Technique, drills, open-water skills, pacing, and gear guidance for age-group triathletes.
A 2026 study found the median critical cold-water temperature for wetsuited swimmers is 15.0°C, yet World Aquatics kept its 16°C safety threshold. Here's why both numbers matter.
The "swim at 80-90 percent" rule comes from tiny, male-only lab studies. New 2025 research in amateur triathletes found it can backfire for women and does little for men.
Race-start panic isn't just nerves: anxiety measurably amplifies cold shock, and poor sighting technique adds real drag. Here's what the evidence supports, and how to train both.
"Just lengthen your stroke" is oversimplified. Decades of swim biomechanics research show the rate-vs-length balance depends on distance and fatigue — here's what age-groupers should actually train.
Myth: just relax and the open-water panic goes away.
Myth: a longer stroke is always a faster stroke.
Myth: swim at 80 to 90 percent effort to save your legs for the bike.
Myth: above 16°C, open-water swimming is basically safe.
