FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Who swims with the club?

Anyone interested in swimming with a masters swim club. We welcome anyone whether they're men or women, young or not so young, gay, lesbian, bisexual or straight, in the closet or out. Our members swim with the club for many different reasons, some to improve their fitness, some to socialize and meet new friends, some to train for competitions (swimming, triathlon, etc). 

Do I have to be a great swimmer?

No, you don't need to be a great swimmer, just have a willingness to get wet and work with the coach. The pool is divided into lanes of varying abilities/speeds from former competitive swimmers to people very new to swimming. We practice in the shallow end of a 50 meter pool to be particularly beginner-friendly.

Do I have to be able to do all the strokes and turns?

No. One of the reasons we have a coach is to help swimmers who want to learn new strokes and turns. Being masters swimmers we also realize that not everyone is going to be able to do everything--our coach can modify a workout for you if you physically can't (or won't) do butterfly or breaststroke for example.

Do I have to wear a speedo to practice?

Although most masters swimmers do wear racing or training suits to practice (i.e., speedos), it is not a requirement. Swimmers should wear what they feel comfortable in to practice. Swimmers also shouldn't worry about what they look like in their swim suit--everybody who swims has a swimmer's body!

Do you really swim for a whole hour?

Yes and no. Our coach designs workouts that should take about an hour to complete but there are short breaks built into these. It's also not uncommon for there to be some additional chatting/social breaks to be stuck in by some of our swimmers. Swimmers are also free to climb out when they've had enough, whether that's after 20 minutes or once the practice time is up. 

Can visitors join practices?

We welcome members of other IGLA affiliated aquatics programs to join us for training if they are in Edmonton.