Very good tips. I swim open water daily, sharing a few things I have learned on my own: 1) Breathe in the pocket - When you roll to breathe, the head and shoulder moving through the water carve a low pressure area which is a small "pocket" (bowl shape) in the water under your mouth... use the pocket, and you don't have to roll so far... definitely saves energy (in my opinion, it's consumes excess energy to roll your mouth all the way to vertical to breathe) 2) In rough water - If swell coming from the side, breathe to down-swell side... this requires learning to breathe comfortably on both sides so you can deal with swell from any direction 3) Timing and technique of exhale is as important as the inhale - Time the exhale so that you complete it underwater BEFORE your mouth rolls up to inhale... there should be a very short break between exhale and inhale (appx 1/2 second) 4) Breath technique (inhale and exhale) - Take a good yoga class, learn about the pear shape of your lungs, and why you always breathe (in and out) from the low abdomen, below the diaphragm... to many people, especially men, breathe from the chest... very inefficient in regard to volume of intake and discharge, and uses WAY too much energy. (I learned this freediving)
i rarely comment on anything, but THANK YOU! finally some good info about open water. its so annyoing that 90% of open water tips are concerning triathlons! so the tips focus on the race, the swimsuit and spotting other competitors. I couldnt care less about this and just wanted this kind of tips!, thanks again.
Although I'm a triathlete myself, amem to that! Also, triathlon videos tend to focus on the ideal open water swim conditions, while glossing over when the swim is really choppy, windy, in lakes or rivers.
I never took a swimming lesson in my life. I didn't like swimming up until I turned 30... so basically I rely on youtube videos for improving/adapting to open water swimming. I can say that I have seen many MANY swimming videos and this video is one of the best if not the best. The reason is that this video gives honest, thorough and straight to the point instructions for open water swimming... Not competitive swimming just swimming. None of the videos I've seen till now mentions panic attacks. I was getting them and I didn't know how to cope and now I know and I already feel confident :)... Also all instructions were given while in the water... wooo. Anyhow great video and thank you Leslie for sharing!!! I wish I saw this video a few years earlier. Swim safe!
Thanks Leslie! Your film presence is wonderful...I wish I lived in SF to take lessons from you. I choked on the swim in my triathlon over the weekend and will incorporate your techniques in practice to avoid the panic/hyperventilating in next race.
This one of my few comments here but i had to thank you I felt your tips were exactly what i needed and talked about the exact problems i face in open water swimming. A very useful video unlike many waste of time vids on youtube about this subject. Thank you again
thank you for this video. i experience everything that you mentioned...cold water/panic attack/short of breath in my first open water. i was terrified to do another one. i thought i was going to drown..it was tough to shake it off. this information is gold to me.. thank you! i need more videos like this
Great just great counsel, it really helped me in my training for my upcoming triatholon, simple to the point, well formatted and explained, you're a natural Leslie! Wonderful!
Thankyou so much for putting that video together!I recently completed my first super sprint tri but freaked out during the swim .Watching your very informative and very encouraging video makes me feel that I may be able to try again now that I understand what may have happened. thankyou again arlene
I felt better just watching your video! Thank you! I panic in the water doing freestyle (probably cause I never had instruction) - your video was so pleasant and informational and specific on how to fix anxiety. I especially thought you were genius at slowing down the breathe portion (Drill 1 and Drill 2) in beginning! Thank you so much! I am going to try this in the pool today! :)
despite the informal way,it seems this is one of the best video I have seen for such advice. The little tips that you give have made all the difference for me. You have answered questions that I did't know how to ask. You also have such a relaxed way of doing things. Thank you very much
Thank you, got my first event in 6 weeks and am struggling to transition from pool to sea....feeling motivated this morning, off I g! Thanks from Pembrokeshire Wales!
out of at least a dozen videos i have watched, no body talked about these drills and taking rests and breathers in open water like this. Super practical. Thanks a ton
This may be almost 10 years old, but i found this one of most useful open water swim videos. I'm new to all this and have my first triathlon next month and swimming is the most daunting. Thank you for you help!
This advise took me from swimming 2k but having to stop every 100m to swimming 2k non-stop...the first time I tried it. Such a small change but massive impact. Thank you!
Such a helpful video, thank you. Some of your tips will be invaluable as I continue my training for my first open water event the Dart 10K in september.
Thank you SO much! I'm preparing for my first Tri (Oly) in less than a week and am very weak in the OWS. I love it but am super slow. This has helped so much.
Thank you so much for such great tips! I really needed to hear them and watch them. some i knew already, bur needed to have them reinforced! Your are terrific! I am about to do an open water swim for the second time, after doing all the wrong things the first time!!!!! Carolann
Tks, so much for explaining proper breathing n panic situations. I just learned how 2 swim 1 yr ago this July. My main problem w/swimming was always w/proper breathing especially n deep water. After watching ur video I have more confidence next time I go swimming n if panic set in. Breathing properly is a phobia everyone has n the water for the first time. I never swam n the ocean but now I think I could. Tks.
Thank you for the great video. I also like the way you can stay still on the water so comfortably for a long time. At first I thought you are in shallow water standing. Very useful video.
Thanks for this! I’ve recently taken up open water swimming each morning with an experienced group of swimmers and have been struggling. Stroke technique is good but breathing is not since I’ve breathed in salt water a few times which results in nasty breathing issues (out of the water) later in the day. Shall give these drills a go! Again, thanks!
I'll be doing a 200 yard swim in open water and then 10 minutes of treading water in the Caribbean in a few months, as step 1 of a PADI scuba diving course. I haven't been swimming much for 50 years or more so your tips are very, very interesting and important to me. Thanks.
I second what Miguel says, I'm an excellent runner but I can't swim for shit, and these breathing tips are really spot on! The rolling tip was a real eye opener for me! Thanks so much coach Leslie! Going tomorrow so I'll let you know how I got on! .
thanks, my 6.5km open water is next week and its my first time and i am actually not a good swimmer, this video gives me a lot of confidence, keep making great videos like this, thanks
I also rarely comment but want to thank you very much as this has been the most helpful video I have seen - as I’m preparing for my first ocean swim in a triathlon and having a difficult time adjusting to ocean swimming
I love the way that you speak, It's very genuine, and it's not too professional or overly urban. I'm a pretty strong swimmer ( ability wise), but I have breathing issues while doing the front crawl, and it I get tired quickly. After about 50 meters, I am ready to tank. I need to learn how to slow things down, and not be so anxious while in the water. My goal is to run a Tri in August.I'm hoping I will be comfortable enough with my form and technique to transition from the pool to open water.
Thank you for a great video. I felt like you were talking to me personally. Panic, cold water and swallowing water are big ones for me. Thanks for the advice.
