Are lane swimmer the most delusional of people?

Haha, I literally know the exact woman you mean in Peebles pool!

But <devils advocate> if you're that much faster, you should be able to overtake. Or swim over someone a few times at the end of the lane and they tend to get the message.

Doing a few lengths of fly can also scare folk out of your way 😀

Yep, i ended up just doing some breaststroke in the slow lane on Saturday morning because i couldn't be bothered with the fight in the alleged "fast" Lane.
Only go because the boy has his swimming lessons, otherwise i hate it

100% agree!!

I sometimes go to "sea lanes" in Brighton.. there's about 6 lanes, with the top ones being "fast" and "Training"..

Last time i was there, there was a woman who mnust have been AT LEAST 120 years old, pootling in the 'Fast' lane. AT LEAST 120...

The training lane wasn't much faster..

I dropped into one of the slower lanes where there was only one other person. As they are 50m lanes, the chance of meeting them was pretty slim!

DrP

Maybe its a peebles thing, maybe booking isn't the way forward so people don't feel they should get locked into a lane, after all speed is relative? Surely just a max number of lane swimmers is a better system and everyone adjsust accordingly?

I swim in lanes at our local and its rarely an issue. There's one lady (fairly old) who's an absolute ringer though, she's always in the middle lanes but swims like a fish and shows everyone else up, I think she's just too polite / modest to go into the fastest lane.

But <devils advocate> if you’re that much faster, you should be able to overtake. Or swim over someone a few times at the end of the lane and they tend to get the message

Not with other people coming down the lane.

Also. Hiya nice trunks 🤭

I'm just getting back into swimming cos I've been "volunteered" to accompany my youngest niece at Great North Swim - for safety reasons kids need to be accompanied by a parent and my BiL is away that weekend...

Anyway - join up at the local pool, they've got a decent online system for booking, but it does get busy. I think their max is 7 people in a lane but that's really 2 more than ideal.

There's a woman I've seen a couple of times who's like a shark on a mission, she'll be doing 3 lengths to everyone else's 2. Invariably there's some man (always a man) who can't take the supposed indignity of the Medium Lane so will be plodding up and down Fast getting in everyone's way. I'm still experimenting with the best time to go to get minimal people.

frustrating, but cut short one length to turn around ahead of her?

I used to swim regularly and picked the middle lane as I swam breaststroke. There was several people who would swim quite slow but not move over to allow the quicker folk past.

Not just swimming, people are so entitled now. It's all about the individual. You see it in any queque or especially when boarding public transport.

Pick the emptiest lane, do your thing. Leave.

5 in a lane and you couldn't overtake, how wide was she? When I swam at Swiss Cottage pool every evening you had about 3 inches between you and the next swimmer, your finger tips would often touch the foot in front and if you slowed the same would happen to you but we still managed to squeeze down the middle past the backstrokers. If she's that slow and that wide just take a deep breath, submerge and swim underneath.

Luckily not an issue here. Go at off peak hours and I usually get a lane to myself. Worst case share with one person. We do get end lane chatters though. Two people chatting for 10 minutes while  the lane is otherwise unused.

Maybe its a peebles thing, maybe booking isn’t the way forward so people don’t feel they should get locked into a lane, after all speed is relative? Surely just a max number of lane swimmers is a better system and everyone adjsust accordingly?

I dunno in general I think it works excellently maybe finbar thinks differently. She would have been fine in the lane if she would just let people past.

The lane chatting things is more annoying especially as some of them should clearly know better. Tri and swimming club caps would suggest they are atleast have some exposure to lane etiquette.

This is why I'm glad I live near to the sea. Swimming pools are horrible and unnatural 😛 .

grimep
Free Member
5 in a lane and you couldn’t overtake

Well I probably could but I was sandwiched between two people. Swimming under wouldn't work she was cutting through the water at about 45degrees to the horizontal with flippers on. I like my face.

I could even have ****ed lanes. But the point is she should have let everyone past. She was clearly holding everyone up.

the same would happen to you but we still managed to squeeze down the middle past the backstrokers.

You might have wider lanes I am sure three people with similar skills could squeeze past but we are talking a fair amount of flailing here and breaststrokers.

but cut short one length to turn around ahead of her?

this. no point getting angry about it.

friend of our rants so much about pool lane discipline I 3d printed her a 'lane nazi' badge.

