There are so many great things about open water swimming that it’s crazy to pick out only 10. But here at SwimSwam we are crazy about swimming and so here’s our “not at all to be considered definitive list” of the top 10 things we dig about open water swimming.
10. The water temperature in the local pool is so predictable – never exactly sure what we get when we jump in the open water
9. It’s fun to draft.
8. The sense of accomplishment when after a long point to point open water swim is great.
7. No chlorine
6. Swimming with fish is cool
5. Open water races involve loads of strategy. It’s exciting to watch the action unfold over the course of a race and it’s fun to use strategy to outwit your opponents.
4. Having a good body surfing session after an ocean swim
3. No bumping into the lane lines
2. It’s an Olympic sport and this creates more opportunities for swimmers.
1. There’s no clock and sometimes it’s fun just to swim with your friends.
What are your favorite things about open water swimming? Do you have a favorite race you like to participate in or watch? Share your passion for this part of our sport.
Re #8 — this is true even if you didn’t grow up as a competitive swimmer and didn’t even start swimming until becoming, as the Don Burns 1 Mile swim put it, an “Experienced” (over 45 yo) swimmer: you may not be putting down the top times (though there certainly is no shortage of fast “Experienced” swimmers), but the sense of accomplishment is still there to be savored.
I love the strategy. Going into packs, making breakaways, it gets to be like a cycling stage race.
Although black line on the bottom isn’t mentioned here, when I did nationals for open water, there was a rope that went from one buoy to the next, you could just follow it straight up haha.
Finding navigational cues on the course like the buoy marker anchor line is a very good strategy TRIGUY. In most all open water races there are several points of reference that can keep you on course. The trick is to familiarize yourself with with cues both above and below the surface. See you in the water!