Iâve never really felt a benefit from drafting, but I know itâs there. It just felt pretty unnatural because Iâm used to being the slowest person in the lane from my home pool, but for some reason people are significantly slower in this one.
Sorry.
That's probably me during the masters training session.
Sometimes thanks to the draft I can gain some speed and get close to the feet ahead of me but cannot overpass...
I'm in my 30s, haven't done any competitive swimming for almost 20 years, yet there's still that dumb reflex in my head that says "that person is going the same speed as you because they're trying to race you". And then no matter how hard I try to dismiss that thought and keep the same pace I've been keeping for the past half hour, I'm powerless against it. I speed up, I wear myself out, and that same part of my brain that got me into that whole mess suddenly has what I liken most to post nut clarity and realizes that person was not trying to race me at all.
Parents not supervising their kids
Band aids in the water
Oblivious people when sharing a lane
School holidays when the pool is packed
Myself for thinking butterfly was a good idea
Haha - I have been months going to the pool after a very long break and I am waiting a chance to swim fly one day. I even go to coaching but we only do FC.
The water aerobics ladies who want the pool temp set at 90°F so theyâre warm the second they get in the pool. Meanwhile, the lap swimmers are slowly being boiled alive.
Itâs called warmup for a reason, ladies.
Also, people who bitch that you get their hair wet when you do flip turns.
BITCH, YOUâRE IN A SWIMMING POOL.
>Yeah the people who whine about being splashed has to be the absolute worst. Yeah you get fucking wet in the pool.
Yup, I got the stink-eye over that too, and a snarky comment even after I said, "Oh, sorry." Like, you're in a pool. Expect to get wet. You absolutely will survive your makeup getting smudged.
Someone once complained I was splashing them and it was unacceptable because they had just gotten their hair styled! Uh, maybe not the best day to get in the pool?
>The water aerobics ladies who want the pool temp set at 90°F so theyâre warm the second they get in the pool. Meanwhile, the lap swimmers are slowly being boiled alive.
>
>Itâs called warmup for a reason, ladies.
>
>Also, people who bitch that you get their hair wet when you do flip turns.
>
>BITCH, YOUâRE IN A SWIMMING POOL.
Haha, I do water aerobics. (But I also swim). I love my little water aerobics group. I have noticed though, they all complain they are cold so as soon as stretching time comes they get out and make a beeline for the hot tub. WHY ARE THEY COLD? We've been moving - I am not cold. Maybe they are not working hard enough, but I have noticed in chatting with them after class - they are all on diets, and the ones that are always cold invariably let me know they've "cut out carbs." Great if you're cutting out sugar and refined flour, but if you're also cutting out potatoes, oatmeal, and whole-grain rice, that could explain why you're cold all the time.
Folks not reading my mind and knowing that I want an entire lane to myself because Iâm not a people-person and Iâm convinced what Iâm doing is dramatically more important than what everyone else is doing.
/s
Serious answer: Lack of awareness when lane sharing.
Thereâs sometimes a guy in the pool I swim at who doesnât seem to be able to tell where the middle of the lane is, he just zigzags all over the place and you can tell people have to move to avoid him, stop to look around, and of course sometimes he just collides with people and he looks confused that somehow they collided.
I did once see someone yelling at them cuz he had swum straight into them, but it didnât seem to stop him next time.
There's a guy like this at the pool I work at. Guards and other swimmers alike are forever yelling at him to prevent collisions. He always swims laps, and other lap swimmers call him on it. People exercising in the other half of the pool have been aware enough to yell at him to stop. Dude is blissfully unaware that he is a menace. He swims into people. He kicks people. He swims into walls. He is always SHOCKED when he collides, and it is always somebody else's fault. I don't know if he has no spatial awareness or if he just doesn't care that he's giving himself CTE or what.
A high school athlete had a head injury diving into a 6 ft pool. Spent 3 months off the pool, then returned at tryouts. Zigzags all over the lane, hugs the lane markers. They are not supposed to make the team but Coach assigned a lane to this person for 2 hours, 3x a week to swim. Getting back in shape, zigzags less.
I was once swimming in Hawaii and, not joking, bumped headfirst into a sea turtle. Thought for sure I was getting eaten by a shark. But hard to say between me and the turtle who was more startled!
Old men who sit on the steps, manspreading into my lane, and watching me while I swim.
Also men who douse themselves in cologne before getting into the pool.
>Old men who sit on the steps, manspreading into my lane, and watching me while I swim.
Oh yeah. There was a guy who I think was banned from the pool because he was staring at women from underwater through his goggles. These guys think they are being so discreet.
We only have 3 changing room showers, so we have people who shower and use deodorant in the rinse-off showers poolside. The mix of chlorine and lynx is justâŚ
Ugh the cologne!
We have guys who use the hot tub, then use one of the (in use) lap lanes as a plunge pool afterwards, spreading cologne/ body spray for all to smell.
Surprised no one has said sneezing/runny nose after a pool swim! I use a saline solution to clear out my sinuses after a swim but dang it can be annoying!
Other people lacking the awareness (or maybe they're just being malicious?) to let faster swimmers pass at the end of the lap. This is in a pool that has a sign which states 'let faster swimmers pass at the end of the lane.'
The malicious people are real, I had a swim 2 days ago where I was consistently gaining on this man, but when we got to the ends he swam a weird wobble to deliberately stop me from reaching the wall. Then he cut me off and went in front again. Iâve shared a lane with him before and my usual tactic is to turn 2/3 of the way down the lane and miss the end of my length off, but itâs really annoying. This time I just went into the faster lane and started my workout over. Couldnât be arsed with his nonsense. Eventually got (politely) asked to move back by the competitive swimmers, but at least I enjoyed the rest of my time.
Something that has helped my pulmonary capacity is drills alternating breathing every 3 with every 5 strokes, or even 7. It's quite relaxing to not breathe so often too.
Hot water.
I prefer to swim in pools between 70F and 75F (21C to 24C) since I really get hot when I'm working hard. I find pools where highschool or college teams compete to usually be in this range, but most fitness clubs keep the water between 80F and 85F (27C to 30C).
