Sea Survival and Surf Swimming

There is more to swimming than just doing lap after lap, turning when you reach the wall at the end of the pool. You can swim in places with no walls, like lakes, oceans, and rivers which offer a great change of scenery.

Go to your local beach for a swim instead of more laps in the pool. Depending on the reasons you swim, you may find it more psychologically rewarding. It can certainly be just as productive for building your fitness.

Open water swimming is to pool swimming what trail running is to track running and can be a wonderful activity. It is a chance to get out and simply enjoy your surroundings.

You can stretch out your stroke and get into a rhythm that you can't achieve when there are walls every 25 or 50 meters.

 Don't Go Alone

Don't practice open water swimming alone. No matter how good a swimmer you are you should never swim alone. Swim with a friend or at an area with a lifeguard. In addition to safety, having another person around can help with your technique and motivation.

 Keep Safe and Warm

You should be fully clothed and wear shoes to avoid severe cuts or injury. Some swimmers like to use fins, hand paddles, a variety of clothes, boots or socks, neoprene balaclava hats and wet suits, especially during the colder weather if they want to spend more time in the water.

Stay relaxed when you jump in. Cold water can make you breathe more rapidly initially. Simply relax while your body adapts to the water temperature and with time it will adjust, usually after a minute. Concentrate on breathing deeply or visualise yourself handling the swim calmly. This will help you a lot.

The water between your skin and your clothes will warm up a bit after a while, especially if your wear waterproof clothes on top. You lose one third of your heat through the head, so put your hood up.

When swimming in salt water, particularly when wearing a wetsuit, you will be lifted further out of the water. The reach stroke needs to enter the water sooner, and body angle adjusted to compensate. Also, far less use of the legs is required than swimming in a pool.

 Surf Swimming

Perhaps the most challenging survival situation is sea survival. You must be resourceful to survive. Use the sidestroke or breaststroke to conserve strength.

Swimming out is fun and relatively easy as you jump over the waves or dive underneath them. This is exciting and challenging.

The real skill in getting back ashore safely. If the surf is moderate, ride in on a wave by swimming forward with it. Dive to a shallow depth to end the ride just before the wave breaks.

In high surf, try to swim toward shore in the trough between waves. When the seaward wave approaches, face it and submerge. After it passes, swim toward shore in the next trough.

If caught in the undertow of a large wave, push off the bottom or swim to the surface and proceed toward shore as above.

 Landing on a Rocky Shore

If you must land on a rocky shore, look for a place where the waves rush up onto the rocks. Avoid places where the waves explode with a high, white spray. Swim slowly when making your approach. You will need your strength to hold on to the rocks.

After selecting your landing point, advance behind a large wave into the breakers. Face toward shore and take a sitting position with your feet in front, 60 to 90 centimetres (2 or 3 feet) lower than your head. This position will let your feet absorb the shock when you land or strike submerged boulders or reefs.

If you do not reach shore behind the wave you picked, swim with your hands only. As the next wave approaches, take a sitting position with your feet forward. Repeat the procedure until you land.

Cross a rocky or coral reef as you would land on a rocky shore. Keep your feet close together and your knees slightly bent in a relaxed sitting posture to cushion the blows against the coral.

 Seaweed

Water is quieter downwind of a heavy growth of seaweed. On sunny days water near seaweed is also warmer.

Do not swim through the seaweed. If you can't avoid it, crawl over the top by grasping the vegetation with overhand movements.

 After your swim

Dress up warm and protect against windchill and sunburn with an anorak or poncho. Wind can cool you down fast, but inside a wind shell you're cosy and warm.

 Rinse your kit

Rinse all your clothes from salt water, lake water or pool clorine. All that stuff can rot your kit. If you rinse it under a tap most water will stay in. If your wear it under the shower (or in the bath) it should all come out. A washing machine is even better.