Why surfers should go to swimming training at least 3 times a week…
A few weeks ago my leash broke on a point break and even on the inside we still had a good 1.5 m waves. I was lucky the current wasn’t that strong and no one cared about me. So I had to swim about 350 m to shore with many washes and I honestly almost drowned.
Since then I’ve been swimming a lot, but not for long distances but for the aforementioned 350 m. When surfing, you’re usually not much further from the shore anyway.
Those who live by the sea obviously don’t have much time to spend, like landlubbers, but summer is coming and you can easily train by the lake. Especially if you’re already doing surfboard paddling training, you can also add 350 m of swimming to it.
I mostly train the 350 m breaststroke. To do this, I got used to the following technique: 10 strokes with my head above water and 4 strokes under water, alternating.
For beginners I recommend 20 / 3 moves and then 15 / 3 until the change to 10 / 4.
For me, the reason I do this is training that simulates a wash cycle in an emergency. Hold your breath, wash, surface further to land.
It’s even ideal if the shorebreak in the ocean is a pleasant size, then I like to have myself washed on the cross path to the beach.
Try it or find another way. For me it’s good training and if you think about it you don’t want to end up in a situation like that and it can happen at any time.
Aloha
Thorsten
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