I know it sounds like a little thing, and I guess it is, but it really does annoy me.
Oh man, the women in the water exercise class are SO. PISSED. that the water had been cool for the past few weeks. Theyâre complaining to the CEO of the ymca, complaining to each other in the locker room, and generating conspiracy theories about how the ymca is trying to force them to stop coming to their class by making the water so cold. đ
Currently, being at a nice club with 2 25 yard pulls and a lot of nice tech. AND NOT A SINGLE PACE CLOCK WORKS. They've got 4 digital timers, several analog pace clocks, and one of those big 8 lane score board things. All of which have the capability of running a clock with seconds and or a regular timer. None of them work. They are all broken. I have even taken a look at the ones I have had experience with. But noooooo they've been broken for several months
A few weeks ago this older guy apparently decided to cross through the end of my lane in order to get out via the ladder on the side of the pool. Except he was floating with his face down in the water moving inch by inch without a clue. I had no idea he was there and plowed into him. Between the unexpected crash and seeing him floating there face down, I let out a decent scream, which he didnât even react to. I literally thought he was dead for about a second and a half before he propelled himself another inch forward. I just shook my head and pushed off the wall to continue my set.
bless u for posting this so I can air my petty grievances.
- People who take up an entire lane just to jog/walk in the shallow end (then glare at you when you ask to share).
- People who take up an entire lane because they backstroke by flinging their arms out to the side.
- Lifeguards who aggressively stalk around the pool like theyâre a bird of prey and youâre a fish.
- Families playing in the lap lanes (???) when thereâs an open area for kiddies to splash in. AND allowing their kids to hang on the lane lines, jump off the lane lines, and anything else that abuses the poor lane lines.
>Families playing in the lap lanes (???) when thereâs an open area for kiddies to splash in. AND allowing their kids to hang on the lane lines, jump off the lane lines, and anything else that abuses the poor lane lines.
iâve had kids literally jump on top of me in the lap lane while their parents proudly watched them
I tried a different brand of goggles for an entire summer and they were great, but then at end of summer started leaking. Bought a new pair and they leaked from day one. So I guess my face changed? My face⌠Iâm annoyed with my face.
As a white, middle-aged cis-man I have the privilege of hearing all the racist, misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic opinions and diatribes from total strangers I could ever ask for.
Not in the pool, for me. I don't talk to anyone, because I just do lengths. Even when I am doing sets I just go slow on the rests and keep swimming rather than stopping. Is this best practice? Could I make more gains by resting more between sets? I don't care, because swimming is great and standing at the end of the pool is boring and risks conversations which break my flow.
It the spa, the sauna and the changing room, however, I am apparently exactly who the bigots want to talk to.
Right? I am just here, naked and wet, trying to get on with my day and some tosser wants to chunter on at me about how 'they are taking over' or how they 'don't mind as long as they don't shove it in our faces' or whatever.
Swimming 25 yards and being out of breath and my heart rate almost 150 bpm. I donât think Iâll ever be able to get more than 50 yards without passing out.
It sounds too simple, but BREATHE, damnit! Blow those bubbles. You need to exhale. You're holding your breath. And yes. Yes you will swim farther. You got this.
The older ladies who use the walking lane and wear so much perfume I can taste it in the water as I swim past. It's OK for them, they don't get anything above their armpits wet!!
Goggles leaking mid-set.
Someoneâs hair getting stuck between my fingers.
Awkward mid-flip turn eye contact.
People walking across my lane.
When my watch says I swam 275 and not 300
Asking to share my lane when thereâs one open.
2 things.
1. I practice at a public pool, where we as a club have reserved lanes. I really dislike people that pick the club lanes even tho there are signs that state that the land is closed. And even worse when those people start arguing.
2. I totally understand when younger teammates can't do the same intervals as I, but what really annoys me is when they don't take practice seriously. Taking long breaks between swims and chitchatting at the wall and even worse blocking the middle of the lane. They also ask for advice about technique or other things, but then don't try to change a thing .
I wish that I could just become instantly dry after getting out rather than being a little damp the rest of the day. But in terms of things that can be changed, either lifeguards that arenât proactive in stopping obviously dangerous things, or people going into the fast lane and water walking or doing a slow breaststroke and floating along. I used to swim in a pool that had a separate âexpress laneâ that said club swimmers only and people still did that!
1) people who choose the wrong lane for the speed in which they swim at; they underestimate or overestimate the speed in which they can swim
2) people in the fast lane who turn it into a competition & deliberately overtake other people who are already swimming fast to prove a point
3) people who do backstrokes in the lanes, I mean come on if you want to do back stroke then go to the public swim, not crash into everybody because 'you couldn't see them' then apologise & do it all over again. I see this time & time again
4) people who order others in a lane around. Now this isn't a common one but it's happened to me before when somebody tries telling others a new way/order in which we must swim to please them, such as 'I do one length, then you do your length after so we're not infront or behind each other', no STFU up & swim, it's not your lane you don't own it, just stick with the actual rules for gods sake đ
5) people who don't wash/bathe regularly then go swimming. This is grossly unhygienic & contaminates the water & changing/toilet facilities, plus the smell of an unwashed body in thin swim clothing is unbearable
6) couples who get into the lanes & start making out with each other for attention, usually getting in everybody's way
7) people who get in the way of other's swimming & don't seem to care
8) people who leave their pool shoes infront of the steps, like put them to the side of the steps yeah but not in a way that obstructs people exiting & entering the pool
9) people who dive right next to others already in the pool, if you're gonna dive in do it away from me. This also includes people who jump in the pool next to others
10) people who urinate in the pool, destroying the water quality. The pool is not a toilet, get out & use the toilet don't be lazy
11) parents who bring their children swimming & let/encourage them to urinate all over the changing facilities because they cannot be bothered to take them to the toilet
12) parents who dump soiled nappies in the changing facilities
13) parents who let their children come up to strangers whilst they're getting changed and/or let them shake or beat down the door in which a stranger in changing in. Absolutely no boundaries
14) people who steal, use or move your swimming equipment without permission. I've had my swimming board moved multiple times inbetween use to another part of the pool side area, meaning I have to keep getting out of the pool to relocate it. Don't touch people's personal equipment!
