Hints and Tips

Swim on the left side of the lane

Leave 5 seconds apart

Keep the wall clear

Organise your lane by speed

Use the clock

Follow the program

Don't push off in front of turning swimmers

Let faster swimmers overtake

Focus

Bring your own equipment

Arrive early

Tell the coach about any injuries or health issues

Don't talk while the coach is talking

Swim on the left side of the lane

• Except when you're told otherwise, such as when we're doing a one-at-a-time time-trial.
• This will avoid painful head-on crashes!

Leave 5 seconds apart

• Use the clock! You should be pushing off on the 5-second marks (ie. on the black 5, 10, 15, etc).
• Unless the coach says to leave 10 seconds apart, which usually is when you're doing a timed set.
• Sometimes it may be necessary to leave 10 seconds after the person in front of you for part of the set, such as when there are changes in strokes.

Keep the wall clear

• Always finish properly by touching the wall.
• After you finish, move to your right to the side of the lane so there is room on the wall for the other swimmers to come in and touch the wall. Swimmers should not have to swim around you to touch the wall.
• Give the leading swimmer room to push off. This may mean that you have to move away from the wall if there are still some swimmers coming in.
• Allow room for swimmers continuing through to be able to turn properly. Some coaches have told swimmers to do a tumble turn regardless of whether anyone is in the way because they will quickly learn to avoid getting in the way!

Organise your lane by speed

• Organise yourselves into the fastest through to the slowest for the set you're doing, with the fastest swimmers first and the slowest last. Of course, this may change depending on what you're doing.
• Of course, this can get difficult if the set has different strokes, in which case try to organise yourselves so that there is minimal reshuffling required between parts of the set where the stroke changes.

Use the clock

• The coaches usually tell you how much rest to take, or what time cycle to do the repeats.
• This is for a reason. Short rest promotes aerobic fitness while long rest should be hard and intense. They are all working different systems.

Follow the program

• The program is written on the board for everyone to follow.
• Doing your own thing, or not following the program with the rest of your lane causes problems with the other swimmers and means that you won’t get the most benefit from training.

Don't push off in front of turning swimmers

• If a swimmer is coming in to do a turn, let them go through before you push off.
• The only exception is if you are faster than the swimmer coming in to the turn, in which case you should go ahead even if it means cutting your rest a few seconds short.

Let faster swimmers overtake

• If someone is swimming faster than you and has caught up to you near the end of the lane, stop at the wall on the left of the lane and let that person (and any others just behind) go past.
• If a faster swimmer catches up to you in the middle of a lap and starts to go past you, try to move as far to the left of the lane as you can, swim "narrow" and let the swimmer go past.

Focus

• Keep focussed on what's happening: swimmers coming in to finish, swimmers coming in to turn, when you have to push off (know the interval and watch the clock), what you're meant to be doing next, etc etc.

Bring your own equipment

• You should bring your own drink bottle, swim fins, pull buoy and kickboard (although you could use the pull buoy as a kickboard).
• Keep a spare pair of goggles in your bag, just in case.
• It's important to make sure you're properly hydrated before training and rehydrate during & after, so make sure you have a water bottle. If you suffer from cramps in training then you may want to have a sports drink or supplement which includes magnesium.

Arrive early

• If possible, plan to arrive in enough time to get changed, pay the training fee, set up your gear at the end of your lane and read (and understand) the warm-up.
• If you have time, you may also want to do some light stretching before the session starts.

Tell the coach about any injuries or health issues

• If you've got an injury, please let the coach know so that they can provide assistance or advise you accordingly, so that you can avoid making the injury worse.
• Likewise, if you're feeling sick, recovering from an illness or otherwise not 100%, let the coach know so they can keep an eye on you. This is especially important if you're pregnant, have chest pains or have a history of heart problems.

Don't talk while the coach is talking

• The pool environment is noisy enough without adding to it when the coach is trying to explain something to the squad.

