Neuroscience holds the clues to why open water swimming scares many of us. Fear of Open Water Ocean Swimming By Carol Scheible June 16, 2005 General. Regardless of the outcome, you can see how very complicated this all is. Plans fail. Towards the end of a longer swim, your ability to resist fear is lessened as you become tired. For some, the ‘pool drain’ phobia extends to the swimming pool lights and filters too. You’re left with too few experiences to draw on in which things went ok (you lived) or even felt great. Open water swim anxiety is characterized as the fear of swimming in lakes, oceans, and other open bodies of water. Even now, I still sometimes get the heebie-jeebies when swimming over beautiful white sand and a sudden black patch of seaweed emerges below me. Not being able to see the bottom in the sea, lake or river can throw even the most experienced swimmer. Conquering your fear of the open water swim Tips to become more confident so you will not only survive but have a great open water swim. Like many swim coaches, I’m often asked questions that aren’t always related to swimming technique or stroke development. Sighting is key for keeping on course and staving off disorientation. Notice how the wind, current and bottom surface affect how you’re swimming. I do some open water swimming in a lake in my area in the summer months. There is no doubt that the open water swim of a triathlon is what many triathletes find the most intimidating portion of the race. While the idea of swimming in the ocean can be intimidating and sometimes, borderline impossible for some swimmers, this specific fear of water can be overcome. Build up over a few weeks from 30 seconds to two minutes and longer. For some, fear of open water isn't just made up; something really happened. A bit … Most people’s brains on race day are like an unruly school playground. I’d like to overcome irrational fear and retain my survival mode while open water swimming! There are ways to overcome these fears and feel more empowered and confident in open water. It means making a risk assessment before you get in, and making dynamic risk assessments throughout. Cryophobia (or Frigophobia or Cheimatophobia) is a fear of cold, cold weather or cold things. That it’s a (relatively) safe yet scary sport! The other reason for the fear of open water swimming is the crowds. Hello, I’d like to increase my confidence and water skills. For more information on open water swimming, check out the U.S. Masters Open Water Swimming 101. How to overcome fear of open water swimming. By that I mean, your ability to get into the cold water, the time you can keep swimming in the cold water, and the time it takes to get your body back to normal once you’re out of the water. People will, literally, swim around it or change lanes to avoid it. Seriously, are we ever as free as when we are open water swimming. Without seeing you swim, it’s impossible to give a stroke analysis. All the main characters are there: the show-offs, the bullies, the shy kids, the nerds, and a bunch of other kids just trying to make it through another day. As a triathlete brain-trainer, I’m just trying to help you cope with staying calm and efficient during an open water swim start, and this involves making all six brains work together. Eleutherophobia is a fear of freedom. It’s called thalassophobia, which is a fear of open water. While you’re not going to be dragged under by a water kelpie or tangled up in demonic seaweed, factors such as cold water, inclement weather, poor visibility, other water users, etc, all bring their own hazards. The parts of your brain that are best described as the “real you” are located in your frontal cortex (Brains #2-6). Could it be down to childhood experiences – memories of old films such as Piranha, Jaws and Open Water? When the goal is under your control, you always get to define success and failure. Short, high intensity power intervals help prepare you for swim starts, and longer sets with video feedback from a camera phone help identify when your technique starts to break down. Affecting people in different ways, the causes are unknown. It presents with the same symptoms of general anxiety, and can be extremely dangerous to experience while swimming because panic can be crippling. Let it rant until it runs out of insulting and scary things to say. Once pools reopen, see if your local pool runs sessions on stroke development. There’s thrashing, there’s kicking. Eosophobia is fear of dawn or daylight. 1. Just at that moment, someone grabs your ankle. I would always urge every open water swimmer to have a good awareness of the weather forecast, water conditions and their own ability before getting in to the water. Of course irrational fear shouldn’t be confused with rational fear and real danger. So I would say fear is a common emotion. It’s the discipline many people are worst at and the thought of then taking their swimming skills into open water are just downright petrifying. It’s a cliché, but the magic really does happen out of your comfort zone. I’m going to get pushed under by those big waves. In a comfort zone-busting new experience, force your goal to be something you are always in control of. Whether you’re hitting your local lake or trying the open waters on vacation, learn more about the body of water by talking with locals or using apps to track conditions in the area before heading out. But if you only do it … Focus on the good things. We take a look at some of the most common inconveniences and issues that swimmers face when in open water and give advice on how best to tackle them so that you can enjoy and thrive when swimming in open water. Rather than telling your Chimp Brain to shut up (it won’t work, it’s much stronger than you), try doing the exact opposite. Basically, heed the weather, your surroundings and your body. Unlike your Chimp Brain, your frontal cortex deals only in facts and logic. Sight Often. You will never get over your fear unless you actually swim in open water. Be prepared and find a way. With