September 12, 2026
Let’s be honest for a second. Have you ever stood at the edge of a murky lake or a roaring sea on race morning, watched everyone else bouncing around like caffeinated dolphins, and wondered what on earth possessed you to sign up for a triathlon?
If your heart rate spikes just thinking about losing sight of the bottom, you are far from alone. Pool panic is real, my friend. We’ve all been there: staring down at 1.9 kilometres of open water with zero black lines on the tiles to guide us, wondering if a stray Pike is sizing up our calf muscles for breakfast.
Here at Animis Racing, as proud Trisutto-certified coaches, we work with athletes every single week who look at open water swimming as if it were an extreme sport reserved for Vikings and Navy SEALs. But here is the good news: open water swimming isn't about being fearless. It’s about having a system, managing your energy, and trading panic for a repeatable, reliable rhythm.
So, grab a cuppa, pull up a chair, and let’s demystify open water swimming once and for all so you can improve your open water swimming technique and unleash your true potential on race day.
Meta description: Improve your open water swimming technique with calm, practical tips for beginner triathlon training and swimming coaching for beginners.
Why is it that you can bang out 2,000 metres in a lovely, heated 25-metre indoor pool without breaking a sweat, but two minutes into a lake swim you feel like you're auditioning for a disaster movie?
It comes down to sensory deprivation and predictability. In the pool, you have lane ropes, crystal-clear blue tiles, a black line telling you exactly where to go, and wall push-offs every length to catch your breath. Open water? It’s dark, bumpy, salty (or muddy), and populated by other swimmers who apparently treat the swim leg like a UFC cage match.
When your nervous system encounters this sudden lack of control, it triggers a mild fight-or-flight response. Your breathing shallowing out, your stroke rate skyrockets, and suddenly you’re burning through your glycogen stores before you’ve even cleared the first buoy.
How do we fix this? We stop fighting the water and start mastering our technique using proven, battle-tested principles.
When coaching open water swimming, many traditional swimming coaches will try to turn you into a miniature Olympic butterflyer, preaching endless glide and microscopic catch adjustments. In the real world: where there is chop, wind, and a wetsuit squeezing your chest like a friendly python: that delicate front glide falls apart instantly.
At Animis Racing, we live and breathe the Trisutto methodology. We look for the most efficient, robust way to get you across that lake without blowing up. That brings us to our holy trinity of freestyle: Place, Press, and Push. If you are working on your open water swimming technique as part of beginner triathlon training, this is where we start.
In open water, a long, elegant glide is an invitation for chop to knock your arm sideways. Instead, think about placing your hand into the water thumb-first, just below the surface.
Once your hand is placed, you immediately press the water to establish your catch. You don't need an elaborate, shoulder-shredding high-elbow setup that leaves you gassed by 400 metres.
Here is where the magic happens. Trisutto’s hallmark is higher cadence combined with a long, powerful push at the back end of the stroke. Wetsuits naturally give you fantastic buoyancy at the front, so your energy is best spent driving that water all the way past your hip.
Want to refine these mechanics under expert eyes? Check out our monthly swimming coaching or join us for a session at our weekly Crowle swim squad. It is a practical option for swimming coaching for beginners as well as more experienced triathletes.
If you’ve ever finished a 1.5km swim and your Garmin GPS looks like a drunken spider crawled across the screen, your sighting technique needs a tune-up. Swimming an extra 200 metres because you ended up halfway to Ireland is no fun for anyone.
How do we sight like a pro without sinking our hips?
Mental resilience in open water isn't something you're born with; it’s forged through deliberate practice. In the Trisutto school of thought, we anchor our psychological approach in the 5 D’s: Desire, Discipline, Dedication, Determination, and Detail.
There is very little in sport that matches the sheer, unadulterated euphoria of walking up the exit ramp, peeling off your wetsuit, and realising you just conquered your open water swim with a calm, smiling heart.
You don't need to be fearless to conquer open water. You just need the right guidance, a sustainable plan that works for real people, and a supportive community cheering you on from the shoreline.
Whether you are an absolute beginner looking to tackle your very first triathlon, or an age-grouper chasing down a podium finish, we’re here to help you unlock your speed through endurance.
Ready to transform your swim? Explore our tailored online triathlon coaching plans, book your spot on one of our legendary warm-weather training camps in Portugal, or browse our upcoming Learn-to-Swim courses. Let’s make this season your breakthrough season!
We're Coaches Jacqui and Oliver Saxon, the Animis Coaching Team.
We are a mom and son coaching team who have changed our lives through the sport of triathlon. We aim to break down the mysteries of triathlon training and show you, the avid traithlete, how simple and flexible it can be so triathlon training really does become part of your lifestyle and not just a hobby.