Ocean Swim vs. Pool swim

[T3l Ca7]

Earlier this week, I have deceided and registered myself up for an Ocean swim competition.

The competition is a coast to coast race about 2.2km - 2.5km long. I have checked the past record: it takes competitors about 24mins(first) -65 mins(last) to finish the whole course.

Last night, I went to the swimming pool and did some laps. It took me about 50 minutes for 2km and I was swimming leisurely. I am fairly confident that if I try, I can finish 2km in about 40-45 mins. Using interpolation, 2.2km - 2.5km would take me about 50 or so mins.

Now swim in the ocean is different to swim in a pool. In the ocean there are many factors that would affect performance - although it does not necessarily make you slower. Especially since you typically go out of the beach using a rip and come back through a break.

I am wondering whether someone here has personal experience in coast to coast swim and can tell me what kind of time difference one would get between swim 2km in a pool and swim 2km in the ocean?

[Dameon Angell]

Depending on the waves, you'll be going 2x as slow, I'd think.

[Scurvy]

sorry, i've only ever done the ididerod. mush!

[schope]

[Subjugation]

My ass would drown. I like to hike in the mountains, but I suck at staying afloat in water. :turned: GL, though.

[D1st0rt]

are you fucking serious?

[Saturn V]

No, I only swim across channels. Sorry.

[Zerzera]

hm, I once tried to swim to England over the channel, but I had to give up and go back when I was halfway.

[za gophar]

having swum out over a mile into the atlantic and gotten a coast guard helicopter sent out for me, and having been on a swim team for the better part of my life, i think i am the one to answer your question. you will go slower in the ocean. the waves slow you down, and you dont have walls to push off of when you do flip turns. i am assuming you did flipturns, though, you may not have. otherwise, the waves will slow you down as well as the possible lack of something to keep you going in a straight line. so in a nutshell, try to swim in a straight line, swim under big waves, and as that one fish from finding nemo said, "just keep swimming."

[Displaced]

i didnt know they allowed the mentally challenged to participate in swim competitions....

[project dragon]

hm, I once tried to swim to England over the channel, but I had to give up and go back when I was halfway.

...

[Zeebu]

im with you za, i jsut ended my swimming "career" of 12 years a few months ago in feb. if you go the same pace in the pool youre looking at just under 60 minutes or so for a mile and a half (~2.5 k). za is right though, plan on going much slower in the ocean. but maybe youre a decent open water swimmer, i am pitiful in the open water. my fat ass can probably still take a mile in the pool just under 20 minutes, but in the open water i wouldnt even want to know what i could do.

(i dont know much about open water, but i have trouble believing someone is doing 2.5k in 24 minutes... that is about 15.38 a mile... that is fast in a pool, let alone open water. i found this article of some olympic swimmers doing an open water "mile" 1.5k in this case in 21 minutes and something http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m...12/ai_n9157251 )

how long have you been swimming, and do you have much open water experience?

[T3l Ca7]

First of all, thanks to all the people who have been supportive in this thread, especially to Za and Zeebu for the info.

how long have you been swimming, and do you have much open water experience?

I have been swimming 3 times a week for the past 2 years. I am not an elite swimmer, but I am fairly decent for an amateur. I do not do real open water swims but I come here often:



I know it is exactly 'open' water, but it is in the ocean and you get big waves on windy days (and big fishes down the bottom :fear: ). Once I saw a baby stingray there :wub:

The reason I have chosen to do this is that I knew it would be safe ... safer at least to swim amongst 1000+ other people with life guards on kayaks all over in the region.

The other thing is that I need to be able to identify rips and breaks - any ideas?

[genocidal]

The other thing is that I need to be able to identify rips and breaks - any ideas?

Uh just don't swim when the tide is pulling you out? I thought this was common knowledge of how not to drown - but maybe I just think that because I grew up 10 minutes away from the beach. I don't ever think about identifying rips or breaks nor do I worry about being around people when I swim. I swam in an abandoned beach with 3 friends during a hurricane once and it was probably the most fun I've ever had at the beach. If you just don't panic you'll be totally fine. Some people will say swimming drunk during a red flag but if you aren't a dumbass you'll be fine.

In your case though I'm sure you need to think about things like which foot to put forward, when to inhale and exhale, and how many times to chew food before swallowing so some extra studying will probably do you well.

[Zeebu]

the best advice i can give you is find someone that is about the same level as you and draft off of them. Better yet, find a group. Usually in large open water swims, that would be the case for most. Usually draft a little less than a meter behind a person or so and pace them. dont get all up in their grillzzzzz and start smackin their toes or anything, but you'll find this MUCH easier to move through the water if the water is already goin the way you want it to go. Like i said, I'm not an open water swimmer, but this is true in all swimming cases.

You can do this in distance races in a lap pool w/lanelines to a certain extent if the person in the other lane allows it.

oh well, good luck