THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO OPEN WATER SWIMMING
Swim Smart. Train Targeted. Celebrate on Race Day.
Open water swimming is a different beast to the pool. Currents, chop, sighting, nerves, and kit all play a part — and the right preparation makes the difference between just surviving and actually enjoying it. We know this from experience. Between us we’ve tackled most of the common races you’ll come across. That hard-earned experience feeds directly into this page: the lessons, tips, and kit recommendations we’ve learned (often the hard way) and now pass on to you.
Coming up in the guide:
OUR
EXPERIENCE
Learn from our mistakes.
TRAINING
How often & what to focus on
OPEN WATER SKILLS
Sighting, drafting & nutrition
Minimum Kit
What Wetsuit, Goggles & more.
PLUS: Some golden nuggets that we don't have a ready made icon for.
WHAT IS OPEN WATER SWIMMING?
Plus What events have we done?
" I would say the swim I trained hardest for was the Ironman swim. I was gunning for an hour, but ended up clocking in 63 minutes....plus finishing the Ironman in 35C heat....I learnt a bit of what to do, but more of what not to do!
Then a couple of months later I didn't do much additional training but added a 10km swim to my tally in 3hrs 18 mins."
Top Tips: From a Qualified Open Water Coach.
Jay also qualified during the pandemic as an Open Water Coach: learning how to take those lessons learnt in his own prep for a race to communicating it.
Whilst not currently active as a coach, whether you’re heading for your first sprint triathlon or building up to long-distance open water events, these videos and guides will help you train smarter, race harder, and get more out of your swims.
WATCH: TOP TIPS FOR OPEN WATER SWIMMING pt 1
Top Tips for Training for a Triathlon / Open Water Swim.
Focus your training around these core tips and you will be setting yourself up for success.
-
1. Set Two Goals
When you first sign up, the goal is often simple:just finish.
But after a few weeks of structured training, many swimmers naturally start to think about finishing times or even placings. Having both goals in mind — completion and performance — keeps you motivated and realistic.
-
2. Perfect in the Pool. Add Open Water Later
It might sound backwards, but most of your training should be in the pool. Pools give you a controlled environment, which is key when you’re months into a training plan and it’s the dead of winter. Open water practice is important for confidence, but you should only add it in during the last 4–6 weeks before your race.
If you’re racing early season, the water may still be too cold to get any meaningful endurance training in. In that case, use those open water swims to sharpen your water skills: sighting, navigating buoys, and acclimatising to the cold and dark.
-
3. Balance Your Sessions
At a minimum, aim for three swims a week:
- Technique (drills to correct and reinforce good habits).
- Endurance (steady distance work).
- Speed (intervals to build power).
Technique is non-negotiable. Don’t skip it in favour of endurance or speed. When you’re drilling, understand what the drill is designed to correct in your stroke, then focus on feeling the change.
"Our number one recommended drill: skulling. It develops that elusive “feel for the water.”
-
4. Aim high
As long as you have time to train, don’t be afraid to aim higher when deciding the distance.
The human body adapts quickly, and with smart training you’ll surprise yourself. Training volumes don’t differ massively between a 2k and a 10k race. Packing your kit, getting to the pool and changing are fixed no matter if you do a 20 minute session or an hour.
-
5. Kick Less, Save Energy
Over distance, kicking becomes inefficient. It’s the biggest muscle group for the smallest return.
Let your wetsuit keep your legs afloat and save your energy for your arms. If you’re racing triathlon, save your legs for the bike and run. Or if an Open Water only race: save it for that victory dance!
KEY OPEN WATER SKILLS
SIGHTING || NUTRITION || DRAFTING
TO DRAFT OR NOT TO DRAFT?
whether you sign up for a triathlon or an open water only event, starting to hear about sighting, drafting, the fastest way to turn around at the buoy is enough to send anyone into panic mode. Well, unless you're going for a top 10 place much of it, you don't really need to worry about. We break it down below and then have a handy video on the skills we recommend focusing on.
