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Chargement…
Chargement…
Open water has almost nothing to do with pool: navigation, cold, crowd, waves. Here's how to prep methodically and find partners to practise safely.
Open water = any swimming outside indoor/outdoor pools: lake, river, sea, water body. In triathlon, except rare exceptions (some pool Sprints), swim is always in open water. It's one of the most anxiety-inducing disciplines for beginners — rightly so.
Key differences vs pool: no lane to orient yourself (you must lift head regularly to navigate = 'sighting'), much colder temperature (12-22°C by season/spot), crowd at start (100-2000 swimmers simultaneously), possible waves and currents. All creating an environment that demands specific learning, regardless of pool level.
Specific skills the pool can't give you.
+ THE open water technique: briefly lift head every 6-8 cycles to spot the buoy. Without it, you swim 50% more than official distance because you zigzag. On Ironman that's 600m extra.
− Sighting fatigues the neck and raises HR. Without regular training, takes 1-2 seasons to become automatic.
+ A wetsuit (3-5mm) gives buoyancy and warmth. But it goes on, comes off, chafes, raises HR at start. You must train swimming in wetsuit.
− Many beginners discover wetsuit feel on race day — result: panic, hyperventilation, sometimes abandonment.
+ In triathlon, you start with 100-2000 swimmers. You'll be bumped, kicked in the face, lose goggles. Having lived this in training = no panic on race day.
− Without group experience, some beginners lose their cool in the melee and quit at the first buoy.
+ Open water is more dangerous than pool: no immediate lifeguard, invisible bottom, currents. Swimming in group with other triathletes radically lowers risk.
− Solo open water is strongly discouraged, especially in cold lake or rough sea. Without a partner, you're limited to very secure spots.
Recreational lake (Cergy, Miribel, Hourtin), safe beach, nautical base. Avoid flowing rivers and forbidden swim zones. Check temperature and weather.
On TriMates, create a 'Swim' session with sub-type 'Open water' + precise location. State planned distance, wetsuit recommendation and target level.
Visible tow float (mandatory for sea swimming), wetsuit early/late season, tinted goggles in sun, emergency whistle for deep water sessions.
Even with partners, always notify someone of your route and planned return. Basic safety rule for open water.
Start in lake rather than sea: calm water, no currents, often visible bottom. Sea adds after 5-10 lake sessions.
Train sighting in pool first: lift head every 6 cycles to build mechanical habit before real conditions.
Start the season early (May-June, water 16-18°C with wetsuit) to have time to progress before target races.
Invest in a good wetsuit (€200-400). Lasts 5-10 years and radically changes your open water experience.
NEVER swim alone in lake or sea. Always min 2 visible swimmers. TriMates is built for this.
Create your free TriMates account and find open water swimmers near you to train safely.