Keep your toenails and fingernails trimmed; be careful if wearing a wristwatch.

12. Pace Clock: Do not stand in front of the pace clock when others are still doing the swim set.

 

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