Equipment you might want

Selecting which event to enter

Entering the event

What to take to the beach

At the beach before the swim

At the start

The race

After the race

Equipment you might want

Wetsuit

• A wetsuit is not necessary for the swims in Port Phillip Bay or Westernport Bay in January to March, but the water in the ocean swims and in the Bays before December can be a bit chilly.
• The extra flotation it gives you will make you faster by around a minute per kilometre (30 secs per km for fast swimmers and upto 2 mins per km for slow swimmers).
• Look for a wetsuit designed for swimming as they will have stretch panels where needed and thicker pads elsewhere.
• A full wetsuit (long arms & legs) will give the best flotation. The arms don't restrict your movement much and may give better catch on the water, however some people prefer the feel of a wetsuit with no arms.
• The main brands are Orca, 2XU, blueseventy and TYR.
• Go for one of the entry-level suits which start from under $200. The more expensive ones will have a few extra bits, like grippy pads on the arms, but they won't give much extra benefit.
• Look in Triathlon shops or online shops like wiggle.com.au if you know your size (the main brands will have an accurate sizing chart on their website).

Goggles

• Normal goggles that you'd wear at training are fine.
• Tinted goggles help on very bright sunny days, but may be a bit dark on the earlier swims on cloudy days.
• You might want to have one pair specifically for open water racing, but take a spare pair to the beach just in case the others break.

Selecting which event to enter

Novice/short swims

• If you're new to open water swimming, try one of the many shorter novice swims.
• These are usually around 500m, but you can often wade upto 100m of that.

Ocean vs Bay swims

• The ocean swims often provide a bit more interest, with tidal currents, small surf and other conditions, which help if you can read the water.
• The Bay swims (in Port Phillip and Westernport Bays) are often blessed with smooth water, but can get choppy.
• The ocean water temperature is considerably cooler then the Bays: expect around 18-19 degrees, against 20-25 degrees in the Bays (check the temperature chart and links in the Bay and Ocean Conditions page on our website).

Entering the event

Entry process

• Most events use an online registration system which let you enter your details and pay the entry fee online.
• The registration method (and link) is on our OWS Calendar.

Early entry or enter on the day

• Most events allow you to enter on the day, but usually for about $10 more.
• This can be good if the forecast conditions look like they might be poor - you can leave your decision whether to enter or not and see what it's like on the day.
• Often the online entries close just 1 or 2 days before the event, so you can leave your decision to go or no until the last minute.
• However, be aware that some events fill up and so if you leave it until the last minute or on the day, you might miss out (not good if you've travelled an hour to get to the beach, to find out the event is full).

What to take to the beach

Really recommended

• Goggles - 2 pairs just in case one breaks. Consider taking a clear and a tinted pair.
• Towel
• Wetsuit
• Bathers (obviously!)
• Sunscreen
• Water, preferably at least 1 sports bottle full

Handy but not necessary

• Plastic carry-bucket for the wet gear - try one of the softer, flexible ones. Some people bring their gear in the bucket to the beach.
• Sunnies and a hat.

At the beach before the swim

Parking

• Parking can sometimes be difficult near the swim, so plan to get there in enough time to hunt around for a spot and allow for a bit of a walk.
• Some parking is on a meter, so bring some cash.

Registration

• You'll need to register at the beach well before the race - the events will state when registration opens and closes and where registration is (usually at the lifesaving club running the event).
• They will check your name off their list and give you your pack, which usually consists of a coloured cap for your wave, a timing band that you put on your ankle, your t-shirt and usually some advertising brochures.
• Sometimes they will write your number on your arm or hand with waterproof texta. This comes off with sunscreen, and later you can use prewash to remove it (or leave it on so people know you've competed!)

Warm-up

• It's strongly advisable to do a warmup swim before the race, unless the conditions are bad.
• This also helps by letting you get to know the conditions and the course.

Check out the course

• Check the course map - this is usually on the website as well as at registration.
• Often they will explain the course at marshalling.

Sunscreen

• Remember to use lots of sunscreen and reapply after warmup and your race.

Hydrate

• Keep sipping water (rather than gulping it all in one go) before the race as well as after.

At the start

Position on the start line

• If you're not a fast swimmer, you should start behind the others jostling for a front position on the start line.
• Check which way the current is going (if any) and allow for that. For example, if it's going right to left, you might want to position yourself on the right-hand side of the start line because invariably there will be people who haven't allowed for the current and they will all end up in a tight pack on the left of the course.

