How to Train for Open Water Swimming in a Pool

Open water swimming is one of the most stressful activities for triathletes, who must learn to navigate through water without the aid of a lane line or the comfort of a private lane in a pool. Learning how to sight and maintain an efficient stroke while swimming within a pack of people is one of the most important skills to develop for triathlons, since most races include a swimming leg from a 1/2 mile to 2 1/2 miles long.

Things You'll Need

  • 25-meter pool
  • Kick boards
  • Miscellaneous flotation devices
  • Goggles
  • Swim cap
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find a 25-meter pool, and secure a lane. You will be using the lane to train in an unconventional way, and should make sure that nobody else will join you before you start your swim. Since many pools require that you share a lane if needed, try to train with a friend who can share the lane with you.

    • 2

      Fill the lane with obstacles. Many pools have a stash of kick boards and flotation devices used for swimming lessons and aqua conditioning classes. If they are available, get as many as you can and scatter them over the length of your lane.

    • 3

      Put on your goggles and swim cap, and enter the water from the shallow end of the pool.

    • 4

      If you're sharing the lane with a friend, determine whether you will do a circle swim or divide the lane in half to swim back and forth on the same side.

    • 5

      Proceed to swim laps as you normally would, while feeling your body glide into and past the obstacles in the lane. The point of the exercise is to get used to the feeling of being unexpectedly touched while trying to focus on your stroke and breath.

    • 6

      Begin to sight while you swim. When you become comfortable with the obstacles in your lane, add a quick glance up while facing forward through your stroke pattern. Try to focus on something specific each time you raise your head to look across the lane. In a race, you would be looking for a large buoy marking the course, or a landmark that is visible on the shore, such as a building.