How do you convert LCM to SCY?

Multiply the LCM time by the distance factor for SCM (0.985 for a 50, 0.98 for a 100, 0.975 for a 200), then divide by 1.11. For a 100 that is about × 0.88: a 1:05.00 LCM is about 57.39 SCY.

How do you convert SCY to LCM?

Multiply the SCY time by 1.11 to get SCM, then divide by the distance factor (0.985, 0.98 or 0.975 for a 50, 100 or 200). A 25.00 in the 50 free SCY is about 28.17 LCM.

What is the 500 yard free in long course?

The yards 500 free is converted to the 400 m free. With Gophin's factors, a 5:00 in the 500 SCY is about 4:36 in the 400 LCM. The 1000 yd free converts to the 800 m the same way.

Does the stroke change the conversion?

Not in these charts. The factors depend on distance, so the 100 chart works for free, back, breast and fly. Individual swimmers still differ: strong turns make short course times look better than long course times.

LCM to SCY Conversion Chart & SCY to LCM Swim Times

Quick answer

Find your distance, then your time. In the 50, 100 and 200 of every stroke, an LCM time is about 11 to 12% faster in SCY: a 1:05 in the 100 LCM is about 57.39 SCY, and a 30.00 in the 50 LCM is about 26.62 SCY. The charts below go both ways (LCM → SCY and SCY → LCM) and add the SCM equivalent. For a time that is not in the chart, type it in the calculator.

Free tool

Convert a swim time between pools

StrokeSwum inEventTime

Same conversion factors the Gophin app uses. Conversions are estimates: turns and underwater skill change the real gap for each swimmer.

How to read these charts

Pick the direction. If your swimmer's time is from a 50-meter pool (summer, long course), use the LCM to SCY chart. If it is from a 25-yard pool (US winter, high school, college), use the SCY to LCM chart.
Pick the distance, not the stroke. The conversion factors depend on distance only, so the 100 chart works for the 100 free, back, breast and fly. The 400 m / 500 yd, 800 m / 1000 yd and 1500 m / 1650 yd charts are for freestyle, where the yards event is a different distance. The 400 IM has its own chart.
Between two rows? The conversion is proportional, so the answer is between the two rows too. Or type the exact time in the calculator above.

Every number was generated with the same factors the calculator above uses: SCY × 1.11 = SCM for the 50, 100, 200 and 400 IM (× 0.8925 for 500 yd → 400 m and 1000 yd → 800 m, × 0.98 for 1650 yd → 1500 m), and SCM ÷ 0.985 / 0.98 / 0.975 / 0.97 / 0.965 / 0.96 = LCM for the 50 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1500. The swim time converter guide explains each step in plain words.

LCM to SCY conversion chart

50 (all strokes)

LCM time	= SCY	= SCM
22	19.52	21.67
23	20.41	22.66
24	21.30	23.64
25	22.18	24.63
26	23.07	25.61
27	23.96	26.60
28	24.85	27.58
29	25.73	28.57
30	26.62	29.55
31	27.51	30.54
32	28.40	31.52
33	29.28	32.51
34	30.17	33.49
35	31.06	34.48
36	31.95	35.46
37	32.83	36.45
38	33.72	37.43
39	34.61	38.42
40	35.50	39.40
41	36.38	40.39
42	37.27	41.37
43	38.16	42.36
44	39.05	43.34

100 (all strokes)

LCM time	= SCY	= SCM
50	44.14	49.00
52	45.91	50.96
54	47.68	52.92
56	49.44	54.88
58	51.21	56.84
1:00	52.97	58.80
1:02	54.74	1:00.76
1:04	56.50	1:02.72
1:06	58.27	1:04.68
1:08	1:00.04	1:06.64
1:10	1:01.80	1:08.60
1:12	1:03.57	1:10.56
1:14	1:05.33	1:12.52
1:16	1:07.10	1:14.48
1:18	1:08.86	1:16.44
1:20	1:10.63	1:18.40
1:22	1:12.40	1:20.36
1:24	1:14.16	1:22.32
1:26	1:15.93	1:24.28
1:28	1:17.69	1:26.24
1:30	1:19.46	1:28.20
1:32	1:21.23	1:30.16
1:34	1:22.99	1:32.12
1:36	1:24.76	1:34.08

200 (all strokes)

