The last blog discussed our first open-water expedition and how to approach it. If you’re already hooked on open-water swimming and have been to open-water venues several times, you can read this blog to learn how to improve your open-water swimming skills. After being initiated, most people first say, “I can’t swim straight,” followed by, “How do I find the buoys?”. In this blog, we will look at different sightings and turns and the various drills you can use to improve your skills.
SIGHTING
It can be tiring and monotonous to see, and it needs to be taught more. The skill of sighting is quite simple. You need to lift your head to allow you to see the buoys and make sure you are heading in the right direction. This is a delicate movement that you need to master. If your head is raised too high, your legs will drag more, and your eyes won’t be able to see anything. HOW OFTEN SHOULD I SEE YOU?
The person asking this question will have a different answer. After orientating themselves, some people can swim quite straight in the water. They are capable of seeing every 12-18 strokes. Others, however, can snake through the water so fast that they may not be able to see every 6-8 strokes. You can experiment with the frequency you see. This is a great way to determine if you are off-course if you need to see more often. This can be done by looking for a buoy or other object in the water. Swim 20 strokes, and you’ll see where it takes you. You can benefit from frequent sightings if you are on the opposite side of the lake.ACTIVITIES
Activity 1 You can do this in a pool or open-water swimming pool. Swim ten strokes head up, 20 strokes normal, and then 5 more times. After 30 seconds, rest and then go back to the start. Repeat the set 5-8 times. As you increase your head-up strokes, you will become more comfortable with this technique. You can complete this set with fins. Activity 2 This can be done in a pool or open water. – Head Up Sprints – Swim 25m or 20 strokes head-up swimming, then rest for 20-40 secs and go again 10 times. You will improve your ability to do this more often. Keep your eyes straight ahead and your head as still as possible.TURNS
We should now be able to find the buoys and swim almost straight. Now we need to figure out how to get around them! There are many ways to do it; some are better than others. Rotating point turn This is the fastest way for you to turn. It also allows you to be close to the buoys. Keep as close as possible to the buoy as you approach it. Rotate towards the center of the buoys by placing your arm most relative to the pivot. Keep your back flat and continue rolling onto your back, keeping your arm straight. Then, move towards the next buoy with your free arm. One Arm Turn This is the most popular way to turn the buoy. When approaching the buoy, switch to single-arm swimming. The arm closest to you will be your arm. You will then pull on the arm enough to rotate your body and buoy. Breaststroke – This is a simple but very effective method for beginners. You can navigate the buoy calmly and collectively by changing to breaststroke.
These are the three methods I use to coach. There may be other ways to attack the buoys, but these are my favorites. These two skills will take your open-water swimming to the next level. The next post will focus on specific open water sets that you can do to improve your open water swimming skills. Remember that POOL SESSIONS are just as important as open water swimming. The next blog will include examples of pool sessions. Happy swimming
