Open water swimming is amazing and gives you a real sense of freedom, being in nature and not having to stop and turn every 25m. There is a lot of research telling us how exercising outdoors is good for our mental and physical wellbeing, and you get a different view of your surroundings from the water.
Adapting to Open Water Swimming
However, swimming outside is quite a different experience to swimming in a pool as there are many additional factors to get used to. For instance, cooler water and often air temperatures (in the UK anyway!), lack of visibility under the water, sometimes being blinded by the sun or pushed around by choppy waters. Being completely out of your depth, swimming longer distances without a wall to stop and rest at, or something perhaps brushing against your leg or foot that you cannot see. If you swim front crawl, you then have to learn a new navigational skill called "sighting", where you lift your eyes out of the water for a moment to ensure you are swimming in the right direction (see a separate article on this here).
Many of these open water challenges can provoke feelings of anxiety, even in the most competent pool swimmers who never experienced any anxiety in the water before, and it can be a shock to the system. We can however use breathing techniques to trigger the Parasympathetic (calming) part of our nervous system and use our body to tell our brain that we feel safe. As a new open water swimmer, being aware of these differences and challenges and how to deal with them in open water before starting can make a big difference to your experience. Finding an open water swimming coach to give you an introductory session will really boost your confidence and knowledge. I wish I had known this when I started my open water swimming journey!
As an open water swimming coach, I teach swimmers how to deal with these new experiences to build their confidence and competence in open water. This begins with a theory session to learn about safety aspects, how to plan an open water swim, equipment needed and how to warm up safely post swim. We then have an in water session to learn how to use the breath to reduce anxiety and deal with other challenges like immersing in cold water, or what to do if they feel anxious/panicky. Often new open water swimmers have never worn a wetsuit, so if they have one, they learn how to put it on properly to maximise their mobility in this skin-tight neoprene!
The type of open water venue can also affect how confident a new open water swimmer feels before even entering the water. For many people, an open expanse of water like the sea or a large lake/reservoir may be beautiful, but can feel a lot more intimidating than a smaller, circular lake that is more enclosed.
Our brains will often feel safer in a smaller lake where you can swim round the outside and are close to land or shallower water at all times. So if you are new or nervous about starting open water swimming, consider the type of venue for your first swim, if you have an option. In the sea, choosing a small bay where it is more sheltered and therefore likely to be calmer water, is ideal.
I would strongly advise starting at a lifeguarded swim venue where there are spotters watching all the swimmers in case someone gets into difficulty. For instance, if a swimmer gets cramp, gets out of breath or panicky and needs assistance.
Joining an established swimming group, particularly in the sea, is also an excellent idea to build your confidence, to keep you safe, as well as getting to know other open water swimmers. Part of the attraction of open water swimming is getting to know and becoming part of a community, all doing a fun, and some would say "crazy" activity together. A sense of shared experience is really important to humans and this, along with the swimming, releases feel good hormones which open water swimmers will spend all day telling you about! It is addictive!
Open Water Swimming Equipment
Tow Floats
A tow float is a brightly coloured inflatable float with a belt that you clip around your waist and it floats behind you as you swim. It is often compulsory at organised swim venues so the lifeguards can see you easily. Many people feel safer wearing a tow float and hold onto it if they get tired or out of breath while they recover. They are designed to make swimmers more visible to other open water users and lifeguards, but give you an added sense of security.
Wetsuits
Some open water swimmers like to swim "in skins", which means just in a costume/trunks without a wetsuit. However, many open water swimmers wear a wetsuit to keep them warmer and also more buoyant in the water. This allows you to swim for longer in cold water and often with
more ease as your legs will sit high in the
water due to the enhanced buoyancy of the wetsuit.
Many swimmers new to open water are unaware of the different types of wetsuit that you can buy, so please take note. Swimmers need to buy an open water swimming or triathlon wetsuit, not a surfing wetsuit. A surfing wetsuit is thicker and less flexible and is not designed for swimming any distance, but it keeps you warm for other water activities. A triathlon/open water swimming wetsuit is designed for front crawl, so is much more flexible for easy swim movements and comes in different thicknesses, including thermal ones for colder water/winter swimming. There are also breaststroke-specific wetsuits available with more flexibility in the leg and torso panels. It is not advisable or easy to swim breaststroke in a triathlon wetsuit (designed for front crawl) over long distances, so if you only swim breaststroke, seek out a wetsuit for that stroke. If you mix the two strokes, but swim more front crawl, then go for a triathlon/open water swimming wetsuit.
Wetsuits can be expensive and if you are not sure whether you will like open water swimming, the best option is to hire a wetsuit initially. There are many online wetsuit companies who hire, for example, triwetsuithire for as little as two weeks up to a season (typically May to September). This allows you to try a wetsuit and really check it fits well and if you fall in love with open water swimming (as you will), you can often pay the difference and keep the wetsuit.
Just as a side note, there are some really fun open water wetsuits for younger children from 2-12 years, which can be a great way to encourage younger children to try open water swimming. My 8 year old son is wearing a giraffe print wetsuit from Saltskin. He is now 17, rarely goes into open water, but did give me permission to use this photo!
Open Water Swim Cap and Goggles
The other essential pieces of kit to get started are a brightly coloured silicone swim cap and open water swimming goggles. In the colder months or colder water, wearing two swim caps or adding a neoprene swim cap on top of a silicone one will keep you warmer.
With varying weather conditions when swimming outside, it is advisable to buy a pair of clear open water swimming goggles and a tinted or mirrored pair for sunny conditions. Open water goggles have a wider field of vision and come in a range of shapes and sizes. It is very individual as we all have different face shapes, so can be useful to try a few in person in a sports shop to see which style fits you best.
If you are interested in trying open water swimming, I run 1-2-1 and group Introductory open water sessions at WeirWood Reservoir in East Sussex (RH18 5HT). I also offer zoom sessions with swimmers around the world to educate them on the safety aspects, equipment, etc to give them the confidence to then go and find a local swim group to join in their area. Please feel free to send me an email with any questions: weightlessswimming@gmail.com.
Comments