LCM time	= SCY	= SCM
1:50	1:36.62	1:47.25
1:55	1:41.01	1:52.13
2:00	1:45.41	1:57.00
2:05	1:49.80	2:01.88
2:10	1:54.19	2:06.75
2:15	1:58.58	2:11.63
2:20	2:02.97	2:16.50
2:25	2:07.36	2:21.38
2:30	2:11.76	2:26.25
2:35	2:16.15	2:31.13
2:40	2:20.54	2:36.00
2:45	2:24.93	2:40.88
2:50	2:29.32	2:45.75
2:55	2:33.72	2:50.63
3:00	2:38.11	2:55.50
3:05	2:42.50	3:00.38
3:10	2:46.89	3:05.25
3:15	2:51.28	3:10.13
3:20	2:55.68	3:15.00

400 m / 500 yd freestyle

LCM time	= SCY	= SCM
4:00	4:20.84	3:52.80
4:10	4:31.71	4:02.50
4:20	4:42.58	4:12.20
4:30	4:53.45	4:21.90
4:40	5:04.31	4:31.60
4:50	5:15.18	4:41.30
5:00	5:26.05	4:51.00
5:10	5:36.92	5:00.70
5:20	5:47.79	5:10.40
5:30	5:58.66	5:20.10
5:40	6:09.52	5:29.80
5:50	6:20.39	5:39.50
6:00	6:31.26	5:49.20
6:10	6:42.13	5:58.90
6:20	6:53.00	6:08.60
6:30	7:03.87	6:18.30

800 m / 1000 yd freestyle

LCM time	= SCY	= SCM
8:20	9:00.62	8:02.50
8:40	9:22.24	8:21.80
9:00	9:43.87	8:41.10
9:20	10:05.49	9:00.40
9:40	10:27.11	9:19.70
10:00	10:48.74	9:39.00
10:20	11:10.36	9:58.30
10:40	11:31.99	10:17.60
11:00	11:53.61	10:36.90
11:20	12:15.24	10:56.20
11:40	12:36.86	11:15.50
12:00	12:58.49	11:34.80

1500 m / 1650 yd freestyle

LCM time	= SCY	= SCM
16:00	15:40.41	15:21.60
16:30	16:09.80	15:50.40
17:00	16:39.18	16:19.20
17:30	17:08.57	16:48.00
18:00	17:37.96	17:16.80
18:30	18:07.35	17:45.60
19:00	18:36.73	18:14.40
19:30	19:06.12	18:43.20
20:00	19:35.51	19:12.00
20:30	20:04.90	19:40.80
21:00	20:34.29	20:09.60
21:30	21:03.67	20:38.40
22:00	21:33.06	21:07.20
22:30	22:02.45	21:36.00
23:00	22:31.84	22:04.80

400 Individual Medley

LCM time	= SCY	= SCM
4:20	3:47.21	4:12.20
4:30	3:55.95	4:21.90
4:40	4:04.68	4:31.60
4:50	4:13.42	4:41.30
5:00	4:22.16	4:51.00
5:10	4:30.90	5:00.70
5:20	4:39.64	5:10.40
5:30	4:48.38	5:20.10
5:40	4:57.12	5:29.80
5:50	5:05.86	5:39.50
6:00	5:14.59	5:49.20
6:10	5:23.33	5:58.90
6:20	5:32.07	6:08.60
6:30	5:40.81	6:18.30
6:40	5:49.55	6:28.00

Converted times follow your swimmer automatically in Gophin

A chart answers one question. If you follow a swimmer all season, Gophin's Best Times screen can show every personal best converted to the pool you pick, marked with "≈" next to the time actually swum. Comparisons → Standards can use those conversions too. Meet results arrive on their own from official results, so you never type a time in.

SCY to LCM conversion chart

50 (all strokes)

SCY time	= LCM	= SCM
20	22.54	22.20
21	23.66	23.31
22	24.79	24.42
23	25.92	25.53
24	27.05	26.64
25	28.17	27.75
26	29.30	28.86
27	30.43	29.97
28	31.55	31.08
29	32.68	32.19
30	33.81	33.30
31	34.93	34.41
32	36.06	35.52
33	37.19	36.63
34	38.31	37.74
35	39.44	38.85
36	40.57	39.96
37	41.70	41.07
38	42.82	42.18
39	43.95	43.29
40	45.08	44.40

100 (all strokes)