IME lane swimming sessions and swimming clubs are to swimming what MAMILS and cycling clubs are to roadies.

One's a lot faster and better managed than the other, and everyone looks down on triathletes.

But my turns are my Strava special boost?

I am not angry more observing the lack of awareness and consideration.

flippers should be banned in pools, had a nasty gash by the side of my eye when a **** with flippers overtook and pulled in too early there was some choice language!

Also. Hiya nice trunks 🤭

Lol, guilty!

I do think Peebles pool works pretty well overall, but the best pool I've swum in is St Albans. It has all the usual lane Nazis/delusional slowpokes, but they set the lanes up really wide - probably 50% wider, and fewer of them. It means you can overtake down the middle quite easily.

S10 pool in Sheffield introduced a new terror to me - international students not understanding the "swim clockwise/counterclockwise" signs. I've accidentally punched a few in the face who caught me by surprise...

The pool at Loughborough Uni when I was there was great for this... people took swimming more seriously so people dawdling along in the faster lanes got moved on pretty quickly by the lifeguards

Booking a specific lane seems an odd system. Surely you pace will (should?) change if you're doing something other than just plodding through a km or so?

I do try to avoid pools and swim outside when possible; the occasional morning in my local pool reminds me why I dislike them so much!

Nothing like a bit of swimming pool passive aggressiveness.... don't you love it.... here are 3 scenarios for you to choose from.

1) Tumble turn her ass .... As she is close to reaching an end, overtake and time your aggressive splashy tumble turn to perfection, leaving her in no doubt who owns the lane...... who da boss

2) toe/fin tap .....  let her know you are there RIGHT behind her.... a few taps on her fins will put her off her stoke and, as an added bonus, is a bit weird... she will defo want you in front.... perv.

3) The real option ....  Wait at the end of the lane until she almost reaches you and then set off in front of her..... simples

Have fun

Doing a few lengths of fly can also scare folk out of your way 😀

Humble brag 😀

I no longer bother with public swimming sessions - too much lack of awareness and lack of consideration. I tried to use our local school pools that open to the public in the evenings but even quiet sessions were frequently ruined by some bampot with a massive inferiority complex who had to swim in the 'fast' lane.

My kids train with the local club which encouraged me to restart training with the masters and the triathletes (proper LOL at @thisisnotaspoon's comment - so true). Refreshing to be comfortably mid-pack pace relative to the others: I'm as often the one holding others up as being held up which is a new experience for me! Entered the club champs last year and got thrashed by some 15yr olds despite managing sub-30secs for 50mtr freestyle. Brilliant fun. Only downside is sessions starting at 5.45am...

Ugh, I've gone right off lane swimming. Sure I could get back into it if I could be bothered, but these days 3 swimmers is about the most I can tolerate in a (25m) lane, just because the overtaking/ being overtaken is such a hassle.
Doesn't help that the local swimming pool has very narrow lanes too - 2 people can just about pass in it, if they both squeeze over.

the expense did it for me 😕

Yeah. I'm not a fast swimmer but at least I can do it properly.  When I go, the 'fast' lane has people who can make any kind of progress; the 'medium' lane has very slow swimmers; the 'slow' lane is full of colourful swimming hats moving imperceptably, they look like mooring buoys and are literally not making any ripples at all.

I used to go every now & again to Parkside Pool in Cambridge before work, and it was the opposite problem.

I am a slow swimmer. I make a lot of splash, but don't really go anywhere. Which is fine. I know where I am in the scheme of things when swimming. So, I go in the slow lane. And constantly have people going perhaps twice as fast as me, getting shirty because I'm in the way. They were really medium or fast lane swimmers, but maybe they'd been bullied out of those lanes, so wanted to take it out on the slow swimmers 😃
As someone who's not very confident in the water, it was bloody horrible. Gave up bothering with it after not very long.

Apparently in Aus they're militant that if you're not fast enough for a certain lane they'll kick you into the next fastest lane. Sounds good

frustrating, but cut short one length to turn around ahead of her?

This, or just overtake.

Haven't been swimming for ages but when I did go regularly I was always amazed at the lack of spatial awareness of most lane swimmers.

