Program Guide:
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Dedicated Lap Swimming
Early morning lap swimming is available Monday through Friday from 7-8am beginning June 1, 2020. DAILY there will be two lanes for lap swimming while the pool is open for recreational swim (12-8p). We do not guarantee available lanes during swim team practice from 12:45-2p or during periods of instruction. You are required to circle swim and share lanes if there are more than two swimmers. Lap walkers may be asked to move out of lanes by a guard if there are multiple swimmers and a consensus cannot be reached. Non-Home Swim Meet Saturdays and Sundays 11am-12pm |
Lap Swim Etiquette
A pool full of lap swimmers going at a steady pace is a beautiful thing, but it can be intimidating if you're interested in jumping in and swimming. An empty lane is an easy choice. But that's not always the option, and if enough swimmers show up, you will need to share your lane. Here are some common lap swim rules that are good to know for the next time you head to the pool for a workout.
- Joining a lane: A single lane can accommodate several swimmers (watch a swim team practice sometime). Take a minute to observe each of the lanes and get a sense of which one you match up with best. Some pools designate slow lanes and fast lanes, but seeing the swimmers that are already going is an even better gauge. When you are ready to pick a lane and start swimming, make sure everyone in that lane is aware that you're going to join them. Sit by the edge of the pool and wait for them to finish a set, or ease in and stand in the corner of the lane until they acknowledge you're joining them, or wave a kickboard/foot/hand underwater at the edge of the pool to get their attention. You may need to wait for a few minutes to start if swimmers are in the middle of a set. Have a quick discussion about how you're going to swim together—either by splitting the lane (if there are just two of you) or by swimming in circles (if there are two or more).
- Splitting the Lane: One of you swims on one side of the lane and one of you swims on the other. If you're splitting the lane, you stay in your half no matter what.
- Circle Swim: Much like traffic on a road, always swim on the right side of the lane. This means swimming on one side of the lane going down and the other side of the lane coming back. Swimmers move in a counterclockwise circle, hence the name.