Do lap swimmers that use fins annoy you?

richcorey41

Do lap swimers that use fins, webed gloves and snorkels annoy you?

ZoeSadler

They annoy me if they are used during a marathon swim. :-O

Otherwise, not at all, as long as they are being used correctly and are not being used in a busy lane.

I was using fins and paddles in a public session yesterday for about 40 minutes but there were only two others in the lane for the first 15 minutes or so and I was timing my sets so that I pushed off when they were turning at the far end. Never came close to catching them up or bashing them.

I wouldn't use them if it's a public session and there's 6 or more swimmers in the lane.

I get "a bit" annoyed when someone pushes off straight after me when they are wearing paddles.

david_barra

Yes

KatieBun

Short fins and paddles are allowed at my pool in lane sessions but I only use them when the place is close to empty and I watch what anybody else in the lane is doing so I don't interfere with their training. Whatever the equipment, if it's used with regard and consideration for other lane users, it shouldn't make a difference. Even without kit, selfish lane users can make you angry and frustrated.

loneswimmer

I've sharpened the edges of my fins, and I've put razor blades in the edges of my paddles.

ZoeSadler

loneswimmer wrote: »

I've sharpened the edges of my fins, and I've put razor blades in the edges of my paddles.

I think I may have met you before in a public lane session.

ssthomas

If I'm sharing a narrow lap lane with someone during public lap swim, I only swim freestyle and backstroke and don't use any toys. If it's a wider lap lane, with one other person, I'll do whatever until a third person arrives, and then switch back to straight swimming, even if it messes up my workout. If I'm in a long course, 50m pool, I'll go up to four in a lane before switching. I get really, really annoyed if others don't follow those same guidelines, especially when 90% of people I'm sharing a lane with have no idea what they're doing. I really don't want to accidentally hurt someone, but there have been a few times I've been nearly driven to purposeful violence by someone being an ignorant, lane-hogging jerk. Paddle-wearing breast strokers are THE WORST. That and the people who insist on pushing off RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME when we've been sharing for a while and they KNOW I'm faster. They'll be standing there, watching me come in and then decide, at the last second, that NOW is a good time to start swimming again. It's like merging onto a freeway and cutting someone off when they're going 90 and you're going 20. Rant over...

dpm50

I sometimes use fins/kickboard if the pool isn't crowded, also paddles. I don't much like kick sets so I'm not likely to spend a lot of time w/ the fins on and don't use them except w/ kick sets. But in a crowded pool, no gear except maybe a pull buoy if the workout calls for one. I've noticed that the early morning and early evening life guards are much better at regulating pool traffic. Once saw a lady who must have thought swimming pools worked like running tracks, b/c she swam around the perimeter of the pool rather than in any lanes. That got confusing.

dpm50

p.s. Got some of the pool toys on the advice of a coach, so I use the items as directed, but mostly happy to swim along gear-free whenever possible.

richcorey41

To be brutally honest, the reason finned swimers annoy me is that they keep lapping me. The American crawl is what it is. Do fins or paddles add anything to the workout?

swimmer25k

No.

I'm fortunate to be faster than most/all rec swimmers, and rarely will I be in their way. The only thing that bothers me are those who are unaware of the proper lane etiquette like stopping in the middle of the lane, pushing off the wall as I'm coming in for a turn, or being in the lane marked "super fast" when in reality the swimmer is not.

Sometimes if I'm stuck with doggie paddle guy in the "super fast" lane, I'll start swimming faster, hit my turns harder, or give him/her a mid-pool pass. Usually, they feel intimidated, and will bail out and go somewhere else.

I could care less what the other guy is doing as long as he/she is aware of my presence and stays out of the way.

NoelFigart

I am not into a lot of toys and equipment while swimming, but many, much better swimmers than I am use them, so *shrug*

dpm50

I actually prefer not to use fins b/c they tear up my feet--but for kick sets, if I don't use them, I'm glacially slow. (Which tells you something about my kick skills, but I"m not going there now.)

