Open Water Swim: Sighting and Navigation

This 45-minute open water session develops your sighting and navigation skills—essential for swimming straight and conserving energy on race day. Poor navigation can add significant distance to your swim, so mastering this skill pays dividends.

Session Overview

Duration: 45 minutes
Location: Open water (lake, river, or calm sea)
Total Distance: Approximately 1500-1800m
Intensity: Moderate with technique focus

Warm-Up (10 minutes)

• 200m easy swimming parallel to shore
• Focus on relaxed breathing and settling into your stroke
• Practice looking up briefly every 10-12 strokes to get comfortable with the head position

Main Set (30 minutes)

Drill 1: Heads-Up Freestyle (5 minutes)

• Swim 200m with your head permanently above water, looking forward
• This feels awkward and tiring—that’s intentional
• It helps you understand why efficient sighting uses minimal head lift
• Rest 60 seconds

Drill 2: Crocodile Eyes (8 minutes)

• 4 x 100m with 30 seconds rest between each
• Lift your eyes just above the waterline (like a crocodile) to sight
• Keep your forehead in the water, only eyes above surface
• Sight every 6 strokes, then breathe to the side as normal
• Focus on minimal disruption to your stroke rhythm

Drill 3: Progressive Sighting Frequency (12 minutes)

• 200m sighting every 3 strokes
• 200m sighting every 6 strokes
• 200m sighting every 9 strokes
• 30 seconds rest between each 200m
• Notice how sighting frequency affects your rhythm and speed
• Find the balance that works for you

Drill 4: Landmark Navigation (5 minutes)

• Choose a distant landmark (tree, building, buoy)
• Swim 300m directly towards it without looking down
• Sight regularly to maintain your line
• This simulates race conditions where you must navigate to a turn buoy

Cool-Down (5 minutes)

• 200m easy swimming
• Mix of freestyle and backstroke
• Focus on relaxed breathing and lowering your heart rate

Coaching Notes

Bilateral Breathing for Better Sighting: Practice breathing on both sides during this session. Bilateral breathing allows you to sight on one side and breathe on the other, maintaining rhythm without holding your breath.

Timing Your Sight: The optimal moment to sight is when your lead arm is extending forward. This is when your body position is highest in the water, requiring minimal extra lift.

Pack Swimming Preparation: In races, you’ll often sight whilst swimming near other athletes. This session builds the skills needed to navigate effectively even when your view is partially obscured by splashing and nearby swimmers.

Safety Reminder: Always swim with a buddy or group when practicing in open water. Use a tow float for visibility and bring a whistle in case you need assistance.

Progression

As this session becomes comfortable, increase the main set distance whilst maintaining technique quality. Advanced swimmers can practice sighting in choppier conditions or add race-pace intervals between sighting drills. The key is building the skill until sighting becomes an automatic part of your stroke, not a disruption to it.