For most of us, Northern Wave is a great way to socialise with friends and like-minded folk whilst keeping fit and staying active in the pool. Whilst we love that our club brings together members of all abilities, it’s important for us all to be aware of our surroundings to make sure that we swim safely and enjoy our time in the water.
Direction of swimming
Pay attention to the direction of swimming and make sure that you follow it. At each session our coaches will direct you to swim clockwise or anticlockwise for a reason – if you don’t listen to the direction, you could get hurt or even hurt someone else. Nobody wants that.
Lane order
You should consider your speed and ability in comparison to the rest of the people in your lane. We don’t all swim at the same pace, but we can safely share a lane with one another if we swim in a sensible order. Fastest people should lead the lane, and the slower ones should follow. The lane order might vary depending on the stroke or the type of set. Talk to one another to work out the order or ask the coach for help if you aren’t sure.
Overtaking
If you find yourself catching up to the person in front of you, gently tap them on their feet so that they know you are there, and then ease back to match their pace until you get to the end of the length. You can then safely overtake them. Don’t constantly tap their feet – we aren’t that sort of club, and they probably won’t like it very much.
If you’ve been tapped on the feet, that doesn’t mean you are slow, it just means the person behind you is quicker, and that’s OK. Don’t race ahead or turn it into a competition. Instead, maintain your pace to the end of the length and when you get to the wall, stay tight to the lane rope that you are closest to. This will ensure that the swimmer behind you has plenty of space to make their turn and get out of your way. Once that swimmer has got to the flags, you can start swimming again.
Using the clock, and taking rest
When we are swimming at pace, or even being given a specific rest time, it is important that you stick to your turnaround / rest times. Our coaches plan rest times as part of the whole set. Everyone in the lane should get their fair share of rest.
If you are sitting out a set and taking some extra rest at the wall, make sure to stay to the sides of the lane. This keeps enough space in the middle for active swimmers to safely turn.
Listening to the coach
When awaiting instructions from the coach, please be respectful of others in your lane. Some of your lane mates might be hard of hearing or need visual cues from the coach, and distractions can impact their enjoyment of the session. Save any chit chat for the quieter moments or join us in the pub afterwards instead.