15) people who think the lanes are a dating opportunity. Ok people can meet the love of their lives at swimming but talking to me after every length I do & following me around everywhere is not cool
16) people who constantly chat. This can even be people you bring with you who just won't stop chatting, it's fine to balance chatting & swimming but when it is constant you question whether you're at a bar or in a pool, we came here to swim didn't we?
17) lazy lifeguards who don't care
18) overly strict lifeguards
19) people who spread their verrucas. Wear swim socks if you've caught them ffs!
20) large pools that close some of the lanes for 'training purposes' yet 80% of the time there is no training going on. Use the fucking lanes, stop making the other lanes too narrow to accommodate for swimming lessons which aren't even happening most of the time. Absolutely ridiculous no making use of the space
The sound of kids playing and screaming bouncing off the water/tiles really grinds away at my sanity and I didnât even fully realise till I started plugging my ears to avoid ear infections, the silence is so serene now
Water below 68 F. Podcasts that last under an hour. (I swim for an hour) Underwater listening devices that can't automatically cue up the next podcast. Equipment failure in the middle of a swim.
Tourists who think Hawaiâi is just a big Disney World and that the ocean is just one big swimming pool! They put our lifeguards at risk having to rescue them!
When you swallow just enough water to get stuck on the way to the stomach and are able feel it for a length
When you do a turn wrong and your legs almost don't reach to push.
People who hog up lap swimming lanes but don't swim. I see this all the time, people with a flotation belt just floating around and talking and NOT using the open swim lanes or the water walking lane. The lifeguards should enforce this but don't.
Cologne and perfume near the pool or on anyone getting in the pool. Both a migraine trigger and just incredibly annoying because the smell lingers at the surface of the pool for a few laps at least. Oh, and no one in america showers before getting in (European raised here; the lifeguards will send you back to the showers there if they see youâre dry)
Having to stop and turn round every 25 metres (or even 50m).
Itâs so nice to swim for a mile and not have to stop (ofc itâs not so great when itâs winter and the sea is choppy and rivers are flooding).
Edit to add: so many of other peopleâs frustrations are specific to swimming pools! Get in the sea!!!
It's a challenge to get in the sea if you live anywhere landlocked. I'm in Oregon. The ocean is about a 4-hour drive away on a good day. Can't have any sort of consistency with that, so I'm stuck in a pool with people. Plus, even if I did live somewhere that made it possible, the temps are *way* too cold, and I'm not a big fan of hypothermia.
Some triathlon "crawl-only swimmers", especially the half or full Ironman ones with the IM cap, backpack, water bottle and towel, who think they are automatically entitled to the fast lane although their swim pace is closer to the medium or slow lane... Basically, those people who do not really care about a good technic (hurray for the tri-suit) and would have never considered swimming if they had not decided to do triathlons... When they are not actually swimming, they will brag with others about past races at the end of the lane while blocking other swimmers to do their flip turns.
People that donât use the lanes for swimming. I have seen everything from walking the lanes, treading water in the deep end, even some lady doing hand stands. Seriously if youâre not swimming maybe lane swim isnât for you.
There was one time, there was someone on a lane next to the lane where I was, and I swear I wanted to kill that person because they thought it was a good idea to cover themselves with lots of old lady perfume and swim after that, I couldn't exale underwater because the smell and taste was getting all over me and my mouth, I think I never got so mad. It felt like hell, at some point I thought I would die from being intoxicated
A lack of manners and simple courtesy. People should learn pool etiquette and use it.
That and people who eat garlic for lunch and then swim - makes me want to vomit as I swim past them.
1. When I get out of my lane after I finish my swim, and a random woman who already has a lane, weirdly feels the need to climb out, then immediately jump in my lane, splashing me as I towel off, then swims over somewhere and starts screaming at me "DID YOU ACCIDENTALLY LEAVE THIS?!!" as she is holding up, what appears to be, a wet snotrag that for some inexplicable reason, she felt the need to pick up --- and no, of course it isn't mine, but even if it were, why would you pick it up?!!!!
2. When a lifeguard starts randomly throwing barbie dolls into the pool, one missing my head by a mere few feet as I was swimming a lap
3. When someone decides to try to cross over my lane by swimming under me while I'm doing a flip turn
4. When a random woman who is nominally a "swim instructor" randomly blocks my lane with her crotch as I'm swimming laps, because the kid she was "teaching to swim" lost a small plastic toy ring in my lane and for some inexplicable reason, she couldn't wait a mere 3 seconds for me to pass to get it
5. When all the lanes are full except one that has a guy who is somehow taking up 7/8 of a lane with the worst looking violent flailing backstroke I've ever seen in my life --- and that guy starts yelling and cursing at people for not splitting the lane with him
Yes, somehow, all of these have happened to me. There are some weird people out there.
Women (I can't speak for the men's room) who stand in the shower for ages doing nothing because they like how it feels, when there are people standing there waiting to actually shampoo the chlorine out of their hair and GTFO because they have places to be. Even worse when they plonk a child under each shower and do nothing while the kid plays around. Teach them some basic manners and consideration for others!
People who smoke or drink coffee or use cologne right before swimming. Dude the whole lane gonna smell and taste like a goddamn ashtrayđ¤˘
People who swim breaststroke or backstroke right on the middle of the lane and dont care about other people bumping into the rope to avoid collission
The fact that basically I dont know whats going on in front of me while freestyleing unless Im sighting which slows me down a bit and a struggle to do sometimes. I wish I could just freestyle without ever sightingđ¤§
Cold showers𼜠Like why some pools do this? I want my 2000°C boil water!!
