How to Maintain Swim Lane Ropes

Swim lane ropes are an integral part of any competitive swimming pool. Without these lane markers, swimmers wouldn’t be able to keep in their lanes as easily, leading to collisions in the water and slower swim times. In addition, the lack of lane lines would allow the wake of each swimmer to impact the performance of the other swimmers. Because of the importance of these lane ropes, it is important to make sure you maintain them properly to prolong their lifespan so you don’t have to keep replacing them.

Inspect Them Regularly

Between uses, it is important to make sure you inspect them well to ensure they are in good condition. Make sure you check for any cracks or signs of wear in the plastic pieces, as well as weak spots in the rope itself. You should also check the attachment hardware to ensure it is safe to use. If you notice any damage, it is important to fix or replace the parts immediately to ensure your swim lane ropes are always in usable condition. Many pool owners will inspect these ropes when they set them up and then check them again when they put them back into storage. This will ensure you always know the condition of your ropes and can replace them as necessary.

Replace Parts

Many of the parts of swim lane ropes, including the attachment hardware and floats, can all be replaced if they become damaged or worn. Some people like to keep a certain number of extra parts on hand so they can quickly and easily make any necessary repairs without having to wait for a shipment. However, some parts need to be replaced so infrequently, it doesn’t make much sense to keep extras on hand. Think about the parts you have replaced in the past to determine if you need to keep these parts on hand.

Buy New Ropes

In some situations, such as when the rope is damaged, you may need to buy completely new swim lane ropes. When you buy new ropes, it is important to make sure you choose ropes that are the same as the others you already have. This creates more than a uniform look for your pool; it also ensures the lane ropes all act the same so no swimmers have a particular advantage over any of the others. Some pool owners will purchase a complete set of new ropes for this reason.

When you are in charge of running the pool, it is important to know a little about the care and maintenance of the swim lane ropes. Without lane ropes that do what they are supposed to, you will find the swimmers are affected. Therefore, you need to make close inspections of your lane ropes on a regular basis, replacing any parts that may be broken or worn out before they can become a major problem. You should also replace the ropes when there is no way to fix the damage that has occurred.