You are an open-water swimmer if…

Lots of swimmers do not even know what open-water swimming is: not only do they ignore it, but even if they are familiar with it they claim that the only interesting part of open-water races is the sprint finish, as if to point out that speed and sprinting are everything.

If you disagree with these assumptions, it is worth carrying on reading this article, which will tell you what your vocation is and whether it might be better for you to abandon chlorine-filled water for the time being, in order to experience the intoxicating feeling of the open waters! And who knows….it might even be love at first sight!

You are an open-water swimmer if…

Ready for the world ‘drafting’ championships

So-called drafting has no secrets for you: you can comfortably swim right on the toes of the athlete in front of you without even touching them! And you can the beat them all in a sprint finish, obviously without thanking them for the “ride”.

A racing suit is your second skin

You do not need to put on your racing suit just before the start of a race and then take it off as soon as you have finished your heat: you are used to putting it on in even the most tricky situations, everywhere from inside tiny beach hits to out on busy beaches, wrapped in nothing but a towel.

You are a master at dodging jellyfish

When you come across a scary jellyfish, you instinctively dodge around it in the most acrobatic ways, worthy of a circus performer!

The tumble turn is an optional

Your coach does not even acknowledge at the pool and has lost all hope of teaching you how to perform a proper tumble turn. But, when all is said and done, what good are tumble turns to you? The only time you will have to perform a proper turn is around a buoy!

The water was… murky?

Whatever the conditions are like in either the sea or lake, nothing will stop you and, even if you couldn’t see the bottom…..never mind! The important thing was to complete the course!

If you see yourself in any of these descriptions, then you are an open-water swimmer.

Now all you need to do is follow your true nature and start swimming longer distances…..let the season begin!

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