Someone who swims a kilometre comfortably in the pool can be surprised in the first 200 metres of the sea. Fitness isn't the problem; the surroundings have changed. The good news is that every one of those differences can be learned.
1. No walls, no lines
In a pool you touch a wall every 25 or 50 metres and follow the line on the bottom. In open water there are no resting points and no line to follow. So the first goal isn't distance; it's being able to swim calmly without stopping.
2. Learn to sight
To swim in a straight line you lift your head slightly every few strokes and look ahead. Your eyes come just above the surface, and you breathe as you turn to the side. Practising this in the pool saves a lot of time in the sea.
3. Breathe to both sides
If waves or sun come from one side, breathing to that side gets hard. Being able to breathe on both sides makes open water much more comfortable.
4. Safety buoy and a bright cap
An orange safety buoy is clipped to your waist and floats behind you. Boats and people on shore can see you from far away, and you can hold on to it for a rest if you get tired. A bright swim cap does the same job. Both are compulsory on SwimRoad experiences.
5. Water temperature
The sea is usually cooler than a pool, and your breathing may speed up in the first minutes. Get in slowly, wet your face a few times and swim the first few hundred metres at an easy pace.
6. Never swim alone
This is the most important rule in open water. Don't head out for a long swim without a companion, a boat or an organised group. Tell someone on shore your route and when you'll be back.
7. Start short
Make your first swim a few hundred metres parallel to the shore. Short, sheltered routes such as the Zeytin Island loop in Erdek are ideal for a first time.
If you don't feel ready, a few lessons of open water coaching in the pool make the move much easier.
All articles