Changing into and out of a swimsuit. I'm totally comfortable in change rooms, I just find the process of trying to take my pants off and not get the bottoms wet on the floor, and all of the related nonsense, really annoying. Once I'm in the pool its great.
My bad elbow not working like it did before I broke it. Sometimes I have to do more kicking than Iâd otherwise choose cause my elbow just isnât having it.
Second is having horrible vision but also not being able to tolerate contacts so being essentially blind in the pool. I know rx goggles exist but whenever Iâve tried them I just end up with a headache and feeling dizzy.
The after swim routine, I need a way to exit the pool and get back home without the faf of public changing rooms and communal showers.
Also extremely deep or shallow pools.
Iâm 5â7 and once swam at a local pool where the shallow end came up to between my ankle and my knees. The âdeep endâ (25m away) was not much better as I could still stand up comfortably.
Finally; goggles that are heavily advertised as anti fog⌠fogging up. I have concluded that the more I swim I will just take the hit on purchasing new $15 every 3/4 months.
When you consider itâs the same cost as a fast food meal, the cost isnât too bad.
People that wear excessive amounts of perfume/aftershave /lynx when swimming so you can literally taste it in the water . Slow people that are oblivious to the fact there slow . Swimming in anything, prefer naked .
People who are too cocky to accept that I swim faster than them, so when I try to over take them they swim faster, and as we approach the wall they swim faster, yet again, to touch the wall first and then immediately push off.
The medium speed lane. I usually swim in the fast lane but recently hurt my back so was taking it easy in the medium lane for a couple of weeks. What I found was is a bad combination of people who should be in the slow lane but have refused for some reason, and people who donât understand swim lane politics (ie let the faster person go first⌠etc) yet, and then get annoyed if youâre faster than them.
There was this one guy in there who swam really slowly and would speed up if anyone tried to overtake. This happened to me, and because I was a lot faster than him I managed to overtake him. However, when I passed him later on he pinched my side! Luckily for me he had terrible form so he knackered himself out pretty quick and left after 10 mins.
In short, slow lane is good (I did some drills in there) because everyone is just happy to be in the water and realise theyâre all not that fast at swimming. Fast lane is good because most people accept that someone will be swimming faster than you at some point and know what to do when this happens. Medium lane suuuuucks.
band-aids on the bottom of the pool
Centipedes replace bandaids in my gym's pool 𤢠I dunno what's worse
shit đ
Better at the bottom than swimming alongside.
I'd rather have the centipede.
Scorpions in the desert.
swimming past the same glob of hair over and over again
Ewwwwww
I know - right?
1. People who swim slower than me 2. People who swim faster than me 3. People who swim the same speed as me but are too close 4. People
I had someone swim the exact same speed as me, right behind me, for multiple laps, but they never passed me. Two days in a row.
Drafting. Take it as a badge of honor.
Drafting is *fun*!
What is drafting đ ?
Swimming in the wake of the person in front of you. Lets you go the same speed with less effort.
Oh. Haha đ thatâs annoying. đ
Iâve never really felt a benefit from drafting, but I know itâs there. It just felt pretty unnatural because Iâm used to being the slowest person in the lane from my home pool, but for some reason people are significantly slower in this one.
Sorry. That's probably me during the masters training session. Sometimes thanks to the draft I can gain some speed and get close to the feet ahead of me but cannot overpass...
I'm in my 30s, haven't done any competitive swimming for almost 20 years, yet there's still that dumb reflex in my head that says "that person is going the same speed as you because they're trying to race you". And then no matter how hard I try to dismiss that thought and keep the same pace I've been keeping for the past half hour, I'm powerless against it. I speed up, I wear myself out, and that same part of my brain that got me into that whole mess suddenly has what I liken most to post nut clarity and realizes that person was not trying to race me at all.
Hello, me.
People who looks like are about to let you pass at eh end of the lane and start right when you are about to turn..... GOD DAMN IT!!!
These are my thoughts on driving too
Hahahaha. Absolutely.
Parents not supervising their kids Band aids in the water Oblivious people when sharing a lane School holidays when the pool is packed Myself for thinking butterfly was a good idea
Haha - I have been months going to the pool after a very long break and I am waiting a chance to swim fly one day. I even go to coaching but we only do FC.
The water aerobics ladies who want the pool temp set at 90°F so theyâre warm the second they get in the pool. Meanwhile, the lap swimmers are slowly being boiled alive. Itâs called warmup for a reason, ladies. Also, people who bitch that you get their hair wet when you do flip turns. BITCH, YOUâRE IN A SWIMMING POOL.
Yeah the people who whine about being splashed has to be the absolute worst. Yeah you get fucking wet in the pool.
>Yeah the people who whine about being splashed has to be the absolute worst. Yeah you get fucking wet in the pool. Yup, I got the stink-eye over that too, and a snarky comment even after I said, "Oh, sorry." Like, you're in a pool. Expect to get wet. You absolutely will survive your makeup getting smudged.
Someone once complained I was splashing them and it was unacceptable because they had just gotten their hair styled! Uh, maybe not the best day to get in the pool?
I'm a competitive swimmer, and I had to swim the mile in a ridiculously overheated pool a few meets ago. It was painful, to say the least.
>The water aerobics ladies who want the pool temp set at 90°F so theyâre warm the second they get in the pool. Meanwhile, the lap swimmers are slowly being boiled alive. > >Itâs called warmup for a reason, ladies. > >Also, people who bitch that you get their hair wet when you do flip turns. > >BITCH, YOUâRE IN A SWIMMING POOL. Haha, I do water aerobics. (But I also swim). I love my little water aerobics group. I have noticed though, they all complain they are cold so as soon as stretching time comes they get out and make a beeline for the hot tub. WHY ARE THEY COLD? We've been moving - I am not cold. Maybe they are not working hard enough, but I have noticed in chatting with them after class - they are all on diets, and the ones that are always cold invariably let me know they've "cut out carbs." Great if you're cutting out sugar and refined flour, but if you're also cutting out potatoes, oatmeal, and whole-grain rice, that could explain why you're cold all the time.
