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The Complete Guide to Open Water Swimming
What it really costs, what you really need, and how to decide if swimming in lakes, rivers, and oceans is for you - before you buy a single thing
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: What Is Open Water Swimming and Why People Love It
Let me paint a picture for you, because when people say "open water swimming," they could mean any number of things. They might mean a sunrise group swim at a city beach, where fifteen people in brightly colored swim caps bob in the water chatting before they head out on a loop around the buoy. They might mean a solo swimmer crossing a quiet alpine lake, the only sounds being their own breath and the occasional call of a bird. They might mean wading into the ocean off a sandy beach, powering past the breaking waves to where it flattens out into the rolling swell.
But on a practical day-to-day level, open water swimming just means this: you put on your swimsuit, you walk or paddle into a body of water that is not a chlorinated rectangle, and you swim from one point to another - or out to a marker and back. That's the whole thing. There's no lane rope, no tile line on the bottom, no wall to push off from, no heated water to a comfortable 84 degrees. There's just water, the sky, and whatever your body can do.
The first time you actually get in
Your first open water swim will likely not be graceful. You will probably stand at the water's edge for a few minutes, adjusting your goggles, wondering if you really brought the right gear. When you finally walk in, the