r/OpenWaterSwimming

Newer swimmer, been doing some medium distance (750-2000 yard) open water swims in reservoirs in western Colorado with a couple other folks.
I have a sleeveless knee-length wetsuit that is fairly constrictive and tends to catch water in the 'bib' but does keep me warm. It is also a pain to get in and out of.
Curious if I would get similar or even slightly less level of warmth and a lot less hassle if I had a good swim vest and a hood? Or it seems like there are some hooded vests but maybe more for divers? when I look up swim vests I see a lot of PFDs

Has anyone out here swam in West Reservoir recently?

I have not swam here before so today will be my first time. It looks like water temp is 23.3 C today and I am trying to determine if I can wear my wetsuit without overheating. I bought the suit for the couple triathlons I run every year and want to get this one wet at least once before T100 this month.

Curious to hear anyone’s experience here?

In a pool, if I stop for a rest I get a big boost of energy after a really brief rest. Like, 5 seconds. It improves my energy, my posture, my stroke, everything. How do you get that in open water?

Hi,

Most often when I'm swimming, I prefer freestyle or breaststroke. I've tried swimming backstroke a few times, but I can't do it properly and I don't feel confident in this stroke. I'm scared because when you're swimming backstroke, you only see the ceiling of the swimming pool, or maybe the sky.

You don't see what's in front of you, or on your left or right. I feel like I can't react quickly if something happens in front of me, or if something appears on my left or behind me. How do you deal with fears like that? Is backstroke mostly useful in an empty swimming pool? Is that stroke useful when you're trying to rescue yourself or someone else? Can that style be useful in a real-life scenario besides the swimming pool? How do I stop being afraid of hitting my head of something in the water?

Hi,

I'm a 35-year-old guy, and I learned to swim in hotel swimming pools. My dad helped me a little when I was younger, but as an adult, I'm a self-taught swimmer. However, I can't swim 200 or even 150 meters without a break in the pool. To be honest, my max distance right now is 75 meters without any breaks — after that, I feel very exhausted and can't catch my breath.

I feel ashamed because of that, since I'm an adult, and in my country, mostly children learn how to swim. Instead of swimming fluently in the pool, I have to grab a pool buoy and hold onto the edge (deck). Sometimes when I'm in the pool and I look at all the other swimmers, they're swimming constantly without any breaks for 30 minutes straight.

Maybe I'm just bad at swimming and shouldn't keep trying so many times. At the end of the day, I'm just a simple runner. Maybe because of running, my pelvis is sinking, and I can't swim correctly. Maybe my breathing is still terrible even when I try to correct it while swimming. I don't know. I only know that I can swim 50 meters without stopping, and after that I can't catch my breath. During a 45-minute session, I can swim 16 to 18 laps in the pool.

What makes me even more upset is the fact that I've been swimming since April this year, and almost nothing has changed.

I’m a beginner but I am hoping/working towards my goal of freestyle swimming non stop one lap across the beach. So far I been taking breaks swimming in my break and back to freestyle.

I was using a nose clip but it’s not helping me keep water from going down my nose. So I been trying to slowly breathe out from my nose while turning my head right with my left out in front of me to breathe in.

My other issue is water staying in my left ear. Do you put swimmers drops right after you are finish swimming?

I been trying to go every other morning before work and it’s been great! Also picked up some cheap shokz look alike waterproof headphones and it’s been a game changer for me!

I'm a fully grown man, but terrified of the dark void below me

Did my first open water swim DURING a triathlon, and had to swim mostly breast stroke, looking forward, which wasn't ideal

But I've been going to the lake weekly now, staying close to shore, and occasionally swimming to the deep parts

Went out to Buntzen lake (near Vancouver) yesterday, with a buddy, and did 1100m, face fully submerged :)

I had a Garmin Swim2 for a few years and was happy with its swim tracking performance, but over the past few months it got a bit slow and had some trouble syncing and the battery life decreased. It was starting to feel a little obsolete. Then I lost it recently. I'd like to replace it with the Vivoactive 6 or the Vinu 4. I need a watch that tracks freestyle well in the pool and in open water, but I don't need too many advanced features. One thing I didn't like about the Swim 2 was that it didn't tell me the time while it was tracking my activity, so I'd love to have a watch able to do that. I understand that the Vinu 4 has dual frequency GPS, which theoretically should make it better at swim tracking than the Vivoactive 6, but if the Vivoactive 6 is pretty accurate then I'm not sure that matters to me.

I'd appreciate thoughts from anyone who has tried either of these models.

If I buy a wetsuit where the height is about 1-2cm too small will that be a massive issue? I’m just getting into open water swimming and as I’m in the UK I’m preparing for when the weather isn’t so hot in a couple of months. I’ve found a second hand wetsuit being sold barely used for cheap. Only problem is the online size chart suggests it’s best for 160-168cm tall people. Would it be silly to buy it since I am 169cm tall? All other measurements align. Thanks!

Hi, I live in Florida and close to the beach. During COVID, I took up open water swimming and kind of enjoyed it. But I got a few jellyfish stings that kind of discouraged me, including one from what may have been a man of war. I bought a “stinger suit” but it’s not a great fit and it’s kind of ridiculous looking. The water is too warm most of the year for a wetsuit and they’re kind of expensive. I’ve seen “swim tights” though (they look like running tights basically) and matching tops. Supposedly you don’t need much material to protect against jellyfish stings and these tights and tops are much cheaper than wetsuits. Does anyone have any experience or recommendations? And final thing, do you wear underwear beneath the tights when you swim? Thank you!

Going to LA for 4th of July weekend. Planning to swim on the 3rd. First time OWS so looking to something a bit calmer

EDIT: Im staying near the airport LAX , but im willing to drive for a good spot

I’m curious if it’s useful for improving training or is it just another gimmick? What’s the most valuable insight it’s given you that you wouldn’t have found in Garmin?

Currently trying to integrate my account, but I’ve run into a few issues. Before I spend more time troubleshooting it I was wondering if it’s actually worth the effort. Any feedback?

PS: Strava to Claude not available yet, as far as I know, but Strava it’s always late to the party.

I have the Nabaji OWS 500, which is a decathlon brand.

https://www.decathlon.es/es/p/boya-natacion-aguas-abiertas-ows500-naranja-compartimento-interior-red/347798/c274m8808731

I've never used a buoy before. But this thing looks huge to me, with a net compartment on top and a whistle. Probably not designed for a race.

I have a 2km OW race tomorrow.

Should I rush out and buy another one? Would it make any material difference? Or nah, it's more or less the same?

Also, how long should the leash be?

Thanks

I'm originally from Devon and its always been my dream to swim the length of the county i'm from.

Ive been focusing on swimming a stretch of coastline that is challenging but still somewhat within my comfort zone. I swim on a rising or slack tide and low winds, low swell etc. However even with just this small stretch of coast, i'm deeply aware of how variable it can be.

My question is, how do you truly learn to judge the tides, currents, swells and winds from a swimming safety perspective? How can I plan effectively? Should I do some kind of sailing course to build my understanding?

Thanks!

I feel like it is possible one of these products might work, but I am a stickler about keeping my ears plugged in the water anyway, so I am thinking I wouldn’t even hear the music anyway..

Could anyone suggest a nice beach I could go for a paddle or perhaps a swim today? Am living Dublin 11 have car and bike but don’t want bike stolen. And don’t wanna be surrounded by teenagers playing music on stereos… was thinking perhaps Dollier . Would burrow beach be plagued before 6? Would you lock up an electric bike at a bike stand today? I’ve never left it anywhere in Dublin even locked…
Weather is cracking to be fair!!!