Tips for Swimming in Choppy Water

To successfully swim in choppy water you need to be able to adapt your stroke to the conditions on the day. A typical ‘pool swim stroke’ will be significantly slower on a choppy day than on a flat/calm day.

To adapt your swim stroke focus on:

High arm recovery to clear the chop on the surface of the water – reduces drag
Full arm extension before hand enters the water – maximise length of stroke & reduces drag from chop
Sighting frequently – stay in line with target
Sighting with just his eyes out of the water (like a crocodile) and then breathing to the side – maintains body position high in the water

Bonus Tip – swim with your dog for company

About the Author: Stephane Vander Bruggen

5x AG World Champion, Sub 9h Ironman athlete - Stephane originates from Belgium and spent many of his early years racing triathlon there. It is in Belgium through the influence of his parents that he fell in love with the sport. A natural competitor Stephane became a student of the sport always searching for ways to give him an edge over his competition. This constant study and striving for improvement has naturally progressed into a passion for coaching triathlon and its individual disciplines.