How To Swim in a Straight Line in the Open Water

For the moment, let’s say you are in the middle of the ocean with no land, trees, buildings, shoreline, boats, buoys, or other swimmers in sight. It’s a windless, cloudy day which is good for your vision. But without the sun, you have no sense of direction at all. And you’re getting no hint from the wind either. What to do? You are having a bad dream. Wake up! Or start taking notes for your next adventure novel. In reality, you will have most if not all of these things: land, shoreline, trees, boats, buoys, other swimmers, sun, and wind.  You can probably see where this is going.

First of all, you need to be able to see where you are going. Wear goggles that will help you. Reflective goggles are recommended. If the day is bright and sunny, wear highly tinted goggles. If the day is overcast, wear less tinted goggles. This means you might have to bring more than one pair of goggles to your swim so you can make a last minute decision.  If you are starting your swim in the dark and ending it in the day, plan for the brightest light. Now you can see.

Now you can see a little bit. Your eyes will be about 3 inches above the waterline. Waves will interfere with your sightline making even big and bright buoys and other swimmers difficult to see. You will need something to look at that is higher than the next wave. The shoreline is good. A rocky cliff is better. Trees are good. Tall buildings are good. Smokestacks can work. Before you enter the water, make sure you know what your sight marks will be. After you enter the water, stop and look around. Make sure your sight marks are still good.

In Lake Erie, I tell swimmers that if they can see Canada, they are off course. A little bit of humor there. Just make sure you lift your head and take a quick look every few strokes.  How many strokes is up to you. It depends on circumstances.  I breathe on my left. If the Lake Erie cliffs are on my left, I don’t have to lift my head at all. If the cliffs are on my right, I have to alternate breathe from time to time.  If I don’t have a shoreline to steer by and my target is straight ahead, I’ll lift my head every 6 to 10 strokes.