Introduction to Open Water Swimming
If you are new to open water swimming or racing your first triathlon or open water swim event, join us at Bray Lake for an introduction to open water. We appreciated that open water swimming can be a daunting experience for newcomers and even experienced pool swimmers. Our qualified coaching team are dedicated to supporting those new to open water swimming to ensure we create a safe and enjoyable environment.
We have two coached stages on offer and encourage anyone new to open water to at least attend stage 1 (£30) – novice intro to open water. Stage 2 will extend your knowledge and allow you to gain further open water experience in a controlled and supportive environment. We will help you to build your stamina and endurance to swim further with better technique and less effort. Numbers will be limited for all coached sessions within this series to ensure quality coaching time is dedicated to each participant and to create a Covid-safe environment.
Stages 1-2 can be purchased as a package for £55 (includes lake entry). To book the complete course, click here.
Stage 1 – Novice Intro to Open Water Swimming
Where: Bray Lake Watersport Centre, Monkey Island Lane, SL6 2EB (just off the Windsor Rd)
When: Various Tuesday and Thursday evenings from April to September 2022
Time: 6pm – 7:00pm evenings
Cost: £30 (including lake entry) or £55 for 2-session package
To book: Click here.
Ideal for 1st time open water swimmers regardless of swimming ability. (Minimum standard; you must be able to swim 200m, 8 lengths of 25m pool.)
Stage 1 covers
- Dry land introduction to open water and safety – in particular when in cooler water
- Dealing with fear / nerves, understanding anxiety and coping strategies
- Understanding open water environments (safety in lakes, rivers and the ocean)
- Putting on your wetsuit properly and using swim hats, neoprene hats, gloves, goggles and other equipment
- Open water adaptation, especially cold-water acclimatisation and awareness
- Entering the water for the first time, demisting goggles and awareness of your surroundings
- Guidance on breathing techniques in open water for front crawl and breaststroke
- Basic sighting in open water
Minimum distance covered 250m
Stage 2: Building your confidence.
This session moves on from the novice introduction and begins to take on the wider expanse of the lake.
Where: Bray Lake Watersport Centre, Monkey Island Lane, SL6 2EB (just off the Windsor Rd)
When: Certain Thursday from April to September 2020
Time: 6pm – 7:00pm evenings
Cost: £30 (including lake entry) or £55 for 2-session package
To book: Click here.
Stage 2 covers:
- A dry land recap of the key teaching points from stage 1
- A recap on managing nerves and breathing techniques in open water
- Acclimatisation to cooler water, and how to manage this
- Sighting and swimming in straight lines
- Improving your front crawl or breaststroke (focus on technique and breathing in order to swim smoother and more economically
Minimum distance covered 500m