Swimming Pool Etiquette: 13 Tips for Beginners at Singapore Pools
Busy public pools can feel intimidating when you are new. A few unwritten rules make lanes safer and friendlier for everyone, including you.
Before you get in
1. Shower first
A quick rinse before swimming washes off sweat, sunscreen, deodorant and dirt, which helps keep the water clean and reduces the irritating chemicals that form when chlorine reacts with them.
2. Use the toilet before you swim
It sounds obvious, but it matters, especially for children. Take young children for regular toilet breaks, and make sure babies wear swim nappies.
3. Stay out if you are unwell
Do not swim if you have diarrhoea, an infection or an open wound. Germs spread easily in pool water.
4. Read the pool rules
Each pool has its own rules on diving, lane use, food, and children's areas. Follow the signs and any instructions from the lifeguards.
Choosing and sharing a lane
5. Pick a lane that matches your speed
Some pools mark lanes as slow, medium and fast. If not, watch for a minute and choose the lane where swimmers are going at about your pace. If you are learning or swim mostly breaststroke, a slower lane is perfectly fine.
6. Keep left and swim in a circle
When several people share a lane, swimmers go up one side and back the other, in a circle, so no one swims head-on into another. At many public pools in Singapore, swimmers keep to the left, moving anticlockwise. Check signs at your pool, and follow what regulars do.
7. Pass with care
If you want to overtake, a light tap on the swimmer's foot lets them know. The swimmer in front should pause at the next wall to let you go. Pass only when the oncoming side is clear, and never push off right in front of a faster swimmer.
8. Rest in the corner
When you stop at the wall, move into a corner so others can turn. Do not stop in the middle of the lane.
9. Leave space when you push off
Wait a few seconds after the swimmer in front before you start, so you are not swimming on their feet.
General courtesy
10. Mind the splashing
Big splashes, butterfly in a busy lane or kicking on someone's back can be unpleasant. Swim with awareness of others, especially in crowded pools.
11. Keep the deck tidy and safe
Walk, do not run, on wet decks. Keep bags and equipment out of walkways, and return kickboards and pull buoys after use.
12. Supervise your children
Keep young children within arm's reach and in the right area of the pool. A lifeguard is watching the whole pool, not your child. See our water safety tips.
13. Be extra considerate at condo pools
Condominium pools are shared homes. Check the condo rules on hours, guests and swimming lessons, keep noise down, and remember that many condo pools have no lifeguard, so swimmers and parents must take responsibility for safety.
Lessons and pool etiquette
If you are having lessons at a public pool, your instructor will usually use a designated area or lane. Arriving on time, showering beforehand and following your coach's lane instructions help the lesson run smoothly. Read what to expect in your first swimming lesson, browse swimming course locations, or check our swimming tips for beginners.
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Sources
- Singapore Aquatics, Public swimming complexes in Singapore. Guide to Singapore's public pools, including common lane-sharing norms.
- CDC, Swim diapers and swim pants. Swimmers with diarrhoea should stay out of the water; check and change swim nappies often.
New to swimming at public pools?
Tell us your swimming experience and where you would like to swim. We will suggest a suitable course, format and pool. Lessons run at public swimming complexes, private venues and condominium pools across Singapore.