I suggest you are the problem Josh not someone swimming along slowly. Your post comes over as arrogant, angry and misogynistic.

1/ When you catch someone and can't overtake turn around and go the other way. No-one behind you just turn, someone behind wait for a gap in on-coming taffic then move across and turn.

2/ If they're going as slowly as you claim and you're as good as you claim overtake by swimming on the bottom under them. An Ex French team swimmer does it at the local pool and waves as he goes past.

3/ Turn just before the turn as the person in front turns

4/ Change lane briefly to over take or just change lane.

With only five in a lane I really don't see how one person can be that much of a problem.

i use the local David Lloyd outdoor 25m pool, it is set up with 2 decent width lanes and the rest is free swim area. It's rare to have more than half a dozen people in the pool, usually its just 3 or 4 and i can often have the pool to myself for my full 2k, which i try to do twice a week.  i can count on one hand the number of times i have not had a lane to myself in the past year.

Added benefit of fresh air, no chlorine smells and water is heated to a cool 12 - 15 degrees so never warm enough for hanging around.  Membership costs a bloody fortune right enough .....

Once I dropped out of club sessions I gave lane swimming a go but I found it so frustrating I gave up and now just swim outdoors from time to time. I think it's worse when you've swum in a well drilled environment and you know how to do it properly. If everyone (fast and slow) is respectful it should work fine, but it too often does not work like that. Narrow lanes are an issue as is misogyny. My wife still swims and gets it all the time - the bloke with the ego that thinks they are faster than they are who push off after a rest moments before she arrives and turns so she is stuck behind them. And the heavy set men who are too chubby to recover their arm properly and swing catching everyone and anyone. Or the errant breaststroker with the occasional kungfu side kick that catches you in the nads.

There is worse however - there are the odd pool that do early morning length swimming but without ropes. That's carnage right there. I was tapped on the shoulder in the showers after a first session in the pool by an older man that suggested I needed to do something about my splashing (I was the only freestyle swimmer). I suggested maybe if next time I could swim along the edge of the pool I'd be out of everyone's way, to which I got "young man, I've been coming here for 20 years to earn that spot - maybe when you show that level of commitment you might deserve it". Never went back - which I suspect was his goal.

I suggest you are the problem Josh not someone swimming along slowly. Your post comes over as arrogant, angry and misogynistic

No worries, i think you are a massive opinionated judgemental patronising dickhead so your opinion of me means diddley squat.

2/ If they’re going as slowly as you claim and you’re as good as you claim overtake by swimming on the bottom under them. An Ex French team swimmer does it at the local pool and waves as he goes past

I am reasonably fast by club standards - I've competed in galas and won triathlons - and there is no way in hell I could overtake someone by swimming underneath unless they were child-size and basically stationary.

I don't doubt a national class swimmer could do it though, that would be cool to see.

I suggest you are the problem Josh not someone swimming along slowly. Your post comes over as arrogant, angry and misogynistic.

Haha, brilliant.

Or the arrogance of the slower swimmer (male or female) is the problem forcing all others to swim at their pace, when they could simply pause and let quicker swimmers past at the end of a length - everyone happy.

I'm going to find you finbar and swim underneath you.

Then I am going to hold you and the whole lane up. Hopefully there will be some females so I can max my misogyny.

Or the arrogance of the slower swimmer (male or female) is the problem forcing all others to swim at their pace, when they could simply pause and let quicker swimmers past at the end of a length – everyone happy

Exactly, but he wouldn't let a fact like me pointing out it was the whole lane being held up (which was mixed). I even said she was probably in the right lane she just needed to let everyone past and she would have been free for a goodly amount of time.

Anyway my only option of her a person was her giving the lifeguard an earful for telling her to let everyone past. Her gender is irrelevant.

I think the issue is people going in the 'fast' lane when they are far from fast.

Five to a lane in 25m would drive me insane, unless everyone is at almost identical pace. I'm a relatively quick plodder (yesterday was 2.5km in 44min) and four to the lane was about enough. One chap lapping me every 20 lengths, it's really not hard to pull over and let them through. Really bugs me when people don't reciprocate. Years ago I nearly wound up in a punch up in the shallow end because I had to swim around a guy who simply wouldn't let me pass and obviously felt he was the alpha male.

