In open water , little or no landmark. You have to know how to orient yourself . And take into account the current which can quickly make you drift, and make you lose patience. To go against the current, and brave the waves, your technique must be perfect. And your grip must be good. lifeguard training
Before wondering about the frequency and amplitude of your arm movements in front crawl , master them! Let’s go for some educational , which also work in open water:
To start, swim in “surface crawl” to improve the relaxation at the time of the aerial arm movement. Unlike the crawl classic, your fingers do not come out of the water when you bring your arms forward. They skim the surface. And you are RELAXED with lifeguard training.
To improve your footing and your propulsion force, swim with paddles . Better to use them for short distances. To avoid shoulder injuries, not to get too used to them, and because in open water , you have to be able to store them. To swim safely , don’t forget your open water buoy either .
The good trick to perfect the movement of arms, and the roll of shoulders, it is also to swim with a tuba . In addition, it allows you to improve your breathing in front crawl. So take it with you on your open water sessions . Be careful, the snorkel does not dispense with raising your head, from time to time, to orient yourself !
Come on, you are launched, I continue with an exercise focused on orientation , and breathing . Start in the pool , it’s easier. The idea is to swim the front crawl with your head out of the water, in a water polo position, and set a benchmark. The shoulders are raised and the movement is done mainly with the legs. Once comfortable with this educational in the pool , do it in open water, over short distances. To practice setting a cue point. You can also practice it over longer distances, but it requires perfect control of the kicking . With this technique, your breathing is frontal with lifeguard training.
Another practice: breathe on the sides, and practice identification in frontal breathing only every 8 or 10 arm movements. To get there, it is better to train . By varying your breathing patterns over short distances, to be comfortable when swimming longer distances with lifeguard training.
Another simple tip for learning to swim on axis: close your eyes. In the pool , or in open water , it’s up to you. But, if you are in the pool, opt for an empty water line. Colliding with other swimmers every 2 minutes is not really well seen and it hurts… 😉
Finally, another element to take into consideration: buoyancy. Especially if you are swimming in the sea . The water is salty, so you float more. It’s not the sea to drink, nor the Dead Sea, but it can destabilize. My advice for getting used to it: in the pool , do a few lengths with a pull buoy . Stuck between your legs, it increases your buoyancy with lifeguard training.
Breathe and navigate in open water, it’s not easy, it requires training and a lot of rigor. So, here are some additional tips for you to optimize your breathing in open water :
Navigate, breathe, and move forward in open water
KEEPING UP THE PACE AND SWIMMING LONG DISTANCES
Once launched in open water , forget the pause on the edge of the swimming pool . And think about your stamina . This is the key to your success. Start training in the pool , swimming without touching the wall. In open water , start with small distances, if you are not comfortable. And above all, do not neglect the safety rules . I insist on this point. We had already talked about it, but we are never too careful!
To cover long distances, also focus on kicking your legs . An effective beat is all good for endurance . And to improve it, nothing better than educational ones .
Let’s just go. Incorporate a few lengths with fins , and snorkel , during your training sessions in the pool and during your sessions in open water . These 2 accessories are essential for controlling kicking and staying well aligned. By adding a board , when you train in the pool, you strengthen the work of the legs. Do these exercises focusing on endurance . Then on endurance and speed. And, above all, alternate swimming with and without accessories.
The other technique trick for keeping up the pace is to swim aerobically . That is to say without consuming too much energy, to last long distances. In front crawl , the best way to achieve this is to increase the frequency of movements. So more rotations of the arms, and faster. The best way to practice is to alternate swimming pace , focusing on either frequency or amplitude. Hang in there !
With all that, you’re ready to face the elements. And to travel for miles at sea , lake or river . If the water is a bit too cold, put on an open water suit , and remember, after all, cold water is good for your performance. And even for your morale! But that, I had already told you! 😉
