Converting Lap times to Open Water

Hi Bill, by now You must have already succeeded in the Chesapeake Bay Race but since I just joined this forum and discovered this thread today I would like to add my 2 cents, because I think this is a good question many beginners will be concerned about. There are three reasons why You are slower in open water: 1. navigation: There is no black line on the bottom, this has been mentioned already in previous posts. On top of that, sighting where to go next takes additional time. At least it is slowing down, because as soon as the head goes up, the feet go down, increasing drag. 2. No pushing off the edges: It takes me 30 seconds less on a short course pool completing 1 km compared to a long course pool (when I do 20 turns less). With every good push off the wall in a streamlined position I will gain my own body length plus an extra 3-4 meters. So for every km in open water I am "loosing" 20-40 good push offs. 2. The edges of a pool are beveled, the cables between the lanes have spiral-shape, the water surface of a pool is smooth, three reasons for less drag! 3. waves, wind, currents and tides. On the average these forces should compensate each other, ie it will always take the same time for every 100 miles You swim, but there can be great differences between one swim today and the next one tomorrow. 4. cold water may cause the muscles to work harder. Timing myself on average it takes me about 10% longer in open water to complete a mile or a kilometer. But I haven't swum in really rough waters yet ... cheers, Gerald

Hi Bill, by now You must have already succeeded in the Chesapeake Bay Race but since I just joined this forum and discovered this thread today I would like to add my 2 cents, because I think this is a good question many beginners will be concerned about. There are three reasons why You are slower in open water: 1. navigation: There is no black line on the bottom, this has been mentioned already in previous posts. On top of that, sighting where to go next takes additional time. At least it is slowing down, because as soon as the head goes up, the feet go down, increasing drag. 2. No pushing off the edges: It takes me 30 seconds less on a short course pool completing 1 km compared to a long course pool (when I do 20 turns less). With every good push off the wall in a streamlined position I will gain my own body length plus an extra 3-4 meters. So for every km in open water I am "loosing" 20-40 good push offs. 2. The edges of a pool are beveled, the cables between the lanes have spiral-shape, the water surface of a pool is smooth, three reasons for less drag! 3. waves, wind, currents and tides. On the average these forces should compensate each other, ie it will always take the same time for every 100 miles You swim, but there can be great differences between one swim today and the next one tomorrow. 4. cold water may cause the muscles to work harder. Timing myself on average it takes me about 10% longer in open water to complete a mile or a kilometer. But I haven't swum in really rough waters yet ... cheers, Gerald