For runners:
Say you run a trail that goes around a lake.
If you go around it three times do you say you did three laps or three loops of the lake?
For runners:
Say you run a trail that goes around a lake.
If you go around it three times do you say you did three laps or three loops of the lake?
Problem is, a LOT of people, recreational swimmers, parents of kids who take swimming lessons, the kids who take swimming lessons, use "lap" to refer to one length of the pool, no matter the length of the pool.
Technically it's wrong, but in that context, no one really cares and everyone understands what they're talking about. Even I use it, knowing better.
Could be wrong but I would think that a lap requires you to finish where you started, regardless of the distance.
I don't care if watch the pro swimmers call it, all I really want to know is, when my gym says 18 laps = 1/4 mile and 72 laps = 1 mile, do I have to go down and get back or will one-way count as a lap? None of the gym staff seems to know. It's a standard gym sized pool.
May1 wrote:
I don't care if watch the pro swimmers call it, all I really want to know is, when my gym says 18 laps = 1/4 mile and 72 laps = 1 mile, do I have to go down and get back or will one-way count as a lap? None of the gym staff seems to know. It's a standard gym sized pool.
One-way counts as a lap, which should be 25 yards. 25 yards multiplied by 72 laps equals 1800 yards. A mile is 1760 yards, so in reality swimming 72 laps will be 1.023 miles.
I swam competively til college. One lap was always one length of the pool, regardless of the pool size. I generally rained in a 50m pool, but also swam 25m pools and, in the US, 25 yard pools. One lap was always one length of the pool, not down and back.
Haven’t been on a swim team since 6th grade and I don’t give a hoot about swimming.
That said, a lap is one length. All day every day. Anyone who argues otherwise is a bozo.
See username.
/thread
ChadBrad wrote:
Haven’t been on a swim team since 6th grade and I don’t give a hoot about swimming.
That said, a lap is one length. All day every day. Anyone who argues otherwise is a bozo.
Go to website
www.swimswamfor definite answer on this conundrum.
This is the site with all answers to swimming.
A 'lap' is one length of the pool, whatever length that happens to be (scy/scm/lcm)
All other responses are morans
but what if it's a marathon, in a pool?
Ghost1 wrote:
ChadBrad wrote:
Haven’t been on a swim team since 6th grade and I don’t give a hoot about swimming.
That said, a lap is one length. All day every day. Anyone who argues otherwise is a bozo.
Go to website
www.swimswamfor definite answer on this conundrum.
Is this a link to bozo.com?
ADDING CONFUSION WE HAVE THE LAP POOL
Hardloper wrote:
but what if it's a marathon, in a pool?
If it was a marathon in a pool, do you think someone could be lapped and then come back to win?
PS: At what point has someone been "lapped" in a swimming race?
splitty mcsplitterson wrote:
PS: At what point has someone been "lapped" in a swimming race?
When the are no longer on the same lap as the leader.
splitty mcsplitterson wrote:
Hardloper wrote:
but what if it's a marathon, in a pool?
If it was a marathon in a pool, do you think someone could be lapped and then come back to win?
PS: At what point has someone been "lapped" in a swimming race?
I think maybe you could have someone get lapped and come back in a 1600. Maybe even a 800 on a short course pool.
Can someone confirm? Splitty you should prob start a separate thread.
In distance events, where "lap counters" are allowed, your counter sits or stands at the far end of the pool, and they put something like this
https://www.swimoutlet.com/p/bettertimes-lap-counter-1900/
into the pool as you approach the wall so you don't lose track. Out and back counts as two, so the "lap counter" only shows odd numbers. On your last lap, your counter should show you an orange square so you know you're done at the next touch.
Most swimmers I know also count their own intervals in this manner, as it forces you to change numbers in your head more frequently, and you know you should always be at an odd number on the far wall.
Real swimmers do most of their workouts as intervals. So you're count to 8 for a 200, or 16 for a 400 The highest you'll ever count would be 66, that is 1650 yards in a SCY pool.
silly amerikanskis wrote:
Lappers is right.
Lap and lengths are said only when you need to explain stuff to non swimmers who don't realize how long pools are. A lap is down and back. A length is just down. But when you say a lap most people will think that that means just down once without coming back. Because people are dumb like that.
You really don't need to be so condescending. The reason someone has posted a question on the community forum is that they don't know and not knowing is okay. Just because someone is unfamiliar with a term doesn't make them dumb.
This. Every coach I ever had used 'lap' - to mean one length.
I definitely agree tho that it probably varies from coach to coach and by definition a "lap" should be down and back - that's just not how it is commonly used. I'd guess at least 60% of the swimmng population uses the lap = length interpretation.
Maybe it is regional?
My competitive experience :
CO: Lap = Length
IA: Lap = length
MN: Lap = length
Any more data? Only add if from a competitive background (HS, club, collegiate, etc.)