Pool versus OWS

Sounds like anxiety. Not a bad thing, the human body has multiple defenses built in to keep us safe. But just trust your training and push through it.

Have you trained in your wetsuit in the pool ?

Are you consciously focusing on keeping your form the same in open water as you do in the pool? Seems like a lot of the swimmers I see doing OWS for the first time respond by raising their heads to see better, which makes swimming a lot more fatiguing, which in turn increases anxiety. Kind of a vicious cycle.

My next step was to wear the wetsuit in the pool. I did get the next size up wetsuit because my older won had shrunk(Yeah Right). tight but not like the older one.

I try to keep the same form, I keep an easy stroke pace both in the pool and OWS.

There is a very good chance you haven't put the wetsuit on properly. A tri wetsuit is put on much differently than a surfing wetsuit, probably best to google it rather than me explain how to put it on. But basically it's a common problem, not putting it on correctly and ending up with it too tight on your chest and then having issues breathing, panic attacks etc.

I agree, but I'll try to explain. Inch up the wetsuit from the bottom up carefully. Make sure the wetsuit's leg V reaches well into your crotch area. Then do the same with your sleeves. Make sure you get it all the way up so that the wetsuit armpit area touches your armpits. Then get in the water and let some water into the wetsuit so it can expand a bit more. Feel the water reach your arms and legs completely.

Your breathing pattern may have changed also in open water since you can't see the line below you. Focus on a very aerobic effort and slow even breaths when you start out. Breath out through your nose slowly when your face is under water (don't hold your breath). Other than those 2 important things I can suggest, stick to your normal pool swim pattern.

I think you should try this too. But close your eyes when your face is under water to help simulate OWS conditions.

I had the same problem this summer. I did what the others have mentioned. OWS is different and you do need to practice. Some of my problems were anxiety from a tight wetsuit and not being able to see. My "aimer was broke" for the first two races due to poor sighting and I swam off course too much.

I would practice OWS swims more, wear your wetsuit in the pool and work on your breathing ensuring you exhale and don't hold your breath. Also swimming with your eyes closed is the pool is an excellent suggestion and lets you know which direction you tend to pull ( either right or left) and will identify weaknesses in your stroke for maintaining a direct line.

I did not appreciate the difference between swimming in the pool and OWS. Four or five additional swims really helped me and solved many of my issues. You also have to adjust to the rough starts you can have in the beginning of OWS. Starting to the side in the race so you can have clear water and stay in your rhythm helps until you get accustomed to the pounding you may experience at the start of races.

Do you do flip turns in the pool????

Lots of people doing open turns hang on the wall and get a break every lap, not even realizing they are doing it.

If you do an open turn in the pool never grab the wall, touch it with your finger tips only and go. Done correctly to simulate not stopping you should not have a chance to breath at the wall.

Have you ever swim in OW without the wetsuit?

Give this a try and it will soon tell you if it is a wetsuit related problem. It might not be. I had a similar issue but I wasn't wearing a wetsuit it totally came down to a minor panic attack that was stopping from exhaling when I put my face in the water. I have regularly swum in the ocean as well as the pool for my entire life so I still don't know what it is about.

It has gotten better but there are two things that I try and do each time I swim:
1. Get in early and get your head under, especially important if it is cold, you need to get your brain used to the change in temperature. I worry less about doing a warm up and more about just relaxing with my head under the water.
2. Concentrate for the first part of your swim on making sure you are exhaling under water and not holding your breath.

Good luck

Never learned flip turns, but I do try to make the wall turns as quick as possible. Started wearing the wetsuit in the pool and OWS. I am thinking it is a little of the OW anxiety and getting use to the wetsuit. It is getting better. One thing I noticed is a drastic amount of speed increase, with the wetsuit in the pool, on the level of 28 seconds faster per 100 meters.

Some people find that it helps to take a minute to just hang out in the water before an OWS. Swim a few short stretches, get loosened up, make adjustments to your wetsuit, get your face used to being in the cold water. A slow warm up makes all the difference for me. The more I do OWS, the less of a warm up I need, but I still find that it helps to stand in the water for a few seconds and swing my arms around and maybe put my head under the water.