Gets frustrating doing my standard one pace plod when people want to do drills and I'm sure they're equally as frustrated by me, but I'd never hold up a faster swimmer knowingly.

Years ago I nearly wound up in a punch up in the shallow end because I had to swim around a guy who simply wouldn’t let me pass and obviously felt he was the alpha male

Ah, I see we have met. Grrr

I used to do 2 mile (128 length) swims  every saturday @ the local splash,  I was always amused by the guy that would "race" me for 5 lengths rest for 10 lengths  "race" me for 5 lengths etc. Deliberate kicks from breast strokers also used to be quite common. I found turning early useful in passing slow swimmers

This thread has made me very happy with our local pool. Must be almost deserted compared with everywhere else. I can only  once or twice remember more than 1 other person in my lane.   Just need to avoid the times lessons are on.

I also gave up on lane swimming due to inconsiderate people but I was told by someone far better than me  that if you tap the foot of the person in front of you it was considered a polite way of saying can you pause at the end so I can go past - is that an unwritten rule?

Ah, I see we have met. Grrr

😂 I hope not, as you really did have issues!

Was quite shocking at the time. The fella actually waited at the shallow end and stamped on me. Accused me of kicking him in the face as I swam past, which was out and out bollocks. Said nobody ever let him through so why should he?

Nowadays my pre swim ritual is to go up to the viewing gallery and check out the volume and type of swimmer before I commit to going in. Thankfully mostly I'm going off peak and usually get a lane to myself. Bliss.

Five to a lane in 25m would drive me insane, unless everyone is at almost identical pace.

This is the issue I'm finding. Most of the time it's been OK. But as soon as TurboShark is in the pool, I'm constantly looking around for her, knowing that at any second she'll be catching me up. Meanwhile I'm catching Fat Boy Who Won't Go In Middle Lane...

It's unnecessarily stressful.

I was told by someone far better than me  that if you tap the foot of the person in front of you it was considered a polite way of saying can you pause at the end so I can go past – is that an unwritten rule?

It is. More than an unwritten rule - it's how it's done in proper coached swim groups. Only snag is the recipient of the the tap need to know it's a thing. And most wouldn't.

It might seem overkill, but in the same way you have to have an induction in a gym, an induction before using lane swimming sessions would be great. Maybe some pools do this.

It's pretty much impossible to hold up a fast swimmer; I've swum with a few (ironman winner, French swim team member, 2 x European and 7 x French triathlon champion) they just glide/power past slower swimmers with good spatial awareness, never touch anyone.

But really, just turn early.

Joshvegas claims he did 12 slow breaststroke lengths because he was held up one person. If he'd turned early to overtake he'd have then had clear water till he caught the person again after maybe three or four lenghts after which he could have turned early to overtake again. It works, I do it whenever I'm in a busy lane - no stress, no strop, everybody enjoys their swim.

People chatting at the end of the lane, turn early.

Float kickers, turn early.

The first time slots are the busiest generally.

I like people being there exchange a few words while resting (but keeping the end clear). It's a real mix of people and generally people are very relaxed and happy to muddle along together.

I even like the lifeguards waiting a bit I don't want anyone pounced on immediately and I had no intention of toe tapping her or anything like that because I'm not on a training session and I don't care and it's not worth an argument.

I just expect some level of consideration to everyone else that is just there to use the pool.

Fair enough but chopping the length early really buggers up your rhythm. To me the beauty of swimming well is getting into that metronomic zen type place.

Joshvegas claims he did 12 slow breaststroke lengths because he was held up one person. If he’d turned early to overtake he’d have then had clear water till he caught the person again after maybe three or four lenghts after which he could have turned early to overtake again. It works, I do it whenever I’m in a busy lane – no stress, no strop, everybody enjoys their swim.

No I pointed out that she was holding up the whole lane. To the point where the lifeguards had a word. One person should force 4 overtakes when they could have waited a second.

But don't let the facts get in the way of your superior knowledge 😂

I think we've found all the people who like to cut up, buzz the back tyres, and force their way past all the 'delusional' people daring to ride their new £500 bike on a Red trail centre route for the first time.

"flippers should be banned in pools, had a nasty gash by the side of my eye when a **** with flippers overtook and pulled in too early there was some choice language!"

Flippers?

FLIPPERS????

They're Fins!

