Forum Topic

Swimming Rant

Swimming has become so stressful!It is becoming more and more difficult to do an hour of lane swimming in our public pools. This morning, I arrived at Gurnel leisure centre at 8:30 hoping to have my regular swim. There were 4 lanes plus the open section for what I call "relaxed swimming".Almost immediately a large school group arrived reducing the lanes for the public to 1 and forcing 8 swimmers of very mixed ability wishing to swim laps to squeeze into the remaining lane. I hadn't got in yet but decided to abort my swim attempt. I got a refund.   Gurnel doesn't advertise on their site when there is restricted use. So you have to turn up and check out for yourself.The same issues arise in Everyone active in Acton where your best bet is between 12 and 1 when there are no school groups and the whole pool is avalable. Adult swimming is between 7 and 8 am at Gurnel which is not very convenient if your children are too young to get themselves up, fed and off to school, and in the evening when the same childcare issue arises. I have no objection sharing lanes, if everyone is courteous and abilities are reasonably matched, the system works fine even with 5-6 swimmers. However it would be nice if the lifeguard would encourage the deluded "slow swimmer" to use the slow lane rather than the fast lane.I am totally in favour of school children swimming but what is this swimmer to do? Rant over!

Kim Rugg ● 2820d3 Comments

What I don't understand is why when I was swimming the other week in EA in a lane with someone else quite happily and the lane next to us only had one person in it and 2 women got into the lane we were in, so now we were 4 and 1 in the next lane, what was that all about, we were in the medium swimmers lane and they were both slower swimmers so why didn't they getting the other one, in the end I ended up moving, some people have no pool etiquette!

Kevin Bell ● 2817d

I think EA is run on a shoestring and takes every opportunity to make extra cash, but it isn't fair on members who've paid to swim too.

Susan Kelly ● 2819d

I completely agree, I swim at Everyone Active in Acton and as an example, I was booted out of a slow lane during a non lesson period last Friday to allow a single child to have a private lesson in that lane.  I was told that "she has paid for a private lesson so you have to move" - well my response is that we have all paid to get in to the pool so why should that be any different. Too often private and normal lessons take over the lanes during advertised "fit for all" periods.

Mary Milner ● 2819d