Open-Water Survival Guide: Drafting, Buoy Tactics, Pack Positioning & Beating the Break
Open-water, triathlon and ocean swimming are a different world compared to pool racing. The water moves, the pack fights, the buoys become battlegrounds, and the ocean has zero interest in your race plan. Success isn’t only about fitness — it’s about outsmarting conditions, reading the field, and using strategy to conserve energy exactly when it matters most. Growing up in the Australian surf and now racing internationally with the Swiss National Open Water Team, we’ve learned how to blend tactical intelligence with ocean instinct. This guide breaks down the techniques that define elite open-water performance: drafting, buoy turns, pack management, sighting, and handling waves when the surf kicks up.
The Art of Drafting: How to Save Energy and Launch Attacks
Drafting is the most undervalued skill in ocean racing. It’s not simply about sitting behind someone; it’s about positioning yourself with purpose. Swimming directly behind another athlete is the most common form of drafting and the easiest way to conserve energy. You sit just inside their wake, letting the turbulence pull you forward. But the real advantage often comes from drafting on the hips. This advanced position gives you both the draft and the control to surge when you want to. When you sit perfectly on the hips, you’re carried forward while subtly slowing your competitor due to the water displacement. It’s all legal, no touching required — just smart hydrodynamics. When it’s time to make your move, that position allows you to catapult forward with a burst of speed that often takes the other swimmer completely by surprise.
Buoy Turns: Stay Calm and Stay Tall
Most chaos in an ocean race happens at the buoys. Athletes panic, push, grab, and lose precious seconds while fighting for position. The best buoy turners don’t fight — they stay composed. The key to a clean turn is entering the buoy tall and stable. Lifting your head, widening your chest, and creating presence in the water allows you to see the line clearly while staying firm against the movements of the pack. Rather than getting sucked into the wrestling match at the can, try to position yourself for a cleaner turn in the middle of the pack. This keeps you moving forward while others slow themselves down battling for inside position. Being calm, assertive, and deliberate gives you the fastest exit every time.
Pack Positioning: The Comfortably Uncomfortable Zone
Swimming in a pack is uncomfortable by design — elbows brushing, legs kicking, water constantly churning around you. But this is where races are shaped. If you’re trying to conserve energy or hold the pace of a group faster than you, the middle of the pack is your best friend. The draft is strongest here, and the current flows quickest where bodies are closest together. It’s chaotic, yes, but the energy savings are enormous. If you’re feeling strong or want to take control of the race, shift to the front and choose your own line. Some of the best ocean swimmers aren’t afraid to break away if they know their pace can hold. Swimming your own line in clean water requires confidence — but it’s often where winning moves begin.
Sighting With Purpose: Know the Course Before You Touch the Water
Sighting in ocean swimming is part technique, part navigation, and part instinct. The more unpredictable the conditions, the more valuable this skill becomes. Before your race, take the time to study the course. Pick out solid landmarks onshore — a tree, a flag, a building — anything that lines up with the buoy trajectory. These markers are more reliable than a buoy that may disappear behind swell or other athletes. In the race itself, sight often enough to stay straight but not so much that it interrupts your rhythm. Around every ten strokes is a good baseline, though experienced athletes will adjust based on the chop or how comfortable they feel holding their line.
Handling Waves: Outsmarting the Break Zone
When the surf picks up, ocean swimming becomes as much about timing and technique as it is about strength. Getting stuck in whitewash is one of the most common mistakes, especially for athletes more comfortable in flat water. The trick is staying underwater longer than feels natural. When a wave is about to break, dive early, go deep, and let the energy roll safely above you. Whitewash is full of air bubbles, which makes it nearly impossible to get a proper grip in the water. Staying deeper a moment longer keeps you in clean water where you can pull effectively and continue moving forward. On the way in, use the swell — let it lift you and accelerate you toward the beach instead of fighting it.
The Final Word
Ocean and triathlon swimming reward athletes who think while they race. Draft smart. Stay calm at the buoys. Position yourself with intent. Sight with purpose. Respect the surf. The ocean won’t bend for you — but with the right strategy, you can move through it faster, smoother, and with far less wasted energy.