OWS vs pool

I don't think there is a physical aspect that is improved by OWS vs. pool.  But mentally, it's HUGH.  There are a billion (really, a billion) threads here about people panicking during the swim leg of their races.  OWS gets you out in the deep water where you can't touch the bottom or reach for the sides when/if you get tired.  OWS teaches you why it's good to know how to bilateral breath when the sun is in your eyes and/or waves are crashing over your face.  I've never read a post where someone 'panicked' in a pool swim.   

I just am thinking, "I am going to get a parasite, I am going to get a parasite...something is going to bite me-something is going to bite me-I can't see my hands...DEEP BREATH-get over it....omigosh-that nasty water got in MY mouth-YUCK...SWIM HARDER and get out!!!!  EEWWW!"  I probably should not watch Monsters Inside Me.

I trained only in a pool for the two tri's I did this year and didn't have any problems.  I did have the benefit from posts here so I had a good idea what it was going to be like.  I also hung back, away from the crowd and that helped a lot.  I was doing my races on small lakes on calm days so waves were not an issue.

I also would do some of my pool swims over race length without touching the bottom or standing and occasionally I would tread water in the deep end near the end of the swim.

advantages you will never have a dolphin swim along your side on a saturday 7 am practice swim in the pool.  /true story

Even Jelly Fish ???  
This time of year the Jelly fish are abundant. Did OWS on Monday and it was not too bad but it will probably be nasty for my Aug 30th race

OWS are far better and I prefer OWS to pool any day!  Advantages:

No walls to push off of.
No need to turn 180 degrees every 25 or 50 meters.
No counting laps.  Point A, point B and a watch and you know you TRUE swimming speed.
Learn to sight and swim in a straight line.
Learn to swim without the aid of crystal clear water and a black line guiding you.
Learn to swim with waves/current/tide.
No chemical smell/stink or irritants.
No loud, echoing sounds.
No yellow flouresent lighting.
Enjoy the sounds of nature and the feeling of the rising sun giving you energy.

Most triathlons are OWS, so why not train as close as possible to race conditions?  We have a golden rule of never try a food or drink on race day that you haven't trained with.  So why not the same apply for swimming?  Ask anyone who's done Escape From Alcatraz and they'll tell you that getting some practice OWS in San Fran Bay is probably one of the smartest things you can do.

I think its good to do them to get used to swimming in black water (aka can't see the bottom) and learning to breathe in a wake.

Said the man whose apparently lives on a lake. All great points and I agree 100%. I wish I had better access to more places where I can legally swim in open water. I'll do the occasional illegal river swim in the Schuylkill but would love a better, closer option.

I am glad somebody posted something on this issue.  How about for people who really only have the pool as an option?  The closest OWS option I have is 2 hours away - so the pool is the only training tool I have. 

I am going to do my first sprint tri in October, and am worried about panicking. 

What he said!!! 

I swim in a spring fed quarry that someone stocked with Blue gill and Perch
I would love to get permission to fish.
the water is so clear you see about 30 feet down.

This board should be called [email protected]

If you dont know something and cant back it up...dont post-Just confuses newbies...

Alright...There are physical advantages of training OWS...If you train in a 25yard pool you are pushing off every 20-25 seconds so really you are only swimming 15 yards at a time...for most triathletes it doesnt matter but for optimal performance you should (if possible) train once a week open water...We used to go to an olympic sized pool every week away from our normal 25m pool and believe me...it makes a difference...not to mention that you get to experience the choppy water and adjust your stroke...sea swimming is my favourite though...

Personal story---I was surfing down a wave in Oz in 1998 aged 18....dolphins on both sides...I will never forget it...stuff the pool

The question was whether you thought OWS was better than pool and why.  If you don't have access to swimable open water, than you can't do much OWS.  Youse do whatchya can do and that's all youse can do.

And for the record, 'yes'.  For a dude who lives on a big lake, you would think I would be a much faster swimmer than I actually am.  So it is a bit ironic.

I only OWS. I think I would get nervous if I had to turn at a wall, share a lane with another swimmer or try to swim on a straight line.

I don't glide for 10 yards after I push off the wall, plus I'm not always doing 1:20 100's. Hell, I don't think I've EVER done a 1:20 100.

Same here. I don't glide at all. I touch, turn around and start swimming. Basically have to start up my stroke again.
Some of us don't have access to open water so we have to make due with what we have.

Training in a pool makes you faster since you always know (or should know) your distance and pace, and can easily work to improve endurance and speed.  It also makes you a better swimmer since it's easier to work concentrate on technique and do drills and kicking.

Training in OW makes you a better triathlete because you're forced to learn to train as you race (sighting, no black lines, etc.).  It also makes you tougher mentally to be able to swim in groups and avoid panic.

Personally I think most all of your year-round training should be in pools so you become a better swimmer, though before and during triathlon season you need to get in a good few OW swims to be a better triathlete.

Brian 

 

As a pool competition swimmer, i started my first sprint triathlon last summer thinking i was in for a real chance at the front of the pack of the swim leg!!  I started off great and was at the front but once the pack came together, hands to feet, tugging, people over people, no room to get a good stroke in..........i started to panic because this is when i would usually try and touch the bottom, or hold onto the side of the pool!

If your starting off in triathlon's and cant get some decent OWS training sessions, ide recommend not getting caught up in the pack, take it easy and go at your own pace!!  If you do that, there is no reason why you will panic........and from there on, the more OWS's you do, the better you will get!!

There is a huge difference in the experience of a pool to OWS.  Nothing wrong with traning in the pool, just make sure you train with the right arm, kick and breathing techniques that you will need for your OWS......especially if its windy and those waves smack you around!!

I do about 2 out of three swims in the pool and the other in the sea.  I am very fortunate to live close to an excellent swimming area.  I will do drills and train in the pool, but just go for a long swim in the sea.

The benefit - 2 conversations overheard after a race.

1. Wow, the sea was perfect. (My friends I train with.  And I had to totally agree)

2.  Wow, that was hectic!  The sea was rough and there was a strong current.

My sister has had both experiences.  She moved to an area where OWS is near to impossible and she noticed the difference in this race.  Normally she would have thought the sea great but because she had only swum in a pool for the past year she battled a bit.

If you have access to a place where you are able to do OWS I would definitly recommend it.

For me, ow is just a lot more fun. Pool swimming is nice sometimes but I much prefer the ow. It's more of an adventure than a workout. Like, hiking in the moutains vs. walking on the treadmill in my garage.

If you post, don't post as though your words are an absolute, it just confuses everyone.

When I swim in a pool, I flip right at the wall, and use just enough push to not lose momentum. I'm not dolphin kicking 1/2 way down the pool, since I won't do that in a tri race.

John