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Circle Swimming? Sounds Complicated, What The Heck Is It?

I swear I get the craziest looks sometimes when people come up and ask if they can share the lane with me. I usually respond with, "Of course, would you like to circle swim"?

They look at me kinda funny and say, "how about we just split the lane."

I cringe a little and reply with a "sure why not," and off I go to continue on with my workout in my tiny little half a lane (usually with a few laps of butterfly, so they know what they are getting themselves into ).

Maybe I'm overreacting, but its just an irritating a pet peeve of mine.

Here's why...

I never really thought there was any other way to swim laps than circle swimming when I was swimming competitively because it just seemed so logical. We had to swim 4, 5, 6+ to a lane, and the only way to accomplish this was to circle swim. After I quit, I was a lifeguard at the local pool and swam there occasionally, and I noticed how passionate some people are about circle swimming, silly as it may seem.

I didn't get it until one day, all 8 lanes were filled up with 16 people, who of course were splitting lanes. This left any new swimmers to hang out on the deck until someone got out or they could convince their counterparts to share the lane and swim in those god awful circles. I'm getting dizzy just thinking about it!

Anyways, this same situation happened to me just the other day. A younger guy pulled the lane split routine on me (surprising because he looked like he swam competitively at some point), and about 10 min later there were 4-5 people on deck looking agitated because all of the lanes were full.

A pool's capacity is not 2 x the number of lanes, so please make sure you do your part to keep it that way. Its only fair.

Here's a few easy to follow lap swimming etiquette tips to help...

Pick An Appropriate Lane

When you arrive at the pool if there are no open lanes, scope out the situation and try to choose a lane that has swimmer(s) that are close to your skill level. Some pools will actually designate one side of the pool for slower swimmers and the opposite side for faster swimmers. Just make sure you choose accordingly so you're not running people over or vice versa.

Announce Your Intention To Join A Lane

Don't just hop into any lane. Give the common courtesy to the person(s) who was in the lane first, and ask if they mind if you join them. After you get a yes, kindly ask "Do you mind if we circle swim?" Make sure you clarify this prior to getting in so you avoid the impending head-on collision.

Don't Hog The Wall

If you stop for rest, or you're just on the wall in the middle of a set, make sure you don't hang in the middle. Stay to the far right or left side and allow enough space for your lane mates to do a flip turn. If there's more than two people in your lane, try to stay to the far right side so that if anyone else stops, they can hold on to the lane line and others can continue swimming. Make sure you pay attention to what the other swimmers are doing, and stay out of the way as best as possible when you're resting.

Don't Be A Road Block / Tailgater

Be conscious of the flow of traffic in your lane. If you are the slower swimmer in the lane, try not to push off right in front of a faster swimmer. Same goes if you are a faster swimmer, don't push off right behind a slower swimmer. Give the other swimmers a reasonable amount of space, and if you need to pass someone make sure you do it quickly and with minimal disruption to your lane mates.

Circle Swim, DUH!

Just do it. And do your best to encourage others to as well. If someone asks to join your lane, say yes, but only if we circle swim. Its really not that hard to learn if you never have before. You just swim in a circle! AND, I heard you actually swim faster when everyone circle swims. Experts say it creates a current in the lane and even a tiny little whirlpool if you look close enough

The Bottom Line: Communicate and use Common Sense!

Of course, and most importantly, make sure you have fun and enjoy our wonderful sport!

About the Author

Adam Viccaro is an avid swimmer, coach, and the creator of the online swimming community @Virtual Swim Coach. Get tips on proper technique and motivation along with your 36 FREE practices HERE.

SWIMMERS!!! How do you swim a perfect 50 yard freestyle?

I am a 16 year old girl, and my time for the 50 free has been stuck between 29 and 30 seconds. What is your technique for swimming the race, and how can I FINALLY lower my time, I need a 28 to qualify for counties?

When your swimming something as short as a 50 everything counts, the difference is made in everything from the nanosecond you leave the block to the moment you touch the side to finish. But I assume you already know this, and as a girl (we aren't exactly built streamline) you've got a lot working against you.
1. Practice your starts, get them as perfect as possible.
-- Get you chin tucked as tight to your chest as possible and keep it there!!!
-- Don't breathe straight of you start, wait a few pulls (I breathe on the 4th after my start/ turn, then the eight as long as I can, but I'm severely asthmatic so you can prob. do better)
-- Remember, just because you are pulling faster doesn't necessarily mean you are moving faster, focus on a powerful stroke and a highly propulsive kick rather than more pulls.
-- Make sure you pull all the way past you thigh and follow through.
--Turn fast and again, don't breathe straight off the turn.
The key to the fifty sprint is to hold as fast as you can, the entire time. In a 200 (which is still considered a sprint) you have to have some strategy, but a 50 is all about technique and pure speed. If you can swim the entire length after your start without a breath, take one before your turn, but let that be it. The whole point is to go as fast as physically possible, don't picture your arms moving faster, but think of it like this. Your body is moving through the water, but your arms have solid concrete to pull on, then push off of. Think POWER.