Cold water, lack of visibility, waves, current, no rests at the end of the pool, no lane discipline with arms everywhere, not to mention marine life (jelly fish!) and depth…
I have to admit that open water swimming without visibility is a fear that I had to overcome. So it is always good to read up more and of course to practice OWS.
Here are some tips/advice I found useful.
Introduction to Open Water Swim part 1:
Cold water shock
The process of jumping into cold water makes us tense up, resulting in very shallow breathing, so entering the water gradually is essential. However, once over the initial immersion, many new open-water swimmers then struggle to put their face in cold water. Again, this needs to be done gradually to build confidence. (Some of the larger open-water swim masks can help beginners as more of the face is covered. You may find this aids confidence levels.)
Once in the water we need to allow ourselves some time to overcome the shallow breathing reaction to the cold. So it's a good idea to adopt a warm-up or acclimatisation routine that can be practised in training and also used in the warm time prior to a swim start. Typically, it should involve some easy swimming, working solely on breathing exhalation and rhythm to counter the body's reaction.
Try to swim with a breathing pattern of three, four and even six strokes per breath for around 3-5mins. Then roll over on your back and take some large, controlled breaths. The next part of any warm-up will focus on your stroke. We'd suggest some basic drills, followed by a series of short, increasing-pace swims of 20-30secs, focusing on stroke length and breathing. Finish with around 2-3mins of steady, recovery swimming and stretching.
Goggles
Choose a pair of goggles or swim mask that fits. To ensure a good seal, gently press the goggles/mask to the face without the strap. If you can look down and they stay on through suction alone, then they're likely to remain leak free.
Don't use goggles with small sockets for open water because they'll inhibit your vision. (If only I can find larger goggles with prescription lenses!)
If you find sighting difficult or have a claustrophobic tendency when in open water, try an open-water swim mask. Again, ensure the mask is a good fit because if they leak, you end up with a lot of water in there.
Once you've found a type you're happy with, buy a second, back-up pair and take them with you to your races. Also, consider buying a smoked or tinted pair for swimming in very sunny conditions – but don't use these in dull conditions.
Don't use old goggles – they will fog up.
When in the water, a little spit goes a long way to help keeping the lens from fogging – although most decent types have an anti-fog coating.
Straps under the hat or over? Pro for under: goggles more protected. Con: if you do get knocked, they may be harder to adjust. Personally, I have them over so I can reposition them more easily.
Introduction to Open Water Swim part 2
Sight like a Croc
This should be practised so that the act of sighting is incorporated into your stroke and disrupts you and your momentum as little as possible. The most common error is to confuse sighting with breathing - if you look up and forward and try to take a breath at the same time, your legs are going to sink, which will stop you dead in the water.
Instead, try looking forward by only slightly raising your head so only your eyes are above the water. This way you can keep exhaling beneath the surface and your body remains flat with your legs up. Then you inhale as you normally would by putting your head back in the water and rolling to the side on the next stroke. Sighting like this is referred to as the crocodile technique as only your eyes peak out above the surface.
Sometimes the initial sight gives you only a rough idea of where you're headed, so practising taking two sights on successive strokes is useful. The second sighting allows you to hone in on the point you're looking for. It's equally important to not lift your head up too far or for too long. You need to keep the swim rhythm to ensure your momentum is maintained. After sighting, make small adjustments to your stroke; otherwise you'll end up zig zagging.
Turning technique
If the turn is very sharp, there are two ways to change direction fast, the first of which is the sweep turn. Use the arm that's closest to the inside of the turn as a pivot by keeping it straight and deep through the underwater phase of the stroke. Then, with the arm that's on the outside, take wide, 'sweeping' strokes to push you round the turn.
Secondly, there's the roll turn, where you roll onto your back mid turn before turning 90º as you roll back onto your front. In effect, it's like doing one stroke of backstroke to cause a complete change of direction.
Introduction to Open Water Swim part 3
Water start: most people will begin by treading water near each other in a vertical position. The trouble with doing this is that when the starter pistol fires and everyone moves into a horizontal position to start swimming, you end up fighting for space with everyone else.
Shore start:
The dolphin technique
1 Running into the water: as the water becomes deeper, prepare to dive forward with both arms.
2 First dolphin dive: launch forward and dive into the water, aiming to go as long as possible.
3 Underwater phase: in waves you should plan to time this so that you dive below the oncoming wave.
4 Placing your hands on the bottom, push up to help plant your feet and prepare for the next dive.
5 Now bend your knees and launch yourself forward for the second dolphin dive.
6 Repeat the sequence until the water is mid-thigh or so, then it's more efficient to swim.
Pacing
For novice swimmers this fast-start pacing plan may not be the best approach - it's actually much better to go steady and to focus on breathing and rhythm. This way you'll finish the swim more strongly by not having swum anaerobically at the start.
After the start you need to swim at a sustainable pace. Most triathletes have real problems with knowing how fast they're swimming, especially when there's no clock or turn after each 25/50m. It's therefore very important to know your limits - using the pace clock or a watch to measure your swim workouts in training will pay dividends when converting to open water.
A great workout if you're racing 1,500m in open water is to swim a 10-12 x 100m with a 10sec rest between each 100m. Note the start and finish times and deduct the rest intervals (10-12 x 10 secs). Aim to swim at an even pace. You'll probably notice that the first five or six are relatively easy but then it becomes increasingly difficult to hold pace. If that's the case you know you're swimming too fast, so you should adjust your pace the next time you do it. When it comes to the race, use your experience from these workouts to ensure you don't set off too fast, only to fade later.
Parting advice: a tight, anxious swimmer is also a slow swimmer. So keep calm, stay relaxed, remain in control and you'll swim better than ever this season.
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