Pool Training for Open Water Swimming: Skills that Actually Transfer

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While there’s no replacing training for open water racing in open water, most open water swimmers do much of their training in a pool.

If you’re relying on the pool to get ready for your next open water swim, here are some technical, physical, and mental skills you can practice in the pool that will actually transfer to open water.

Work on technique

The best long-distance open water swimmers use a highly efficient stroke that doesn’t tire them out over short distances. You can build this type of stroke in the pool through repeated, intentional effort.

Because of the variable conditions caused by wind, current, chop, and tides in open water, a slightly shorter, higher-cadence stroke may work better in open water for some swimmers. For others, maximizing glide to get the most out of each stroke can minimize wear-and-tear on the shoulders.

Either way, learning and practicing a new technique is best undertaken in the controlled environment of the pool. Once you’ve dialed in the new technique, then you can venture outside and debut it in open water to practice in the conditions you might face on race day.

Practice swimming straight

Unlike the pool, open water doesn't provide lane lines to keep you on course. Swimming extra distance because you're zigzagging can easily add several minutes—maybe even miles—to a race depending on the challenge you’re undertaking.

In the pool, however, you can work on swimming straight by occasionally closing your eyes and swimming for 6 to 8 strokes while maintaining your line down the pool. When you open your eyes, see how far you’ve pulled one way or the other. Most swimmers have a side they naturally pull toward, so once you know which side that is, you can work on correcting that tendency through repetition and practice.

If your coach is amenable, you can also try removing the lane lines to create a wider, less structured swimming environment that provides slightly more variable conditions so you can see where your natural tendencies and directional challenges may lie.

Practice sighting

Sighting is a key skill you must master if you’re going to be successful in open water, but it can be difficult to get this one just right. That’s because for many swimmers, glancing ahead causes your hips and feet to sink, which causes you to lose momentum and slow down.

With practice, however, you can learn to compensate for this by kicking more or keeping your head lifts super brief to reduce the amount of drag you experience when sighting. The goal should be to minimize changes to body position when sighting, and over time, with practice, you can become more comfortable with finding the right technique for your unique physiology.

Learn to vary your stroke rate

Most swimmers have a natural stroke rate that feels comfortable for long-distance swimming. But the variable conditions in open water may require you to alter your cadence—whether to outrun a tide or another competitor or to slow down to avoid an approaching ferry without stopping and getting cold.

A tempo trainer that you wear in the pool can help you get more comfortable with variable stroke rates and how to manage them.

Lose the walls

Walls are a part of pool life, but you can simulate their non-existence by pushing off gently rather than explosively at starts and turns and practicing starting from a dead stop in the middle of the pool. These are important skills if you’re undertaking an open water event that has an in-water start or if you have to stop and wait for a hazard to pass during a long swim.

Practice swimming with and around others

Many open water swims and triathlons feature mass starts and you may be required to start from a dead stop in the water while surrounded by dozens of other competitors. That can get really uncomfortable if you’re at all anxious in open water.

But you can practice getting used to this sensation of swimming in a scrum in the pool with your Masters teammates. This will help you get more comfortable with incidental contact and learning how to draft off other swimmers.

Build mental tolerance

The longer the distance you’re aiming to swim, the more you’re going to have to work on your mental game. For many swimmers, this means getting used to discomfort and the boredom of being in your own head for hours at a time. You can work on developing this by swimming long distances over and over again in the pool. It might not be glamorous, but this kind of training is crucial to getting used to “the suck,” “the pain cave” or whatever other colorful term you use for that period when you really want to quit, but just have to keep going.

Figure out your feeds

For long-distance open water swims, you’ll likely need to take in some nutrition over the course of the swim, and the pool is the perfect place to figure out what works and what doesn’t. Some people prefer liquid carb-based feeds. Others want solid foods. Still others rely on a mix of several types of foods and drinks. Whatever you find you like best is just fine, but the key is to try it all out before race day so you know you’ll have the fuel you need to finish.