Starting swimming, any advice?

[wonko]

Anyone have any good tips on breathing with front crawl? I just don't seem to be able to get my face out the water far enough without breathing in loads of water.

You might be better off asking advice from someone that can see what you're doing (lifeguards may also teach and are often willing to help if it's quiet). A few things that helped me while I was getting going might help:
- find a stroke rate/breathing rate that works for you so you can practice without gasping for breath. When I first started, I needed every breath but it gets easier and now missing a breath or two doesn't involve calling an ambulance
- breathe out fully underwater so you only have to breathe in while your head's turned
- if you're not rolling your body then your neck has to turn further and you have less time to breath in
- your head creates a wake and there's a low 'trough' to breath in if you're going fast enough and your head is positioned right

Be careful the S doesn't fall off

It took me a minute to get that

 

[milko]

Anyone have any good tips on breathing with front crawl? I just don't seem to be able to get my face out the water far enough without breathing in loads of water.

If you're doing it right, you only have to turn your head sideways to breathe, you don't lift it at all. Your head makes a 'bow wave' which clears enough air space for you to get a breath in. Lifting your head will slow you down a lot and mess up your technique, making everything harder.

A google image search will demonstrate.

 

[GSVBagpuss]

From the triathlete's I know, fast swimming is all about technique. Splashing about like a sinking concrete block is better for cardio feelz though amirite?

 

[The_Baron]

Get the Total Immersion book from Amazon. Ever so slightly evangelical in tone but it was really helpful to me when developing my swimming stroke for triathlons a few years back.

 

[King Damager]

Ok, let's hit all the questions here:

Scam
It's a good thing weightloss isn't your aim. Swimming is a known appetite stimulant, and, swimmers have been shown to typically retain more fat than their running and cycling equivalents.

Three times a week would be ideal for number of times. Three times is also the recommended amount for 0 to 1650, which frankly, is the best option for beginners:
http://ruthkazez.com/swimming/ZeroTo1mile.html

Technique wise it says a lot, by the time you've completed that you'll solve most of the very early swimming technique issues. Other technique features go on line and look at YouTube. There's some great videos about Ian Thorpe's technique, and Bob Bowman does a great piece on front crawl breathing. Generally speaking, swim around your breathing, don't breathe around your swimming.

Etiquette. Based on your post about dangling feet, you read the loneswimmer guide. Donal's guide isn't bad, but a bit too strict. The one thing that matters. Surprisingly few pools have sensible lane etiquette guides. Use common sense, however there's a few things:

• Give a quick check of the speed the lanes are going at. Join the appropriate lane.
• Be wary of the people around you. Let people go past if they're going faster, hope they show you the same consideration. It's annoying when they don't...
• Follow the directional arrows on the swimming lanes.

Three times a week from absolutely nothing. Yes you will definitely see improvements.

Goggles. There's a Speedo store in both Covent Garden and Westfield Stratford. I'm sure there's some more, but given you're in Ealing, pop in. The easiest way to know if goggles fit. Take a pair, push them up against your eyes with no strap. If they stick for five or so seconds, you'll be golden. Just need to adjust accordingly when they're on.

Shorts. Get some Jammers. Go to Speedo, Arena, TYR. Any will do.

Jonny 69
Open water complicates breathing because it becomes more difficult because of waves and splashing. Sighting also adds complications. Presuming we're just talking about pool swimming, watch this:

kd

 

[Scam]

Goggles. There's a Speedo store in both Covent Garden and Westfield Stratford. I'm sure there's some more, but given you're in Ealing, pop in. The easiest way to know if goggles fit. Take a pair, push them up against your eyes with no strap. If they stick for five or so seconds, you'll be golden. Just need to adjust accordingly when they're on.

Thanks for all the points! I work very close to the Speedo shop so I've already been in and got myself a pair of jammers. Nothing will make you want to lose the paunch more than yanking yourself into a pair of those

Goggles I'm having trouble with. The guy in the store there was a bit useless but I think I'll go back and see if I can grab someone else. The place I'll be swimming has an outdoor and an indoor pool, so what lens colour should I get? The outdoor pool is surrounded by tall buildings so it'll generally be in the shade anyway (apart from peak summer). Or should I just go cool and get mirrored lenses?

I tried on the Aquapure ones but they didn't really stick for longer than a millisecond. When you put Goggles on do you raise your eyebrows and open your eyes wide so they sit more inside your eye socket, rather than over your eyebrow? I have to say I always remember having trouble with Goggles.. I found a really old pair of Speedo Future+ ones but they are too small across the nose and again don't seem to stick. Hmn...

 

[King Damager]

Speedo shop nearby and outdoor and indoor pool. You must be swimming at Oasis xD

It used to be one of the pools I swam!

The outdoor pool (27.5m) is slightly longer than the indoor (25m), and I always found the fastest guys in the fast lane could always be found outdoors. I'm a big fan of reflective goggles for outdoors. A yellow tint. I can't remember the reason they tint yellow, but I kind of like them. That said, I don't think it actually makes that much difference.

Try the eye socket thing again, and try a bunch. They've got quite a few options, see what works for you. I'm a big fan of the fastskin elite 3's, but they're a bit pricey for a beginner really.

kd

 

[xdcx]

Thanks for all the points! I work very close to the Speedo shop so I've already been in and got myself a pair of jammers. Nothing will make you want to lose the paunch more than yanking yourself into a pair of those

Goggles I'm having trouble with. The guy in the store there was a bit useless but I think I'll go back and see if I can grab someone else. The place I'll be swimming has an outdoor and an indoor pool, so what lens colour should I get? The outdoor pool is surrounded by tall buildings so it'll generally be in the shade anyway (apart from peak summer). Or should I just go cool and get mirrored lenses?

