Open-Water Swell Handling: Adjusting Breathing and Kick Rhythm in Big Waves

How Swells Affect Swimming

A swimmer who can hold a 1:30/100m pace in a calm pool will commonly drop to 1:45-2:00/100m in seas with 0.8m wave heights—a pace loss of 20-30%. The impact of swells goes beyond drag; it also includes:

• Getting hit by a wave and swallowing water while breathing
• The arm catching nothing (in a trough) or slapping the surface (on a crest) during the pull
• Vision blocked, making it hard to navigate
• Psychological tension causing excessive head lifting and a breakdown in rhythm

Wave Height Classification and Response Strategies

Breathing on the Leeward Side vs. the Windward Side

When there is a noticeable side wind or side swell, the direction you breathe can decide success or failure:

Breathing on the Leeward Side (Recommended)

If the waves are coming from the right, breathe to the left. The wave hits the back of your head, so the space for your face to breathe is not covered by water. Advantages: no water swallowed, clear vision.

Breathing on the Windward Side (Not Recommended, but Useful)

If the wind is strong and the air feels thin, breathing into the wind lets you take in more air. But this requires the “trough breathing” technique—wait until you feel your body sink into the trough before turning your head, avoiding the wave crest.

Sighting on the Wave Crest

In big waves, your vision is blocked 70% of the time. Master the “crest lift”:

1. Feel the moment your body is pushed up by the wave
2. Use the height of the wave top to lift your head and take a quick glance
3. Drop your head back into the water as soon as the wave passes
4. It takes 2-3 consecutive lifts to piece together a full bearing

Why Switch to a 2-Beat Kick

In calm water, most swimmers use a 6-beat kick (3 kicks per arm stroke), but in swells:

• A 6-beat kick consumes too much oxygen and can easily lead to hypoxia in big waves
• Kicking too frequently increases the risk of leg muscle cramps
• Switching to a 2-beat kick (1 kick per arm stroke) saves energy for the pull and for fighting the waves

The 2-beat kick has become the mainstream choice for long-distance open-water swimming (1500m and above), and even world champions use this rhythm.

Pull Adjustment: High-Elbow Catch + Accelerated Finish

The most common points where the pull breaks down in big waves:

• Hand entry position: It may land on a wave crest or in a trough, making the catch point unstable
• Solution: Increase the range of the “high-elbow catch,” keeping the elbow 5-10 degrees higher than normal to ensure you still catch water even with large height differences
• Accelerated finish: Speed up the finish phase by 20% to generate stronger propulsion and resist the pull of the waves

Mental Approach: Rhythm Over Speed

The worst thing you can do in big waves is “try to power through with brute force.” The right mindset:

• Accept that your pace will drop 15-25%
• Maintaining your stroke rhythm matters more than pace
• If you swallow water, don’t panic—spit it out and keep swimming
• If you drift off course, don’t turn sharply; correct in 2-3 gradual adjustments

Training Methods

1. Pool wave-making drill: Have a teammate create waves in the next lane using a large kickboard
2. Unilateral breathing drill: Once a week, swim 1500m breathing on only one side
3. Ocean experience swim: Once a month, go to a familiar stretch of sea to feel the swells
4. Wave-resistant kicking: Use a pull buoy between your legs to practice simulating a non-kicking state

Conclusion

Swells are the norm in open-water racing, not the exception. The swimmers who can hold their pace in big waves are often not the fittest, but the ones with the steadiest technique and the strongest minds. Getting at least 2 open-water sessions per month is key and cannot be replaced by pool training.

Related Reading

• Breathing Slowdown Study: Speed Difference Between Breathing and Non-Breathing, and Training Solutions
• Breathing Rhythm in Open Water: Maintaining Technique Over Long Distances
• The Physiological Challenges of Open-Water Swimming: Waves, Currents, Navigation, and Psychology
• Swimming Breathing Pattern Training: Building Tolerance for 3-Stroke and 5-Stroke Breathing