Endurance swimming: the night element

Take your time, start small and prepare well for the nighttime element of your endurance swim, says Olympian Alice Dearing

If you’re targeting a long endurance swim, there is a good chance that you will probably have to swim in the dark at some point. This can make for some of the most memorable strokes you will take. Swimming as the sun rises over the eastern horizon, the dark waters gradually picking up the light. Or dropping into the water as the sun fades, taking its light and warmth and allowing the air to cool. Whichever of these scenarios you face (maybe even both in one swim!) you should be prepared and have things in place to keep you safe before you take to the water.

Be seen

Firstly, make sure you have someone who has eyes on you at all times. Ideally, they should be on the water with you, e.g on a kayak or paddleboard so they can have good oversight. But if this is not possible, have someone who has sight of you on land. A lot of us now swim with smart watches which have GPS tracking, share this information with people who have sight of you but also others who may not be at the venue. The more people that are aware of your training/swim the more help will be available if needed.

Being seen is a must. There are some great and innovative products that allow you to be visible whilst in the water; tow floats with LED lights, waterproof LED lights to attach to your goggle straps, or maybe even around your wrists if that is comfortable. These lights aren’t so you can see through the water… it’s so people can see you.

Sighting at night

One of the key mistakes a lot of open water swimmers make is not sighting enough. And when swimming in darkness this will be even more crucial. However, sighting in the dark may take on a different form – if you are swimming out into the water with nothing to sight except darkness in front of you it can be very disconcerting and off putting. This is where you need to be adaptable and able to breathe to the side the shore or your support team are on. Whilst this may not be your strongest way to swim, find a way to be able to check that you still have sight of everything around you at least every 10 strokes. Things can change quickly in open water swimming and you need as much information as possible at all times to stay safe.

Plan, prepare and practice

Don’t let the first time you swim in the dark be the day of the challenge. It is very ironic that we do so much preparation for swims such as these but can overlook that we will be swimming at the break of dawn or long into the night. Open water swimming is naturally full of unknown challenges but if you do know you have a strong chance of swimming at dark, then practice it beforehand. It will help alleviate your mind of another burden on the day if it has been through such a situation before.

Small steps

Start small(er) if needed with this. Do a few short minutes in an open water venue that opens at night. Or step it back further and go to an outdoor pool that opens during dark hours. Yes, it will be lit but it will help you get a sense of the feeling of night swimming – the air and water being cooler and how artificial light looks on water compared to day light. You can never be over prepared.

Take your time with this. My key message will always be that this is a very individual and unique sport to everyone. And whilst being competitive with challenges has led to some of the most incredible feats in swimming and endurance sport, we should recognise that everyone will approach things differently and find challenge where others may find ease. Do not get yourself down if night swimming scares you and it’s a must for the challenge you are taking on. Speak to people in the community; you will not be alone in feeling this way as it is scary and our minds do throw up defence mechanisms in an attempt to keep us from danger. You can listen to these whilst still being safe and able to swim.

What ever the darkness may throw at you as long as you are visible at all times, sighting well and physiologically ready for the swim and conditions you can take it on. And enjoy the moment, it’s a unique experience which few will be able to claim they have done.