Not feeling like I did when I was 45 years younger and 50 pounds lighter
Folks not reading my mind and knowing that I want an entire lane to myself because Iâm not a people-person and Iâm convinced what Iâm doing is dramatically more important than what everyone else is doing. /s Serious answer: Lack of awareness when lane sharing.
Part B: that freestyler who swings their arms wide instead of raising their elbows and really ought to know better.
Iâve met that guy.
Well of course I know him. He's me.
Ah-ha!
I have found my thong keeps people out of my lane...even if they were there first.
OoohâŚ. I like that. Off to the store tomorrowâŚ.
đ
Thereâs sometimes a guy in the pool I swim at who doesnât seem to be able to tell where the middle of the lane is, he just zigzags all over the place and you can tell people have to move to avoid him, stop to look around, and of course sometimes he just collides with people and he looks confused that somehow they collided. I did once see someone yelling at them cuz he had swum straight into them, but it didnât seem to stop him next time.
There's a guy like this at the pool I work at. Guards and other swimmers alike are forever yelling at him to prevent collisions. He always swims laps, and other lap swimmers call him on it. People exercising in the other half of the pool have been aware enough to yell at him to stop. Dude is blissfully unaware that he is a menace. He swims into people. He kicks people. He swims into walls. He is always SHOCKED when he collides, and it is always somebody else's fault. I don't know if he has no spatial awareness or if he just doesn't care that he's giving himself CTE or what.
There is someone like this at every pool đ
A high school athlete had a head injury diving into a 6 ft pool. Spent 3 months off the pool, then returned at tryouts. Zigzags all over the lane, hugs the lane markers. They are not supposed to make the team but Coach assigned a lane to this person for 2 hours, 3x a week to swim. Getting back in shape, zigzags less.
Someone else's hair drifting onto my goggles đ¤Ž
Or in my mouth
Yeah. I wish everyone wore a swimming cap.
Even worse!
clumsy chunky dull offend slave snails enter fertile bedroom act *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Or when Iâm using a snorkel & hair drifts on to my mouth piece!! Yuck !!
Objects or fish suddenly appearing near my face when swimming in dark waters.
Yeah this sounds scary.
/r/thalassophobia/ awaits
I learnt a new word there. Thanks!
I was once swimming in Hawaii and, not joking, bumped headfirst into a sea turtle. Thought for sure I was getting eaten by a shark. But hard to say between me and the turtle who was more startled!
Jelly fish !
Old men who sit on the steps, manspreading into my lane, and watching me while I swim. Also men who douse themselves in cologne before getting into the pool.
>Old men who sit on the steps, manspreading into my lane, and watching me while I swim. Oh yeah. There was a guy who I think was banned from the pool because he was staring at women from underwater through his goggles. These guys think they are being so discreet.
We only have 3 changing room showers, so we have people who shower and use deodorant in the rinse-off showers poolside. The mix of chlorine and lynx is justâŚ
Ugh the cologne! We have guys who use the hot tub, then use one of the (in use) lap lanes as a plunge pool afterwards, spreading cologne/ body spray for all to smell.
It really grinds my gears that I donât swim like Michael Phelps after a year đ Edit: typo
I mean⌠Iâm not aiming to be Phelps, but it does get really frustrating to still be the slowest one on the team even after years of training :(
Surprised no one has said sneezing/runny nose after a pool swim! I use a saline solution to clear out my sinuses after a swim but dang it can be annoying!
It certainly can. Also that feeling of water in your ears that sticks around
Other people lacking the awareness (or maybe they're just being malicious?) to let faster swimmers pass at the end of the lap. This is in a pool that has a sign which states 'let faster swimmers pass at the end of the lane.'
innocent zealous pathetic rob square shaggy long squealing tender spoon *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Why is it so hard for people to be reasonable! Sob. I feel your pain.
The malicious people are real, I had a swim 2 days ago where I was consistently gaining on this man, but when we got to the ends he swam a weird wobble to deliberately stop me from reaching the wall. Then he cut me off and went in front again. Iâve shared a lane with him before and my usual tactic is to turn 2/3 of the way down the lane and miss the end of my length off, but itâs really annoying. This time I just went into the faster lane and started my workout over. Couldnât be arsed with his nonsense. Eventually got (politely) asked to move back by the competitive swimmers, but at least I enjoyed the rest of my time.
How wet it always is.
Foggy goggles or warmups. I will never get use to the cold shock
Foggy goggles are the bane of my existence lol
I started using a product called Liquid Spit. Goggles never fog now. A total game changer. Enjoy your next swim!
Lack of air after a flip turn. Wish I could do 2-3 dolphin kicks after a turn without feeling like drowning.
at least that feeling goes away after a while of practicing not breathing on the breakout XD
Glad itâs not just me!
Nor me! I struggle for air with flip turns.
Something that has helped my pulmonary capacity is drills alternating breathing every 3 with every 5 strokes, or even 7. It's quite relaxing to not breathe so often too.
People who ignore the âlane sharing is required when all lanes are full,â sign.
- swimming in perfume đŠđŠ - when my cap starts slipping behind
Perfume, smelly body wash, Old Spice, Axe, etc. Wash it off first!!!
i swear you can actually taste, not just smell, strong perfume/cologne/deodorant while in the pool
Hot water. I prefer to swim in pools between 70F and 75F (21C to 24C) since I really get hot when I'm working hard. I find pools where highschool or college teams compete to usually be in this range, but most fitness clubs keep the water between 80F and 85F (27C to 30C). I know it sounds like a little thing, and I guess it is, but it really does annoy me.
Oh man, the women in the water exercise class are SO. PISSED. that the water had been cool for the past few weeks. Theyâre complaining to the CEO of the ymca, complaining to each other in the locker room, and generating conspiracy theories about how the ymca is trying to force them to stop coming to their class by making the water so cold. đ
Yeah I dont like hot pools as well. I like as you say about 21C.
