What to do. I've heard about this technique of saving energy often, but not sure it's worth the effort. I'm not a lead pack swimmer in the open water swims I do (anywhere from 1K to 5K) and there never seems to be someone of comparable speed.
This past weekend in Columbus, I swam the whole cycle (the 1.5K followed by the .75K followed by the 3K). In the second race I thought I'd try drafting as I hit about the 150 meter mark and realized I was right behind someone who was actually a little faster than I. I dropped in on his feet and started following. Felt OK, but then I made one miss stroke to the left, and he was gone. Couldn't catch back up.
Then in the 3K, I fell behind someone a little faster and managed to draft for about 600 meters. The problem was that it took so much effort to keep up with this fella that he left me in his wake, and I finished over 3 and a half minutes behind my usual time (maybe partially due to doing 3 races in 2 hours for the first time).
However, if I ever look over my shoulder in these races, I'm usually putting quite a bit of distance between me and anyone following me. In this 3K I still finished over 2 minutes ahead of the person behind me.
Some of this may be due to these races having only 40-60 entrants, but even when I swam the Big Shoulders last year which has hundreds, I never seemed to encounter anyone going roughly my speed. Is drafting really only a strategy for the lead pack? What gives?
Former Member
its not easy to stay on someone's feet (the ideal place to catch the best draft) but you can catch some of a draft swimming alongside another swimmer as well... at their hip... at their ankle etc, and its much easier to keep in place.
for me, the events i enjoy most are the ones where i manage to "find" a swimmer of similar speed and get right up in their face next to them. not so much of a draft, but you can challenge each other on every stroke and it makes the race, or practice swim fly by.
In the pool you can definitely tell and I HATE when people draft me.
Drafting doesn't slow the lead swimmer down. It just seems that way because you're working your tail off and they're back there swimming like it's a walk in the park!
My personal experience in OW swims is that in most cases it's difficult. First of all you need to find someone who can swim as fast or faster than you otherwise you'll just slow yourself down. Then--if you manage that--you've actually got to be able to stay near them and that can be tough in open water.
Its definitely harder to draft in OW compared to in the pool (practice). With murky water its REALLY hard. However I did have a girl drafting me at my last 5K. I didn't really know it until I slowed a bit too much to spot and got tapped on the foot. That being said, its easier to draft just off to the side and slightly to the rear of the person you are drafting off for OW.
In the pool you can definitely tell and I HATE when people draft me. That was a real pet peeve in college (being a distance guy) between us lane mates. Want to get kicked in the face? That is what you'd get in college.
Drafting doesn't slow the lead swimmer down. It just seems that way because you're working your tail off and they're back there swimming like it's a walk in the park!
Never said it slows the lead swimmer down. But as you said, you will work harder (while they go easier), thus eventually you probably will slow/wear down.
I am not an ow expert at all.
I don't think I've ever caught a draft off another swimmer however last year in the Morse 5k relay I swam slightly behind a pack of 3. I never had to lift my head to sight, I just followed the splashes of their feet. It was great!
I guess it was a good thing they stayed on course.:applaud:
I have my first OW swim coming up. Should I be scouting the field, looking to draft? Or just plan on getting in and swimming until the end? If if I end up in a draft situation, take advantage of it, but don't expend energy looking for it?
When I am tired, I hate when people draft off me in practice. This one guy never gives a full 5 seconds, it is as bad as 2.
Thoughts?
I have my first OW swim coming up. Should I be scouting the field, looking to draft? Or just plan on getting in and swimming until the end? If if I end up in a draft situation, take advantage of it, but don't expend energy looking for it?
When I am tired, I hate when people draft off me in practice. This one guy never gives a full 5 seconds, it is as bad as 2.
Thoughts?
Do not expend a lot of energy looking for it but if it comes so be it. As far as hating it, get used to it in open water, it is ethical to draft (unless specifically prohibited in rules of that race) ala Bicycle racing, your just like Lance. And if someone is drafting you and occasionally bumps or touches you, don't waste energy by over reacting, however as you get near the finish you may want to put a move on them to try to get separation so they don't overtake you.
To catch a draft I would go out hard and then slowly back into your best pace. If/when someone starts easing by, that's the one to grab onto. If you can't hang on, try the next one. etc...
If you go out too slow and you are alway's catching people, why would you draft behind them?
In my experience drafting definitely saves energy so it's worth doing, but the perfect draft is a very rare occurrence. Usually you need to sacrifice a little by going at a lower perceived effort than you feel you could, or by going off course a little behind a bad sighter. When I draft what I like to do is leapfrog from swimmer to swimmer or pack to pack, so I can do my own sighting but also take advantage of an occasional draft. Swim hard, catch up to someone, draft for awhile, then jump ahead if they slow down or go off course.
I agree with Chaos that swimming shoulder to shoulder is the most enjoyable way to swim with others. I often do that in training (did it yesterday at La Jolla Cove - one of my favorite swim spots). I've also swam side by side many times in triathlons, when I find someone who is about the same speed as me. As long as the two of us are passing other people, I figure we can help each other during the swim and sort the rest out on the bike and run :D
If you go out too slow and you are alway's catching people, why would you draft behind them?
I've actually done this quite often. The reason is that I don't have the opening speed to get out and wait for my peers to draft. What I do is swim hard to catch up to a group/person and then draft for 50 yards to catch my breath and then go after the next group/person, draft, etc. This usually puts me close to my peers by the 1/2 way point and my strength/endurance comes into play very nicely.
That's what I love about OW - you really can think your way to better results.
-LBJ
