Talk of The Villages Florida - Swimming Laps-Pool Etiquette

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Laker14 (Post 2075001)

I'm a beginner at lap swimming. I have no idea how fast I'll swim, but I'm pretty darn sure it will be slower than anyone who has been doing this for a while will want to swim.
My concern is about getting in someone's way as they need to pass me in the same direction, or oncoming.
Is this not a big deal?

When people share a lane, each person uses half the lane width. It is like an imaginary line down the middle of the lane. You go at your pace and the other person goes at their pace. I cannot share a lane with more than one other person because the dynamics are completely different. That is when you need to be at the same pace for it to work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2075042)

I find it much easier to lap swim at the regular adult pool during off-peak time, than even attempt to find a time and lane at any sports pool. I've also had no trouble swimming laps at busier times of day, because most folks stay in place and it's pretty easy to just swim around them if they move to the side.

When I swim freestyle, my eyes are fixed on the bottom of the pool for the black line to keep me going straight. When I swim freestyle, my head is in the water looking down and is above water only to take a breath every third stroke. I could not swim that way in the adult pools. There are no markings on the bottom of the pool. Also......there is not marking on the side of the pool for the touch point either. I tried it but it does not work for me so I have to stay with the sports pools which have the markings. The sports pools also have over head flags to alert a swimmer that the end of the pool is near when swimming backstroke.

Quote:

Originally Posted by asianthree (Post 2075237)

Just turning 17 living with my parents in the heart of TV for the next 6 months nursing a freshly fractured humerus head.

So your thoughts are unless you are college age no longer competitive? How sad, I thought there were many in TV in their 60s and up who run, play ball, tennis, pickle ball, and swim competitively. So sad one gives up later in life. But thanks for the heads up, life ends after college

I never swam until I lived in The Villages. I learned how to swim freestyle by watching YouTube videos (Swim Smooth is great!). I used to "play around" in the pool as a child, played in the waves at Jones Beach on Long Island and bobbed around in our back yard pool as a kid too. I used to go under water a lot in the back yard pool but never swam.

I'm so glad I learned the proper way to swim freestyle but I'm not fast......at all. I can keep up with most of the seniors in our sports pools but, I'm not nearly as fast as those who, most evidently, did swim back in the day competitively. Those folks blow me out of the water. But.......I have fun and get some good exercise so I'm happy.

Been swimming since 6. If all lanes are full, you are able to ask someone if you can share a lane and you swim only on one side. Only competitive swimmers share lanes and do a counterclockwise lane swim. Sometimes a person does backstroke or maybe even butterfly in a lane. They need the extra space alone in the lane to swim those strokes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calisport (Post 2075470)

Used to be a competitive swimmer, now I just swim to keep Father Time from getting me sooner rather than later. Always happy to share a lane with a fellow swimmer. Please just let me know you want to join me in the lane. I am a tall guy with long arms and I swim all strokes, but swim about 50% backstroke. I don’t have eyes in the back of my head and I have a very wide stroke radius. If I don’t know you are there a collision is inevitable. Please just be aware that sharing a lane can accidentally become a contact sport. When I swim backstroke, my arms will inevitably make contact with fellow swimmers. No big deal, just part of getting a good workout. Swim on : )