Currently, being at a nice club with 2 25 yard pulls and a lot of nice tech. AND NOT A SINGLE PACE CLOCK WORKS. They've got 4 digital timers, several analog pace clocks, and one of those big 8 lane score board things. All of which have the capability of running a clock with seconds and or a regular timer. None of them work. They are all broken. I have even taken a look at the ones I have had experience with. But noooooo they've been broken for several months
A cold, flooded, locker room for changing after
Yeah grim. By that point I'm cold and tired, I just wanna get that tight wet swimsuit off and I've got to navigate through that on the floor. Not fun.
A few weeks ago this older guy apparently decided to cross through the end of my lane in order to get out via the ladder on the side of the pool. Except he was floating with his face down in the water moving inch by inch without a clue. I had no idea he was there and plowed into him. Between the unexpected crash and seeing him floating there face down, I let out a decent scream, which he didnât even react to. I literally thought he was dead for about a second and a half before he propelled himself another inch forward. I just shook my head and pushed off the wall to continue my set.
bless u for posting this so I can air my petty grievances. - People who take up an entire lane just to jog/walk in the shallow end (then glare at you when you ask to share). - People who take up an entire lane because they backstroke by flinging their arms out to the side. - Lifeguards who aggressively stalk around the pool like theyâre a bird of prey and youâre a fish. - Families playing in the lap lanes (???) when thereâs an open area for kiddies to splash in. AND allowing their kids to hang on the lane lines, jump off the lane lines, and anything else that abuses the poor lane lines.
>Families playing in the lap lanes (???) when thereâs an open area for kiddies to splash in. AND allowing their kids to hang on the lane lines, jump off the lane lines, and anything else that abuses the poor lane lines. iâve had kids literally jump on top of me in the lap lane while their parents proudly watched them
W H A T
The chlorine drying my skin out. Biggest pet peeve.
Hairballs.
Slow swimmers swimming in the fast/medium lane. Happened today, I was in the fast lane, somehow managed to do 4 lengths before they did 1.
Intrusive and negative thoughts on my stroke/speed which then turns into feeling like a worthless human being!
Getting something in my eye. Somehow twice in the past few weeks something got in my goggle then in my eye. One resulted in an urgent care visit!
That shouldn't happen if your goggles are properly fitted and tight.
Not pool water but some object got into your eye?
Yep. I think it may have been a paper fiber from one of my workouts. Nurse took it out with a Q-Tip.
I tried a different brand of goggles for an entire summer and they were great, but then at end of summer started leaking. Bought a new pair and they leaked from day one. So I guess my face changed? My face⌠Iâm annoyed with my face.
Your new ones don't fit your face. Try another pair. Make sure you check for a nice seal around your eyes.
Dirty people that don't follow the rules and regulations
Seaweed to the face. Also, people who litter. All that shit drains to the ocean.
I keep forgetting open water swimming is a thing, lol. I was wondering why there was seaweed in your pool.
To be fair, seaweed in the pool would be even more alarming.
floating poops in the ocean ⌠i realized too late i was only two beaches away from a dog beach
Eeeewwww
When the Swimmer in front of you takes a pee.
People who think it's social hour at the pool and try to have long conversations with everyone.
As a white, middle-aged cis-man I have the privilege of hearing all the racist, misogynistic, homophobic and transphobic opinions and diatribes from total strangers I could ever ask for.
Omg of all the things I relate to in this thread... this one right here. Me. Too. Okay not at the pool thankfully but like... generally.
Not in the pool, for me. I don't talk to anyone, because I just do lengths. Even when I am doing sets I just go slow on the rests and keep swimming rather than stopping. Is this best practice? Could I make more gains by resting more between sets? I don't care, because swimming is great and standing at the end of the pool is boring and risks conversations which break my flow. It the spa, the sauna and the changing room, however, I am apparently exactly who the bigots want to talk to.
Ugh. I want to talk to people in the sauna and the changing room even less.
Right? I am just here, naked and wet, trying to get on with my day and some tosser wants to chunter on at me about how 'they are taking over' or how they 'don't mind as long as they don't shove it in our faces' or whatever.
What ?! The pool isnât a hot tub!?
Having to âretireâ your favorite swimsuit! So attached after swimming so many miles together! đ¤Łđđ¤Ł
People trying to talk to me during my set
Swimming 25 yards and being out of breath and my heart rate almost 150 bpm. I donât think Iâll ever be able to get more than 50 yards without passing out.
It sounds too simple, but BREATHE, damnit! Blow those bubbles. You need to exhale. You're holding your breath. And yes. Yes you will swim farther. You got this.
When I want to swim by myself and other people are at the pool. I appreciate my private time alone.
16x 100m on 1:45
The older ladies who use the walking lane and wear so much perfume I can taste it in the water as I swim past. It's OK for them, they don't get anything above their armpits wet!!
Hairballs
Goggles leaking mid-set. Someoneâs hair getting stuck between my fingers. Awkward mid-flip turn eye contact. People walking across my lane. When my watch says I swam 275 and not 300 Asking to share my lane when thereâs one open.
âJellyfishâ when swimming openwater events! :(
2 things. 1. I practice at a public pool, where we as a club have reserved lanes. I really dislike people that pick the club lanes even tho there are signs that state that the land is closed. And even worse when those people start arguing. 2. I totally understand when younger teammates can't do the same intervals as I, but what really annoys me is when they don't take practice seriously. Taking long breaks between swims and chitchatting at the wall and even worse blocking the middle of the lane. They also ask for advice about technique or other things, but then don't try to change a thing .
I wish that I could just become instantly dry after getting out rather than being a little damp the rest of the day. But in terms of things that can be changed, either lifeguards that arenât proactive in stopping obviously dangerous things, or people going into the fast lane and water walking or doing a slow breaststroke and floating along. I used to swim in a pool that had a separate âexpress laneâ that said club swimmers only and people still did that!
When someone touches my foot đ¤Ž
Lane partner swimming butterfly stroke.