The start

• The starter will give a warning before the start, such as "1 minute to go".
• Make sure your goggles are clear and in position when the starter gives the warning.
• The start is either a starting pistol or a hooter.

The race

The start can be a bit hectic and maybe overwhelming if you're not used to it. Lots of people jostling to get some clear water and a good line for the first turning buoy.

But with a few tricks you can make it a breeze.

Don't rush, pace your swim

• Build into the race, don't follow those sprinting away.
• Start at a comfortable pace and slowly build through the race so you're going hard at the end.
• Most open water races are long-distance swims taking at least 15 minutes, so you've got plenty of time to pick up your pace.

Wading & porpoising

• You should have an idea of the depth of the water and if there are any shallow sandbars further out when you did your warmup.
• If the water is below knee-deep, try running (or jogging) by lifting your feet up and swinging them around sideways to clear the water (ask someone to show you how it's done and then try it yourself).
• When the water is about hip deep, it's time to start porpoising. Dive forward, then while you're still underwater, bring your feet under you onto the sea floor, ready to spring forward into your next dive forward.
• Keep porpoising until the water is about hip-waist deep.

Finding clear water

• If you've positioned yourself well at the start line you should be able to find some clear water fairly quickly.
• The edges of the pack are best. Even though you may take a longer line to the turning buoy, you'll be able to settle into your stroke and not waste effort avoiding other swimmers around you.
• If possible, find a swimmer your speed and get in right behind on their toes to draft off them.

Drafting

• Drafting off another swimmer can save you a lot of effort.
• Try practising in training (ask the swimmer in front first). You should be close enough to be able to just touch their toes.
• Avoid touching the swimmer's toes because that is really annoying and they will probably try to put on a burst of speed to shake you off, so you'll lose your draft.
• If you're being drafted by another swimmer, you're dragging them along and so using some of your energy. Try little tricks to shake them off, like:
• Kicking hard making lots of turbulence, splash and bubbles to make it uncomfortable for them.
• When you come up to a slower swimmer, pass close to them and when you're just in front cut across so your tail can't follow you.
• Vary your speed, especially giving a burst of speed around slower swimmers or around a buoy.

Sighting

• You should try to keep a straight line between turning buoys. Sometimes there will be smaller buoys between the turning buoys to help keep you on line - usually you can swim either side of these.
• Regularly look up to find the next buoy. The frequency depends on how straight you swim, how tired you are (it does take a bit more effort), if there's slower traffic ahead that you have to get through, etc.
• Some people look up every 10m or so, others rarely (they're the ones zig-zagging along the course), others every few breaths.
• This is just like doing polo - practise it in training.
• Try to take a quick glance as part of taking a breath. This takes a bit of practice - just as you start your stroke, lift your head up forward and then turn to the side to complete your breath like normal.
• If you're not comfortable doing polo, just do a couple of strokes of breaststroke instead.

Coping with chop and waves

• Expect some waves, and if it's smooth then that's a bonus.
• Try to time your stroke with the waves. Waves have a regular pattern so if you can adjust to match that then you will have a more effortless stroke and reduce the chance of getting a face full of water when trying to breathe or sight.
• Use the waves behind you to help push you, especially if they're breaking and you can bodysurf them.

Turning buoys

• You can gain or lose several metres going around a buoy.
• Try to find space so you can swim right next to the buoy, even if you have to slow down to go behind someone or a quick sprint to get in front.
• It's considered bad manners to do breaststroke or a breaststroke kick around a buoy if there are other swimmers near you within kicking distance.

Finishing

• If you don't kick much through the race, increase your kicking in the last 50-100m to get more oxygenated blood into your leg muscles, otherwise when you're running up the sand, those muscles that have been ignored during the race will just refuse to work and you'll end up stumbling and looking a bit uncoordinated.
• When you've rounded the last turning buoy, sight the finish line.
• Sometimes the swim to the finish line can be at an angle to the waves - make sure you concentrate and keep your line. It's very easy to just go in line with the waves, with the result that you end up having to swim further.
• Keep swimming until you can nearly touch the bottom with your hands.
• If it's a bit deep to run, porpoise a few times until it's shallow enough to run.
• Once it's shallow enough, start wading or running through the shallow water to the sand.
• Keep running (if you can) across the timing pads through the finish line.

