Boost your open water skills now to swim faster in 2026
Dear Swimmer
🏊♀️Rough Water Swimming Tips🏊♀️
Last weekend I raced in Brighton. With the current coming from the west, the wind from the east, and the waves from the south, the water was "messy." it made for some challenging swimming. I therefore thought I'd share some of
the tactics I used for swimming in rough water that helped me get through (and finish in 2nd place).
🌊Put yourself in the right mental frame. Think of it as a challenge and an opportunity. It’s a privilege to swim in rough conditions with full safety cover. Not everyone gets to do this.
🌊Don’t “battle through”! You can’t fight the sea. Do your best to relax and focus on your technique, not your effort. Enjoy the experience.
🌊Trying to swim fast may be counter-productive in rough conditions. The extra effort barely translates
into additional speed. That’s not saying you should deliberately go slow, but find a speed and rhythm that feels right for the conditions.
🌊Be patient with your sighting. Marker buoys are harder to spot in rough conditions. You may need to look several times before you see where you’re going. Try to sight when you’re on the top of a wave. Use
tall objects on land to help.
🌊Test out breathing strategies. I find it easiest to always breathe to my left (my strongest side) when swimming in rough water. However, some swimmers change their breathing side depending on what is most comfortable for them in the conditions.
🌊Think about what you eat and drink before the swim, especially if you are prone to sea sickness. Stick with tried and tested.
🌊Some people say earplugs reduce sea sickness, so that might be worth a try. I’ve also heard people say they take
travel sickness pills. I haven’t tried either of those, so you’ll have to do your own experiments with this.
How to move from "surviving" to "thriving" in rough water
When you first try swimming in challenging conditions, it can feel like a fight for
survival. With a bit of experience, you feel like you can cope, although it's still unpleasant. The longer term aim is to thrive - to feel excited about the challenge and testing yourself in tough conditions. Hopefully, these tips will help you get there sooner.
Ready to take your open water swimming to the next level?
Confidence in rough conditions is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to swimming further and faster in open water.
Our Swim Further and Faster in Open Water Course dives deeper into the skills that make a real difference.
The course consists of 4 videos, each between 30 and 40 minutes long, along with recommended extra reading and exercises for you to try in the pool or open water.
It's designed to give you a solid foundation in the
principles for swimming further and faster in open water, from swimming technique and how to improve it, to adaptations to open water and specific skills including pacing, sighting, swimming in groups and dealing with the conditions.
It is aimed at beginner to intermediate outdoor swimmers looking to boost their speed and endurance for open
water events and challenges. It is also suitable for triathletes.
How to get the course
Swim Further and Faster in Open Water is available on our new courses website outdoorswimmercourses.com