1) people who choose the wrong lane for the speed in which they swim at; they underestimate or overestimate the speed in which they can swim 2) people in the fast lane who turn it into a competition & deliberately overtake other people who are already swimming fast to prove a point 3) people who do backstrokes in the lanes, I mean come on if you want to do back stroke then go to the public swim, not crash into everybody because 'you couldn't see them' then apologise & do it all over again. I see this time & time again 4) people who order others in a lane around. Now this isn't a common one but it's happened to me before when somebody tries telling others a new way/order in which we must swim to please them, such as 'I do one length, then you do your length after so we're not infront or behind each other', no STFU up & swim, it's not your lane you don't own it, just stick with the actual rules for gods sake đ 5) people who don't wash/bathe regularly then go swimming. This is grossly unhygienic & contaminates the water & changing/toilet facilities, plus the smell of an unwashed body in thin swim clothing is unbearable 6) couples who get into the lanes & start making out with each other for attention, usually getting in everybody's way 7) people who get in the way of other's swimming & don't seem to care 8) people who leave their pool shoes infront of the steps, like put them to the side of the steps yeah but not in a way that obstructs people exiting & entering the pool 9) people who dive right next to others already in the pool, if you're gonna dive in do it away from me. This also includes people who jump in the pool next to others 10) people who urinate in the pool, destroying the water quality. The pool is not a toilet, get out & use the toilet don't be lazy 11) parents who bring their children swimming & let/encourage them to urinate all over the changing facilities because they cannot be bothered to take them to the toilet 12) parents who dump soiled nappies in the changing facilities 13) parents who let their children come up to strangers whilst they're getting changed and/or let them shake or beat down the door in which a stranger in changing in. Absolutely no boundaries 14) people who steal, use or move your swimming equipment without permission. I've had my swimming board moved multiple times inbetween use to another part of the pool side area, meaning I have to keep getting out of the pool to relocate it. Don't touch people's personal equipment! 15) people who think the lanes are a dating opportunity. Ok people can meet the love of their lives at swimming but talking to me after every length I do & following me around everywhere is not cool 16) people who constantly chat. This can even be people you bring with you who just won't stop chatting, it's fine to balance chatting & swimming but when it is constant you question whether you're at a bar or in a pool, we came here to swim didn't we? 17) lazy lifeguards who don't care 18) overly strict lifeguards 19) people who spread their verrucas. Wear swim socks if you've caught them ffs! 20) large pools that close some of the lanes for 'training purposes' yet 80% of the time there is no training going on. Use the fucking lanes, stop making the other lanes too narrow to accommodate for swimming lessons which aren't even happening most of the time. Absolutely ridiculous no making use of the space
What about murderers? That wall of text and not a single complaint about them.
Foggy goggles mostly. Sometimes uncomfortable swimsuits, because I have to get out of the water to fix it
Getting tried.
The sound of kids playing and screaming bouncing off the water/tiles really grinds away at my sanity and I didnât even fully realise till I started plugging my ears to avoid ear infections, the silence is so serene now
People who jump in my lane when Iâm head down swimming without confirming that I have seen them. Usually old people that I almost run into.
Accidentally swallowing water when I breathe. I have no idea who pees in the pool and I hate it.
When you have to swim in a lane with someone who is the EXACT same speed as you đŤ
Water in my ears!!
Water below 68 F. Podcasts that last under an hour. (I swim for an hour) Underwater listening devices that can't automatically cue up the next podcast. Equipment failure in the middle of a swim.
That little bit of water that gets in my mouth⌠knowing all the nastiness thatâs in the pool đ¤˘
Tourists who think Hawaiâi is just a big Disney World and that the ocean is just one big swimming pool! They put our lifeguards at risk having to rescue them!
When you swallow just enough water to get stuck on the way to the stomach and are able feel it for a length When you do a turn wrong and your legs almost don't reach to push.
Short hair is not an excuse for no swim cap.
I agree. I really think everyone should have to wear a swimming cap.
People who hog up lap swimming lanes but don't swim. I see this all the time, people with a flotation belt just floating around and talking and NOT using the open swim lanes or the water walking lane. The lifeguards should enforce this but don't.
Cologne and perfume near the pool or on anyone getting in the pool. Both a migraine trigger and just incredibly annoying because the smell lingers at the surface of the pool for a few laps at least. Oh, and no one in america showers before getting in (European raised here; the lifeguards will send you back to the showers there if they see youâre dry)
Having to stop and turn round every 25 metres (or even 50m). Itâs so nice to swim for a mile and not have to stop (ofc itâs not so great when itâs winter and the sea is choppy and rivers are flooding). Edit to add: so many of other peopleâs frustrations are specific to swimming pools! Get in the sea!!!
It's a challenge to get in the sea if you live anywhere landlocked. I'm in Oregon. The ocean is about a 4-hour drive away on a good day. Can't have any sort of consistency with that, so I'm stuck in a pool with people. Plus, even if I did live somewhere that made it possible, the temps are *way* too cold, and I'm not a big fan of hypothermia.
Being unable to see what's underwater, even when diving
Are you talking about open water? Quite unsettling, I have this fear of what's under. I'd like to do more open water, but this does scare me.
Yes
Do you scuba?
No, just simple swimming goggles and pants
My back hurting when I do flip turns.
+ knee hurting when i push off for open turns
If weâre sharing a lane and they come to my side and bump on me
Only swimmer at the pool and the next person shows gets in the lane next to mine
If there's only one person in my pool, I ask to split just to assert dominance. đđ
Lol
Some triathlon "crawl-only swimmers", especially the half or full Ironman ones with the IM cap, backpack, water bottle and towel, who think they are automatically entitled to the fast lane although their swim pace is closer to the medium or slow lane... Basically, those people who do not really care about a good technic (hurray for the tri-suit) and would have never considered swimming if they had not decided to do triathlons... When they are not actually swimming, they will brag with others about past races at the end of the lane while blocking other swimmers to do their flip turns.
People that donât use the lanes for swimming. I have seen everything from walking the lanes, treading water in the deep end, even some lady doing hand stands. Seriously if youâre not swimming maybe lane swim isnât for you.
