Open Water Swimming Basics

Swimming is swimming, isn’t it? Yes and no.

Although there are several skills that easily translate from the pool to open water swimming, open water requires additional skills and knowledge. In the pool for instance, you don’t need to worry about wind, current, marine life, and other environmental conditions that impact how much you enjoy your swim. Those things might seem scary, but they don’t have to be if you know a few tips for addressing them.

Finding an open water venue—safety first!

One of the nice things about living on planet Earth is that there’s water all over the place. Chances are you can find an open water swimming venue near you right now. It’s tempting to go for a quick swim in any inviting lake, river, spring, bay, or ocean. That doesn’t mean, however, that it’s always a good idea to hop in. Here are a few things to consider before you go.

• Is swimming even allowed? Many parks and recreation areas have what appear to be great places to swim, but in fact, have rules against swimming or might contain hidden hazards. Check with the local authorities first before diving right in. If you’re looking at an ocean or a bay, check with local authorities to see if swimming is allowed and find out where the swim areas are. Then find established groups of open water swimmers, including triathletes, to get advice and meet potential swim buddies.
• What are the hazards? Many people think of ocean hazards and envision stinging tentacles or a large dorsal fin and lots of teeth. But there are far more common hazards. Many seemingly attractive swimming areas have water quality issues, including the presence of harmful chemicals or bacteria, or underwater hazards, such as rocks or broken infrastructure, and currents. Check with the local authorities and local open water swimmers for more information.
• What’s your plan? It’s important not only to swim with a buddy, but also to let someone know where and when you’re swimming, how long you’ll be gone, and when you plan to return. Should something happen and you need rescue, information about your whereabouts will be critical.

Learn the skills you need

It’s a good idea to practice these open water swimming skills in the controlled environment of the pool before testing them out in the open water.

• Sighting—Everyone swims in a circle, because no one is perfectly symmetrical. The difference is that some people have a circle that’s 10 miles wide and others just 10 yards. To make sure you’re swimming in the direction you want, develop a sighting technique to ensure you’re staying on course. This is hard to do with your face in the water, so many swimmers lift their head to see where they’re going and breathe while their head is up. This may be necessary in choppy or wavy conditions, but having your head so far up throws off your body position and costs extra energy. Experienced open water swimmers use a technique called alligator eyes, in which they lift their head just enough to bring their eyes out of the water, and then quickly return to swimming position. When they need to breathe, they do so to the side, as usual, rather than to the front. How often you should sight depends on your skill in swimming straight, as well as current, wind, and other swimmers.
• Other strokes—Most of your open water swimming will be done with freestyle as it’s the fastest and most efficient. There are occasions, however, in which other strokes come in handy. If you’re way off course and must make a correction, it’s good to have a decent breaststroke. Using breaststroke, you can sight every breath and get your course corrected quickly while still moving forward. If you need to clear your goggles, take in nutrition or hydration, or rest because you’re fatigued or feeling anxious, having an efficient backstroke can make a big difference. Practice these strokes and how to transition between them and freestyle.
• Stopping and starting—Sometimes a situation arises in which it’s necessary to stop. Among the reasons are being way off course or losing track of your partner swimmers, or even just needing to stop and rest. In these situations, it’s best to stop and assess the situation before moving forward. Being able to tread water with little effort or float calmly is important. Be sure to practice these skills before heading out.
• Turns—Pretty straightforward business in the pool, but turns in open water not so much, especially when a bunch of swimmers are all heading into a buoy turn at the same time. Turning without losing momentum is a skill that can be learned and practiced and there are a few ways to accomplish it. To change direction while still swimming freestyle, you can bend at the side or use one arm to stroke and the other out front for balance and direction—the propulsion on only one side will allow for a sharper turn. Still another way is to rotate into a backstroke stroke and bend at the waist to change direction. It is kind of like the corkscrew stroke you might have done as a kid and it’s a lot of fun to practice.
• Entry and exit—Skills needed vary depending on the open water venue. Beaches with a long, sloping entries free from obstacles are good for dolphin dives, in which you push off the bottom when you can no longer run, and throw your arms and head in front of you like you do in butterfly. The sequence can be repeated until you’re in deeper water. For a dock start, enter feet first with the knees bent in case of shallow water. Diving, of course, is a great entry, provided you’re aware of the depth and have checked for underwater hazards. Always good to go feet first the first time.

Challenge yourself with some competition

One great way to motivate yourself to get out into the open water is to sign up for an open water competition. This will inspire you to not only learn the skills but also find places to practice. Other benefits include discovering another part of the swimming community and making new friends. There are a couple of things to look out for when selecting an open water event.

• Is the event USMS sanctioned? There are plenty of fine events that are run by skilled professionals. A USMS sanctioned event will be run in accordance with a set of rules and safety standards that are top notch. If the event is not sanctioned through USMS, ask about rules and safety and make sure you attend the safety briefing.
• Am I up to the distance? Many novice runners complete their first 5k and the endorphins start making them think the next step is a marathon. Similarly, many novice open water swimmers equate their pool yardage with being able to complete an open water swim of the same distance. Because of the differences between pool and open water swimming—including that it’s continuous, no resting on the wall—it’s best to try out shorter distances and work your way up.
• Where do I find resources? First stop is usms.org for sure. Not only is there a searchable database of sanctioned events, but many helpful general and specific articles about open water swimming. Even better, there’s an online community where you can connect with others, ask questions, and get more information about training and events from other open waters swimmers. These are all some of the fantastic benefits of membership.

Get out there!

Your first open water swim may be a little unnerving, since it’s a whole different sensory experience. Don’t let that stop you from trying a second: you’ll grow as a swimmer and learn some new skills. And even if you have more of a sprinter approach to swimming, and don’t swim distance events in the pool, you’ll find that open water offers something special. Swimming beyond the lane lines opens the horizon literally and figuratively.