The ‘New Normal’

It should come as no surprise that returning to training is going to be a new experience for all of us. While some of the procedures may sound onerous, our hope is that in reality they will be fairly straightforward to follow and if we all do our bit, swimming should still be the same sport we all know and enjoy. To highlight a few of the new rules that will be in place at all venues:

• Swimmers will need to arrive with their swimwear on, “beach style”, and leave the same way (or remove swimwear on poolside under clothing).
• Members should shower at home before and after sessions.
• Where permitted by the venue, members must bring and use their own accessories (kick boards, pull buoys etc.). Equipment may not be shared with other swimmers.
• No changing lanes once in the pool.
• Maintain distance from other swimmers while on poolside and within the pool when not actively swimming.

In following these guidelines, please be mindful that some members are more vulnerable than others and therefore even if you have a fairly relaxed attitude towards catching Covid-19, we need all members to adhere to the rules so that everyone feels comfortable attending our sessions. At all sessions, the coaches will be aware of the guidelines and will be enforcing them to keep everyone safe.

Online Booking

Part of the ‘new normal’ is the requirement for all members to sign up for sessions in advance using our new online booking facility. Due to limitations on lane capacity, it is not practical to allow swimmers to just turn up to sessions as we would have to turn away anyone who we could not accommodate. You can register and access the booking system here: Swymmr.com

A few members have trialled it already and reported that it is fairly straightforward to use, but here are some basic instructions you can follow:

1. Visit Swymmr.com and click the Register link at the top of the screen.
2. Enter your email address, full name and a password into the boxes, and check the box to indicate you have read and understood all the information in the attached documents.
3. You should receive a confirmation email within a few minutes, click the link in the email to activate your account.
4. After activating your account, click the ‘Login’ link and enter your email address and password.

To make a booking:

1. From the home screen, click the large blue “View / Book Sessions” button.
2. A list of upcoming sessions for the next fortnight will be shown, along with how many spaces are still available. To book a session, click the green “View/Book” button.
3. You will be presented with a list of lane options. Choose the most appropriate lane for your ability level and click the green “Book Now” button.
4. After checking the information is correct, click “Confirm Booking” to make the reservation.
5. You should receive an email confirmation of the booking.

To view/cancel existing bookings:

1. From any screen, click the “Your Bookings” link at the top of the page.
2. A list of your upcoming bookings will be shown (if any).
3. To cancel a booking, click the red “Cancel Booking” button
4. You will see a confirmation page. If you still want to cancel, click the red “Confirm Cancellation” button.
5. You should receive an email confirmation of the cancellation.

Kind regards,

Will Appleby

EAST Membership Secretary