the water starting to warm up (almost double figures! I’m sure most open water swimmers, if not all, have had to dig deep mentally to keep going at some point. It presents with the same symptoms of general anxiety, and can be extremely dangerous to experience while swimming because panic can be crippling. The swimming blog Swimming Open-water swimming: how do you handle the Fear? It may be … With the cold water right now, I tend to commit to a certain amount of time rather than distance, with a degree of margin on either side. Each of these is worth a post in itself, but I’ve boiled it down to answer this question with a few of my own personal thoughts and experiences, specifically fear of swimming in open water. Go on I dare you, make a quick decision about something scary in the future,  whether it’s entering a certain race known for big surf or signing up for master’s swim. Mental toughness is built by enduring in the face of failure, it doesn’t come from an easy swim during taper week. An actual event combined with intense emotional experience gets quickly embedded into your nervous system making any thoughts of swimming an anxious moment. Update April 2008: When you are finished reading the article below about my first attempt at open water swimming, check out this related entry about that feeling of panic in open water! If we simplify the science, we can think of your ‘swim fear’ as a battle of six regions in the brain, each with different priorities come race day. Picture yourself as an outsider, as though you’re watching someone else look nervously at the water. Fear caused by lack of visibility/not being able to see the bottom. Remember, it’s not the “real you” talking, it’s your Chimp using tricks to get you to quit. Not swimming in open water, not practicing swim entries and exits with others, not entering a race because the surf is usually big, not moving up a lane at masters when you should all make paranoid Brain #1 even stronger (in science speak, synaptic strengthening occurs). You can train your brain to swim fearless. But, again, knowing this helps to disarm the anxiety. This is in part due to the fact that I can’t see more than one meter below the water surface. Brain #1 is irrational, paranoid, very emotional, and thinks catastrophically. If we let our fears and concerns linger long enough, we can become paralyzed by them, unable to make a decision. In addition, without the confusing and disorienting presence of water, a Vasa Ergometer enables you to more easily focus on critical technique cues such as your high elbow catch, engagement of the lats, power in the catch phase, and follow through to the hip. Overcoming Your Fear of Open Water Swimming Step 1. First off, swimming skins throughout the winter is a massive achievement and one to be proud of. Most people don’t/can’t/won’t, so please do hold on to that. Just watch an Ironman finish at the cutoff? Another thing I would recommend is agreeing with yourself how long/far you are going to do BEFORE you get in. The number one deterrent to competing in a triathlon is open water swimming. The slowest athletes get the biggest cheer!”. Acknowledge your fears.. Having a bit of fear about the open water can be your greatest strength. Most open water swimmers experience fear at some point, but when the water is cold, fatigue can creep in making your swim even more of a mental challenge. Aquaphobia is considered a Specific Phobia of natural environment type in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Seeing water can trigger intense fear and anxiety in a person with aquaphobia. All of your technique and breathing rhythm goes out of the window because it feels like you’ve been dropped into a warzone. “Fear” — even the word makes some people twitchy. In fact, I’d say it was normal. Cold showers are a very effective strategy (I much prefer them to cold baths though they’ll be good too). The most common colour in the sea. Triathlon Magazine April 16, 2016 — By Jessica Adam. Open-water swimming is not always easy for those used to swimming with their eyes fixed on the blue line along the bottom of the pool. The best way to overcome your fear of … Overcome your fear of open-water swimming! I do one day hope to add my own online resources in relation to swimming front crawl in open water. After your normal wash (perhaps with temperature slightly lower than usual), turn your shower thermostat to cold and enjoy! Overcome your swimming fear in these places: Kenneth Rippetoe, a swim coach at One With the Water, says he takes things slowly when people are learning to swim … Although it’s the shortest part of a triathlon, the swim often causes the most stress and anxiety. … And of course, the more you do it and the more you push your mental boundaries, the stronger you become. Open water swimming can be dangerous, no doubt, if you don’t know what you’re doing. Go to a local river or lake that is not deep so you can feel the ground. Different parts of your brain start fighting for control. I wouldn’t recommend staying in once the shivers have started, and maybe don’t do that if you’re living on your own …. But to address my seaweed fear, I’ve since spent a lot of time sea swimming at low tide through seaweed or even diving down and among it in depths of a couple of metres. But this anxiety dissolves after a few minutes of swimming. Not being able to see the bottom in the sea, lake or river can throw even the most experienced swimmer. Record bilateral watts and add a mirror beneath you to get precise and immediate feedback about subtle changes to your stroke. It is especially common for athletes competing in open water races. After all, it’s only a triathlon. 3rd May 2017. So if I had a wee wobble, I might say to myself, “I’m only feeling nervous because I’m becoming tired and cold, and I’m only tired because I’ve been swimming for an hour and the water’s cold, so that’s all quite normal. The swimming blog Swimming Open-water swimming: how do you handle the Fear? 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