How to go from swimming in the pool to open water
If you have always been a pool swimmer but found yourself with evermore curiosity about how you could start swimming in open water, then this blog is for you. Today we would like to tackle the topic of transitioning from the pool to open water. Just like you don’t jump off the shore in the first lake you see, we start with all the basics you need to go from the pool to open water.
Have a good think before taking on the open water swimming
We don’t want to discourage you from trying something new (that would be quite the opposite of what we want) but open water swimming is not for everybody. Not only does it ask you to read the water before getting in, but you also have to be constantly alert to your surroundings that happen to be changing as well.
In other words, open water swimming requires previous swim experience. This point is non-debatable to us. If you don’t have the basics of swimming down, if you don’t feel confident in your skill, open water swimming will not only be hard but also dangerous.
If you frequent the pool, there might be some early signs that open water swimming is not for you:
You often support yourself on the wall of the pool or stop to swim or rest your feet on the bottom of the pool;
The idea that the pool might not have a bottom gives you a sense of vertigo;
You get anxious when you think of swimming in an empty pool and find the thought comforting that there is always someone to watch you.
If you recognise yourself in these points, you’re probably not an open water swimmer. Which is totally fine, you don’t have to be an open-water swimmer. The most important point is that you enjoy yourself when you’re in the water. If not, then why are you swimming?
Another reason why you might want to skip on swimming in open water is the water that is available in your area. Let’s say that the only lake in your neighbourhood is strongly polluted and boats are crossing from shore to shore. In this case, it is not your ability, but the bodies of water available. Not sure if a body of water in your neighbourhood is dangerous? Read our other blog to find out how to recognize a dangerous body of water.
Do you have the right equipment?
Unlike swimming in a pool, you will need extra equipment to swim in open water safely. As for actual equipment you will need:
A swimmer cap or swimmer buoy. A tow float is also a great option. Whatever you choose, make sure that it is brightly coloured so that you will be visible in the water;
Depending on the water temperature you might or might not need a wetsuit. Before checking the water temperature before going in, as overheating can be just as dangerous as hypothermia.
Goggles that are not blurry or scratched. Open water hinders your visibility, as it is less clear than pool water, you need all the visibility you can get that so that you won’t miss sighting a possible hazard or dangerous situation in the water.
In winter or colder temperatures, you’re going to need a warm-up kit: bathrobes and a warm drink, as the body, only slowly heats up to a healthy temperature after being in cold water.
Don just dive in
You’re ready now and prepared for a swim in open water. But how do you actually get started? One of the first things you should do is to find a swimming buddy or a swimming group. Going alone in the open water without experience is dangerous. Also, you will have more visibility on the lake or the sea, as a group, which will come in handy in more crowded open waters. And, well, beyond safety reasons, open water swimming is just more fun with a group.
When you and your swim group get together, they might already have a course planned, but they might also be open to new swim ideas. Plan the course you’re going to take beforehand, and always consider your own distance to the shore when planning a swim. After all, you won’t have access to a pool wall and there is no bottom either, so you will have to come back to the shore on your own strength.
On the day of the swim, you will have to do an inspection of your chosen swim location. How is the wind? Is there a strong current? Riptides? Do you see any marine life? You can’t predict everything that might happen well you’re in the water, a view from the shore at least gives you an idea of what you might find.
Important to remember is that even while you’re prepared and the whole group is ready to go, you might still want to call the swim off if the conditions aren’t right. Open water should not be underestimated in the challenge that it offers, being caught off guard could have dangerous consequences.
From The Pool To Open Water Swimming: The basics
In this blog, we have talked about what you need and how you could get started with open water swimming. The most important thing to remember is that swimming skill isn’t everything in open water swimming.
Being able to spot and understand the water from the shore, and having experience with different types of water and different types of weather conditions will make a big difference. Prepare yourself starting out from the pool, don’t go alone, and have fun in the open water.