Sighting in Open Water

As soon as head lifts your hips will drop, increasing drag and could ultimately slow you down so the key is to stay as streamlined in the water as much as possible.

Try to practise sighting throughout the year to maintain a correct body position in the water

You want a position that you can maintain for a 1,500m race. Can you maintain head out of the water like a water polo for this race?

Key Tips:

• Minimise the amount of head lift, think crocodile eyes. If you are in a wetsuit and you lift your head too high this could cause a bend in your back

• Only breathe after you have sighted, and breathe to the the side. Or alternative lift eyes out slightly of the water to sight, bring head back down continue with stroke and breathe to the right.

• Don't pause to look forward, think of taking a still image and trying to recall what you saw when still swimming, sometimes you need to sight 2-3 times to understand what you saw.

• Practise sighting for every 3 or 5 strokes during a continuous set.

• Remember - Sighting takes some time to get the rhythm, and therefore needs a lot of practice year round.