6 Ways to Improve Your Long-Distance Swimming Skills

Building strength and skill in long-distance swimming is essential for scuba divers and underwater explorers. Whether you’re training for extended snorkeling trips or ocean freediving, the ability to swim long distances efficiently is crucial.

Swimming in the ocean not only improves endurance and technique but also enhances your ability to navigate currents and adapt to open-water conditions, making scuba diving safer and more enjoyable.

To make the most out of your next adventure, here are six ways to improve your long-distance swimming skills.

Focus on Proper Technique

Efficient swimming starts with technique. Concentrate on maintaining streamlined body positions, effective kicks, and controlled breathing patterns. A proper form helps conserve energy, allowing for longer durations in the water.

For example, maintaining your head in a neutral position, aligned with your spine, minimizes drag during activities such as swimming or cycling. This alignment not only enhances your performance by reducing resistance but also helps prevent strain and injury, enabling you to maintain better posture and endurance.

Train Your Breathing

Strong, consistent breathing is essential for long-distance swimming. Practice controlled breathing exercises both in and out of the water to expand your lung capacity.

Techniques like bilateral breathing during freestyle strokes improve comfort and efficiency while also preparing you for the varied breathing patterns required in scuba activities.

Build Endurance Gradually

Increase endurance by swimming set distances at an easy pace and gradually expanding your limits. Incorporate interval training, alternating efforts of higher intensity with periods of rest. Over time, you’ll build the stamina needed not only for long swims but also for energy-demanding scuba dives.

Incorporate Strength and Flexibility Training

Adding strength training, especially exercises that focus on core, shoulder, and back muscles, enhances power in your strokes. Meanwhile, flexibility training, such as yoga or dynamic stretches, ensures that your body can adapt to various swimming motions without strain.

Practice Open-Water Swimming

Swimming in a pool is beneficial, but practicing in open water mimics real conditions faced during ocean dives. Open-water practice helps with adapting to tides, currents, and varying water visibility, making you more confident and better prepared for underwater adventures.

Utilize an Endless Pool

Endless pools offer a controlled environment to simulate long swims without worrying about turns or stopping. Utilizing this pool provides many benefits, such as allowing divers to refine their technique and improve endurance at home or in a training facility. The consistent current mirrors conditions found during ocean swims, helping divers build confidence and maintain rhythmic strokes.

Improving your long-distance swimming skills requires dedication, proper training tools, and consistent practice. By incorporating these methods into your routine, you’ll build the strength, confidence, and efficiency needed to excel in long-distance swimming.