Swimming Guides - OpenWaterHQ

Can You Swim in Women’s Board Shorts?

Whether you’re an avid swimmer, like to surf, or want to try new things, you may wonder what outfit to ...

What Are Volley Shorts? A Different Kind of Swim Trunk

If you’ve spent any amount of time shopping for board shorts you’ve probably come across volley shorts and wondered, what ...

Backwash vs Rinse – Which One Cleans Filters Better?

When you’re taking a relaxing dip in your pool, the last thing on your mind is how you’re going to ...

How to Tell if a Pool Is Saltwater or Chlorine

Most residential pools are chlorine pools, however saltwater pools are rapidly rising in popularity. The thing is, if you know ...

Can You Go Swimming With Eyelash Extensions?

Love swimming, but don’t want to ruin your beautiful eyelash extensions? Don’t fret! They are more resistant than you think ...

is open water swimming harder than a pool

Open Water vs Pool Swimming: Which One Is Harder?

Those of you who are strong swimmers but haven’t yet tried open water swimming before have some burning questions you ...

Is It Safe to Swim in Green Pool Water?

Is green pool water really that bad? If your pool water is green, that means that it has algae growing ...

Is Red Algae in the Pool Dangerous? What You Should Know

Even though you’re on top of your pool water care, one day you notice that your pool water, walls, steps, ...

How to Swim With a Mermaid Tail

After the release of Disney’s The Little Mermaid way back in 1989, young girls around the world wanted to become ...

How Should Swim Fins Fit? How to Get the Right One

Sometimes when I’m swimming, I’ll notice a lone fin floating along the water’s surface, and a swimmer frantically looking for ...

Open water swimming is pretty self-explanatory; it is simply swimming in any outdoor bodies of water including the open ocean, lakes, and even rivers. You can do it casually or competitively, such as in triathlons.

At the highest level, you can compete in prestigious competitions such as the FINA World Aquatics Championships, the FINA 10 km Marathon Swimming World Cup, and even at the Olympic Games. It is a discipline acknowledged across the world, as there are official events worldwide.

Wearing a wetsuit is highly recommended due to the risks involved with open water swimming. In competition, wetsuits are either permitted or restricted based on the distance of the swim and the water temperature.

In this section, we have compiled a list of all our guides related to open water swimming.