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Pool vs Open Water Swimming: Which Is Better for Training?

Pool vs Open Water Swimming: Which Is Actually Better for Training?

If you’ve ever willingly got into freezing British water and called it “refreshing”… this blog is for you.

And if you’ve ever stared at a black line at the bottom of a pool questioning your entire existence… also for you.

At MySwimCo, we coach swimmers in both environments. We love both. But here’s the truth that might ruffle a few wetsuits:

👉 You should be doing around 90% of your swimming in the pool.

Bold claim? Maybe. Correct? Also yes.

Let’s break it down properly.

🏊‍♂️ Pool Swimming: Where Swimmers Are Built

📸 IMAGE IDEA: indoor pool, swimmer underwater, coaching shot

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The pool is your training ground. It’s controlled, predictable, and—crucially—where real improvement happens.

✅ Benefits of Pool Swimming

1. You Can Actually Fix Your Technique

In a pool, everything is consistent:

  • Clear water

  • No waves

  • No chaos

Which means you can:

  • Focus on body position

  • Improve your breathing

  • Refine your stroke

This is exactly why at MySwimCo we focus heavily on video analysis and technique work in the pool.

👉 Open water exposes your flaws. The pool fixes them.

2. Progress Is Measurable (And That Matters)

In the pool:

  • 100m is always 100m

  • Your pace is trackable

  • Your rest is controlled

You can measure:

  • Stroke count

  • Speed

  • Efficiency

Compare that to the sea, where you think you swam straight but somehow ended up halfway to France.

👉 If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.

3. You Can Train Consistently

No tides. No weather changes. No jellyfish plotting against you.

That means:

  • More sessions completed

  • Higher quality training

  • Less mental fatigue

👉 Consistency beats intensity over time.

❌ Drawbacks of Pool Swimming

1. It Can Be Boring

Let’s not sugarcoat it.

Swimming up and down a black line for an hour:

  • Isn’t glamorous

  • Isn’t exciting

  • Sometimes feels like punishment

2. It Doesn’t Replicate Race Conditions

Pools don’t prepare you for:

  • Open water starts

  • Waves

  • Cold water

So you can feel amazing in the pool… then panic slightly in a lake.

3. Turns Give You “Free Speed”

Unless your race has walls (it doesn’t), turns:

  • Give you momentum

  • Break up your effort

👉 Open water doesn’t offer those little rests.

🌊 Open Water Swimming: Where It Gets Real

Open water is less “training session” and more “controlled chaos”.

And that’s exactly why it matters.

✅ Benefits of Open Water Swimming

1. It’s Specific to Race Conditions

If you’re doing a triathlon, you need to practise:

  • Sighting

  • Swimming straight

  • Handling other swimmers

👉 This is something the pool simply can’t fully replicate.

2. It Builds Mental Toughness

Cold water. Limited visibility. The occasional mid-swim existential crisis.

You learn to:

  • Stay calm under pressure

  • Control your breathing

  • Keep moving forward

3. It’s Actually Enjoyable (Sometimes)

On a good day:

  • Calm water

  • Nice weather (rare, but it happens)

  • Decent visibility

It’s one of the best swimming experiences you can have in the UK.

❌ Drawbacks of Open Water Swimming

1. Your Technique Falls Apart

As soon as conditions get tough:

  • Your stroke shortens

  • Your breathing gets rushed

  • Efficiency drops massively

👉 You’re surviving, not improving.

2. Training Is Inconsistent

Conditions change constantly:

  • Wind

  • Temperature

  • Water quality

So your session quality varies every time.

👉 That makes structured progress difficult.

3. There Are Safety Risks

Even experienced swimmers need to consider:

  • Cold water shock

  • Fatigue

  • Visibility issues

This isn’t the place to push limits blindly.

🧠 Why 90% Pool, 10% Open Water Is the Sweet Spot

Here’s the simple truth:

  • Pool = Skill + Fitness Development

  • Open Water = Skill Application

Think of it like this:

👉 You don’t learn to drive on the motorway.

👉 You learn in a controlled environment first.

Same with swimming.

📊 What Most Swimmers Get Wrong

A lot of swimmers (especially triathletes) think:

“I race in open water, so I should train in open water.”

Sounds logical. It’s not. Most elite swimmers and triathletes:

  • Do the majority of training in the pool

  • Use open water closer to race day

Why? Because:

  • Technique drives efficiency

  • Efficiency drives speed

  • Speed comes from repeatable training

👉 Not from battling waves twice a week.

🏁 The Ideal Training Split

For most swimmers:

  • 90% Pool Training

  • 10% Open Water Practice

Closer to an event:

  • Shift towards 70% pool / 30% open water

But your foundation?

👉 Always built in the pool.

💬 Final Thoughts

Open water swimming is exciting. It’s social. It feels adventurous. But if your goal is to:

  • Swim faster

  • Feel smoother

  • Improve efficiently

Then the truth is simple:

👉 The pool is where the real progress happens.

🚀 Want to Improve Your Swimming Faster?

At MySwimCo, we specialise in:

  • One-to-one coaching

  • Technique-first swimming

  • Video analysis

Whether you’re:

  • Learning to swim

  • Training for a triathlon

  • Or just want to stop fighting the water

Book a FREE consultation with us

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