And its Headley, not Hedi...

it's what the OP called them 😕

Well I probably could but I was sandwiched between two people. Swimming under wouldn’t work she was cutting through the water at about 45degrees to the horizontal with flippers on. I like my face.

so why no faux ire there ?

I am not sure whether I am one of those or not 😂

so why no faux ire there ?

Good point. I got it right in the op so clearly I know my shit and maintain my god like pool status.

However I shall chastise myself forthwith.

20 laps in lane 1 for penance.

We have an outdoor pool that opens for the Summer it's glorious 👍But there's a group of women who half heartedly swim lengths but exercise their jaws more 🙄It's a leisure pool so can't really complain but they squat right in the middle 🙄I swear they tell their GPs how fit they keep with regular swimming 🤔

At my local pool the lanes are at least double wide, you could easily have people going in both directions, both being overtaken at the same time and have enough space to be 4 across at that moment.

The only issue I've ever had there was one person doing backstroke going clockwise from their staring at the ceiling perspective while everyone else was doing the correct clockwise

I swear they tell their GPs how fit they keep with regular swimming

They'll no doubt live happy long lives whilst some on this thread will get stress-induced cadio vascular disease. 🙂

If it helps, I nearly drowned in Peebles pool when I was wee. I was told not to go in the deep end as I wasn't a strong enough swimmer. I woke up in the first aid room.  Must have been 33 years ago now.

Pointless story finished, Back to the argument.

Sounds like she was a cyclist. Inconsiderate sods that lot.

Christ imagine how bad it will be when the e-trunks come in!

We 've got an arm swinger who gets a lane to himself as he takes up the whole lane, several end lane chatters, worst though is an end lane chatter who sets off as you approach, clearly thinking you are a chatter too.

I just avoid the above, the non showerers miff me off too.

My local pool has the opposite problem. I'm a confident but relatively slow swimmer so am quite happy pootling up & down the slow lane, not causing any obstructions. There are a couple of swimmers who are obviously very accomplished fast swimmers who insist on using the slow lane even when the fast lane is empty, which is discouraging to many in the slow lane.

Fins/flippers of any type are also banned because of risk of injury.

When you are having a breather at the end of a length - do you wait on the same side you were swimming on, so the person has to divert before pushing off in a straight line; or do you move over so they can hit the wall in a straight line and then push off at an angle to cross the lane to the correct outgoing side?

Yeah that's worse.

Quite alot worse.

When you are having a breather at the end of a length – do you wait on the same side you were swimming on, so the person has to divert before pushing off in a straight line; or do you move over so they can hit the wall in a straight line and then push off at an angle to cross the lane to the correct outgoing side?

Generally I think it's better staying on the side you came up. If you push off you are better pushing off into clear space in the direction of traffic than diagonal. Unless it a woman ofcourse then I have to live up to my misogynistic tendencies and just blast through to show contempt etc.

People generally wait on the side they push off from in these parts, we drive on the right and swim anti-clockwise:

Edit: why do some pics work and some not even when they're fine in the preview?

and swim anti-clockwise:

This is really annoying. Lanes should alternate to avoid clashing arms.

Lane direction should alternate CW / ACW / CW / ACW etc - reduces chances of hitting someone else in a neighbouring lane.

And taking a breather, anywhere but the middle of the end of the lane. Yes, I’ve had that.

Peebles alternates.

Always half expect an interlocking.

It's also a mystery to me why they don't leave the flags out so people stand a chance of not headbutting the wall during back stroke.

My local pool was usually 6-8 to a 25m lane so not even enough room to deploy the early turn strategy.

Too many people think they're training for/are at the Olympics.

Have a breather stuffed tight into one of the corners, leaving the middle free for the turn/tumble. Doesn't really matter which one.

this thread has made me laugh, thanks for that.

I swim quite a lot. competed at a high std - albeit a long time ago and now at my local pool, there's only a couple of people faster than me where I normally swim, one is a lovely lady who must be approaching late 60's, but is an absolutely amazing swimmer. Mostly I really enjoy my lane swimming and learnt at the weekend that there's a small group in the middle lane using my pace to improve their swimming, which we all had a good laugh and chat about. So can be fun 🙂

to get back to the OP 100% agree -  I see all the behaviours listed above frequently and in my earlier 3km swim today - no dramas like the OP at all, but yesterday's 3.5 km swim - I'm sure the same person was swimming in my local pool, a very annoying lady who would never allow anyone faster to get past, so overtaking her every 6 length or so, gets annoying and I suspect quite annoying for the other swimmers in the lane. She was really holding me up, but as I overtake and then 2 lengths later I can see there's a queue of swimmers behind her. Muppet.

