Open Water Swim Skills Beyond Sighting: Panic Control, Safety & Confidence

Sam showed up for their Sprint Triathlon back in 2023 and announced to everyone in the swim queue, “Today will be my first time swimming in open water ever!” Everyone laughed nervously—but guess what? About 150 yards in, Sam had to be pulled from the water. Tragic—and entirely avoidable.

Are you Fully Tri Swim Ready?

Sighting is Just the Start: Open Water Swim Skills Triathletes Need to Know

Here’s a hard truth: many triathletes show up on race day without ever doing an open water swim. Training all winter in the pool is smart—but expecting race-day success without real-world exposure? That can mean panic, going off course, or even putting yourself and others at risk.

It’s highly advisable to familiarize yourself with the actual swim conditions before race day. Picture this: you’ve clocked thousands of laps in a glassy pool—but then you start your triathlon in the Gulf or the Pacific.

Suddenly, your breathing and sighting become full-time jobs. Waves crash over your head, currents push you off-line, and dozens of swimmers are uncomfortably close. That’s not just disorienting—it can derail your performance and compromise safety.

Sighting is critical—no doubt about it. You can perfect your stroke indefinitely, but if you can’t swim in a straight line, you’ll waste energy covering extra distance.

Triathlete.com recently published excellent technical guidance on how to sight in open water—things like lifting your eyes just enough, timing your sight on wave tops, and maintaining momentum. Those are valuable cues for your toolkit. Triathlete

Still, sighting is only one puzzle piece. A truly successful—and even enjoyable—open water swim demands much more than a textbook technique.

Triathlon Swimmers in Open Water

The “Real World” Skills That Matter

Taming the Panic Murky water, no bottom in sight, and throngs of limbs everywhere—it’s enough to tick off your fight-or-flight instincts. Learning to control your breathing and reset mentally is non-negotiable. A good program teaches how to calm down and keep moving.

Navigating the Unpredictable Currents, waves, crowded swim lines—they’re regularly missing from pool training. But drafting, reading water movement, and staying adaptive can save energy and keep you on course.

Safety First A stray kick, a breach of space, a signal for help—these are situations triathletes can face. Handling them calmly and safely requires practice in group settings, not solo laps.

Articles Help, Practice Prepares

For foundational instruction, check out our earlier post: Open Water Swim Tips for Beginners. But nothing replaces real-world exposure. Aim for two open water swims before your event: one to shake out nerves, the other as a full dress rehearsal—from entry to exit.

Practice Makes Powerful The truth is, nothing replaces real time in open water. Even just two practice swims before race day can be a game changer—one to shake out nerves and one to rehearse strategy and test out gear. USA Triathlon says always go with a partner, find a safe lake, pond, or river where swimming is allowed, and log some yards. It’s the best insurance against panic, missed buoys, and wasted energy on race morning.

SBR Fun Open Water Swim Crew

Swim Ready: Fun Open Water Swims

For Central Texas Athletes If you’re local, our Swim Ready: Fun Open Water Swims offer lifeguard and kayak-supported sessions that feel just like race day—minus the pressure. With short and long course options, group dynamics, sighting practice, and in-water mentoring, you’ll walk away with the confidence to swim your best. Open to all levels of triathletes.