Open Water Swimming, the Beginner's Guide

In Open Water Swimming, the Beginner's Guide will find everything you need to tackle open water swimming for the first time. Why do you need an article like this? Because swimming in the sea or in the lake is more exciting, and disturbing, than swimming in a pool. Many factors, temperature variations, cloudy water, waves and maybe some nasty jellyfish can make not only the race but also the training in the sea really tough. This is why we have decided to give you some quick advice with lifeguard certification near me.

While there is no real “training replacement” for the sea, says Dan Simonelli, director of the Open Water Swim Academy in San Diego, there are some skills you can improve even in the pool that you will need in Open Water. We asked three coaches for advice on how to go from the pool to the sea, lake or river in an easier and more enjoyable way.

Improve your stamina

Before taking on an open water swim you should be able to swim in the pool at least two to three times the distance you will swim in the sea. A swim distance in the sea is longer due to the varying conditions in which you swim, it will seem longer because it will be more strenuous and it will be longer because it is easy to make small detours and miss the shortest path when swimming in the sea.

Training and improving your stamina will help you get through that 30-minute swim in the sea that turned into a 55-minute crossing of tiring and disorienting waves with American lifeguard Association Va.

Perfect both-sided breathing in open water swimming

Many swimmers have a preferred side to breathe from, but once you are in open water, sea or lake, breathing only on one side could be problematic. Changes in the wind, waves and currents could make breathing from either side problematic. “Don't assume you can rely on your swimming habit of breathing,” says Simonelli. Learning to breathe comfortably on both sides and to hold your breath for multiple strokes can help reduce the feeling of discomfort and discomfort (if not panic) in the event that you need to skip a few breaths.

To learn how to breathe well from both sides, you can train yourself to swim in the pool with an irregular breathing pattern . For example, three breaths to the right, five to the left, then eight to the right and four to the left… But also by breathing every single stroke for a few strokes and then holding your breath for as many.

Turn without the wall

In open water swimming, changes of direction, or stopping and then restarting from a standstill are not so rare. There is no wall to tack with a good leg push. Training this ability in the pool is simple. Just stop just before the wall and reverse the direction.

Use goggles

When you swim in the sea or in the lake the water is much darker than in the pool and visibility, in some cases, is really reduced by a lot. For some, this creates a lot of anxiety or at least requires getting used to the "new environment". You can try to simulate these conditions by swimming with your eyes open but without goggles, suggests Dave Scott, six-time Ironman World Champion. Take six or ten strokes with the goggles raised to your forehead, then put them back on and do as many. Do this for a few laps in a row alternating between different styles and different breathing patterns. Among other things, after putting on the goggles you will start from a standstill without pushing from the wall, which we talked about in the previous paragraph. The goal is to learn to keep moving even with little or no visibility, without sacrificing technique and speed.