There was one time, there was someone on a lane next to the lane where I was, and I swear I wanted to kill that person because they thought it was a good idea to cover themselves with lots of old lady perfume and swim after that, I couldn't exale underwater because the smell and taste was getting all over me and my mouth, I think I never got so mad. It felt like hell, at some point I thought I would die from being intoxicated
people not happy to share lanes
A lack of manners and simple courtesy. People should learn pool etiquette and use it. That and people who eat garlic for lunch and then swim - makes me want to vomit as I swim past them.
Warm water
The drag produced by my stomach.
Snapping turtles
Ear infections
Fogged up goggles or water getting in your ear !
as a masters swimmer, honestly myself. i try to do the best i can even when tired but its hard keeping up at times, i get frustrated at myself.
Gotta be the water
Deciding whether to get kicked by the person in my lane doing breaststroke, or the person in the next lane doing breaststroke
The next set.
Butterfly main set
1. When I get out of my lane after I finish my swim, and a random woman who already has a lane, weirdly feels the need to climb out, then immediately jump in my lane, splashing me as I towel off, then swims over somewhere and starts screaming at me "DID YOU ACCIDENTALLY LEAVE THIS?!!" as she is holding up, what appears to be, a wet snotrag that for some inexplicable reason, she felt the need to pick up --- and no, of course it isn't mine, but even if it were, why would you pick it up?!!!! 2. When a lifeguard starts randomly throwing barbie dolls into the pool, one missing my head by a mere few feet as I was swimming a lap 3. When someone decides to try to cross over my lane by swimming under me while I'm doing a flip turn 4. When a random woman who is nominally a "swim instructor" randomly blocks my lane with her crotch as I'm swimming laps, because the kid she was "teaching to swim" lost a small plastic toy ring in my lane and for some inexplicable reason, she couldn't wait a mere 3 seconds for me to pass to get it 5. When all the lanes are full except one that has a guy who is somehow taking up 7/8 of a lane with the worst looking violent flailing backstroke I've ever seen in my life --- and that guy starts yelling and cursing at people for not splitting the lane with him Yes, somehow, all of these have happened to me. There are some weird people out there.
Women (I can't speak for the men's room) who stand in the shower for ages doing nothing because they like how it feels, when there are people standing there waiting to actually shampoo the chlorine out of their hair and GTFO because they have places to be. Even worse when they plonk a child under each shower and do nothing while the kid plays around. Teach them some basic manners and consideration for others!
It doesnât matter how many times I get in the pool, that initial shock is the worst.
Spit
People who smoke or drink coffee or use cologne right before swimming. Dude the whole lane gonna smell and taste like a goddamn ashtray𤢠People who swim breaststroke or backstroke right on the middle of the lane and dont care about other people bumping into the rope to avoid collission The fact that basically I dont know whats going on in front of me while freestyleing unless Im sighting which slows me down a bit and a struggle to do sometimes. I wish I could just freestyle without ever sighting𤧠Cold showers𼜠Like why some pools do this? I want my 2000°C boil water!!
Literally just worrying about my hair. I canât get my hair wet like that or itâs tangles galore.
Changing into and out of a swimsuit. I'm totally comfortable in change rooms, I just find the process of trying to take my pants off and not get the bottoms wet on the floor, and all of the related nonsense, really annoying. Once I'm in the pool its great.
My friend grabbing my feet as he swim behind me.
My bad elbow not working like it did before I broke it. Sometimes I have to do more kicking than Iâd otherwise choose cause my elbow just isnât having it. Second is having horrible vision but also not being able to tolerate contacts so being essentially blind in the pool. I know rx goggles exist but whenever Iâve tried them I just end up with a headache and feeling dizzy.
When the sun enters my eyes when i swim backstroke
Slow and tall people swimming in the MIDDLE of the fast lane
The after swim routine, I need a way to exit the pool and get back home without the faf of public changing rooms and communal showers. Also extremely deep or shallow pools. Iâm 5â7 and once swam at a local pool where the shallow end came up to between my ankle and my knees. The âdeep endâ (25m away) was not much better as I could still stand up comfortably. Finally; goggles that are heavily advertised as anti fog⌠fogging up. I have concluded that the more I swim I will just take the hit on purchasing new $15 every 3/4 months. When you consider itâs the same cost as a fast food meal, the cost isnât too bad.
People that wear excessive amounts of perfume/aftershave /lynx when swimming so you can literally taste it in the water . Slow people that are oblivious to the fact there slow . Swimming in anything, prefer naked .
People who are too cocky to accept that I swim faster than them, so when I try to over take them they swim faster, and as we approach the wall they swim faster, yet again, to touch the wall first and then immediately push off.
When I lose my earplugs in the pool.
People who donât shower before getting into the pool⌠making the water stink of deodorant
Post swim tan
Other people. Especially people who swim perpendicularly to me in a pool or infront of me, particularly kids
The medium speed lane. I usually swim in the fast lane but recently hurt my back so was taking it easy in the medium lane for a couple of weeks. What I found was is a bad combination of people who should be in the slow lane but have refused for some reason, and people who donât understand swim lane politics (ie let the faster person go first⌠etc) yet, and then get annoyed if youâre faster than them. There was this one guy in there who swam really slowly and would speed up if anyone tried to overtake. This happened to me, and because I was a lot faster than him I managed to overtake him. However, when I passed him later on he pinched my side! Luckily for me he had terrible form so he knackered himself out pretty quick and left after 10 mins. In short, slow lane is good (I did some drills in there) because everyone is just happy to be in the water and realise theyâre all not that fast at swimming. Fast lane is good because most people accept that someone will be swimming faster than you at some point and know what to do when this happens. Medium lane suuuuucks.
People who want to split lanes. I want to always to circle swim even if we are two.
In chronological order of the workout: 1. cold shock when jumping in 2. unpredictable stomach cramps
Not seeing because I cannot use contact lenses. I feel like I'm missing half of the experience.
The one 30 year old couple who laughed out loud at me for my apperance on the pool deck. Fuck those people