Race Preparation: Many of the things you do leading up to the race are just as important as the things you will do come race day. Swim with your race escort, practicing feeding and developing a system of communication. Research the venue, even if you can’t do it until the day of the event. Study the course map, and swim the course if possible, making note of notable landmarks and buoy locations.  Know what kind of a start/finish it will be, and for beach starts and finishes, inspect the bottom for rocks, pitch, seaweed, etc. and make a mental note of when you will need to start swimming or running, and if you will be able to dolphin.  If it is an ocean race, study the movement of the water and identify the direction and strength of currents.

Drafting and Positioning: Find out as much about your competitors as you can, their strategies, pace, etc, and use this information to identify competitors to pace with and draft off of.  Drafting in the bow wave of another swimmer (best positioning is directly behind or to the side right at the swimmer’s hip) represents about a substantial assist, so ideally find a swimmer that swims 2-3 seconds per hundred faster than you. Drafting will not only make you faster but save you energy for the sprint into the finish. However, as a word of caution, be careful not to limit yourself by trying to draft off of someone going too slow for you.  Be prepared to sprint to catch up with competitors holding an appropriate pace for you. Lastly, be careful not to get boxed in.  Try to stay on the outside of the pack.

Starts and Finishes: Depending on the race, the start may involve a handful of swimmers or hundreds of them!  Knowing your limits is the key to open water starts.  If you are a front pack swimmer comfortable with competitor contact, push your way to the front before the race starts and go for it!  If you are a slower swimmer or are likely to feel anxious in the chaos,  hang tight in the back and wait for things to calm down.  It is not uncommon for swimmers to be grabbed, dunked, kicked, scratched, have their cap and goggles ripped off, etc. at the start.  Although intentional competitor contact is illegal, the reality is that it can be hard for an official to distinguish intentional and inadvertent contact, and in any case, to see the contact at all!  Small preparations such as greasing your ankles, putting your goggles on under your cap, or adhering them with duct tape goes a long way.  Attaching a small flotation device to your goggles is a good idea, ensuring that your goggles float if they are removed.

Finishes are much less chaotic than starts, but can still be very competitive and conducive to competitor contact.  Usually there is a course marker, buoy, or finish gate that every swimmer must make.  Know these and pay close attention.  There is nothing worse than swimming and racing well only to find at the end of the race that you have been disqualified for swimming on the wrong side of the finish buoy!

In any case, it is important to remember that strategy and competitor contact is inherent in many open water swims, and every swimmer should be prepared, both physically and mentally, to deal with these circumstances and to not take it personally!