I gave been struggling with a rotator cuff issue-making freestyle almost impossible. Backstroke, breaststroke, sidestroke, over arm sidestroke (with good arm) are fine. I can make headway, but it does feel like cleaning a gym floor with a toothbrush. Is this practical for ~2-4 mile open water swims? I have an event coming up; and I have 2 (maybe more?) choices. Skip it (kind of important-don't really want to do that) or do it with theses non traditional strokes. I am not too concerned about time (other than falling too far behind and getting pulled from the race). Besides, if I can get through this under these circumstances, I will give myself all kinds of extra credit.
When I was in the Army and we did drownproofing, we had to use sidestroke with our dummy weapons. But that was also in full gear.
There's people who have swum the English Channel butterfly. A guy in a Facebook group I'm a part of did an attempt a few weeks ago, but ended up getting pulled :(
When I do open water swims, I typically mix in a little *** here and there. Mostly to help prevent cramping, numbness, and to help with sighting. I also find it easier for turns.
So long as you think you'll still make the cutoff and not get pulled, I'd probably give breaststroke a shot and see what happens.
A friend of mine does the Great South Bay Swim (5.4 miles) breaststroke and beats me every year! (Granted I'm not that fast a swimmer, but he beats others too--his fastest time was 3:14.) And Matthew Webb, first person to swim the English Channel, did it breaststroke.
When I was in the Army and we did drownproofing, we had to use sidestroke with our dummy weapons. But that was also in full gear.
There's people who have swum the English Channel butterfly. A guy in a Facebook group I'm a part of did an attempt a few weeks ago, but ended up getting pulled :(
When I do open water swims, I typically mix in a little *** here and there. Mostly to help prevent cramping, numbness, and to help with sighting. I also find it easier for turns.
So long as you think you'll still make the cutoff and not get pulled, I'd probably give breaststroke a shot and see what happens.
A friend of mine does the Great South Bay Swim (5.4 miles) breaststroke and beats me every year! (Granted I'm not that fast a swimmer, but he beats others too--his fastest time was 3:14.) And Matthew Webb, first person to swim the English Channel, did it breaststroke.
