Open water swimming confidence: 3 pool techniques for stress-free outdoor swims
Open water swimming can feel like a different sport.
No black line.
No walls.
Cold water.
Chop.
Other swimmers everywhere.
If you’ve ever got into a lake & thought: “why does this feel harder?” – you’re not alone. The good news? A lot of open water confidence can be built in the pool. Rebecca Wetten, Co-Founder & Head Coach at Catch recommends three things to practise now, so your next outdoor swim feels calm instead of chaotic.
1. Sighting – look, then breathe
Sighting is when you lift your eyes to see where you’re going.
In open water, this is essential. Without it, you’ll zig-zag across a course, swim further than you need to, or drift off line completely.
The key is simple:
Sight, then breathe.
Lift your eyes forward briefly, then turn to the side to breathe as normal.
A common mistake is trying to breathe at the same time as lifting the head forward. It’s inefficient & tiring. Always breathe to the side.
How high should you lift?
- In calm water: just your eyes – think “crocodile eyes”
- In choppier conditions: you may need to lift slightly higher to see properly
How often?
Every 3, 4 or 6 strokes is a great starting point. I often take one sight to spot a buoy, then a second quick one to double-check direction.
You can practise this in every pool session. Pick a point at the end of the lane & rehearse it. The more automatic it feels indoors, the calmer it’ll feel outside.
If you’d like a full walkthrough of how to sight properly, I’ve broken it down step by step in this video:
2. Pacing – don’t go out like a rocket
Going out too fast is one of the most common mistakes in open water.
There’s adrenaline. There’s noise. There’s that slightly panicky excitement.
If you overcook the first few minutes, the rest of the swim feels a lot harder than it needs to.
The solution? Learn how to swim easy.
Not slow. Not lazy. Easy.
Easy pace is your “forever pace”:
- Breathing calm
- Arms smooth
- Kick light
- Effort around 1-3 out of 10
You should feel like you could hold it for a very long time.
Most swimmers do their warm ups too fast. Practising genuinely easy swimming in the pool builds your aerobic engine & teaches your body to stay relaxed under effort.
On race day, that control at the start is priceless.
3. Calm breathing in messy conditions
Busy pool sessions are actually brilliant preparation for open water.
Choppy lanes. Splashes. The occasional accidental mouthful.
Instead of getting frustrated, use it.
Crowded pools are also great practice for swimming near other people. Getting comfortable with bodies around you is a really useful open water skill – especially if you’re preparing for an event or triathlon.
When you turn to breathe:
- Keep your head low to the water
- Rotate your body & head together
- Keep one goggle in the water
- Take a quick breath & return your face down
If you accidentally swallow water, stay calm. Keep exhaling. Reset on the next breath.
Practising this in slightly messy pool conditions means it won’t throw you when it happens outdoors.
Confidence is built before you get outdoors
Open water doesn’t have to feel stressful.
If you practise:
- Sighting regularly
- Swimming genuinely easy
- Breathing calmly in imperfect conditions
- Feeling comfortable around other swimmers
You’ll turn up far more in control.
& that changes everything.
Want structured open water prep?
Inside Catch Gold, you learn these skills step by step & pair them with a personalised training plan built around your swim goals.
So you’re not guessing what to practise – you’re progressing with purpose.
Use our discount code NOWCA26 to get £25 off your Catch Gold membership.
Outdoor confidence isn’t something you’re born with.
It’s something you train.
Not a NOWCA member yet? Sign up now on our free ACTiO app or NOWCA Wild app.
