How to be a better Wild Swimmer
One of the best things that I have done in the past three years is have open water swimming lessons.
Even though I swam a great deal as child, in the cold Cornish sea and unheated outdoor pools (or to some more like ponds!) and indoor pools, I was never that good and definitely not confident in dark waters.
However, I have now improved enough to swim front crawl in rivers, North Cornish seas, marine lakes and inland waters. I am not fast and I do not want to compete, but I LOVE it.
The physical feeling of my body lengthening under the water; the strength it requires to propel me forwards and the the therapeutic “bubble, bubble, breathe’. For me it is a wonderful ‘mindfulness’ activity. It ticks all my boxes as I focus on the moment, the physicality required and being outside.
However, it is not at all easy. Technically there is so much that enhances both performance and subsequent enjoyment. I am still learning and know I will need instruction for many years to come, to keep me on course.
Here are some tips from an expert that might inspire and help you on your swimming journey by Kate Rew, founder of the Outdoor Swimming Society.
Saturday June 04 2022, 12.01am, The Times
Be it in the sea, a river, a lido or a lake, we’ve fallen in love with outdoor swimming. But what about our technique? The physicality and athleticism of swimming is a huge part of its appeal to me. Great technique requires strength, flexibility, stamina and coordination. However you do it, swimming involves a set of skills that you can be a student of for the rest of your life. The most important thing is to enjoy it.
Front crawl - for speed and endurance
Front crawl is an energy-efficient stroke that offers speed when you need it. It uses all the main muscle groups, and is an excellent way to build fitness and endurance. Good technique is not just about where your arms and legs go, it is also about relaxing in the water, having awareness of your body in space, and learning to float.
How to do it Better
1 Look down. Your neck should be long and extended. When your head tips down, your feet bob up, creating a much more efficient body position in the water. It should feel like swimming downhill.
2 Breathe out underwater. Getting a handle on easy breathing is when things really start to come together, but one of the most common mistakes people make is not breathing out underwater, so when they turn their head to breathe, they are trying to breathe out and in in one go.
3 Climb the ladder. When your hand enters the water it should be in a line with your shoulder. Seen from above it might look as if you are climbing a ladder. Front crawl is all about rotation with your arm out as one strut of the ladder, and your hand a flat hold on the water. This is the position from which you can rotate fully and which sends your arm out further. The longer the rotation, the faster and further each stroke.
4 Aim for a flattish, wide-hand entry. Keep your hand relaxed and fingers slightly apart. The hand goes into the water slightly downhill (not along the surface).
5 Practise high elbows. Your elbow should be the first part of your arm out of the water and the last part to be submerged.
6 Develop a lazy kick. The kick uses up a lot of energy for little addition to speed, so in longer-distance front crawl, swimmers develop a lazy kick — just enough to keep the legs up and position streamlined in the water, horizontal. Unless you are getting cold, in which case kick more.
7 Your arms should not move like a windmill, constantly opposed to each other. There should be a point in each stroke where the front hand is outstretched and the second arm is also forward of your head. Then you start the catch.
Breast Stroke- it’s all about your core
While not as fast as front crawl, breaststroke is a robust, seaworthy stroke and until the 1960s was the go-to stroke in marathon swimming.
How to do it better
1 Have the sense of swimming downhill. Contract your core to keep your hips and legs high. A strong core is key to the whole stroke, while the kick also uses core strength. Your body follows your head, so don’t lift it unnecessarily high to breathe otherwise your hips and legs will drop, creating drag. Think of charging forward, rather than moving up and down.
2 Stretch yourself into a torpedo shape in every single stroke. Fleetingly, everything should be tight and streamlined: hands and arms forward, legs squeezed together, toes pointed.
3 “Reach long, kick strong.” A good strong kick is vital — around half the power of the stroke comes from the legs. A strong kick needs strong legs and buttocks.
4 Work on flexibility in your knees, hips and ankles. This will give you full range of motion in the kick. Heels should come to your bottom, and feet be flexed so toes come towards your shins.
5 You do not need to kick too wide. Just over hip-width apart.
6 Recover quickly between the pull and the kick. Whip back into position so momentum is constant.
Side stroke is more useful than you think
This is good for resting. Outdoor swimmers can use it to quietly approach wildlife without causing alarm. It’s also used in lifesaving to tow people.
How to do it Better
1 Swim as level as you can.
2 Move the arms in unison, the lower arm propelling you forwards while the upper arm maintains balance
3 Use a fluid scissor kick, with both legs bent slightly at the knees. The kick should be wide, to provide more thrust, and slow.
Embrace the doggy paddle
There is a view of doggy paddle not being swimming properly, yet it is instinctive to children because it keeps their heads above water. Embrace it! It’s a stroke that gives novice swimmers confidence, enabling them to move around and enjoy the experience. There are many variations in leg movements: legs bicycling, doing a flutter kick or frog kick.
Floating
Who says you can’t go out for a swim and then just lie back and float? Floating is the start of all swimming: the human body is lighter than water, so we can all float. Our lungs are like two balloons and if we relax and fill them up with air, they buoy us up. It is easier to float when we are relaxed, confident and breathing deeply.
It is important to learn to float for emergencies. If you or a fellow swimmer becomes panicked, inhales water or starts to cough you will often tend to stop swimming, put your head up to breathe, go from horizontal to vertical in the water, and at that point start to sink. Things can then get worse if you end up taking on more water and panic further. The solution to this is to learn how to move on to your back to float: in this position your face is out of the water you can regulate breathing and maintain calm. It should be practised so that it is familiar if ever needed.
Try this by going into shallow water and bending your knees until the water touches your chin. Lean your head back till there is water in your ears, extend your arms above your head, take a deep breath, take a step backwards and you will find your legs want to rise and you are floating on your back. Tip your head back so your nose and mouth are out of the water. The head is heavy: let go of tension in the neck and shoulders so it can fall backwards, keeping your nostrils above water and yourself buoyant. Spread your arms out, either to your sides or, if you are to float for an extended period, spread out above your head. Breathe — filling your lungs will increase buoyancy. Push your stomach and hips up. Scull with your hands and, if necessary, kick lightly with your feet to keep them close to the surface of the water.
Teaching children and weaker swimmers to lie on their backs to float is one of the most useful things you can do at the start of the summer. It’s a lifesaving skill that also breeds confidence in water.
Snorkelling
Invest in good goggles or mask with a good seal. Use diluted baby shampoo to keep them clear of fog. Flippers make big differences. A lifejacket is useful so you can bob about, as is something that makes you highly visible. Try a weighted dive belt that makes it easier to dive underwater.
Extracted from The Outdoor Swimmers’ Handbook by Kate Rew, published on June 9 (Rider, £22)
I would also recommend Angela Jones’s book:
"Wild Swimming - The River Wye"