ZoeSadler

richcorey41 wrote: »

Do fins or paddles add anything to the workout?

I don't use fins for an actual "workout" but I've been using them a lot lately with front crawl drills. Having spent all spring and summer outside doing long swims means that additional stroke imperfections do slip in over time. Over winter I'm trying to correct these - so I'm doing some sessions at glacial speed and really concentrating on what my wayward arms are doing. With a stroke rate of less than 30 per minute then I use the fins to keep me moving and horizontal, thus letting me concentrate on what my arms should be doing. Otherwise I would need a 12 beat kick and will be knackered!

JonML

Nope. They're doing their thing, I'm doing my thing.

Swimalison

I use fins during kick sets without a kickboard and that's it. I don't mind when others use them....only when they claim they swam all of these yards ( GTD or February Fitness) and neglect to admit they used fins the entire workout.....that bugs me!!! But whatever... they can't use them in any official swims...

wendyv34

A regular pool customer of ours suggests that we should have a lane designated "NO STRAP-ONS".

Some people can be really obnoxious with their equipment. Nobody likes getting clipped by hand paddles and I doubt anyone enjoys having someone push off in front of them doing dolphin kick with flippers on, ugh!

Mainly we get people who use fins 100% of the time so they can swim up a lane faster than they actually are. They typically have poor lane etiquette and are not very good at passing/turns/getting out of the way. Some of them have huge egos because they are (surviving) in the very fast lane.

Probably half of the complaints by lap swimmers about other swimmer involve sloppy/inconsiderate use of equipment and the other half are generated by poor lane etiquette and marginal communication skills. After watching people lap swim every day, I find it amazing that we don't have MORE traffic accidents outside of the building.

swimdaily

They don't bother me at all. Actually, I am nosey and Iike to see what other people are doing. I also do a mental math where I try to figure out speed differences between the others and me, justifying my slowness or gloating at my speed based on their equipment usage.

I use equipment in my training, but I hope I never annoy anyone with it. My pool is not crowded.

swimmer25k

I wear fins for at least 1/2 of my workout. I even pull while wearing them (don't knock it until you've tried it). I had surgery years ago and wearing fins takes much of the load of off of my shoulders.

swimmer25k

dpm50 wrote: »

I actually prefer not to use fins b/c they tear up my feet--but for kick sets, if I don't use them, I'm glacially slow. (Which tells you something about my kick skills, but I"m not going there now.)

What kind of fins do you wear? I use and recommend fins made by Keifer. They are very flexible and are made of a soft rubber. Swim Stuff has a similar fin. Fins used for diving often are made of very hard rubber, which are meant to be worn with neoprene booties. If your fins are black, they're probably of a harder rubber.

Fins that are too big could be a reason you're having a hard time.

Have you tried wearing thin socks? They're a great help to avoid chafing.

Stick with it. It takes a little time for your feet to adjust to wearing them. There's a little pain involved, but you can hack it.

Chris

dpm50

What kind of fins do you wear? I use and recommend fins made by Keifer. They are very flexible and are made of a soft rubber. Swim Stuff has a similar fin. Fins used for diving often are made of very hard rubber, which are meant to be worn with neoprene booties. If your fins are black, they're probably of a harder rubber.

Fins that are too big could be a reason you're having a hard time.

Have you tried wearing thin socks? They're a great help to avoid chafing.

Stick with it. It takes a little time for your feet to adjust to wearing them. There's a little pain involved, but you can hack it.

Chris

Thanks for the suggestions! I had a pair of Speedo fins that definitely didn't work for me. Now I use the Zoomers--a friend suggested I try her pair, for a turn or two, and I liked how they felt so I bought some for myself.

They were great until one day I did a lot of kicking uninterrupted (bad idea), and that's when my feet got very chafed. Only now they're somewhat recovered since I took some time off from wearing the fins. The socks are probably the way to go--though I don't like to wear more during a swim than absolutely necessary (okay, I DO wear a swimsuit ha ha!). I like to travel light in the water as much as I can.