open water swimming non-crawl

kelly_e_montana

Okay here is the deal. I absolutely despise front crawl (I don't know why people call it freestyle, but whatever) swimming. I always have. I took lessons and lessons on it as a kid and it was always my least favorite.

I don't want to swim for speed. I only want to swim for myself, across some nearby bodies of water, about 1-3 miles across. I like the breast stroke and can swim at least a mile right now with break stroke. I also like side stroke. I don't know how to do the U.S. Navy Combat stroke, but I understand see it has some elements of the side stroke,which I enjoy. I understand it can be used for distances.

Is there any reason I need to do front crawl? Or can I do one of my existing strokes? Or just learn the combat stroke? Or maybe it's that I don't feel a good correlation between my upper and lower body in the front crawl and I should learn total immersion? I also don't like my face position/ears position in front crawl.

What do you think? I don't want to compete. I just want to be able to swim 2 or 3 miles in a lake. I won't be able to afford a lot of lessons, maybe just a few.

sarkazm

Hi Kelly! Crawl is going to be the most efficient, so it's going to be the best for longer time and distance. A proper breast stroke will give you a great core workout, but it will also wear you down much quicker. Having said all that, you should go with whichever stroke that is comfortable for you! Unfortunately I have not swam for distance in quite some time, but when I did, it was mostly crawl. But I also used side and back stroke to mix it up. Backstroke can be quite relaxing.

jamiek917

^^ i disagree. different strokes for different folks (pun intended)

i was on swim teams from age 9-17, and now do triathlons. i am great at freestyle/front crawl for sprint distance only--- but breast stroke is what i can do for the long haul. for long swims in the pool, i rotate free, back and breast (never was a good butterflyer). in open water, i do freestyle/crawl as long as i can, because it IS typically the fastest, but i use breast stroke quite often, and occasionally flip to backstroke when i want a breather.

long story short, do whatever stroke you are most comfortable doing. as long as you recognize that it might take longer if you mainly do breast stroke- then thats fine. i like rotating the strokes, to give certain muscles a break and to alleviate boredom... but to each his/her own.

good luck

jamiek917

btw, i meant i disagreed wioth what stroke will wear you down. the crawl wears me out, but i can breast stroke all day.

diver71_au

The effort required to lift your arms clear of the water tires you out over a longer distance particularly in open water. Breast or sidestroke are the better strokes for endurance. Front Crawl is a faster stroke better used in competitive swimming.

As an aside freestyle was actually the name of the competitive swimming event where the competitors could swim any stroke they chose. Over the years everyone started to swim front crawl for this even because it was the fastest stroke and the name has become synonomous with freestyle.

yogicarl

I used to go anaerobic very quickly and have to stop or tread water to get my breath back until I took lessons with a swim coach and learned to turn slightly side to side even when not taking a breath and laying my ear along the leading arm and turning my head up only as high as to get the breath whereas before I was lifting my head and arching my back to breathe. Looking across just above the water line rather than up at the sky.

Also, holding the arms further out from the torso with forearms more like a paddleboat and recovering the stroke sooner at hip level, rather than close in with straighter arms and scooting the stroke right past my hips. Also spreading my fingers slightly like a webbed hand to help claw back the maximum amount of water on each stroke.

Once my stroke was sorted, I am now able to go for much longer.

snowflake954

bump

sarkazm

I absolutely agree with doing whatever you're most comfortable with.
...But effort to take your arms out of the water? Really? You do realize that a proper breaststroke should thrust you up (your upper body) and forward? And the kick is is nowhere near as streamlined as a flutter kick. The kick on a breaststroke introduces more drag which also slows you down... causing more work.

Obviously if you are use to a particular stroke, and you can do it for a long distance... that's what you should use.

kelly_e_montana

Thanks you guys. This is very helpful! Since I like the strokes I am currently using, I will continue to use them. They just feel more natural to me and are relaxing, and relaxing is what I want for a long swim.

MissySpring

I agree, swim the stroke that is most comfortable to you. I, personally, divide my workout (resistance pool) into 20 minutes each of 3 strokes...free, breast, and back. I've been working up to butterfly but can only do it for a limited time. Enjoy your swim!