Lap pool protocol?

[Wisconsin Beth]

My gym has a salt water lap pool with 3 lanes.  On weekends from noon to close it's Open Swim.  Since I've got a kid who's not quite sure how he feels about water not in a bathtub or wading pool, I took him on Sun. afternoon. 

When we got there, both of the end lanes were in use so we used the middle lane.  They left and another person came in.  We were near her when she started to swim so I told her that if she wanted the middle lane, she could have it, that we were just getting my boy used to water.  She said she was fine.

I've heard mention of lap lane protocols but don't actually know anything about them.  So, swimmers, got any advice/thoughts on this for me?  Because we were in the pool for an hour and Cabe was happy.  And there was a grand total of 4 other swimmers.

[NancysSummerSip]

Oct 6, 2014 7:53:37 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

My gym has a salt water lap pool with 3 lanes.  On weekends from noon to close it's Open Swim.  Since I've got a kid who's not quite sure how he feels about water not in a bathtub or wading pool, I took him on Sun. afternoon. 

When we got there, both of the end lanes were in use so we used the middle lane.  They left and another person came in.  We were near her when she started to swim so I told her that if she wanted the middle lane, she could have it, that we were just getting my boy used to water.  She said she was fine.

I've heard mention of lap lane protocols but don't actually know anything about them.  So, swimmers, got any advice/thoughts on this for me?  Because we were in the pool for an hour and Cabe was happy.  And there was a grand total of 4 other swimmers.

Aw, you're nice even to check on lap protocol.

And yes, it does exist.

Two swimmers in a lane: side by side is fine.

Three or more: circle swimming, with about 10-15 seconds between swimmers. This assumes the swimmers are all of equal ability, of course. Everybody seems to be faster than me, so if it comes down to circle swimming, I'll usually keep up as long as I can, and get out when I feel I am in the way.

Oh, and FWIW, you and Cabe can share my lane anytime.

[The Captain]

At my park district they were pretty strict about the lap time being for lap swimmers only (5:30 - 7am).  OTOH if it's open swim time then (at our pool at least) anyone can do anything they pretty much want.  If someone is trying to do laps in a lane during open swim it's polite (but not required) to stay out of their lane if you are not also doing laps.

If you are sharing a lap lane with someone, but not doing laps, most folks are ok with just trying to stay out of each other's way.  I can't think of anyone getting upset over a kid in a pool on a Sunday afternoon (prime family time IMHO). 

If you are doing laps and sharing a lane with someone who may be faster or slower then you, then you try to make sure they/you have enough passing room.  No different than driving a car.

Granted our pool had 10 lanes so there is usually enough space for everyone.

[Deleted]

Oct 6, 2014 7:53:37 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

My gym has a salt water lap pool with 3 lanes.  On weekends from noon to close it's Open Swim.  Since I've got a kid who's not quite sure how he feels about water not in a bathtub or wading pool, I took him on Sun. afternoon. 

When we got there, both of the end lanes were in use so we used the middle lane.  They left and another person came in.  We were near her when she started to swim so I told her that if she wanted the middle lane, she could have it, that we were just getting my boy used to water.  She said she was fine.

I've heard mention of lap lane protocols but don't actually know anything about them.  So, swimmers, got any advice/thoughts on this for me?  Because we were in the pool for an hour and Cabe was happy.  And there was a grand total of 4 other swimmers.

were you and DS swimming laps?

[Wisconsin Beth]

Well, he'll be 5 in a couple of weeks.  He was kinda bummed he didn't have a toys!  We did swim classes with him about 2 years ago and it was clusterf#$%.

Mostly it was pool walking and/or me towing him.  He was really scared to get in at first.  By the end of our hour, he was walking to about the 3 foot 8 inches area and then wanting to hang onto me while we got to the 4 foot wall.  He did some really energetic kicking for about 3 minutes.   And I showed him how I can do a somersault underwater and then he wanted to do it too.  That was, um, interesting for both of us.  But he didn't drown and he wanted to do more of them. 

Oh, and FWIW, you and Cabe can share my lane anytime.

  You're a sweetie. 

[NancysSummerSip]

Oct 6, 2014 8:29:29 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

Well, he'll be 5 in a couple of weeks.  He was kinda bummed he didn't have a toys!  We did swim classes with him about 2 years ago and it was clusterf#$%.

Mostly it was pool walking and/or me towing him.  He was really scared to get in at first.  By the end of our hour, he was walking to about the 3 foot 8 inches area and then wanting to hang onto me while we got to the 4 foot wall.  He did some really energetic kicking for about 3 minutes.   And I showed him how I can do a somersault underwater and then he wanted to do it too.  That was, um, interesting for both of us.  But he didn't drown and he wanted to do more of them. 

Oh, and FWIW, you and Cabe can share my lane anytime.

