Swimming straight in open water

ChristyM

Hi

I have started swimming in the sea for the first time this year. I have built up to being able to swim 1,500m for Olympic triathlons but my big problem is swimming in a straight line. Yesterday really took the biscuit, I was swimming with a group and within 250m I was close to 100m off to the right of the group. I try to sight every 6-8 strokes but I find that even within 2 strokes I can be off line by as much as 45 degrees. I always go right. I breath to my right and I am obviously pulling too much with my right arm but how do I go about swimming straight?

Thanks

Christy

rabb_lbad

This you tube clip should address your complaint. I had similar problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0-lP3exIfc&feature=related

okane1

Something isn't quite right here. If you are spotting every 6-8 strokes, there is no way you could be 100m of course. This would suggest you cover 12.5m per stroke!.

How many strokes does it take you to do 25m? Say 20. So after 20 strokes you will cover 25m. At a worst case of swimming 90° of course and sighting everying 8 strokes, you would be 10m of course.

A good way to determine how often you should sight, get into a swimming lane on our own. Close your eyes and swim down the centre of the lane. Count your strokes until you either hit the lane rope or the end of the pool. If you hit the lane rope after 4 strokes, you have gone of course by 0.5m after 4 strokes. Then you need to spot every 4 strokes in OW.

Rememeber looking up isn't the only way to spot. Looking at the side when you breath or even look back.

AngryHippie

My local tri-club does pretty regular drills on this during their training sessions.
They normally sight every 25m, (10-15 strokes), they do one normal cycle,( 2 or 3 strokes depending on breathing pattern) to spot their course.
Some of the more balanced swimmers are confident enough in relatively calm water to sight every 50m.

Personally unless there is a lot of swell or chop, I'm comfortable with every 50m as I can normally swim a 50 eyes shut without hitting the rope or wall, I never hit the T exactly and am usually off to the left near the rope, but very rarely hit the side. So I sight every 30-40 strokes.
That said, I prefer not to swim overly hard on those sort of distances, normally at about 70% pace as I'm not into it competitively.

With a bit of practice on catch-up and fist drills, you can even out your arms well enough to reduce your sighting frequency to an efficient level over a couple of weeks.

Having said that, rough water changes everything. I've done open water swims where the current is moving me 10m for 20m progress I've made and that makes it difficult to swim straight especially if you are away from the pack or out of sight of the swimmer in front.

ChristyM

Thanks for all the replies, I will just have to put in the hard practice I reckon.