The Community Answers "What's The Biggest Mistake You Have Made While Open Water Swimming?"

Biggest Mistake in the Open Water

In the Ask the Community series, we ask open water swimmers a question. It could be silly, serious, or somewhere in between. We recently asked the open water swimming community “What’s the biggest mistake you have made while open water swimming?” Here are there responses.

Facebook Responses

  • “I panicked when I got into the water. Could not get my breathing right for several yards into a race. Cost me a lot of time. I should have been more prepared mentally.” - Elise C

  • “Didn’t fold my floating buoy well and overstuffed it and it leaked and ruined my previous iPhone 🙂” - Aaron W.

  • “Floating over waist-high weeds to get out, and then getting them wrapped around my foot on the way back to shore. Had to float on my back to untangle between swells.” - Kelsey B

  • “Didn’t clean my goggles and used the wrong lense. Sighting becomes a problem!” - Liezl

  • “Not trusting my paddler to chart the course.” - Linda S.

  • “Forgot to take my water bottle with me. I am always thirsty after swimming.” - Veronika

  • “Not being in the moment!” - Gary W

  • “Breathe into the wind” - Raymond B

Instagram Responses

  • “Not keeping an eye on my mates.” - @pjmills101

  • “Letting a moment of panic in.” - @dana_haldeman

  • “Forget to apply Vaseline before entering a competition.” - @fr4gus

  • “Not sighting as frequently as I should.” - @sweaver19

  • “Forgot to bring water/gatorade to my first 5 mi race.” - @kaceynotcasey

  • “Not keeping good space between swimmers, and getting (a) big kick to the head.” - rmcdon

  • “No lubing my wetsuit. Got some really gnarly burns.” - @luckybrooklyn504

  • “Not knowing that you can sunburn the bottom of your feet on long swims!” - @cmw_in_the_360

  • “Swimming with a club without any safety rules or a buddy system.” - @oaklandbamsa

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Open Water SwimmingRustin RassoliOpen water swimming, swimming, open water swim, ask the community, open water swimming community