  You're a sweetie. 

. The main reason for caution when sharing is that no one gets hurt. Trust me...if I run into you, or kick you, you'll remember it. I'm built like a cube fridge, so I could really hurt someone. Also, if I'm circle swimming, I won't wear fins. Again, it's an issue of just being polite; you really don't want to smack someone in the head with your finned feet.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Good point. 

Oh and Cabe LOVED the shower afterwards.  They've got a family area near the pool as all members of the opposite sex are banned from the main lockers rooms.  He got to sit on a bench and spray himself with a hand held shower attachment.   

[NancysSummerSip]

Oct 6, 2014 9:11:55 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

Good point. 

Oh and Cabe LOVED the shower afterwards.  They've got a family area near the pool as all members of the opposite sex are banned from the main lockers rooms.  He got to sit on a bench and spray himself with a hand held shower attachment.   

Awwwww...did you tell him that's probably the old people's/handicapped shower? Unless all the showers are like that, and if they are, I will be very jealous. Maybe you shouldn't tell him. Let him have his fun.

I went to a pool yesterday that I'd never been to; it was close to the venue where I ran my five-mile race. Nice pool, decent locker room, but the shower stalls were so small, I had to keep one leg outside the stall in order to take a shower.

[Wisconsin Beth]

They had 2 family restrooms - each with the handicapped shower.  There's a small locker area in between them with leads into the pool.  The main women's locker room has either 8 or 10 showers and 2 are handicapped. 

I'm going to suggest to management that they put at least 1 more set of hooks in the family ones.  There was 1 double hook just outside the shower area (which was like extremely small.  I ended up using the changing station as a table for my gym bag, purse, etc because the other option was the wet floor.  The drain is in the middle of the floor, which is fine, it's by the pool so wet people come in.  I get that.  But damn, I don't want to put my stuff on the floor because a. I'd like it to stay dry and b. it's still a bathroom when all's said and done. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

And just to tie this into another thread (the Ladies Menu one), for me asking about the lap pool protocol is basic courtesy.  I don't want to be accidentally rude to more serious swimmers, even if it IS Open Swim.  (Now deliberately rude may be an entirely different story! )

[NancysSummerSip]

Funny you mention the changing table. I had the same problem yesterday. No hooks or benches, just the changing table or the floor as options, too.
Absolutely mention it to them. Nothing changes if management doesn't know you're not satisfied.

[reader79]

The Y I go to has the lanes labeled. Multi-purpose, Slow, Medium, and Fast. I stick to the Multi lane because I am still practicing. That's where they allow use of the noodles, kickboards, and other flotation devices. During older youth swim classes, they use the end lanes next to the walls. So the medium and fast ones are open to lap swimmers only. But there is a second activity pool for the kids use that has a water slide.

[swamp]

If I go to open swim, I don't expect to be able to swim laps, and I expect to dodge kids and families.

[Pants]

I have a few lap pool rules, but they essentially boil down to: stay the fuck out of my way, I will stay the fuck out of your way.

You were in the lane first, you didn't inconvenience the other person, I would say you're good.

My biggest lap pool frustration is old people who decide that they each need a full lane to walk up and down the pool while the rest of us just sit there waiting. My second biggest frustration is people who don't ask to share a lane and then start trying to circle swim without telling me about it and then I end up hitting them in the face. My third biggest frustration is women who get in a lane with you then bitch at you for getting their hair wet.

My 4th biggest frustration is the elderly gentleman who exits the lockerroom, showers and then puts on his swim trunks. But that's specific to my pool rather than a general issue.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Interesting.  My boy was thinking this was a water park pool on the way there. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

Oct 6, 2014 10:14:30 GMT -5 Pants said:

I have a few lap pool rules, but they essentially boil down to: stay the fuck out of my way, I will stay the fuck out of your way.

You were in the lane first, you didn't inconvenience the other person, I would say you're good.

Are some lanes more desirable for lap swimming than others? 

[swamp]

Oct 6, 2014 10:18:13 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

Oct 6, 2014 10:14:30 GMT -5 Pants said:

I have a few lap pool rules, but they essentially boil down to: stay the fuck out of my way, I will stay the fuck out of your way.

You were in the lane first, you didn't inconvenience the other person, I would say you're good.

Are some lanes more desirable for lap swimming than others? 

center lanes

[swamp]

Oct 6, 2014 10:14:30 GMT -5 Pants said:

I have a few lap pool rules, but they essentially boil down to: stay the fuck out of my way, I will stay the fuck out of your way.

You were in the lane first, you didn't inconvenience the other person, I would say you're good.

My biggest lap pool frustration is old people who decide that they each need a full lane to walk up and down the pool while the rest of us just sit there waiting. My second biggest frustration is people who don't ask to share a lane and then start trying to circle swim without telling me about it and then I end up hitting them in the face. My third biggest frustration is women who get in a lane with you then bitch at you for getting their hair wet.

