Pool Swimming Guidelines

Highly Recommended Equipment
Goggles
Flip-Flops to wear from change area to the pool.
Water bottle to ensure adequate hydration.

How PTC Pool Swim Sessions are organised

The meeting location and time for official PTC pool swim training sessions is
published on the Predator Triathlon Club calendar, a link will have been emailed by the Secretary. Typically the sessions last 1 hour.

Depending on the number and ability of people at any given training session, the group is normally split up into 5 lanes based on people's swimming speeds. A maximum of 7 people per lane is allowed.

At the start of the training session, the session leader will advise the groups of the planned sets, the key focus and degree of difficulty of the session.

If PTC members have any questions relating to the session or which group is appropriate for them, they should discuss their concerns with the session leaders.

Do's & Don'ts of Pool Swimming

The following list is not exhaustive.... At all times members are responsible for their own safety and must apply common sense.

Do
• Follow the rules of the pool.
• Obey any instructions from lifeguards / the PTC session leader.
• Swim in a lane that suits your skill and fitness levels.
• If you get into trouble (e.g. cramp, fatigue) while in the water, make your way to the edge of the pool to recover.
• Wear footwear from the changing area to the pool.
• Follow the pool etiquette guidelines at the end of this document.

Don't
• Swim in lanes where you will be significantly faster/slower than the other
people within the lane.
• Wear jewellery that could cause injury to yourself or others in the water.
• Dive into the shallow end of the pool.
• Walk fast or run around the edge of the pool.

In the event of an Accident/ Person in trouble in the Water
If a person is in trouble in the water, try to calm them down, try to help them get to the edge of the pool (if you are confident to do so). Bring the incident to the attention of the group leader / lifeguard immediately.

In the event of an accident, bring the accident to the attention of the group leader / lifeguard immediately. If you are capable of providing assistance in getting any injured party to shore / providing first aid, please do so. Call for assistance from the police / ambulance if the person needs such help. Please ensure that you let a member of the PTC committee know about the accident ASAP.

Pool Etiquette Guidelines

Slower swimmers starting a set should wait to push off the wall until faster swimmers have passed (i.e. don't push off right in front of a faster swimmer who's coming into the wall about to turn, as this blocks the faster swimmer). Slower swimmers should push off almost immediately behind a faster individual or group, thus extending the time until they are lapped again and need to stop.

Faster swimmers starting a set should give slower swimmers as much "running room" as possible before pushing off, (rather than jumping right behind and immediately tapping their toes to move over.)

Swimmers resting or otherwise waiting at the wall should stay far to one side of the lane, (preferably at the left from the perspective of an approaching swimmer, or the right from their own perspective looking back up the pool).

Resting swimmers should specifically avoid standing or floating in the middle of the lane as this interferes with swimmers "swimming through" who need to tag or flip at the wall. If the lane is crowded, other swimmers may need to rest out away from the wall along either side of the lane.

An overtaking swimmer should gently but distinctly touch the feet of the swimmer being overtaken. It may take two or three touches, but overtaking swimmers should not need to repeatedly slap or grab at the legs of a slower swimmer to politely make their presence known.

Swimmers enjoying a draft behind a strong lead swimmer, but who are just barely able to hold that pace should think twice before tagging the leader's toes and requesting to move ahead. In such situations, it's highly unlikely that the (formerly) trailing swimmer will be able to hold the same pace for very long when leading without the draft. This can lead to repeated "leap-frogging" and unnecessary contact, which can be annoying and disruptive for everyone in the lane.

Drafting swimmers not wishing to pass should swim far enough back from a lead swimmer that they don't inadvertently touch the lead swimmer's toes.

In the case that a strong swimmer finds him or herself at the back of a line of several slower swimmers in circle format, it is acceptable (after looking carefully) to move to the other side of the lane mid-length and proceed in the opposite direction, somewhat ahead of the line s/he had been trailing. This should only be done in cases where the lane is relatively crowded, where there are no other lanes moving at a more suitable
pace, and where the process of tapping several swimmers in succession would be overly disruptive. For swimmers fond of keeping detailed training logs, this move has the unfortunate disadvantage of completely messing up one's lap counts by introducing fractions.

A lead swimmer, who feels a touch on the feet from an overtaking swimmer, should continue to the next wall, and then stop in the corner of the lane to let the faster swimmer(s) past. A single light touch may be accidental and can be ignored, but two or more distinct touches should be regarded almost universally as a request to swim through.

A swimmer who has been touched on the feet should move to a corner of the lane as soon as they get to the next wall in order to make way for passing swimmers turning there. It's best if the touched/stopping swimmer moves immediately to the far left corner (from the perspective of an approaching swimmer), which would be the far right corner (from their own perspective looking back up the pool). This routine applies as well to swimmers stopping of their own accord, (i.e., even if they haven't been tagged on the toes); since another swimmer who hasn't seen fit to touch toes may be right behind.

In circle format, swimmers should always be aware of the gap behind them to the next swimmer, and try to anticipate when that swimmer (if s/he is faster) is likely to overtake him/her. This is easily accomplished by looking back just before or during each turn, (whether 'flip' or 'open').

A lead swimmer who sees another swimmer coming up close behind as s/he turns at the wall should consider stopping and moving over immediately at that wall in order to let the faster swimmer past - rather than blocking that swimmer for an entire length to the next wall, creating a situation where toe-touching becomes necessary.

Swimmers being overtaken should never stop in the middle of the pool, nor should they continue beyond the next wall (e.g. back to the shallow end) after being ‘tagged' on the feet. Instead, they should stop at the next wall, at the corner of the lane.

If more than one swimmer is bunched close behind, the swimmer being overtaken should allow the entire group of faster swimmers to pass before pushing off the wall again (i.e. don't push off right in front of someone else who's also obviously faster.)

Swimmers being overtaken should not attempt to speed up (or slow down) once ‘tagged', nor should they jump in and ‘tag back' the new lead swimmer on the next lap.

If two or more swimmers are closely matched in pace they should either position themselves at opposite ends of a lane (endless pursuit) or agree on how to share the lead.

Always wear a swim cap in the pool.

Goggles - replace your goggles every 2-3 months. Chlorine damages the seals over this period of time.

And last by no means least... what the Coach says, goes.