1. Sighting
The one open water–specific skill we really recommend you spend time on. It only applies to freestyle and it’s the act of lifting your eyes just above the waterline — often called “crocodile eyes” — so you can spot your target and avoid swimming further than you need to.
You can practise this in the pool to get the timing right without interrupting your stroke. A good trick is to check if you can read the clock on the pool wall mid-stroke.
📹 Jay has a YouTube video on his top tips for sighting below.
2. Drafting
Drafting on the bike? Banned (unless you’re doing short course). Drafting in the swim? Technically allowed. But unless you’re gunning for a top 10 place, we wouldn’t bother. The risks outweigh the benefits.
To draft, you need to be right behind — or just off to the side — of a swimmer at your pace or faster. In age-group racing though, you’ve no idea if that swimmer is heading the right way (another mistake we’ve made). And when they suddenly stop with a breaststroke kick? Right on your nose. At least the Aphotic goggles have a flexible gasket to soften the blow.
3. Turning Around Buoys
Even the pros have mostly ditched fancy spin turns around buoys. For most of us, it’s more likely to make you dizzy than save you time. Keep it simple and controlled.
4. Cramps
Cramps are common, especially in longer swims. Jay used to get them a lot in club sessions. Science says electrolytes help; we say bananas (high in potassium) work wonders.
5. Tread & Float
If you get a cramp — or into any kind of trouble — just flip onto your back. In a wetsuit, floating is easy, and it keeps your mouth clear of the water. If you need help from a marshal, raise one arm in the air (though check race briefings for the exact signal, as it can vary).
Being able to tread water comfortably is also a handy skill.
6. Breathing
Breathing is at the core of a relaxed, fast swim. Imagine your lungs full of air: your chest lifts, your legs sink, drag increases. That’s why controlled exhaling is key — it keeps your body balanced in the water.
We advise being comfortable breathing to both sides (so you can switch if there’s chop or glare). But for racing, breathing every two strokes is best — more oxygen in, more relaxed swimming, and less chance of blowing up at pace.
FAQs on The After Drop & Cold Water Swimming”
What is After Drop?
It's a dip in core temperature after exiting cold water. Warm up gradually.
Should I take a hot shower?
No. Not until you have stabilised (see above) Warm up gradually. Get dry and dressed quickly, layer up with a hat and gloves, sip a warm drink, and use a robe or Snug Bud to bring heat back to your core.
Avoid rushing straight into a hot shower or blasting a car heater, as these can actually make you feel colder by pulling blood too quickly to the surface.
How long does it last?
Most swimmers feel the effects for around 15-20 minutes after getting out, though it can vary depending on how long you were in the water, water temperature, and your own physiology.
Shivering, clumsiness (Unfortunately for Jay this seems to be permanent) or feeling unusually cold are all signs you’re still experiencing After Drop.
Is After Drop the same as doing a cold dip and sauna?
Not really. After Drop happens after longer wild swims or extended immersion, when your core has genuinely cooled.
In short hot–cold dips (like ice baths and saunas), your core doesn’t have time to drop significantly, so you can switch between hot and hot safely without the same After Drop effect.
It's a dip in core temperature after exiting cold water. Warm up gradually.
Typical signs include uncontrollable shivering, slow or clumsy movements, and feeling colder 10–15 minutes after you’re out of the water. Being aware of these signs means you can take action early, warming up safely before you risk more serious cold stress.
What to Wear in an Open Water Race .
Swim watches don’t track you continuously under the surface. GPS signals can’t penetrate water. Instead, they only connect when your arm breaks the surface on each stroke.
In freestyle that’s once every couple of seconds, and in breaststroke hardly at all, which is why the data looks patchy. Add in the fact those signals are bouncing from satellites thousands of kilometres away, and it’s no wonder open water swim tracking is less than perfect.
So if your watch shows slower splits or odd distances compared to the pool, don’t panic — it’s completely normal. Use the data for the big picture and progress over time, not as a second-by-second judge of your performance.