There are three ways to know where you are going when you swim in the open water:

Swim “on the heels” of someone who is going at your pace. Their propulsion will create bubbles. The only danger of this approach is if you are following the triathlon equivalent of the town drunk: The swimmer who can’t swim straight if he was following a tow cable below the water’s surface. (You have seen this supposed “town drunk?”) Yeah, Ironman Lake Placid, 2017. We were like three blind mice. The blind leading the blind.

(Tarzan Swim?) Johnny Weismuller AKA Tarzan of the Apes

(Who?) Olympic gold medalist…google him.

If you need to see where you are going, this is the best way to get a clear shot of what is ahead of you. (So why not swim this way?)

Focus on a landmark and every four strokes tilt you head as you breathe to see where the marker is. In this race, the current is so strong, that you hand a left & swim straight to shore

(Is that where you bike is waiting for you?)

No, my bike is 1.5 miles downstream, but by banking hard left, I will be pulled down stream to my bike.

Remember, theses are shark infested waters.

You don’t have to outswim the sharks.. (You just have to outswim the person next to you.)

You are learning. (I tri) I see what you did there.

By David Roher