After the race

Cool down

• It's important to have a swim down to get the lactic acid out of your muscles.
• This will help you recover faster.

Rehydrate

• You usually get a bottle of water after you finish - make sure you drink at least that bottle, and then keep sipping at your own bottle for the next hour or so.
• Don't scull a heap of water quickly because your body will pass a lot of it straight through. It's better to drink slowly over the next hour or so.
• Sports drinks can help a bit but are really more for longer duration exertion.

Refuel

• Your muscles will have used up a lot of your body's energy stores, so that needs to be replaced.
• Try to eat something with high carbohydrate content, preferably not too high sugar or fat, and some protein if possible.
• Doesn't have to be specific sports foods (they're expensive).

Information about upcoming competitions

Entering a meet

Preparing for a meet

What to take

What not to take

At the meet

Information about upcoming competitions

We try to let you know about all upcoming Masters meets by email, on Facebook and on our website (on the home page and on the calendar). The following websites are the main source of information and meet entries:

• Upcoming Meets list on the Casey Seals website home page
• Casey Seals Events Calendar
• Masters Swimming Victoria

Entering a meet

All meets

• Check the closing date of entries for the meet - this is usually on the flyer, the information page on the meet's website and on the entry form / web page.
• Find out how many events you can enter. There's usually a maximum, meaning that you will have to select which events to enter and which ones to miss.

Entering MSV State Championships

• MSV now uses an online registration system which allows you to enter your events, nominate your times, say whether you are available for relays and pay for the entry.

Entering MSA National Championships

• Most Nationals now use online registration and payment systems, like the MSV State Championships.
• This will vary depending on which State is hosting the meet, and the entry procedure will vary accordingly.

Entering MSV interclub meets

• Entering interclub meets is usually from a link on the MSV website.
• Usually they will be through the same system as the MSV meets.

Entering Masters Games

• There are many different Masters Games, ranging from regional to Australian to World.
• Each will have their own entry procedures so check on the Games' website.

Preparing for a meet

The preparation for a meet depends on how serious you want to be.

Not serious, just going for fun

• Eg. an interclub meet, time trials, etc.
• Don't worry about tapering or pre-meet diet etc.

Pretty serious, want to go hard

• Eg. State Championships.
• We'll usually plan our training sessions around the main meets, such as State and National Championships, so you should be getting the correct build up and taper.
• If you've been doing extra training outside the club sessions, match the type of sets and the intensity of them to what we're doing at the club sessions.
• If you do weight training, talk to Sean or Jen to work out whether to reduce the intensity, and how & when to do so (your personal trainer may know general fitness but might not fully understand the requirements of preparation for a swimming event).
• Cut back on other strenuous activity in the week leading up to the meet.
• Avoid alcohol for a day or two before the meet.
• Make sure you are fully hydrated for a day before the meet (if you're dehydrated, your blood is thicker which makes it harder to pump around to your muscles).
• Diet - Sean & Jen

Really serious - playing for sheepstations

• Eg. going for a State or National record, or doing an event that is way beyond anything you've attempted (like an 800m butterfly, or a 400m when you've only managed 200m non-stop in training before).
• Same guidelines as for the "pretty serious", just more so!

What to take

• Racing goggles. For most swimmers, these are just your training goggles, but some people have a pair they just use for racing, with the band done up tighter for diving.
• A spare pair of goggles.
• Don't forget your Casey Seals cap and a spare one (the men should consider wearing one too, unless your follicly challenged, because you will be a bit faster and it can help keep your goggles on).
• One or more pairs of racing bathers if you have them (make sure they are FINA-approved). If you don't have specific racing bathers, bring a couple of normal ones so you can change into them during the meet so you're not sitting in wet bathers all day.
• If you've got a few swims during the day, consider bringing a spare towel or a small towel/chamois that can be wrung out. One towel can often get really wet.
• Water, and maybe sports drink. You need to stay hydrated during the day.
• For long-distance or one-day meets, bring a few snacks. High-energy easily digested food is best. Avoid fatty processed foods.
• If outdoors, don't underestimate how cold you can get when wet. You should consider taking a warm coat or zip hoodie that you can wear right up until just before going up to the blocks for the start.
• Find out what the seating will be like at the venue. You might want to take your own folding chair, or a cushion if it's just concrete steps.

