Swim Pembrokeshire - Blog #wavesSwim Pembrokeshire - Blog #waveshttps://www.swimpembrokeshire.com/blogs/tag/wavesThu, 30 Apr 2026 09:39:30 -0700http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[How to Use Waves When Open Water Swimming]]>https://www.swimpembrokeshire.com/blogs/post/how-to-use-waves-when-open-water-swimmingEmbrace waves, use them to your advantage.]]>

Big Waves? Get In!

Many people opt to swim only when the weather and conditions are at their best. Sunny, flat calm, great, let's go sea swimming!


If you're a warm weather swimmer, or a dipper, OK, great. But if your goal is to improve swimming and certainly if you are aiming to compete in IronMan or other open water swimming events, then this is not the 'best' time to go open water swimming.


The sea in the UK is notoriously fickle and can change in an instant, so learning how to handle waves should be a key part of your swimming training and overall conditioning.


Get in the sea when the weather is NOT nice, when the sea is NOT calm. Learn to read the sea and use the waves to your advantage; and to learn your capabilities but also gain confidence in what you can handle.


Build up slowly of course - we are not suggestiong to go in the worse storm imaginable for the very first time - but build up slowly and ALWAYS go with other people and notify land based parties of your intentions beforehand.

Open water swimming in big waves is great fun when done safely

Use Waves to your Advantage

Initially a big swell can seem dauntiung, especially when starting in a race for example, but waves can be used to gain a huge advantage in open water swimming events. Use them!

Starting:
Go under them. 
You will never be able to fight the power of the ocean, so go with it instead. As a rough guide the energy of the wave is greater in the top half, so... go under it. If you have ever watched surfers, that's exactly what they do when getting out to catch their set. Go under the wave where the energy is less. Practise your dolphin starts. Use the sea floor in shallower water to stabilise yourself and do 2-3 dives. You can easily cover 20m+ without even needing to swim, if you time your dives right, to go under the incoming waves.

Swimming:
Use the waves to sight. 
Many people struggle with sighting, which - to be done properly - requires a very good stroke technique and upper body/back strength to keep the head low in the water yet allowing the eyes enough space to see where you are going. A compromise is to use the waves and sight at the top of the wave crest. As you gain upwards momentum swimming up the wave, a quick look up at the crest will give plenty of time to sight from your reference point.
Use waves to your advantage when open water swimming
Here we see a swimmer using a wave to sight, to dramatic photo effect!

Use the waves for forward propulsion. 

Utilise the energy of the wave to propel you forwards, even if the wave is coming from the side. Much like sailing yachts do, you can also use those waves to push you 1-2m forwards on each wave.

Finishing:
Perhaps the most fun part of big wave swimming is the finish. Use the waves just like you may have done as a kid when body surfing. Keep an eye out for them, feel their energy as they approach, then simply use it to catch that wave. You can start doing this 50m from the shore, just catch each wave as it comes. Then catch the last one right in to shore. Catching a good wave can push you 10-20m forwards without expending any energy, sometimes at quite a speed. Body surf in as far as possible, to literally 30cm depth if you can, then leap into your finish run up the beach.

Using Waves to Your Advantage When Open Water Swimming

Using waves to your advantage when open water swimming

Manage Risks. Enjoy It!

Big wave swimming is tremendous fun, but always know your limits. Build up slowly, go with mates, assess the sitiation beforehand. Read our blog about how to recce potential swim sites and risks. Understand the risks and balance them with confidence in your ability, then learn to harness the power of the ocean.
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