3 Easy Tips For Mastering Busy Open Water Swims

Open water swimming presents a number of challenges, but one of the most common is dealing with physical contact when the race gets busy. We have had our fair share of knocks and bumps in the water, so we've got three golden rules you should keep in mind to help with this annoying issue!

Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
1:41 - Keep Your Feet Up
2:37 - Keep Your Cool
3:38 - Keep Your Goal In Mind

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What's the worst Triathlon experience you've had? Let us know in the comments!👇

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[iggalan]

Last weekend I had the busiest swim ever. Bumps from start to finish, waves, winds and if that wasn't enough full of jellyfish 😱😱😱 But remember no one is out to get you, keep swimming, check your direction often and do your race. I did quite a good swim regardless. The bike segment was amazing and the run was very fast. I quite enjoyed it.

[savagepro]

Thanks GTN! I followed instructions and kept the Big Picture in mind. But dear God, that Picasso was bloody heavy!

[inz_uzi]

Every bad thing you mentioned happened to me on my first race. The swim leg was in a really small pond and I got stuck in a total traffic jam at the first buoy. I felt like a fish caught in a net with hundreds of other fish 😃. At the second buoy I was a bit smarter and went wider. But there was this guy who insisted to swim somewhere else instead of the designated exit area. I hoped he would see his error eventually but no, he swam right into me like an icebreaker without stopping and hit me in the face knocking off my goggles. Luckily I didn't lose my contact lenses and managed to put my goggles back. I treated this race as a training before the 1/2IM race I was going for on the next weekend and I learnt about open water swimming much more than I expected 😃

[loulew]

Great video, will keep this in my tool box . Short and simple and on point . Thank you

[tkeogh]

Keep up the good work. Great advice as always

[jobanski]

My first triathlon was a sprint in an indoor pool. We all tried to place ourselves the best we could, but I noticed two young women in front of me who were not wearing goggles. Big red flag there! About 30% into the swim I have to pass them. Their stroke can best be described as half breast stroke half bobbing up and down from the pool floor. I tried to pass them both as quickly as I could, but as I was about get back on my side of the lane I felt a big CRACK! I had collided heads with someone. It’s probably for the best I didn’t see who I hit, but I felt awful about it.

So kids, if someone lines up in front of you, and it looks like this is their first time racing (or swimming for that matter) be polite and ask to go in front.

[gsmeador]

When I have had a significant collision with another swimmer, I keep moving and roll on my back for a few strokes to regroup and then roll on my stomach and keep going. It keeps me moving and I'm able to have a short time to catch my breath. In addition, I am a strong swimmer and when I start, I swim wide of the bunched pack and try to avoid collisions and get ahead of a wave if possible. Every one try to swim close to the line of the buoys. I swim wide of the group and frequently have open water to swim thus avoiding multiple collisions.

[mejsansturmid]

How right you are. Offer your fellow competitors a little hydrodynamic shadow now and then and see how much they appreciate it and pay you back. Just a few kilometers further on when this evil man with the black hammer hits you right on your head. Or later on when you run and just scream in desperation for someone to pull you a few more meters. Let us be honest, most of us are competing against themselves or the clock. Those competing for the podium deserve all honor and admiration, but they are a minority and role models for the silently struggling majority.

[BabaDeyTri]

Wish I had this at the PTO us open. Great tips!!!

[mike_ro]

I advise to check the landmark on Front high arm. With a good slide on the water😊💪

[elliegrimes]

Just keep swimming, but if in doubt learn the polo trick of throwing an elbow mid recovery. Useful when someone persistently tries to swim over you.

[jaydesimone]

My last race, I got kicked in the pec by a guy doing breaststroke (poorly). The only thing that saved me from a bloody nose was that I was rotating away to breathe when his foot hit me. This was less than 400 yd into a 70.3 swim...

[lifeisShort]

At Chicago Triathlon swim start, your swim wave jumps in about 8-12' of water and waits for the gun. I jumped in a bit deep and while still submerged the guy behind me jump on my head..Ouch ! He didn't see me, so I couldn't blame him. I was ok, but my neck was sore for a couple of days afterward. From now on, I slide in at the start away from everyone and come up as quick as I can to avoid anyone who's still airborne.

[XMan-migs]

Beautifull swim location! It’s a bit small? Is it a lake or something artificial? I swim a lot in a lake where I can do a 3 mile full circle.

Besides being a triathlete am also a waterpoloplayer, so I am not afraid for contact lol. But seriously. Swimming with a waterpolotechnic helps. Keep head up and look for gaps. But mind to much effort/cost of energy.

Greetings from the Netherlands 👋🏻

[davegan]

Just keep swimming is definitely the best thing you can do, but l find the best way to achieve this is to get a good breath so you don't have to worry about breathing for a few strokes and you're clear

[donishcushing]

Training tip: Ask people at your local pool to punch and kick you maliciously at random intervals throughout your training sessions. Better yet, find an abusive spouse so you get used to people treating you horribly. Then you'll be ready for those little-picture inadvertent bumps during open water swims.