As a resident of Portsmouth and lifelong swimmer, I am passionate about swimming and have spent a lot of time in pools around the country. Today I am suggesting a simple rule change at the Portsmouth pools which I believe would improve the experience for everyone.
The current rule is “Two or more swimmers in a lane must circle swim.”
The rule I am proposing is “Two swimmers split a lane, three or more must circle swim.”
I believe this rule change would make everyone happier – serious and casual swimmers, and the lifeguards – and cause no confusion whatsoever. Here is my rationale for the proposed change:
Safety & Comfort
The first issue is safety. Splitting lanes can improve safety in the pool by reducing the risk of collisions between swimmers. When swimmers circle swim, it is common to accidentally bump into each other while turning or passing, especially when the two swimmers are unequal in speed or skill, which is common. Splitting lanes virtually eliminates this risk, as each swimmer has their own designated area.
Comfort is the next reason. Circle swimming when two swimmers are swimming at different speeds can be uncomfortable for both swimmers, as one will feel like they’re constantly in someone else’s way (which they are), while the other swimmer is often frustrated at having to slow down because there is not enough lane left to pass without risking a collision. Splitting lanes completely eliminates this discomfort and allows each swimmer to swim at their own pace without feeling stressed, rushed, or crowded.
Part of why people swim is for the sheer joy of it, and this rule change supports the joy of swimming.
Better Workouts
Better workouts are possible with the proposed rule change. Serious swimmers often try to follow a strict workout. For example, part of my regular routine is to swim a set of 5 x 50 meters at a fast pace with a 10-second rest between each, or swimming 100 meter intervals at the two minutes, thirty seconds mark. This is virtually impossible when circle swimming with even just one other person, but hassle-free when two people split a lane. Why make swimming harder than it needs to be?
Easier on the Lifeguards
Portsmouth struggles to staff the pools with lifeguards and can’t open without them. Perhaps one reason filling the position is hard is that it’s stressful. It’s simply not fun to enforce an arbitrary rule on competent people who would prefer an alternate way of sharing something. I have witnessed dozens of times (in Portsmouth) where two swimmers are happily splitting a lane with no conflict whatsoever only to have their workout interrupted by a lifeguard insisting that they circle swim against their preference with no justification whatsoever other than “it’s the rule here”.
The current rule adds extra stress to a job that is already hard to fill and imposes conflict where none should exist.
The current rule adds extra stress to a job that is already hard to fill and imposes conflict on people where none should exist. The swimmers are “the customers” whose taxes fund the pool and whom you are trying to attract to use the pool. Why get into conflict with them over something that doesn’t make sense? A simple rule change would make the whole experience more pleasant for everyone, especially your employees.
Under the current rule, the lifeguard gets involved nearly every time a second person gets into a lane because the current rule is counterintuitive, and easy for casual swimmers to forget. On the other hand, swimmers intuitively understand that 3 or more swimmers need to circle swim, and because this rule makes sense people comply naturally without much prompting and there is no stress associated with it. My proposed rule would mirror what people intuitively expect
Conclusion
I understand that the current rule is simple, and there is something to be said for simplicity… but the current rules is disliked and counterproductive, and my proposed rule is just as simple for the average swimmer to keep straight.
Again, the proposed rule is: Two swimmers may split a lane, three or more must circle swim. Anyone can understand this simple rule since it is consistent with user preferences anyway.
Simplicity is not a sufficient justification to maintain a counterproductive (and disliked) rule when an equally simple rule could better serve everyone involved.
I’m sure the current rule was created with good intentions but a simple change would make the experience at the Portsmouth pools even better than it already is.
All the swimmers I’ve spoken to support this change and would, in fact, rejoice it. If two swimmers agree to circle swim, that should be fine too. In fact my wife regularly “drafts” behind me by swimming as close as she can behind me, but she doesn’t like to do that for an entire workout. When two people share a lane, they should be allowed to work out however they agree to do so. The lifeguards should only get involved with there is an actual conflict.
Finally, communicating such a simple change should not be a barrier to change either—a couple of laminated signs would do it. I believe the change would be welcomed and cause minimal disruption, if any.
I hope Portsmouth Recreation will adopt this proposal for both the indoor and outdoor Portsmouth pools. We are extraordinarily lucky to have these gems available to the residents of Portsmouth, and I appreciate them very much.
-Alan Forbes, Portsmouth
