open water swimming (OWS)
Mark Otter is an experienced open-water/ocean swimmer and has swum in some of the world’s great waterways, including many of Europe’s lakes and rivers as well as the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Irish Sea, the Med and, of course, the Pacific, Indian and Southern Oceans. He swam the Dardanelles – known in Greek mythology as the Hellespont - in August 2014. He now takes others to swim in many of the world's exotic locations such as Croatia's Dalmatian coast in 2015, Montenegro's bays and fjords in 2016 and, in 2017, a number of Europe's lakes: Lake Constance in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Lake Bohinj and Lake Bled in Slovenia and Lake Orta in Italy.
Once you have ‘graduated’ from the pool to the open water, you will only go back to the pool if there is a cyclone brewing or something similar. Open water swimming in general – or ocean swimming in particular – is a whole new and different world. You break free from the confines of a pool; you break ‘the twin tyrannies of the wall and the black line’. This is real swimming!
Otter Aquatics’ open water swimming coaching firstly involves developing an appreciation for the difference that swimming in the open water provides, especially in terms of the relaxation and mindfulness that can only be achieved while being immersed in nature. For the more competitive swimmer, we include specific OWS techniques, training schedules, navigation techniques, race tactics, health, safety, open water swimming psychology and other issues which make this type of swimming so much different from pool swimming. Yes it is different but, once most people have tried it, they become hooked and having to turn around every 25 or 50 metres becomes a thing of the past.
Many of us want to extend our swimming into the open water for competition, especially for triathlons as that sport demands more skills and different types of cardio-respiratory fitness than any one of the three disciplines alone requires. A lot of cyclists and runners find that the swim leg of triathlons is their weakest and are keen to improve.
But many of us just want to experience the sheer delight of swimming in nature, 'wild swimming' if you like, away from the artificial surrounds of a pool.
Our OWS locations are Queens Beach North at Scarborough on Saturday mornings and Scott's Point Beach, Margate on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Start times vary according to the season, so contact me if you would like to come along. And yes, we like to think that we are tough as we swim throughout the winter (although perhaps clad in wetsuits!).
Click here for the Information Brochure for Stroke Improvement, Swimfit and Open Water Swimming Training.
Once you have ‘graduated’ from the pool to the open water, you will only go back to the pool if there is a cyclone brewing or something similar. Open water swimming in general – or ocean swimming in particular – is a whole new and different world. You break free from the confines of a pool; you break ‘the twin tyrannies of the wall and the black line’. This is real swimming!
Otter Aquatics’ open water swimming coaching firstly involves developing an appreciation for the difference that swimming in the open water provides, especially in terms of the relaxation and mindfulness that can only be achieved while being immersed in nature. For the more competitive swimmer, we include specific OWS techniques, training schedules, navigation techniques, race tactics, health, safety, open water swimming psychology and other issues which make this type of swimming so much different from pool swimming. Yes it is different but, once most people have tried it, they become hooked and having to turn around every 25 or 50 metres becomes a thing of the past.
Many of us want to extend our swimming into the open water for competition, especially for triathlons as that sport demands more skills and different types of cardio-respiratory fitness than any one of the three disciplines alone requires. A lot of cyclists and runners find that the swim leg of triathlons is their weakest and are keen to improve.
But many of us just want to experience the sheer delight of swimming in nature, 'wild swimming' if you like, away from the artificial surrounds of a pool.
Our OWS locations are Queens Beach North at Scarborough on Saturday mornings and Scott's Point Beach, Margate on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Start times vary according to the season, so contact me if you would like to come along. And yes, we like to think that we are tough as we swim throughout the winter (although perhaps clad in wetsuits!).
Click here for the Information Brochure for Stroke Improvement, Swimfit and Open Water Swimming Training.
Real swimming with an otter
FOR ALL ENQUIRIES, PHONE 0438 652 696
