How much kicking should be done in open water? I have generally thought that excessive kicking is not very efficient (and more tiring being a large muscle group) in longer distances. When I was out last week, my kayaker said I wasn't kicking at all. I know I don't kick much, but I didn't realize it was so little and so noticeable. So, how much kicking should be done? How much benefit vs energy expenditure?
I've only done 1 open water swim ever, so I don't really know the answer to this. But I've met a couple of open water swimmers who gave me lots of advice for my first open water swim. A 1 mile open water swim is considered as a "sprint". So I've been told to swim like it's a sprint, with rhythmic breathing. That means lots of hard kicking. For longer distances, they told me to kick, not as hard and frequent. So its a relaxed kicking just so that you don't feel out of balance when you are breathing on the side. Then start kicking hard on the last mile. A few days before my 1 mile OWS, our masters coach had made us do some kicking drills. With and without fins. A team mate of mine who swims a lot in the open water with barely any kicking, started getting cramps the first day of the kicking drills. He decided that he was going to try kicking hard throughout the mile, in the end, he thanked the coach because his time improved and he didn't get any cramps.
I've only done 1 open water swim ever, so I don't really know the answer to this. But I've met a couple of open water swimmers who gave me lots of advice for my first open water swim. A 1 mile open water swim is considered as a "sprint". So I've been told to swim like it's a sprint, with rhythmic breathing. That means lots of hard kicking. For longer distances, they told me to kick, not as hard and frequent. So its a relaxed kicking just so that you don't feel out of balance when you are breathing on the side. Then start kicking hard on the last mile. A few days before my 1 mile OWS, our masters coach had made us do some kicking drills. With and without fins. A team mate of mine who swims a lot in the open water with barely any kicking, started getting cramps the first day of the kicking drills. He decided that he was going to try kicking hard throughout the mile, in the end, he thanked the coach because his time improved and he didn't get any cramps.
