Swimming Guides - OpenWaterHQ

Are Shorty Wetsuits Good for Swimming?

If you plan on going open water swimming, you need to know the water temperature for the period of time ...

Can You Get a Concussion From Diving into Water? (+Other Risk Factors)

Swimming, and water resistance in general is often described as “low-impact.” There is a belief that swimming is very safe, ...

Can You Swim Laps with a Full Face Snorkel Mask?

Many swimmers and full face snorkel mask owners have wondered if they could swim laps with their full face mask ...

How Much Faster Can You Swim with Flippers?

Whether you’re swimming, snorkeling, freediving, or scuba diving, you will be able to do it more easily thanks to the ...

can swimming and treading water build muscle

Does Swimming and Treading Water Build Muscle?

Swimming has always been a popular sport thanks to the intensive coverage it’s given during the Summer Olympic Games. Many ...

Treading Water vs. Swimming Laps – Which is Better?

While it seems like the only thing treading water and swimming laps have in common is that they are both ...

Can You Swim with Contact Lenses Under Goggles?

If you normally wear contacts in your daily life and are thinking of going swimming, you might be wondering if ...

How to Tread Water – Top Methods to Stay Afloat

One of the most basic things to learn when you’re first getting started with swimming is how to tread water ...

how many calories can you burn treading water

How Many Calories Does Treading Water Burn?

It is common knowledge by now that swimming is a fantastic way to burn calories and shed those pounds. Some ...

Can You Open Your Eyes in the Ocean?

If you don’t have much experience with swimming or water sports in general, you might reasonably wonder why everybody seems ...

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.