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16 laps x 100m = 1600 m ~ 1 mile

This topic has been discussed repeatedly on this forum. A lap should be only one way down the pool. Up and back is two laps. This being said, it is 96 (SCM) laps (or lengths) of the pool in 1.5 miles (approximately).

The more accurate conversion for a mile is 1609 meters (rounded to the nearest meter). Although the 1500 meter pool swim is commonly referred to as the "mile," this is actually slightly shorter than a real mile.

Again, refer to our previous discussions on "lap vs. length." When people fail to reach an agreement on what to call a lap, you can just refer to the distance, like 100, 500, 1500, etc...

First of all, there are a million websites out there and most of them are WRONG.

According to your link, "...most coaches use the terms (lap and length) interchangeably..." This would lead me to believe that the answer to our question is quite equivocal.

This topic has been beaten to death already... it hurts me deeply to say this, but I can agree to disagree here.

Like running a lap on a track, "a lap" means to return the where you started. If you only go halfway around, it is not "a lap"...it's half a lap. So, in the pool (regardless of the pool's length) you have to go up and back (or back and forth as you say) for it to be a lap.

Dan

By the way, in the pool I regularly swim in its 25 laps/50 length for a mile. It's a 35 yard pool 50x35=1750 yards (10 yards short)

It's kind of funny. I swam competetively for 12 years and swam 6- 10 miles per day. My event in college was the 500, 1000 and 1650 freestyle. The mile (in yards) is considered to be 1650 yds. I know that is not exactly right but that is still how it was and is today. Can someone explain that to me? I swam my first "mile" when I was 12 years old. It was (and still is) 66 lengths of the pool. When we spoke of laps, it was understood that lengths and laps of the pool were pretty much the same thing. A mile was 66 "laps." On the other hand, If I "lapped" my opponent, it was considered that I was passing him up after being 2 lengths ahead of him. Go figure.