POOL etiquette.

Teamwork​

​​Swim practices, especially in a crowded lane, require a lot of collaboration. So please be aware of your surroundings and work with others in the lane to make your workout run smoothly.
 

Most of all please be patient and kind to your lane mates. If they have a hard time understanding something or make a mistake, help them. Even the most experienced swimmers sometimes screw up.
 

Typically, lane mates that swim together learn over time what their respective strengths and weaknesses are and figure out the order in which to swim individual sets. If you are new to a lane or unsure, communication is key. If you find that you are stronger than the person in front of you, politely ask if you can lead. Correspondingly, let people go ahead of you, if they keep catching up to you.

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Know the Set

​Workouts can be fast-paced affairs, not leaving much time for long explanations of each set. Be sure to listen carefully to the coach when he or she is giving the set. Everyone should understand the entire set before beginning. If you are unsure or haven’t fully understood the assignment, ask the coach again before you start the set.

Watch the Clock
Whether you are leading the lane or bringing up the rear, you should be responsible for keeping track of the number of laps you are swimming and the intervals you are leaving on. (Check out this link for a great description and explanation of reading a pace clock.)

Every swimmer should be aware of where you are in the set and when you are coming in at all times. If you are unsure of where you are in the set and what is next, communicate with your lane mates or ask the coach.

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Leave Five (Or ten) Seconds Between Swimmers
Maintain a five second distance between swimmers in the lane. If you leave less than five seconds or more it has a ripple effect and breaks the rhythm of the entire lane. This is frustrating for everyone. If there are only a few people in the lane, you might want to leave ten seconds to make it easier on everyone.

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Respect Your Leader

The leader of a set is responsible for establishing the pace of the set and keeping the intervals. If you lead the lane, try to pace the set evenly. If everyone is swimming at a similar speed, trade off leading the sets. Again, communication is key. Ask the leader if they want a break, if they slow down or offer to lead if you are feeling strong.

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Getting Lapped

During longer distance sets, lapping is often inevitable. This is when the leader of the lane catches up to and passes the last person in the lane. This can happen often in a crowded lane. Everyone should be aware of where the others in the lane are. The slower swimmer is responsible for making room for the faster swimmer. Either swim to the right side at the wall and wait for a few seconds to let the fast swimmer pass, or swim very close to the lane line so that the faster swimmer can pass smoothly.

 

• Similarly, if you are taking a break, move to the right side of the lane to let people pass.
   

• Again, the most important thing is staying aware of where everyone is in the lane.
   

• And don’t get discouraged if you are being passed. Stay focused on your pace.
   

Lane Spirit
During longer distance sets, lapping is often inevitable. This is when the leader of the lane catches up to and passes the last person in the lane. This can happen often in a crowded lane. Everyone should be aware of where the others in the lane are. The slower swimmer is responsible for making room for the faster swimmer. Either swim to the right side at the wall and wait for a few seconds to let the fast swimmer pass, or swim very close to the lane line so that the faster swimmer can pass smoothly.
 

Ask the Coach
If you have any questions about the set, stroke technique or other swim-related issue, let the coach know and he/she will help you out. Also feel free to ask the coaches for individual feedback. If they can, they will happily attend to you. Keep in mind that each coach is responsible for managing the entire pool so don't be offended if you are not attended to immediately.