My 4th biggest frustration is the elderly gentleman who exits the lockerroom, showers and then puts on his swim trunks. But that's specific to my pool rather than a general issue.

I never understood anyone who got in a pool and then bitched about their hair getting wet.  You're in a pool, it's gonna get wet.  Deal with it.  Go to the treadmill if you're worried about your bouffant.

[Deleted]

Can't you do whatever you want at open swim?  Our Y has specific times for Lap Swim that are separate from open swim.  I don't think lap swimmers would have any priority in open swim. 

[swamp]

Oct 6, 2014 10:22:13 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Can't you do whatever you want at open swim?  Our Y has specific times for Lap Swim that are separate from open swim.  I don't think lap swimmers would have any priority in open swim. 

that was my understanding of open swim, which is why I fully expect to dodge people when doing laps during open swim. 

[Pants]

Oct 6, 2014 10:18:13 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

Oct 6, 2014 10:14:30 GMT -5 Pants said:

I have a few lap pool rules, but they essentially boil down to: stay the fuck out of my way, I will stay the fuck out of your way.

You were in the lane first, you didn't inconvenience the other person, I would say you're good.

Are some lanes more desirable for lap swimming than others? 

Def center lanes.

But you were at open swim. You have just as much priority as anyone else there, and you weren't being a jerk. I wouldn't have any issue with you guys being there.

[Wisconsin Beth]

I don't think Open Swim gets a lot of non-lap people at this gym. 

We'll probably be going every couple of weeks or so because I really do want Cabe to be more comfortable in the water before we move on to actual swim lessons (which I will NOT be teaching, I'm a mess of lousy swim habits) I'm not sure how much the pool gets used by anyone though.  We were there an hour and we had to walk though the pool area to the restrooms for changing; counting Cabe and me, there were 6 people in that hour+.  and a couple of facility tours to prospective members. 

[Deleted]

Oct 6, 2014 10:14:30 GMT -5 Pants said:

I have a few lap pool rules, but they essentially boil down to: stay the fuck out of my way, I will stay the fuck out of your way.

I've shared hotel pools with everyone:  party animals, parents with little kids, kids on their own (with parental supervision from the sides)- even one group of 3 little boys who delighted in doing simultaneous cannonballs off the sides.  I tend to swim a fairly predictable swath of the pool, usually along one side.  Most of the time, the others "get it" and clear the area when they see me coming (or stay out of it completely).  Every once in awhile, though, I end up with someone who's right in my way.

I'm pretty tolerant of little kids and their parents.  I love swimming and want kids to grow up the same way.  Beth, I'm so glad to hear your son is learning to enjoy the water!

[gooddecisions]

The gym and community pools I use un-rope about half the pool for open swim, leaving 3 lanes for swimming laps. I have never used a lane unless I'm swimming laps. There is no "rule" about it, it just seems like the appropriate thing to do. So, if I'm there with a child, we just stay out of the lanes and swim/play in the open area. With only 3 lanes, that's either a very tiny pool or maybe there is also some pool space left without lanes?

[Wisconsin Beth]

Nope, 3 lanes with plastic rope stuff between them.  The one nearest the locker room area has a recessed staircase for entering the pool off of it.

[Deleted]

Our Y has two pools, a smaller one kept really warm and a larger lap pool.  Usually open swim is always in the smaller pool (no roped off lanes), but sometimes they have it in the lap pool.  What I've noticed is the lap swimmers tend to share a lane or two and everyone else uses the other lanes. 

[tallguy]

The main reason for caution when sharing is that no one gets hurt. Trust me...if I run into you, or kick you, you'll remember it. I'm built like a cube fridge, so I could really hurt someone.

No joke.  One of my friends had a backyard pool.  He and another guy were going to race a couple lengths of the pool for a bet.  Because the one wasn't as strong of a swimmer, he "cheated" and dove in first.  On the turn, they cracked heads.  Hit so hard that the one went down to the bottom, and ended up developing epilepsy from the trauma.  Still occasionally suffers from seizures and has to be on medications. 

[Shooby]

Here at our Y, open swim means open swim, no lap swimming. If someone choses to swim back and forth across the pool, then fine but they have to swim around the people playing in the water. Other swimmers are not obligated to clear the lanes for them. There are designated lap swim times for that purpose. Open swim means just go have fun in the water.

[zibazinski]

We have rules about no more than one person in the lap lane at a time. I bet someone got hurt by someone else. No kids allowed in them unless they are on a swim team and can actually swim a whole lap. Half hour limit and the times I've been there, there's people waiting for their turn. Even during swim team practice, one lane is left free in case someone adult shows up.