I tried on the Aquapure ones but they didn't really stick for longer than a millisecond. When you put Goggles on do you raise your eyebrows and open your eyes wide so they sit more inside your eye socket, rather than over your eyebrow? I have to say I always remember having trouble with Goggles.. I found a really old pair of Speedo Future+ ones but they are too small across the nose and again don't seem to stick. Hmn...

If you can try on a pair of Arena Cobra's, seriously try them. They have 3 sized nose bridges so are toally adjustable for anyone. There is a few different coloured mirror options also.

I tried on a few different Speedo goggles at a retail shop here the only ones that fitted OK were some competition ones, can't remember their name but they were £40!!! I refuse to pay that so took the punt on Arena Cobra and so glad I did as they were half the price.

I have these - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/arena-cobra-mirror-racing-goggles-1/

 

[Scam]

Speedo shop nearby and outdoor and indoor pool. You must be swimming at Oasis xD

Busted! Thanks for the pointers.

I can't seem to find any other swim shops around here.. those Arena Cobras do look good, it'd be great to try them on.

EDIT: How would they compare to the Aqua Sphere Kaiman's? That was one recommendation I had, but they look a lot bigger. Are the Arena's smaller? Less comfortable?

 

[UltimateBadger]

I like the Zoggs Predator Flex goggles. I use the blue ones indoors and the polarised ones outdoors.

If you want to get into swimming front crawl then get some lessons asap. What you think you're doing and what you're actually doing technique wise are two separate things.

 

[xdcx]

Busted! Thanks for the pointers.

I can't seem to find any other swim shops around here.. those Arena Cobras do look good, it'd be great to try them on.

EDIT: How would they compare to the Aqua Sphere Kaiman's? That was one recommendation I had, but they look a lot bigger. Are the Arena's smaller? Less comfortable?

I have no idea how they compare sorry, I have only tried the Cobra's and a few Speedo similar models. The Cobra's are tiny, very small and sit very much in the eye sockets. I typically swim 30-40mins straight and I do not find them uncomfy at all and they are even better since I went and put the slightly larger nose bridge on them.

 

[Scam]

Cool. They seem to be sold as 'super amazing racing goggles' which was putting me off slightly as far as comfort goes. The lens colours are a bit weird though.. orange with blue on the sides? Is that not a bit odd to look through?

 

[xdcx]

Cool. They seem to be sold as 'super amazing racing goggles' which was putting me off slightly as far as comfort goes. The lens colours are a bit weird though.. orange with blue on the sides? Is that not a bit odd to look through?

haha, Orange with blue on sides is the one's I actually have and they are crystal clear Super awesome fancy pants racing style was what sold me on them

 

[Scam]

haha, Orange with blue on sides is the one's I actually have and they are crystal clear Super awesome fancy pants racing style was what sold me on them

Poser

Oh well, me too. I think a smaller fit would suit me anyway. I think goggles over eyebrows probably really doesn't help for leakages. I just ordered some, hopefully they'll turn up by the weekend so I can go next week!

 

[xdcx]

Poser

Oh well, me too. I think a smaller fit would suit me anyway. I think goggles over eyebrows probably really doesn't help for leakages. I just ordered some, hopefully they'll turn up by the weekend so I can go next week!

Nice one, I am sure you won't be disappointed but let me know how you get on

 

[Scam]

Nice one, I am sure you won't be disappointed but let me know how you get on

They turned up yesterday and seem to sucker on pretty well. I'm a bit unsure as to which nosebridge to use, I've gone for the biggest as I could feel a bit of pressure on my nose. It does stick out a lot though! Will have to suck it and see.

Btw, is eating 2hrs before swimming is safe enough? I'd like to avoid the lunch rush, and would get out of the office later rather than earlier...

 

[PermaBanned]

It's quite hard to find a pool where you can go regularly enough to teach yourself how to swim. From what i've seen it's pretty much impossible to get a place on an adult swimming lesson course, and if you do lanes before you're ready it's not really fair on everyone else. So all you're left with is laneless sessions and leisure pools full of kids with their parents

 

[xdcx]

They turned up yesterday and seem to sucker on pretty well. I'm a bit unsure as to which nosebridge to use, I've gone for the biggest as I could feel a bit of pressure on my nose. It does stick out a lot though! Will have to suck it and see.

Btw, is eating 2hrs before swimming is safe enough? I'd like to avoid the lunch rush, and would get out of the office later rather than earlier...

Just try the nose bridges out. I swapped the biggest on at first then moved down one, trial and error

2 hours before, again trial and error. I could eat 1 hour before. Some people would struggle 3 hours before. We are all different and it also depends what you will be eating? A banana you will certainly be OK, 4 sandwiches an appled and a peach and you might be pushing it!

 

[Scam]

Well the plan is for lunch. So usually a salad, a couple of wraps or something. Like you say, will just be trial and error.

I was going to go today but have woken up feeling like ****. That's what I remember from swimming at school; having to do it when ill and getting 10x worse. Boo

 

[xdcx]

Well the plan is for lunch. So usually a salad, a couple of wraps or something. Like you say, will just be trial and error.

I was going to go today but have woken up feeling like ****. That's what I remember from swimming at school; having to do it when ill and getting 10x worse. Boo

Funny you say this! I was fighting off a cold all last week and was really bad on Thursday. I still went for my 1k breaststroke though as I am a real man, not a pansy like you calling it off (joking ) and I swam a PB for 1k. So the trick to a good swim = get ill.