Switching Fear to Function In Open Water Swimming
Tiburon to Angel Island. Tony is using a Go Pro Camera mounted to his back. I'm the one swimming.
[Note: For 20 years through my coaching, clinics and camps I’ve enjoyed helping athletes learn to love open water swimming. Join my upcoming 5-Week Open Water Clinic to master your open water experiences!]
If you are new to swimming, new to swimming in open water, or new to both, you may have some fears about venturing into a lake or the ocean. In open water, you don’t have lane lines or the pool edge to hang onto or to push off of. Waves, currents, and swells create a dynamic situation in open water that you don’t contend with in a pool. In total, these elements make open water a change from what is familiar. A change can create apprehension prior to it becoming recognizable.
The more you expose yourselves to change, the more quickly it becomes a known entity. But during that process of making the unfamiliar familiar, there are some mental tools you can use to help this process along.
Do your first few swims with support from someone who has done open-water swimming (take a clinic!). Stand on the shoreline and recognize your strengths in swimming. You know how to swim. With your wetsuit on, you are a buoyant swimmer. Keep these facts in the front of your mind when you step in the water.
Take your time getting in. Notice that water will start to seep into your wetsuit once it hits the bottom of your zipper. Submerge your body slowly, then your face. Move into the surf when you feel ready to take on the waves and dynamically move through the surf line. Once you get past the shore, stop and float in your wetsuit.
Roll onto your back, let your arms and legs float, and completely relax your body. Put your head back, soak up the sun, and take a deep breath. Enjoy this moment of complete relaxation. Remember that at any time in your swim, you can roll onto your back and float and take a break–this is your open water equivalent to hanging onto the edge of the pool.
When you start swimming, practice sighting off of objects in the water or on land that are in line with your direction of travel. Count your strokes—10, 15, 20—then sight again. Take turns practicing drafting with your swim buddy, while you continue to refine your sighting techniques. You only need a few feet of water in which to swim, so your first time out, swim along the shore past the surf line if you want the option of hopping out of the water to take a break.
At any point during your swim, you may notice thoughts creeping in that feel distressing. Perhaps you are thinking about what might be below you in the water or maybe you are doubting your ability while you are swimming. These thoughts may cause some fear or apprehension. At the first notice of distressing thoughts, say to yourself, “STOP!” Then replace the distressing thought with something positive about yourself as a swimmer, such as, “I am a smooth, relaxed swimmer,” or “I get the job done in the water.” Say this phrase to yourself while watching your hands move through the water under your body. When the unfamiliarity of open water creates distress, then infuse a familiar entity. Focus on counting your strokes and watching your hands move through the water underneath your body. Think about your technique and body position. Once you count to 20, sight, then start counting again to 20. Do it again.
Each time you get in the water, allow yourself time to warm up and engage with the new surroundings. When you swim, practice counting and use your phrases as tools to dispel distressing thoughts. Over time you’ll learn to change fear to function and in that process embrace this new medium of movement.
Embracing open water swimming is partly about gaining knowledge. Review the above information as many times as needed to help yourself develop a healthy relationship with open water swimming. Or, join my upcoming 5-Week Open Water Clinic to master your open water experiences! – Terri