I don't know what it is about the swimmers with the hand paddles and flippers in public lanes, it's not like they're going very fast, or training hard.

But I do get - some people are too fast for the medium lane, but nowhere near quick enough for the fast lane.

Issue is in most lane setups there only just enough room to safely overtake without ploughing into someone coming the other way and I don't want to ruin someone elses swim by overtaking repeatedly.

It shouldn't be needed, but tumble turns are effective for everyone knowing what to do and where to be in the lane 🙂 and also good for speed  and 2-3 100s at a proper lick either clears the lane or suddenly everyone knows where to stop and rest and when to move out of the way.

the suggestion to swim over someone in a public-ish lane pool session is just stupid, this was encouraged at club swimming and repeatedly done. Not sure it's allowed nowadays. Reckon if I did this at my local pool I'd get banned from the pool.

Swimming underneath someone would be cool to see, pretty sure I couldn't manage it and be confident enough to surface ahead of someone. Also probebly see me banned, but in a cool way.

And as for turning early - b*l*x to that. Turning early for all the reasons above, you'd do 500m, not 1km 🙂 What a pain in the ass. I don't like to cut my lengths short either, that's probably ingrained from club swimming.

If there are any real plodders in the fast lane, I ask the lifeguard - who's usually doing fek all - to sort it. Also the idiots that walk up and down the pool in the lanes - either the medium or fast lane, why ? Just why ? And the total numb knuts that can't read the swimming direction signs, again not difficult to read and maybe watch what everyone else is doing?

There is probably a point at which you have to question whethere to move up and join a club, where lane discipline isn't a problem, its more the super early start times that are a pain.

I think I'll stick to bike riding.

I love swimming underwater and usually go for a few (individual) lengths if there's space available, but I don't think I could swim under someone else mid-length when I'm already blowing.  I'm not a bloody dolphin.

some people are too fast for the medium lane, but nowhere near quick enough for the fast lane.

I rarely see anyone who is actually quick, and it's starkly obvious when they do turn up.

Too many people think they’re training for/are at the Olympics

I swam in a triathlon club for years, performance in events seemed inversly proportional to time spent looking at a watch/pace clock/HRM/training programme in waterproof bag, messing with paddles and flippers and avoiding a leg kick with a pull bouy. The ones  that were a menace in a swim lane had egos way beyond their ability and an obsession with times and toys.

I lose count so have a very rough notion of how far I've swum based on how long I've been in the water. The session ends when I get knackered, cold or bored so turning early makes no difference to distance and breaks the boredom. 🙂

Also why does everyone take a drinks bottle in with them nowadays? Fair enough if you're in there doing 5k+ I guess but from what I see generally they do a couple of lengths with fins or paddles, stop swig chat. I usually do about an hour and can't say I've ever desperately needed a drink.

frustrating, but cut short one length to turn around ahead of her?

This is how I play it, especially when swimming the morning (Not so often these days). Otherwise I'm in a right mood on the commute into work.

Also why does everyone take a drinks bottle in with them nowadays? Fair enough if you’re in there doing 5k+ I guess but from what I see generally they do a couple of lengths with fins or paddles, stop swig chat. I usually do about an hour and can’t say I’ve ever desperately needed a drink.

That's not just a swimming thing. 4k trot round the block? Don the hydration vest.

Re the drink - it's just like mtb or running or the gym. There's a good reason when you are going for it. Then there's people who want to look the part..... But you do have to remember that my (back in the day) 1min 20 100m tempo pace might have me working only as hard as someone else's 2min 30 100m pace.

Swimming in a public pool can be flipping warm.  I used to swim in a 50m pool that held club galas and swimming in there after they'd dropped the temperature by a few degrees over the weekend for an event was a joy. Conversely a pool with a laned section that was a single water mass connected to a baby pool and pool with a wave section and lazy river was so warm you'd come out of the water and keep sweating for ages.