Before you dive into ocean swimming there are a couple of skills which will help you get out through the surfbreak quickly and efficiently. Getting these skills right will save you from wasting energy battling through the break and leave you with more energy for swimming and coming back in.
WADING
Wading is the fastest way to enter the water. This should be done in ankle to knee-depth water where it is too deep to run and too shallow to porpoise. Run through the water, lifting your legs up high to side and above the water level. Use your arms to counterbalance and be careful of holes under the surface of the water.
PORPOISING
When water is too deep to wade, dive forward underwater with hands first, dig hands into the sand and bring your feet forward to where your hands are and then drive forward pushing your legs to come up again and repeat. Do this until it is deep enough to swim, if the water then becomes shallow again transition back into porpoising until you can restart swimming.
DUCK-DIVE
As a wave approaches, dive under the water deep and early and stay under either by holding onto the sand or by swimming underwater with breaststroke, butterfly or freestyle kicks and breaststroke arm pulls until the wave has passed. This will prevent you from being dragged back with the wave. Once the wave has passed, your body will naturally pull up to the surface and come up with hands first ready to start swimming.
Put these skills into practice at one of our group ocean swimming sessions or book in for a private session to build your skills and confidence at your individual level in a private session. For more info click here.
