Open Water Swimming: Skills Every Triathlete Needs

Pool vs Open Water: The Reality Check

You can swim 1500m in a pool in 25 minutes. Then you get to your first open water triathlon swim and it takes 35 minutes. What happened?

No lane ropes. No lines on the bottom. No walls to push off. Waves, currents, other swimmers hitting your feet, and the psychological weight of not being able to see the bottom. Open water is a completely different skill set.

The good news: these skills are learnable. Four to six open water sessions before your race transforms the experience from survival to racing.

Essential Open Water Skills

Sighting

Sighting means lifting your head forward to spot the next buoy. It’s the most important open water skill.

Technique:

Every 6–8 strokes, lift your eyes (not your whole head) just above the waterline
Look forward like an alligator — eyes and forehead only
Spot the buoy, then immediately rotate to breathe to the side
Combine the sight with a breath: sight forward, turn head to breathe

Common mistake: Lifting your head too high. This drops your hips and kills your speed. You only need your eyes above water for a split second.

Practice in the pool: Swim with your eyes closed for 6 strokes, then sight the end of the lane. You’ll discover how much you drift.

Drafting

Legal in all triathlon swims. Drafting behind another swimmer reduces your effort by 18–25%.

Two positions:

Behind their feet (best): Swim 1–2 feet behind someone’s toes. You ride their wake.
On their hip: Swim alongside at their hip level. Slightly less effective but easier to maintain.

How to find a draft: At the start, find someone swimming your pace or slightly faster. Settle onto their feet. If they’re too fast, drop back and find another swimmer.

Mass Start Survival

The first 200m of a triathlon swim is chaos. Bodies everywhere, accidental kicks, goggle displacement.

Strategies:

Start at the edge or back of your wave. The extra 20 meters of swimming is worth avoiding the washing machine.
Protect your space with a wider stroke for the first 100m
Don’t panic if you get hit. It happens to everyone. Roll onto your back, take 3 breaths, and continue.
Wait 5 seconds after the gun if you’re nervous. The field spreads out fast.

Handling Currents and Waves

Side current: Aim slightly upstream of your target. You’ll be pushed toward the buoy.
Head-on waves: Time your breathing to breathe when the wave passes, not into it.
Following waves: Use them — they push you forward. Body surf a little.
Surf entry/exit: Dive under incoming waves, ride outgoing ones.

Pool Training for Open Water

Not everyone has easy access to open water. These pool sessions build the skills:

The No-Wall Set

Push off from the middle of the lane (not the wall). Swim 4×200m without touching the wall — turn around mid-lane. This removes the free speed of push-offs and simulates open water.

The Sighting Set

8×100m: Sight the clock at the far end every 8 strokes. Practice the alligator sight without breaking your rhythm.

The Contact Set

Swim in a lane with 3–4 others, close together. Get comfortable with bumping elbows and feet. (Ask your lane mates first.)

The Breathing Set

10×50m alternating breathing patterns: right only, left only, bilateral (every 3), every 5. Open water demands breathing flexibility.

Race-Day Swim Tips

Warm up if possible — Even 200m of easy swimming before the start settles your heart rate and acclimates you to the water temperature.
Wear your goggles under your swim cap — They won’t get knocked off.
Anti-fog your goggles — Baby shampoo or spit, applied 30 minutes before the start.
Know the course — Study the buoy layout. Are there turns? Is the swim a loop, out-and-back, or point-to-point?
Pace the first 200m — Adrenaline will make you sprint. Resist it. Swim at 80% effort until the field thins out, then settle into race pace.
If you panic, flip onto your back. Breathe. Look at the sky. No one is judging you. Lifeguards are everywhere. When you’re ready, roll back over and continue.