Stay Hydrated – drink before, during (on long swims) and afterwards.

Wear Sunscreen – Even on a cloudy day you can get burnt in the water. It also acts as an insulating layer.

Wear Grease – Any type will do but Vaseline is good.  Apply under arms, round straps, tops of thighs and shoulders.  Remember to avoid getting it on your goggles.

Wear a hat (or 2) – The brighter the better.  Silicone ones are better than latex as they mould to your head and keep in more warmth.

                                                  Remember - NEVER SWIM ALONE

Navigation

Many open water swims do not allow support crews to accompany you, so navigation of the course is down to the swimmer.  Check the surroundings before entering the water.  Look for markers to help you locate and orientate yourself.  Things such as distinctive houses, telephone poles, piers etc can all make navigation easier.  If the swim is a circuit, make sure you know the size, colour and number of buoys, which mark the course.

If you are near to the front you can follow the lead boat (if there is one) or swimmer.  If you are in the middle of the pack look out for bubbles from the swimmers in front and then follow the bubbles.  Still ensure you look up every 200m or so as the swimmer in front may not be on the right course.

Be careful not to swim too close to the feet of the swimmer in front.  A bad timed kick from them could rip off your goggles or knock the wind out of you.  This can all cost valuable time.

Race Tactics

Race tactics can win or lose you a race.  You must have a race plan, which can be changed to react to the competition. 

The start can be daunting, especially a mass start.  If you are a faster starter try to get near the front and sprint away from the other swimmers.  If you are a slow starter than hang back, but try to get on the outside of the group.  This enables you to move up the group as you settle into your pace but it avoids the mass in the middle where you may get trapped or injured.

Remember to pace over the whole race – regardless of distance.  There is no point swimming the first half of a race at maximum pace to then fade in the second half.

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