What not to take or wear when racing

Jewellery

• You should consider leaving all jewellery at home where possible. If you are wearing earrings, wedding bands etc that can't be removed, you need to get it recorded with the Chief Marshall in the marshalling area prior to your race.

Watches

• No watches, timing or pacing devices are allowed to be worn whilst racing.

Strapping

• If you need to have strapping or similar sports tape when you're racing, you should be prepared with a letter from your doctor or physio explaining the injury and why the strapping is necessary. The letter needs to be shown to the Chief Recorder.
• Be aware that some strapping could be seen as providing an unfair advantage and therefore disallowed. For example, binding fingers together in such a way as to gain greater pulling power through the water.

At the meet

Getting there

• You should plan to get to the venue early enough to find parking, get into the pool and find where we're sitting, without getting stressed.
• We try to sit together so have a look for us when you get to the pool.
• Make sure you allow time for a proper warmup.

Warmup

• The length of your warmup and what you do depends on your fitness and what events you'll be swimming.
• Do some of your warmup in the strokes you'll be racing, especially the 50's and dive sprints.
• A typical warmup is: (Jen or Sean to confirm)
• 200m-400m easy, freestyle and backstroke
• 4 x 100 moderate pace
• 4 x 50 explode 15m then easy
• 2 or more dive-start sprint 25's (to get used to the blocks, check your goggles, etc)
• Maybe do 100m easy to finish Jen & Sean: is this ok or should we end with the sprints?

Marshalling

• Most meets have somewhere that shows what event and heat number are being marshalled upto. At MSAC this is on the top of the main display board. Keep an eye on this for your event and heat.
• You will need to go to the marshalling area before your race. This is where the officials mark your name off their list.
• Usually you will be seated in rows corresponding to your heat.
• An official takes each heat to line up behind the blocks.

Behind the blocks

• Stay behind the timekeepers until the heat in front of yours has finished.
• Get yourself ready to race: goggles on, cap on if you're wearing one, etc.
• Sometimes it can be good to have a jacket to keep you warm until you're ready to go and then you can quickly take it off.
• When the heat before yours finishes, you need to move up to behind or next to the starting block.

The start

• A long whistle from the starter is your signal to get up onto the starting block or to get into the water if it's a backstroke race (for backstroke, enter the water feet first - do not dive in).
• If you don't want to dive from the block, you can start next to it or you can start in the water.
• If you're diving in, you must have at least one foot at the front of the block or on the edge of the pool. Otherwise, if you're starting in the water, you must have at least one hand holding the edge of the pool.
• The starter will call out "Take your marks". Get into your start position ready for the dive. Make sure you keep absolutely still at this stage.

The race

• Make sure your turns and finish are done correctly - if you're not sure about this, ask the coaches at training to explain and then you should practice them until you can do them properly. You should be doing every turn and finish at training correctly so that you'll do them correctly when racing.
• If electronic timing pads are being used, make sure you touch it firmly at the finish.
• After you finish, move over to the lane rope about a metre away from the wall. The next heat usually will start "over the top" - that is, while you're still in the water.
• When you hear two short whistles, that's your signal to get out of the pool. Go to the closest side of the pool - do NOT climb out over the end. If electronic timing pads are used, be careful not to touch them on your way out because that will record a touch for the swimmer in that lane.

Cool-down

• You should always do a cool down swim after your race. This is vital - it allows your body to remove the lactic acid that's built up in your muscles during your race.
• If you just did a short race, you may only need to swim 100m, but otherwise you should swim at least 200m and up to 400-500m. A rough rule-of-thumb is to do double what you raced, but generally it's not necessary to do more than 400-500m.