Have you ever found yourself swimming laps, minding your business when someone gives you a bump? Chances are they – or you – weren’t following proper pool etiquette.
When swimming in our lap pools, it’s important to follow a few guidelines to keep yourself and others safe. Luckily, pool etiquette is pretty easy! Here’s a few things to keep in mind for your next swim.
1. Rinse before diving in – make the most of our pool side showers before jumping in the pool. This helps us keep our pools sparkling clean and is especially important if you’ve just had a nice sweaty workout in the gym or on the track.
2. Keep left – all AUT Millennium pools operate like the road; keep left! When all swimmers follow this simple rule, we can avoid most nasty collisions.
3. Look for the least crowded lane – swimmers love having a lane to themselves! As long as the empty lane is your speed, jump in that one before crowding the lane.
4. Pick your speed – speaking of lane speed, make sure you know your limits and pick a lane that fits your speed. Getting into a mismatched lane will only make you and others frustrated.
5. If someone is faster than you, let them go in front – if someone is coming down the lane and just about to turn, don’t push off in front of them! Don’t be that swimmer. Just take a few seconds to make sure you don’t have another swimmer coming in and then take off.
6. A tap on the foot means they want to pass – if you feel a tap on the foot, don’t be alarmed or embarrassed. When you get to the end of the lane just pull into the corner and let the person pass. If you get passed by the same person twice, it might be time to move to a slower lane and remember, no one likes an excessive foot tapper!
7. Don’t follow the black tiled lane – we know it’s tempting and natural to follow the black tiles but this will only lead to you running into other swimmers. Even if you have the lane to yourself, you might not notice when someone else joins the lane. Play it safe and keep left.
8. Don’t rest in the middle of the lane – One of the best ways to turn swimming into a contact sport is to stop in the middle of the lane. Other swimmers won’t expect you to stop and won’t be looking for obstacles. Instead, power through to the end of the lane, make sure you pull to the side of the wall and move out of the way of other swimmers so that you don’t get another swimmer flip turn on you!
9. Bonus tip: Keep those showers short! – When it’s time to jump out, we know it feels great to collect your thoughts under our warm poolside showers. But, we urge you to keep it short to help us minimise our environmental impact. Please also remember shampoo and conditioner is only allowed in the changing room showers so that we don’t turn the pool deck into a slip & slide.
Pool etiquette can make or break your swim. By following these simple guidelines you can make your swim – and others’ swims – much safer and more enjoyable. And remember, be kind to your fellow swimmers!
Happy swimming!
