07/10/2026
Which kind of swimmer are you around a buoy??? 👀
Do you cut tight on the inside, or take a wider outside angle?
If you’re used to pool swimming, buoy turns are one of those skills you can’t fully learn from a lane. In open water, your best line depends on what’s happening that day, in that moment.
You need to consider:
🌊 Current & tide — Where is the water moving, and how will it affect your line?
💨 Wind & chop — Is one side of the buoy more exposed?
🏄♀️ Waves & swell — Can they help or slow you down?
👥 The pack — Are you boxed in, or do you have space to take your ideal line?
👀 Visibility & sighting — Can you actually hold the line you’re aiming for?
🏁 What comes next — Where do you want to exit the turn and set yourself up for the next leg?
And here’s the important part —> the shortest line isn’t always the fastest line.
A tight inside turn might look perfect on paper, but if you get squeezed by the pack, lose your stroke, have to slow down, or get pushed off your line, that “shorter” route may cost you more time and energy than taking a slightly wider angle.
That’s why open-water racing requires more than fitness. You need awareness, adaptability, positioning and strategy.
These are exactly the skills we practice during our Saturday morning Ocean Racers sessions, so race day isn’t the first time you have to make these decisions.
Because getting stuck under a buoy while 30 swimmers are trying to turn around it? 😅
Not the place you want to learn your lesson.
Train the skill before race day. Know your options. Then adapt when the conditions change.
That’s open-water swimming 🌊🏊♀️
