Swimming Guides - OpenWaterHQ

Should You Wet Your Goggles Before Swimming?

Don’t you just hate it when your swim goggles fog up? I remember when I was a kid, I heard ...

Do You Wear Goggles Over or Under Swim Caps?

Swimmers who are serious about their swimming performance need to wear a swim cap in addition to their goggles. However, ...

Can You Forget How to Swim & What to Do About It

How good is your memory? When asked, most people would probably answer that they have a decent memory. But I ...

Can You Go Swimming in Socks?

In the privacy of your own pool, you can swim wearing whatever clothing you want; you’ll be the one dealing ...

Is It Bad to Stay in the Pool for Hours at a Time?

Have you ever experienced such hot summer days to the point that you feel lethargic and want to just laze ...

Advantages and Disadvantages of Salt Water Pools

Are you looking to install your own pool and want to avoid the negative health effects that chlorine pools can ...

Are Salt Water Pools Good for Your Skin? & More Benefits

If you’re not a fan of the downsides that a chlorine pool has, consider getting a saltwater pool installed instead ...

The Long Term Effects of Chlorine on Swimmers

Some alarming results from studies conducted in recent years have people concerned about chemical by-products and other waste products affecting ...

Is It Bad to Swim in Chlorine Everyday?

Chlorine kills harmful microbes in the water to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases and prevent algae growth. It is ...

Benefits and Downsides of Chlorine on Skin

It’s no secret that frequent exposure to chlorine can lead to dry and irritated skin, among other side effects. Yet, ...

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.