The Lane Code / Lesson 2 of 6 / About 2 minutes
Enter safely
Wait for a clear gap, then get in at the end of your lane.
Before you swim
The rule
Check depth signs and approaching swimmers. Let anyone approaching the wall turn and move away, then check for a clear gap again. Most swimmers sit on the edge at the end of their lane and slide in feet first; use the steps, a ladder, or an assisted entry if that suits you better. Then join the lane’s flow.
Joining the lane
Wait for a clear gap
Get in at the lane end
Why it helps
Someone turning at the wall needs room to move and may not see you entering. Waiting for a gap lets you join without making them dodge or stop. A predictable arrival is a considerate arrival. No bonus points are awarded for a dramatic entrance.
At the pool
A realistic example
Sitting on the edge at the end of your lane, you see someone approaching the wall. Getting in now would make you the Ambusher: they arrive to find you in their turn. You wait for their turn and departure, check the space again, then enter without blocking the next arrival.
A little judgment practice
What would you do?
You are sitting on the edge at the end of your lane. A swimmer is about to turn below you. When should you get in?
Choose your answer in your head, then open it to check the reasoning.
Immediately, so they can swim around you.
Reconsider this choice. Entering into their turning space makes them avoid an unexpected obstacle.
Best action: Let the swimmer turn and leave, recheck traffic, and slide in at the lane end when clear.
Jump farther into the lane to miss the wall.
Reconsider this choice. A metre out is exactly where they will push off. You would still be an obstacle, just a wetter one.
Best action: Let the swimmer turn and leave, recheck traffic, and slide in at the lane end when clear.
Wait for the turn and departure, then recheck for a clear gap.
Good judgment. Waiting preserves turning room; checking again accounts for the next swimmer.
Best action: Let the swimmer turn and leave, recheck traffic, and slide in at the lane end when clear.
Make a grand entrance. Everyone will surely stop to applaud.
Reconsider this choice. Other swimmers may not see you entering and need room to turn. Slide in only after checking for a clear gap.
Best action: Let the swimmer turn and leave, recheck traffic, and slide in at the lane end when clear.
Best action: Let the swimmer turn and leave, recheck traffic, and slide in at the lane end when clear.
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Sources and local variation
- Swimming Canada — Going to your first workout
Masters-workout guidance on considerate entry, following lane traffic, and leaving room at the wall. Workout conventions may differ from public sessions.
- U.S. Masters Swimming — Swimming 101: The Basics
Entry awareness, circle swimming and splitting, passing space, and adapting to the current lane. Check local arrangements.
The scenarios are SwimPermit practice examples. These sources inform the draft; a source link is not an endorsement or a completed safety review.
Keep studying
No lessons required before the test. The theory test is being prepared; its introduction is available now.