Swimming in open water requires specific techniques that you must work both in and out of the pool so that you have absolute control of your swim, the conditions of the water and the group or other swimmers with whom you are swimming at that precise moment.
A good open water swimmer is characterised by knowing how to read the different situations that occur and adapt your swimming automatically. There is no specific type of swim for swimming in open water, what is really useful is having a wide repertoire of crawl swimming to apply in every situation.
Of course this requires a lot of practice and training, but if you get that self-control of all the factors that we are going to talk about below, you are guaranteed success on your next race or triathlon.
SWIMMING TECHNIQUE
There are several technical aspects to work on to achieve having the aquatic ability to swim in open water. Read these tips carefully and if you need more help you can find some technique videos on the web and you can also contact me.
– COORDINATION: It is important to be well coordinated to take advantage of each effort, which will translate into being EFFICIENT. You have to spend time reflecting on your movements. REFLECTIVE SWIM is an essential tool in swimming training. It is essential to do this in warm-ups, laps, in aerobic series, in speed series…. in every training, ALWAYS !!!
– We must always have supports in the water, both in the paddle and in the sliding phase.
– To have good coordination – take as a reference the support of your hands in front of your head, with your arms well stretched. Feel in that first part of the stroke as you “grab” the water. But beware, grabbing the water does not mean taking the water by changing the position of your hand, it means leaning, so that your hand is like a paddle, it acts as a lever and propels you forwards.
– Coordinate the feet with the arms. As a basic coordination reference you should bear in mind that when the right hand enters, you kick with the left foot. I am aware of the difficulty this has, but if you activate your feet and perform a constant kick of the legs, it is most likely that your arms and legs will connect naturally.
– BODY POSITION: look for a position as hydrodynamic as possible.
– Your body should have the greatest buoyancy without the help of neoprene. How I can get this? Placing your head in a good position, kicking the feet, a good breathing rhythm, stretching well in the water…
– By swimming you cannot perform lateral movements that break your hydrodynamics.
– Your head is your helm, control its position and movements.
– BALANCE: water is an unstable medium and your body must move by sliding through it, so balance as in any sliding sport is essential.
– Use the sensations your body receives to balance it in the water and automatically compensate for all movements
– Do not make sudden movements, they must be fluid. In water the principle of action and reaction works literally. Every action has a reaction in the opposite direction, so think about where you want to go and control your movements.
– Try to balance your body with your chest as a central point of support, in rolling movements. Your body is your boat that you must sail in a balanced way.
– LENGTH AND FREQUENCY OF YOUR ARM:
You must adapt both the length of your stroke and the frequency according to different situations that you find throughout the race: currents, waves, slipstreams or different sections of the race.
– Current: Previously study the currents of the swimming area. In rivers / estuaries there is usually more current the further you swim to the center.
– If you are in favor of current, less frequency, less strokes, greater sliding and less rhythm of feet.
– If you go against the current, more frequency, more strokes and a higher rhythm of the feet.
– Swell: Observe the waves of the sea, the period of the waves, their size and the direction of the wind.
– The waves go by cycles, adapt your stroke frequency to the rhythms of the waves.
– The higher the swell, the higher the head and make a higher and more relaxed recovery.
– If the finish is on the beach, take advantage of a good wave. I recommend two techniques:
1.- Accelerate the stroke at the beginning to adapt your speed to the speed of the wave and once you notice that it takes you, take a breath, stretch, and with your head inside let yourself go giving a strong kick of your feet
2.- Stretch one arm forward to lean on the water as a plank and paddle hard with the other.
– Section of the race:
– At the start, you must carry a higher stroke frequency to position yourself well.
-If you need to make a change of pace to catch a group, speed up the stroke frequency.
-In all the central section, save your effort, make good use of each stroke, coordinate your arms-feet-breathing, keep the right rhythm so as not to spend more of the necessary energy.
– Assess your foot rhythm, if you train them, it will improve your position and glide.
As you can see, the stroke frequency is something very important to control and you must work. In addition to the information your watch gives you, you need to receive feedback from your coach, who must control your frequency and swimming speed in your workouts at all times.
– GROUP PLACEMENT:
Keep in mind that the rest of the triathletes and swimmers can be your allies and can make your swimming segment easier if your level is not high or you intend to save your efforts.
– Foot swim (slipstream): immediately behind the swimmer’s feet in front of you.
– Swim in the hip (catch the wave): On one side of the swimmer we can be carried forwards, with our head at the level of their hip taking advantage of the wave it generates. Our paddle is attached to their leg.
– Predict which side we are going to make the turn in the buoy to place ourselves on one side or the other. If necessary, change sides (back turning technique).
Finally, confidently face the aquatic segment, you should not be afraid to swim in the sea or with a lot people. If you swim in the pool for a lot of meters each week you will have no problem swimming in the sea. Most of the fears are caused by ourselves. Use your imagination in a positive way.
Feel the energy of the sea and enjoy it.
