By: Tess Mattern, MP Multisport Coach
Open water can cause a lot of anxiety for new and experienced swimmers and triathletes alike. Feelings of anxiety and panic use a lot of energy and can be limiting for many athletes. While it may take a bit of time and perseverance to get past these feelings, working on the following skills may aid in speeding up the process of becoming comfortable in open water.
- Take your time easing in:
Allow ample time for your body to adjust to the water temperature slowly. When you feel ready, do some bobs (exhale as your duck under the water, push off of the bottom to come up to the surface, take a breath, and repeat). This will allow you to get used to being fully submerged in a controlled way. After performing a few bobs, walk completely out of the water and allow the water to drain from your wetsuit. This makes it easy to adjust if needed before heading back in. If the water is cold, it is usually less shocking the second time you enter. Repeat some bobs if necessary, or move on to the next step.
- Remember how buoyant your wetsuit is:
Float on your back and take some deep breaths while completely relaxing your body. You’ll find that you can float completely without any extra effort. This is a good reminder when you are swimming and get nervous about being able to complete your swim. Your wetsuit helps keep you afloat and thus can help ease that worry.
Note: While a wetsuit provides buoyancy, it is not a PFD, and should not be used as such.
- Swim on your back if you start to feel nervous:
Before going into open water practice rolling from your stomach to your back in the pool. You can float, kick or swim on your back as a way to take some deep breaths, bring your heart rate down, and calm your nerves while in open water.
- Pick something to focus on that keeps you calm:
Doing things such as counting your strokes, committing to a comfortable breathing pattern, or finding a calming mantra to repeat, can help keep your mind occupied with positive thoughts. Again, practice this in the pool so that it is easy to incorporate in open water.
- Swim with a friend or a support craft:
Never go alone, especially if you are new and nervous about open water. Having a friend for support will help you feel safer, and hopefully make your experience more fun!
Horsetooth Tri Training is a great weekly, non-competitive practice session and workout for any triathlete or swimmer who wants to improve their open water swimming.