Lap Swim Etiquette

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Rec Swim can be fun and good exercise at the same time.  Here are some tips to make this an enjoyable experience for everyone:

  • In Which Lane Should I Swim?

    Observe speed signage as well as the swimmers in the lanes before choosing a lane to swim in. Choose the lane with a speed that you realistically plan to swim at for the entirety of your workout.

  • Circle Swimming?

    Circle swimming is observed within the lanes. Please swim counter-clockwise, around the black lines at the bottom of the pool.

  • When Should I Push Off The Wall?

    Slower swimmers in a lane should wait to push off the wall until faster swimmers have passed. Faster swimmers in a lane should wait to push off the wall until slower swimmers have ample pool length to prevent having to pass.

  • How Does Passing/Being Passed Work?

    When passing another swimmer be sure you have adequate forward space to do so, alert the person in front of you when possible (gentle tap on the foot usually works), and then pass. Do not attempt to pass another swimmer in the last 15 meters of a length. When being passed do not speed up.

  • Different Strokes?

    Those doing faster strokes in a lane should go ahead of those doing slower strokes (breaststroke, kicking, stroke drills).

  • What Happens At The Wall?

    Swimmers resting or waiting their turn at the wall should stay far to either corner of the lane (approaching swimmer’s left preferred). When the wall is crowded swimmers may need to rest away from the wall along either side of the lane as close to the lane line as possible.

While scientifically one mile equals 1760 yards or 1609.3 meters, the Avery Aquatic Center follows the standard used by the competitive swimming world, which is 1500 meters or 1650 yards. The following gives the number of laps needed to swim a mile using the different amounts of length:

One lap = two lengths or “to there and back”
Definition of a mile (in yards or meters):
1500m –> 30 laps of a 25 yard pool in one mile or 15 laps of a 50 meter pool in one mile
1650yd –> 33 laps of a 25 yard pool in one mile or 16.5 laps of a 50 meter pool in one mile
1760yd –> 35.2 laps of a 25 yard pool in one mile or 17.6 laps of a 50 meter pool in one mile