SWIM ETIQUETTE

Team spirit

Like all masters swim clubs, we operate on the principles of fun, fitness, friendship and participation. Our goals and abilities vary; some swimmers are working towards future competitions, while many swim simply for the benefits of regular exercise.  

The guidelines below help ensure everyone in the club gets the most out of their workouts, and will help maintain an atmosphere of fun and respect in the pool.

Choosing the right lane

Talk to your coach about choosing the right lane for your swims. Lane assignment is based on swimming pace, so make sure you're in the right lane for your speed and abilities - not only for your own benefit, but also to be sure you're not disrupting the workouts of other swimmers in the lane who might be faster or slower than you are.

Leading & Passing

Your lane should always be organized by swimming pace, with fastest swimmers going first. There are a few ways to pass another swimmer, if needed.

tap toes: a tap or two on the toes is a polite way of indicating to the swimmer in front of you that you'd like to pass - ideally, do this a few feet coming into the wall so that the swimmer in front doesn't have to stop partway down the lane, which is a potential risk for collisions. 

pass: another way of passing would be to move to the right of the swimmer and simply swim past them, but be absolutely sure that you have enough room to make it to the wall before them and that no one else is coming in the opposite direction. Not all swimmers are comfortable with this option, be sure to consider the temperament and etiquette of your particular lane.

cut across: in the worst case you can cut across the lane and change direction, so long as you're not inconveniencing other swimmers in the lane.

IMPORTANT - keep in mind that the pace and the enjoyment of swimmers in your lane is everyone's responsibility. When you come in to the wall to turn, be sure to allow anyone on your heels to pass...a great rule of thumb, if you think they can outswim you on the coming lap, just let them go ahead so that both of you are getting the most out of the workouts.

Starts & turns

Be sure to leave adequate space between yourself and the swimmer in front of you. Don't push off the wall immediately, you'll end up swimming on their feet, which is no fun for anyone. In addition, swimmers who are too close together make turns at the other end of the wall more difficult - even more dangerous - since you're both more likely to have a collision without enough space to turn properly. Based on the set, your coach will likely tell you how many seconds you should wait between swimmers.

Modifying the practice

If the members of your lane prefer to modify the practice, perhaps by adding extra seconds to the pace times, be sure to discuss and agree upon the changes you'll make so that everyone is on the same page before the set starts. Again, be sure to choose the right lane for your speed and abilities.

Arriving late

Make sure to give other swimmers in the lane fair notice that you're getting into the pool. To avoid collisions, wait until swimmers coming in to the wall have a chance to turn and push-off before you enter the water. In order to not disrupt the flow of the lane, it is best to join the other swimmers at the same point in the warm-up instead of starting from the beginning. Unless, of course, the other swimmers happen to be doing butterfly, then you probably want to be properly warmed up for a few laps beforehand...use your best judgement, keeping others in mind.