SCY time	= LCM	= SCM
44	49.84	48.84
46	52.10	51.06
48	54.37	53.28
50	56.63	55.50
52	58.90	57.72
54	1:01.16	59.94
56	1:03.43	1:02.16
58	1:05.69	1:04.38
1:00	1:07.96	1:06.60
1:02	1:10.22	1:08.82
1:04	1:12.49	1:11.04
1:06	1:14.76	1:13.26
1:08	1:17.02	1:15.48
1:10	1:19.29	1:17.70
1:12	1:21.55	1:19.92
1:14	1:23.82	1:22.14
1:16	1:26.08	1:24.36
1:18	1:28.35	1:26.58
1:20	1:30.61	1:28.80
1:22	1:32.88	1:31.02
1:24	1:35.14	1:33.24
1:26	1:37.41	1:35.46

200 (all strokes)

SCY time	= LCM	= SCM
1:40	1:53.85	1:51.00
1:45	1:59.54	1:56.55
1:50	2:05.23	2:02.10
1:55	2:10.92	2:07.65
2:00	2:16.62	2:13.20
2:05	2:22.31	2:18.75
2:10	2:28.00	2:24.30
2:15	2:33.69	2:29.85
2:20	2:39.38	2:35.40
2:25	2:45.08	2:40.95
2:30	2:50.77	2:46.50
2:35	2:56.46	2:52.05
2:40	3:02.15	2:57.60
2:45	3:07.85	3:03.15
2:50	3:13.54	3:08.70
2:55	3:19.23	3:14.25
3:00	3:24.92	3:19.80

500 yd / 400 m freestyle

SCY time	= LCM	= SCM
4:30	4:08.43	4:00.98
4:40	4:17.63	4:09.90
4:50	4:26.83	4:18.83
5:00	4:36.03	4:27.75
5:10	4:45.23	4:36.68
5:20	4:54.43	4:45.60
5:30	5:03.63	4:54.52
5:40	5:12.84	5:03.45
5:50	5:22.04	5:12.38
6:00	5:31.24	5:21.30
6:10	5:40.44	5:30.23
6:20	5:49.64	5:39.15
6:30	5:58.84	5:48.08
6:40	6:08.04	5:57.00
6:50	6:17.24	6:05.93
7:00	6:26.44	6:14.85

1000 yd / 800 m freestyle

SCY time	= LCM	= SCM
9:20	8:37.93	8:19.80
9:40	8:56.42	8:37.65
10:00	9:14.92	8:55.50
10:20	9:33.42	9:13.35
10:40	9:51.92	9:31.20
11:00	10:10.41	9:49.05
11:20	10:28.91	10:06.90
11:40	10:47.41	10:24.75
12:00	11:05.91	10:42.60
12:20	11:24.40	11:00.45
12:40	11:42.90	11:18.30
13:00	12:01.40	11:36.15
13:20	12:19.90	11:54.00

1650 yd / 1500 m freestyle

SCY time	= LCM	= SCM
15:00	15:18.75	14:42.00
15:30	15:49.38	15:11.40
16:00	16:20.00	15:40.80
16:30	16:50.63	16:10.20
17:00	17:21.25	16:39.60
17:30	17:51.88	17:09.00
18:00	18:22.50	17:38.40
18:30	18:53.13	18:07.80
19:00	19:23.75	18:37.20
19:30	19:54.38	19:06.60
20:00	20:25.00	19:36.00
20:30	20:55.63	20:05.40
21:00	21:26.25	20:34.80
21:30	21:56.88	21:04.20
22:00	22:27.50	21:33.60

400 Individual Medley

SCY time	= LCM	= SCM
4:00	4:34.64	4:26.40
4:10	4:46.08	4:37.50
4:20	4:57.53	4:48.60
4:30	5:08.97	4:59.70
4:40	5:20.41	5:10.80
4:50	5:31.86	5:21.90
5:00	5:43.30	5:33.00
5:10	5:54.74	5:44.10
5:20	6:06.19	5:55.20
5:30	6:17.63	6:06.30
5:40	6:29.07	6:17.40
5:50	6:40.52	6:28.50
6:00	6:51.96	6:39.60
6:10	7:03.40	6:50.70

When the chart is not enough

A converted time is an average swimmer's equivalent. Your swimmer can beat it or miss it:

Strong turns and underwaters make short course times look better than long course times. Converting SCY to LCM flatters these swimmers.
Strong stroke, weak turns is the opposite: the real LCM time often beats the conversion.
Meet entries usually require a time swum in the right pool. A converted time is a planning tool, not an entry time, unless the meet announces its own conversion.

For what the three pool codes mean and why the times differ, see what SCM, SCY and LCM mean. If you want to compare a swim across different events rather than pools, use World Aquatics points.

See my swimmer's times in every pool