There are many questions that are frequently asked by our members, potential members and public. Please refer to the questions and answers below, or if you can't find the information you are after, please contact us.

Does the club only cater for competitive swimmers?

No, the South Lake Dolphins cater for swimmers of a variety of abilities, with a range of ambitions. Those who wish to swim as a social outlet or purely for fitness are welcome to do so, and no pressure will be applied to force them into competition. This having been said, the club does have a large number of competitive members and is equally willing to tailor training to suit the competitive ambitions of individual members.

Do you have to be fast to join the club?

No - we cater for swimmers of all abilities. Before joining, swimmers should be able to confidently swim 50m of each of the strokes (25m of Butterfly) and be willing to learn and have fun along the way! Similarly, most swim meets that we attend don't have qualifying times - this means that a swimmer won't be excluded from competing if their time for a certain event is considered 'slow'.

How often do you have to train?

Depending on the age and ability of a swimmer, the Head Coach will advise a suitable number of sessions to attend. This could range anywhere from swimming socially at 2 sessions per week to becoming a member of our national target squad who train 8 sessions per week. More information on training times can be found on training page.

Is there a group or team aspect to swimming?

Yes, although some aspects of swimming are based around personal targets and achievements, it is still very much a team sport. We train as a team, and therefore compete as a team. Club nights are a great social outlet for all swimmers and all swimmers travel to swim meets together to ensure a healthy team environment.

How is success measured in swimming?

There are many measures of success in swimming - the one that is most appropriate for you depends entirely on your goals and aspirations. First, feeling more natural in the water as your stroke becomes more efficient is an effective measure of success. The second, and most important, measures are your personal best times. Aiming to swim faster and faster over a period of time is a great way to measure your success. At a higher level, medals at competitions and the setting of records may be the desired measure of success. Regardless of what you should choose to measure your success by, discuss your goals with the coaching staff who will be able to guide you to progressing in your desired direction.

What will be expected once I join?

At training, if you are selected for one of our competitive squads, and you agree to become a member of one, you will be expected to train the number of sessions directed by the Head Coach. If you don't wish to be 'locked in' to a certain number of sessions you will need to train with our development or club & fitness squads rather than the competitive ones. When you join the club, you are not obligated to attend club nights or club functions, however as these are such fun, family events we strongly recommend you do!