What's circle swim? Is it up one side of the lane and back down the other? That's what seems to happen over here in UK & France. The lanes are normally graded into slow, medium & fast, so people are going vaguely the same speed. Then you have to either all swim along one behind the other like sheep in a lane or carry out the occasional sprint overtaking manoeuvre or if someone taps you on the toes you're supposed to stop at the end & let them pass. Generally all a bit annoying & frantic with the water churning & bubbling and quite a lot of crashes & close encounters. Specially if some body takes it into their head to practise butterfly!!!
Circle swim is the way to go. "Splitting the lane" is problematic for a plethora of reasons, organizationally. Don't worry-- the etiquite is that the faster person tapping your feet has to deal with sprinting around you. Just swim at your normal pace and maybe pull over a little when you notice them swimming past.
Now that it's the off season (for me), I've started swimming again. It's really interesting to look back at where I was at the beginning of this thread, and compare it to where I am now.
When I started I was barely swimming half a mile and stopping every few laps. Now I swim a mile without stopping. I never imagined I'd get to this point, so yeah, I'm pretty proud of myself.
How's everyone else doing?
I wish I was a better swimmer. As a kid I was "true" blonde and I ddint' like to be in swimming pools too much cuz it would turn my hair green. I liked to swim in lakes & in the ocean.
But, really...I only swam well enough to get my girl scout badge!
I swam through HS and college a 50/50 mix of vinegar and rubbing alcohol droppered in and swished around has always worked to keep infections at bay for me. Even when I used to do laps in the AM, then teach swimming all day at a lake and laps again at night.
https://www.food.com/recipe/swimmers-ear-drops-62628
I swam through HS and college a 50/50 mix of vinegar and rubbing alcohol droppered in