Panic Stations: Starting Open Water Swimming

By OWEN HARRISON

Having swum in the sea quite a number of times and having been on a number of surf outings I considered myself reasonably comfortable with the mental aspect of open water (OW) swimming. Actually, I hadn't ever really considered the concept of psychology and OW swimming at all. At least until a sightseeing trip to the Costa Brava in the northeast of Spain. Below a lighthouse we were ambling about was a long path down to the Mediterranean where the sea shimmered postcard turquoise. I couldn't resist and 15 minutes later was jumping into crystal clear water.

What struck me was how unusually clear the water was: the sea bed was perfectly visible. I swam about 20 meters away from the ledge from which I’d jumped when the sea bed peeled away sharply, leaving a very deep, dark pit staring back at me. A primordial sense of fear overcame my body and panic started to grip. It took all my mental discipline to swim with tense muscles back to where I could see the bottom. I managed a few more minutes close to the bank, then exited the water. I was and still am a moderate pool swimmer, and although I should have been comfortable with the swim, I lost it. This episode gave me food for thought - how to deal with the mental issues brought on by swimming in deep water?

Mental Awareness: As with other unwanted psychological episodes, being aware of the typical symptoms of OW panic is the first step to resolving them. Common reactions to OW swims include vertigo, claustrophobia, prolonged disorientation and fear of the unknown. Vertigo can be experienced in clear water as in my case. The second two are more likely to occur in murky or choppy conditions, and the last can happen in any scenario. Overcoming these is an exercise in desensitization through repetition, however getting started can be difficult. The following techniques can help subdue the onset of a panic attack.

Eyes Wide Shut: Swimmers sometimes swim with their eyes shut as a means to heighten their feel for the water and sense of relaxation. As a preparatory step to OW swimming, swim with your eyes closed in the pool, this will acclimate you to complete visual deprivation while in a controlled water environment. While on an OW swim, if a feeling of panic starts, close your eyes. This can help return you to this familiar and relaxed state.

Recoup, But Don't Stop: When swimming freestyle in OW, the orientation and continual rotation of the head increases the likelihood of the above symptoms. If a feeling of panic begins during an OW swim, revert to breaststroke. This allows you to continue swimming while centering yourself on visual reference points above the water. In freestyle it may be that no visual reference points are available, or in clear water, the only visual stimulus is the very distant bottom.

One Problem At A Time: Facing the possible side effects of enormous depths, lack of visual cues or fear of what you can't see is tough enough, never mind incorporating the added difficulty of trying to breathe and swim comfortably. As a preparatory step (or if panic is a recurring issue), perform a very relaxed swim with a snorkel in depths which may normally cause stress. This allows comfortable breathing and aids relaxation while you desensitize to the experiences that might cause mental discomfort.

Easy Out: This is the timeworn, time-proven adage of swimming parallel and close to the shore line. Find a shore which slopes gently toward deeper water. In the sea this will allow you to venture out sufficiently to swim past the wave breaking point while remaining in relatively shallow water. If a feeling of panic starts and won't go away with the above techniques, stand up or quickly swim to where you can. This is a must for starting out on your own. This technique also allows a gradual increase in depth for each swim session, giving a comfortable progression path to swimming in any depth of water.

Owen is a 31 year old freelance software developer living in Spain. Having been involved intensively in martial arts of various kinds (taekwondo, capoeira, wing chun, aikido and tai chi) for over 15 years, he has moved onto swimming and yoga as a means to give his knees and hips a rest. He enjoys swimming in the sea whenever time permits, though spends most of his time in the pool. He finds the core principles and methodology of the TI system comforting and familiar, following the 'from the basics up' mentality of traditional martial arts training.