Starting swimming, any advice?

dave28 said:
Ok so just report them to the manager / supervisor or whatever staff are there.

Same in any place like that, you always tell the staff and dont get involved in a verbal abuse exchange with them.
Click to expand...
No, I probably shouldn't have but I'm not particularly confident in water and having someone slapping my foot (it was more than a tap) did send me into a bit of a state, to be honest.
 
That Jekka Gal said:
No, I probably shouldn't have but I'm not particularly confident in water and having someone slapping my foot (it was more than a tap) did send me into a bit of a state, to be honest.
Click to expand...
It's oddly enough fairly difficult to judge an intentional foot tap when swimming, I personally avoid it at all costs as it's likely to end up with dislocated or broken fingers if you time it wrong as far as I am concerned.
 
Yes I think those etiquette rules are out of date - haven't seen foot tapping for years,
you are expected to know(ie looking regularly) who is behind you, and pause at the end of the pool if you need to let them pass, I have a been criticized for beckoning them under water to let them past, as
opposed to stopping my head above water though;
I'm just **** off by people who seem to turn up for a mothers meeting and chat at the end of the pool, obstructing ends so it is difficult for people to turn,
we have a least one women on sunday who wants to stand at one end doing her yoga stretching exercises ... I've just come here to swim Mr Bond
 
I have no issue with people stopping for a chat at the end of the pool so long as they leave some wall space to kick off from, but when you get three or four all stood at the wall and leaving zero space I get a little tempted to just turn and kick off from whatever is there, be it their legs or the wall, not that it happens very often as the vast majority of swimmers do make a point of getting out of the way.
 
I have been back swimming now for about 5 weeks now, 3 x 30mins a week.
Im up to around 850m in that time half crawl and half breast.
I've definitely lost some fat and the gut has gone down.
 
bad goggles day this morning in the pool once one starts to leak it's hard to re-seat it correctly.

the lady with the long legs who breast-foot kick seems to extend across the complete bidir lane was there .. surprised I haven't been hit;
they should specify a maxium ape ratio for people .. or whatever that is called for legs
 
Other people in pools is one of the most annoying thing in swimming. I wish I could have my own pool. Breaststroke legs when done correctly really doesn’t go that wide, but people generally have terrible strokes (myself included for freestyle)
 
Yep, I've always said that if I ever win big on the lottery I'll be having my own pool, the ability to swim when I like without other people interfering would be heavenly, there are a few regulars at my pool who'd be invited but not many lol. It's also that time of year where the pool is still full of new years resolutions, half term in a week or two which is usually when a fair few of them quit.
 
Having people to look at in adjacent lanes is fun, or use as time keepers and put in the occassional fartlek, admire their stroke;
if there are a few people to overtake too, just like dtriving the car or dodgems.
 
Thought I may ask in this thread. Other half needs a simple, reliable watch for swimming (indoor/outdoor gym pools, no fresh/salt water). Was tempted by Garmin Swim 2 for its simple looking buttons, display but looks like it’s been out for awhile now so don’t want to overpay for 2 plus year old tech.

It’ll be used to time herself doing laps, nothing more than that really.
 
They're all pretty mediocre from what I've seen, I used the Mi Watch, a Samung (with the specialised Speedo On app) and a Huawei myself and none of them have been particularly accurate, judging from the frustration I see other swimmers having with their iwatches and garmins none of those are any better either, the only good tracker I've ever used was the swimtag system because it allowed you to edit the data when it got it wrong but that is sadly pool specific as they still don't sell them to end users, personally I've simply gone back to using the timing clock at the end of the pool, it's positively freeing.
 
Ali195 said:
Thought I may ask in this thread. Other half needs a simple, reliable watch for swimming (indoor/outdoor gym pools, no fresh/salt water). Was tempted by Garmin Swim 2 for its simple looking buttons, display but looks like it’s been out for awhile now so don’t want to overpay for 2 plus year old tech.

It’ll be used to time herself doing laps, nothing more than that really.
Click to expand...
I've had a suunto ambit which I use exclusively for swimming for nearly 10 years.
I never use any automatic detection, since I don't bother to roll-turn or push off with force, and pause every lap, so its easy to press next lap every couple of length - indoor running option
usually running about 2min/4laps with pause.

button reliability in water has been fine - washing&drying after use, battery still ok. never use the heart rate strap it came with, but will work with that or older garmin for running too;
downloiading haven't botherd with that for years. (ambit hrm will store data until it can connect with watch)

I'd get another if it broke

e: suunto 9 peak pro £200 ? doesn't look too bulky for any wrist/divider clashes - only seem to be black , whites a lot more innocuous
 
Last edited:
did try a suunto 9 peak - lap button sound makes it a bit annoying & affected for other swimmers.


first time I've had on wrist heart rate - don't know if I believe it - it's consistent anyway - would have done it up more snugly had I known it would record.
more positive button action than my aging ambit

B6pdO37.jpg
 
Heart rate sensors and water don't work particularly well from what I understand, that said I've never felt that the sensors in smart watches have been overly accurate and always used them as a rough guide rather than anything else.

Progress wise I've actually started to feel like I'm getting some stamina back these days, been happily doing a mile non-stop again recently and feel like I could add more to that without too much trouble. Main aim is to keep the routine going and get back to being able to knock out an occasional 5km non-stop.
 
heaart rate seems a bit useless
watch was slighly tighter on wrist and heart rate dropped 50%

swolf & rate are new options to me - I'd like a dynamic report of swolf for individual lengths to play with modifying the stroke,
if it is really well detecting the stroke - I'd like to figure out what I might do with my wrist to trigger registering a lap, rather than pressing the button, or having to push off.


BpKvQet.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom