Open Water Swimming - For Beginners

Swimming in open lakes, rivers or the ocean with no safety lines or the watchful eye of the lifeguard is known as open water swimming. It is an adventure for those willing to indulge in the activity. This activity, however also has a number of threats looming over the head including hypothermia, large waves or simply the fatigue that the body has to endure.

Beginners should be made aware of the dangers associated with the activity and use the proper safety equipment required including but not limited to the safety goggles and a life jacket.

Starting off with the basics, the first question to ask yourself is that do you know how to swim? If not, then jumping straight into an open water body may not be such great idea. For those who consider t themselves good enough swimmers to test their abilities in open waters, there are other considerations which should be made such as the ability of bilateral breathing.

Bilateral breathing is the ability of a human body to twist the upper body and be able to inhale and breathe from both sides. This ability is the extremely important for any style of swimming are it freestyle or crawling.

The next crucial skill one should possess is to be able to swim in a straight line with restricted vision. During open water swimming there will be many instances when the vision is mostly blocked, if not completely, due to fog accumulation inside the goggles, wave density, related foam and the glare from the sun reflecting off the water.

Another skill that facilitates open water swimming is lifting your head to see the water ahead. This is an important skill to master as it allows the swimmer to estimate his bearings and also judge the location that he is at.

Stroke rate is a quality open water swimmers should have. This is the frequency of the strokes made in water. Control over stroke rate allows the swimmer to increase it in cold water to fight against the setting hypothermia and reduce the chances of getting cramps. Control over stroke rate allows the swimmer to regulate the amount of stamina involved and go for longer distances.

Even with all these steps take, it is recommended to inform others before you go on your open water adventures and use the recommended safety gear.. Staying up to date with weather conditions also allows planning your swimming activities accordingly.

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