Swimming Guides - OpenWaterHQ

Disadvantages of Swimming and How to Address Them

Everything has their pros and cons, and even things with a lot of upsides come with their share of downsides ...

What Are the 10 Safety Tips for Swimming?

Did you know that drowning is the most common cause of death among children 1-4 years of age? And according ...

What Benefits Does Swimming Provide for Your Skin?

You’ve probably heard (or personally experienced) horror stories of people getting horrifically dried out skin and hair after an entire ...

The Hidden Benefits of Swimming in the Morning

There are two types of people in the world: early risers, and normal people. I am going to be brutally ...

Don’t Miss Out on the Social Benefits of Swimming

Many people already know about the physical benefits that swimming provides, but an underrated aspect of swimming is how it ...

Why Is It Important to Follow Safety Rules in Swimming?

Raise your hand if you’ve ever broken a rule before? I’m willing to bet every single person reading this article ...

Why Is It Important Not to Swim Alone?

Even though we may have evolved from fish, humans sure as heck aren’t suited to surviving in the water anymore ...

Is It Safe to Go Swimming Alone in the Pool?

You’ve heard it over and over again: you shouldn’t swim alone in general, and the pool is no exception. While ...

Why (Nearly) Everyone Can Learn How to Swim

According to a Gallup poll, the majority of people worldwide cannot swim and women account for most of these numbers ...

Swimming Is Not Just Important, It’s an Essential Life Skill

Claiming that swimming is an essential life skill that everybody should know is not as hyperbolic as it sounds. Technically, ...

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.