Swimming Tool
Open-Water Planner
Convert pool pace into an open-water target time with sighting, turns, waves, current and fueling losses.
Race Settings
m
s
Estimated finish
00:40:25
Actual pace
02:08
/100m
Extra time
04:00
Strategy Reminders
Sighting loss is reasonable; keep the head low and avoid breaking hip position.
Conditions are manageable; keep stroke rhythm steady.
Most swimmers can skip fueling at this distance, but pre-race carbs and warm-up still matter.
Theory
Open-water swimming is usually slower than pool swimming because of sighting, no push-off turns, crowding, route drift, waves, current and fueling. Triathletes should practice sighting every 6-10 strokes and reduce non-fitness losses with straight-line swimming, drafting and fueling routines.
Drafting tactic: Chatard & Wilson (2003) had swimmers draft 0/50/100/150 cm behind another swimmer and found oxygen uptake, heart rate, blood lactate and perceived exertion all dropped significantly while stroke length increased — tucking in almost touching the lead swimmer's feet worked best. Finding a steady-paced swimmer to draft off in a race is essentially a free energy-saving tactic.