Lane Etiquette

To make everyone’s swim as rewarding and carefree as possible we've come up with 12 Golden Rules to happiness whilst swimming in a session.

• Listen to the coach and always do as the coach says.
• Swim in order of speed: fastest first; slowest last (this may change depending on stroke and/or distance). Please constantly check your position in the lane. If swimmers are bunched up behind you, be prepared to drop back.
• Change lanes if necessary or whenever asked to do so by the coach. Swimmers are put into lanes according to speed.
• If you want to overtake, tap the swimmer in front on the foot. At the end of the lane they will wait for you to swim past. But make your intention clear. The swimmer in front may reasonably assume that you just got too close.
• If somebody taps on your foot to overtake, finish the length you are swimming and be prepared at the end of the lane to stand aside (in the corner of the lane) to allow a swimmer to pass you. Stay on the side you came from, not where you'd be going (so when swimming in a clockwise direction, you will wait on the left side, as people will make a turn at the right side).
• If you stop at the end of the lane, wait for a large enough space to continue. Do not set off just as another swimmer is coming in to the end of the lane to turn.
• When you finish the set distance move to the right (if swimming clockwise, left if anti-clockwise) to allow swimmers behind a good finish at the wall. Always swim to the wall – don’t stop or turn before the wall – and if people are in your way then remind them to make room.
• Leave at least 5 seconds between swimmers, 10 seconds if the lane is not too crowded. Leave 3 seconds only where specifically requested by the coach.
• Swimming fly –be aware of people coming the other way.
• Swim the set specified by the coach and don’t swim a different stroke to everyone else (unless choice of stroke has been set by the coach).
• If you are new to club swimming, please start at the back of your allocated lane – you can always work your way up in time.  Remember to listen to advice from more experienced swimmers.
• Keep smiling!