#429 : The Science and Art of Open Water Swimming
5/30/202645 min
In this episode, I sit down with Grant to share what I've learned over nearly two decades of coaching and racing in both pool and open water environments, including qualifying for Open Water Nationals as an adult.
We explore the gap between pool-perfect technique and what actually works in real race conditions like chop, fatigue, and contact. I break down why swimmers often struggle when they try to carry over overly rigid pool habits into open water, and how that leads to overthinking and breakdown under pressure.
We also get into how I now approach stroke rate, breathing, sighting, and recovery in a more adaptable way, depending on conditions.
A key theme is simplicity, learning to stay relaxed, trust feel, and avoid constantly chasing technical changes. We also cover what truly transfers from pool to open water, and why consistency and mindset matter more than constant technique overhauls.Timestamps
03:51 – Why pool technique doesn't always translate to open water
07:40 – Stroke rate, sighting, breathing patterns, and adapting to rough conditions
12:19 – Common mistakes swimmers make with technique and body awareness
16:55 – How Brenton simplifies coaching and decides what not to change
21:49 – Why some swimmers improve long term while others stay stuck
28:29 – Overthinking technique and finding the "feel" for swimming
32:40 – Qualifying for Open Water Nationals and improving later in life
37:20 – Strength, mobility, VO₂ sets, and training after 40
41:50 – Drafting tactics, "effortless swimming," favorite swim sets, and final advice
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
Welcome to the Effortless Swimming Podcast, the show that helps swimmers and triathletes love the water, become a better swimmer, and live a better life. Here's your host, Brenton Ford.
Brenton Ford· Host0:10
I was recently a guest on The Science and Art of Open Water Swimming hosted by Grant Landers, and on this episode, he really asked some good in-depth questions about what you can do to become a more proficient and open water swimmer. And we also get into some of the principles that help you transition from the pool to the open water, as well as some of the things that are a little bit less tangible, some of the, uh, I, I think, philosophies of, uh, why people are attracted to open water swimming and swimming itself. So this was a, a really fun episode to do. Let's get into it.
Grant Landers· Soundbite0:44
So welcome to The Science and Art of Open Water Swimming. My guest today is Brenton Ford, a swim coach, entrepreneur, and the founder of Effortless Swimming, which has become one of the most influential swimming coaching platforms in the world. Through clinics, camps, online coaching, and his own podcast, Brenton has helped thousands of swimmers, particularly adult swimmers and triathletes, think differently about technique, efficiency, and performance. As a swimmer, Brenton came through the pool system, reaching the pointy end of national level competition as a teenager before stepping away and later finding his way back into competitive swimming as an adult. What's particularly interesting is that many years later, nearly two decades on, he qualified for open water nationals,