Open Water Here We Come!

The exciting season of Open Water Swimming is (almost) here! A few brave souls have put a toe or more in the water already.  Here are a few thoughts about getting yourself ready - written especially with the new OW swimmers in mind.  We're excited to see you out there! 
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First - a word about the current water temps. Usually by early May,  many triathletes would have done a couple of OW swims by now,  but 2022 is a different story.  As of today (May 10, 2022) the water is much colder than usual.    Look at the temperature of Lake Meridian in Kent, WA the last few years according to Lake Monster:

5/10/2019 - 62.7°
5/10/2020 - 67.5°
5/10/2021 - 67.0°
5/10/2022 - 56.7°!!

That's a big drop from normal and not a surprise given April's crummy weather.  Is 56° swimmable?  Sure.  Is 65+° better? Absolutely.  65° allows your body's energy to focus on effort instead of staying warm.  When your body gets cold, it sends the blood to the interior to keep our vital organs warm. (They're not called 'vital' for nothing)  Our brains don't consider arms and legs to be a priority when our body temperature drops, and the time you spend training in the very cold water won't yield the same training benefit you get in warmer water.  So if you can stand it, wait until we have a good warm stretch of warm, dry weather and keep training in the pool.

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Raise the Bar has been hanging out with open water swimmers for almost 20 years now and we've been producing events with swims since 2008 so we've met a ton of new OW swimmers.  Often those first few swims bring some unexpected challenges because the conditions are so different from the pool.  Here are a few thoughts that could help you have fun & productive early-season swims. 

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Watersport suit on the left, Swim-specific on the right. Click the image for more details on the differences.

• ​Swim in a wetsuit designed for OW swimming.  Our favorite is blueseventy. Swim-specific suits have a smooth, shiny exterior and a fabric-feeling interior. Swimming in anything else will be a STRUGGLE. Read this article for more details.
• Plan a short first swim. 10 or 15 minutes is perfect.  Swim slowly, breathe deeply and think about how cool it is that you're in the open water.  Congratulate yourself when you get back to shore - not matter how you think it went. You did it!
• Go with a friend or with a group.  Of course that's a good safety measure, but being with other swimmers adds a nice layer of distraction and encouragement.  Cold water loves company! 
• Pour a gallon of warm water down your wetsuit after you put it on. The neoprene  will absorb the warm water instead of the colder lake water and you'll be warmer  from the very start.  
• The neck of your beautiful, expensive wetsuit might seem too tight at first - this is super common.  Resist the urge to take scissors to it.  Swim in it a few times and ask a coach or experienced swimmers  what they think about the fit.

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• Plan a weekly open water swim - but stay in the pool for an interval workout or two during the spring and summer. The best training for race season includes those longer steady distance swims in the OW combined with hard intervals to keep your strength and speed.  RTB's Open Water Wednesdays are workouts that do both that you might think about including in your training.  
• If you're a little anxious about hitting the open water, we suggest you wait for some warmer temps! We've never seen cold water calm nerves.  ;)
• Please....don't make your first OW swim on a race day!

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There are many more great tips in this article Blueseventy posted on Open Water Swimming a few years ago and the info still applies. If you are gearing and psyching up for some early open water swims, read it!  They suggest some super helpful open water accessories (thermal caps, gloves, booties) that are in full supply at Northwest Tri & Bike. Head over and stock up and we'll see you on shore soon. ​

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Submitted by Patty Swedberg.  patty@weraisethebar.com.  Please submit your own tips and suggestions in the Comments!