Thinking about starting open water swimming?

Try some open water workouts or clinics to get a comfort level with swimming in the ocean. And after you have done some, try a lower key race first. There are a lot of different factors to consider, sighting the course, entering and exiting the water, swimming with other people around you, and varying water conditions(waves, tempature, salt, etc). Its different, but many swimmers(including me)truly enjoy and prefer open water swims. I would suggest not starting your first ocean experience in one of the giant mass start swims, which I presume happen on your coast, as well as on mine. Good luck.

When weather permits, go to the beach with at least one other swimmer, mark out a mile course, using buildings on the shore as landmarks, swim the course, if you feel good swim back, if not walk or jog back to the start. If the water seems rough or your swim partner is much faster wear fins. Find a nice place for breakfast or lunch after your swim. Maybe you will enjoy it.

Open water swimming in the Chesapeake or the ocean has it all over pool swimming, in my not-so-humble opinion, but there are adjustments. Biggest problem with openwater swims for me is staying on course. I've found it helpful to scope out a high building, smokestack or water tower before the event to use as a landmark. Having others around you can be helpful but they can be off course too. Regular heads-ups are a necessity to get your bearings; slipping in a couple or three breaststrokes here & there stop you from losing too much momentum. Good luck!

Some other things to consider from someone who is quite aberrant. I prefer pool swimming. I hate freestyle, and have trouble swimming it for more than a few hundred yards. I have even more trouble swimming it when I don't have walls to push off of and give my arms a good stretch. For this reason, in my pool workouts I mix up the strokes quite a bit more than the die hard distance swimming, triathlete types, who only like to do distance long course. Today for instance practice was long course and of course almost exclusively freestyle. The main set was 4X400 and I ended up doing the middle two 400s all backstroke (my favorite). I've done five open water swims and one open water workout, and ended up swimming about half backstroke and half freestyle on each. This brought along the problem of sighting. While doing backstroke, I found it really easy to get off course. Even doing freestyle, I found it difficult to stay on course. If you are like me, make sure you are in condition to do at least 50% more than the stated distance (because I'm sure I must've swam 3 miles for the 2 mile course :eek: ). I also noticed that I really missed the walls during these swims. I guess my muscles are trained that they get to stretch out and relax after every 14 or so strokes.

Here is a real easy, albeit boring, first step: Go to a fresh water lake that has swimming and swim back and forth in the allowable area. This has several advantages: 1) No waves, shark fears, jellyfish, tides, currents, etc to cope with. 2) You can get used to sighting in a less stressful environment. 3) You can get used to the idea of not being able to see the bottom (i.e. pick a muddy lake). 4) There will be a lifeguard on duty. Second step: Do a relatively short race in a bay. This adds the shark fear, slight current, slight wave, and salt water factors as well as the race factor. A good example would be the Fenton Island swim (1.3-ish miles) in the Atlantic City area. I agree that you want to stay away from the 500-people-all-going-to-the-same-buoy-at-the-same-time races. Third step: Ocean race of moderate size. After that, it's purely up to your desires. Oh yes, don't wear a wetsuit - it's just not the same experience.

your body will listen to what your mind says it can do.

I was looking forward to using the suit as a crutch. Kinda like cheating but legal. Why do you suggest no wetsuit?

Well... let's step carefully here since my mom always said never to discuss religion, politics or wetsuits... I advocate not wearing a wetsuit because it changes the sport from swimming in open water to paddling in open water. Wetsuits provide buoyancy, warmth and protection from things like jellyfish stings. They also can help compensate for poor technique and can lead to a 0 - 10% speed increase. Personally, I prefer to "do it myself" and not be reliant on that level on technology. I'd rather that we race each other instead of the the wetsuit manufacturing companies racing. I also love the feel of the water on my skin and the constent attention to technique. That said, I see no problem with you deciding to use a wetsuit. It's your race and if you feel the need for one for whatever reason, then go for it. I also see no issue with races that allow them - it's their race and if I decide to enter as a wetsuitless person and get whomped by the wetties, well, I knew the rules up front. Keep in mind that if you grow "dependent" on a wetsuit to compete, there are some nice races that you won't be able to enter. (e.g. 10k for the USA in Atlantic City, NJ) But man, oh man, when you come out of that water half-frozen, tired as all get-out, with a few jellyfish stings and plop down on the sun-drenched dock, babbling incoherently to anyone who'll listen and someone hands you a soda or beer... it just doesn't get any better than that. -LBJ

Well I see your point very clearly but I am a rookie to this sport and I want to get a couple under my belt and it sounds like a wet suit may be the ticket to help. Maybe someday I may go solo but for now the crutch is needed at least in my head.

Wet suits were not allowed when we swam the marathon races. Water temps were from 48 degrees to 85 degrees depending where the race was. In cold water you could not talk and your hands were like claws, but the money was good. In the hot water you could not drink enough fluids. You guys are spoiled with the wet suits. George Park www.swimdownhill.com