Do you dread going for a swim in open water? I get that. Many people (including me) dread the open water. Some practical tips can therefore help you enormously in a good first experience with lifeguard training.
.jpeg)
1. Take someone with you:
if you are going to swim in open water for the first time, it is absolutely advisable to take someone with you. Maybe you know someone who lives on the water and has a boat / canoe. This person can then sail with you. Or else someone can keep an eye on you from the side. Or maybe you know a swimmer with more open water experience. You can also go swimming together. Another option is to join an open water training.
2. Practice your swimming technique:
Good preparation is half the job. Before you start swimming in open water, go for a swim in the pool more often. In the pool you can often practice your swimming technique and endurance a little more relaxed. The better prepared you are, the easier it will be for you to relax in open water swimming.
3. Practice Watching:
In the pool you have nothing to do with it, but in open water looking and keeping direction is super important. Practice this in the pool beforehand so you can master the technique when you first swim in open water. This gives you confidence that you can keep your direction in the open water.
Some combine watching with breathing. I don't do that myself. I lift my head slightly straight in front of me between two strokes. Not far enough to even breathe. Only my eyes come out of the water. This has the advantage that you do not have to take your head out of the water as far as when you combine viewing and breathing. The further your head is out of the water, the more your legs sink.
4. Watch your breathing:
Breathing is an important part of swimming anyway. This is just as true in the open water. Practice breathing well in the pool beforehand. Go for an easy-to-maintain rhythm. Bilateral (ie both left and right) breathing is normally preferred. But many swimmers have a preferred side. If you also breathe easier on one side, it is best to hold it in the open water in the beginning. In the beginning it is mainly about being comfortable in the water.
Above all, keep your peace. If you just jump into the water, the cold water can overwhelm you. A steady and calm breathing rhythm then helps you to swim in your normal stroke rate with Lifeguard recertification usa .
Also read about: Spring has begun! Tips for swimming in the open water
5. Take a lesson / clinic:
Open water swimming lessons are regularly given throughout the Netherlands. There are special courses. But there are also days when you can just join (often you have to register in advance). You will go out with a group and you will receive some explanation beforehand. This makes it a lot less exciting than when you go alone. Most triathlon clubs regularly provide open water training during the summer season. Some swimming clubs also organize this in the summer months.