Ponds Forge, my local 50m Olympic pool (my regular Friday session) has been mothballed for the foreseeable future.
Vary sad times 
I was reading this the other day, as one of only a handful of Olympic standard diving wells in the country as well. I think we are going back 3 decades in swimming terms when we had next to no decent facilities nationally. This is what the olympic legacy and Sport UK funding should be used for. Don’t get me started on the facilities around here, all privately owned, all loss leaders and very few opening due to “cost”.
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Usually when I swim, 2/3rds is taken up with coaching what look like very fast kids (they kickboard faster than I can swim). Got to imaging this is nationally going to effect our young talent.
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So, this has prompted me to book a 30 min slot at the Nuffield today. I booked the Fast Lane; not sure if I still qualify 
Better go and read the rules.
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Can you swim front crawl?
If yes, you’re in the fast lane.
City of Sheffield are a Hub Club so a lot of talent out of there. We will be relying on uni’s at this rate for facilities. At leasts Leeds has reopened but its going to put a strain on CofL swimmers and divers as the Sheffield kids get taken on.
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FTFY, for Crystal Palace at least.
And what is it with front crawlers in the fast lane that think throwing in a random breast stroke length is ok?
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My poor weak shoulders! Did 1600m in my 30 min slot. 400 free, 600 big paddles/pull & 6x100 finger paddles/pull.
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Yeah my arms aren’t strong enough to get my heart and lungs working!
This morning someone was alternating 50m Fc 50m breast. His Fc was probably the slowest of the 5 of us in the lane, yet there was only 1 person in the medium lane 
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I can now get back swimming, although very limited time slots, I am planning on making some real progress in breast and back stroke. I am not moving lanes when I change stroke though, but if I am in the fast lane it isn’t fast so no harm done. In the local pool the slow lane is head up breast stroke whilst chatting, medium is head up no chat or even head down breast stroke, fast is anyone doing front crawl (usually 2-3) regardless of actual speed.
Where do the breaststroke swimmers go that do arms and legs at the same time? 
They get sent home straight away. It’s not my rules 
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Nowhere I’d imagine, they just oscillate on the spot.
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At my local pool, there’s a chap who does synchronised breaststroke in the fast lane. I gave it a go once to see if it would work as horizontal version of treading water but it felt all kinds of wrong!
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I’ve just booked up for my Masters session tomorrow 18:30-19:30.
Instead of 4 lanes, it’ll be 2 large lanes & they can only accept 8 males & 8 females to allow distancing in the changing rooms…all fair enough in this “new normal”.
What I can’t get my head around is when booking up my session I was told that the lanes will be male in one & females in t’other…it won’t be ability/speed segregated 
WTF is that all about?
We are doing that with the kids at the swimming club. Its to do with bubbles and exiting pool. We release lane by lane 4 at a time (4 to a lane single width) . 4 boys exit changing room, next boys lane sent in.
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We’ve been back a few weeks now, double width lanes, max. 6 per lane unless coach there in which case 5 as he counts as 1 in each lane he’s coaching and is restricted to 3, the fast lane have to do there own thing.
Pool have now advised that from September they’re going back to normal width lanes so our 4 won’t fill the pool anymore but they’ll leave a buffer lane between us and the public.
I’m completely supportive of all the rules but I must admit I’m struggling to keep up with some of the nuances/changes these days
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It’s a real faff at the moment but a few parents have stepped up as “Covid Liaison” which helps and the more times we go the better its becoming. We have to check temperature of all kids as they enter and sign them off, check they have signed the waiver forms. Only 10 adults allowed in so counting and checking those. Last week it was 35c and 15 of the 20 kids failed the temperature test! Got around it in the end with cold water bottles and standing in shade but one parent had to be turned away. Also rushing kids to get changed after. We’ve turned it into a competition so that is working short term.
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We’re not doing temperatures but the pool have been really good with procedures and communication.
Originally we had to come ready to swim but now we can use changing cubicles, we’re numbered on way in (we have to wait outside until collected) and have to use corresponding cubicle and locker. Bring your own padlock for locker.
That’s a “council” pool so they’ve told us what to do, the private one we also use is attached to a blind college and they haven’t opened yet. Think they’re planning to when school starts in September but suspect the procedures might be down to us at that point.
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So I rejoined VirginActive tuesday morning, thought they had the same protocols as Crystal Palace but not so.
Changing and showers are being used, doors are not propped open, and you dont have to book a slot to swim. I asked the lifeguard for the in pool protocol and its just wide lanes swimming in rotation which is okay, but I had to be the one enforcing it 
. People were getting in and swimming three abreast in the double lane ffs. Lifeguard said nothing.
Still, a minor inconvenience for the joy of swimming hard in a nice pool.