How to Practice Sighting Without Slowing Down

Mastering the Art of Navigation While Maintaining Speed in Open Water

In open water swimming, sighting is non-negotiable — but it’s also one of the biggest sources of speed loss. Every time you lift your head to check your course, your hips sink, drag increases, and momentum fades. Elite swimmers lose less than 0.2 seconds per sight; beginners can lose 1–2 seconds or more.

The difference? Technique, timing, and rhythm.

The good news: with deliberate practice, you can learn to sight quickly, efficiently, and seamlessly — so you stay on course without sacrificing speed.

In this guide, we’ll break down how to integrate sighting into your freestyle stroke like a pro — with drills, cues, and strategies that keep you fast, straight, and in control.

🌊 Why Poor Sighting Slows You Down

When done incorrectly, sighting:

• Lifts the entire head → drops hips → increases frontal drag by up to 30%

• Disrupts body rotation → breaks stroke rhythm

• Causes breath-holding → leads to panic and early fatigue

• Creates zigzag swimming → adds unnecessary distance

“Great open water swimmers don’t lift their heads — they rotate and sight in one fluid motion.”— Janet Evans, Olympic Open Water Swimmer

🔑 The 3 Principles of Fast, Efficient Sighting

1. Sight on Your Breathing Stroke

• Always sight when you turn to breathe — never on a non-breathing stroke

• This keeps your body aligned and avoids double head movement

2. Eyes Only — Not Your Whole Head

• Lift just your eyes above water — like a periscope

• Keep your chin close to your shoulder — “alligator eyes”

🎯 Cue: “See the buoy, not the sky.”

3. One Quick Look — Not a Stare

• Sight for 0.5–1 second — long enough to spot your target, not long enough to sink

• Immediately return head to neutral and exhale

🛠️ 4 Drills to Practice Sighting Without Losing Speed

1. Pool Buoy Sighting (The Foundation Drill)

Purpose: Build rhythm and low-head sighting in controlled water.How to do it:

• Place a water bottle, cone, or sign at the end of the pool

• Swim freestyle, sighting only when you breathe

• Focus: One quick look every 6–8 strokes

• Advanced: Increase to every 4 strokes in choppy conditions

💡 Tip: Use a metronome or Tempo Trainer to lock in stroke count to the buoy.

2. Head-Lead Sighting

Purpose: Isolate head movement without disrupting body line.How to do it:

• Kick on your side with one arm extended, other at side

• Rotate head to breathe — but lift eyes slightly to “sight” a target on deck

• Hold 2 seconds, return to neutral

• Switch sides

🎯 Cue: “Rotate your head — don’t lift it.”

3. Wave Simulation Sighting

Purpose: Practice sighting in realistic, choppy conditions.How to do it:

• Have a coach or teammate create waves by splashing or using a paddle

• Swim freestyle, sighting every 4–6 strokes

• Time your breath/sight with the trough (low point) between waves — not the crest

🌊 Cue: “Breathe in the valley, not on the mountain.”

4. Drafting + Sighting Relay

Purpose: Simulate race conditions with navigation under fatigue.How to do it:

• 2–3 swimmers form a line (1–2 feet apart)

• Lead swimmer sets course to a buoy

• Following swimmers must sight around the leader to see the target

• Rotate leaders every 50m

🧠 Teaches: “Sight early, sight often — but stay in the draft.”

🧭 Advanced Sighting Strategies by Condition

Condition	Sighting Strategy	Breathing Sync
Calm Water	Every 8–12 strokes	Bilateral breathing — sight on dominant side
Choppy Water	Every 4–6 strokes	Unilateral breathing — sight into the swell
Crowded Race	Every 2–3 strokes	Quick, frequent glances to avoid collisions
Fog/Night	Use fixed lights or landmarks	Increase stroke count awareness
Turning Buoys	Sight 10m before, 5m after	Double-sight: “In and out” of turn

💡 Pro Tip: In races, sight before you reach the buoy — not while circling it.

📅 Sample Weekly Open Water Prep Workout (Pool-Based)

Warm-Up:

• 400m easy + 4 x 50m drills (catch-up, side kick)

Technique Focus:

• 6 x 50m Pool Buoy Sighting (every 6 strokes) — 20s rest

• 4 x 25m Wave Simulation Sighting — 30s rest

• 4 x 25m Head-Lead Sighting (side kicking) — 20s rest

Race Simulation:

• 4 x 100m Drafting + Sighting Relay — 45s rest

• 1 x 400m Continuous — sight every 6 strokes, negative split

Cool-Down:

• 200m easy backstroke + 5 min stretching

⚠️ Common Sighting Mistakes — And How to Fix Them

Mistake	Why It’s Bad	Fix
Lifting whole head	Sinks hips, kills momentum	“Alligator eyes” — eyes only
Sighting on non-breath stroke	Doubles head movement	Only sight when you breathe
Staring too long	Disrupts rhythm, increases drag	“One look — go!”
Ignoring conditions	Misses buoys in chop	Sight more frequently in rough water
No stroke count	Can’t navigate without sight	Practice blind swimming to build internal rhythm

💬 Pro Tips from Open Water Champions

“I don’t look at the buoy — I look just past it. That way I swim straight to it.”— Katie Ledecky, Olympic Champion

“In a pack, I sight off the swimmer ahead — their head points to the buoy.”

“If I’m not sighting every 6 strokes, I’m swimming in a circle.”

📊 How to Track Sighting Efficiency

Metric	How to Track	Goal
Course Deviation	Measure actual vs. straight-line distance	<5% extra distance
Sighting Frequency	Count strokes between sights	Consistent based on conditions
Split Times	Compare pool vs. open water 1,500m	Open water should be <10% slower
Perceived Effort	Rate 1–10 after swim	Should decrease with better sighting

🎥 Film yourself from a kayak — analyze head lift and body line.

Final Thoughts

Sighting isn’t a distraction from your stroke — it’s an extension of it.When you synchronize it with your breath, you don’t just swim faster —you swim smarter, calmer, and with unwavering confidence.

So the next time you push off for open water, don’t just lift your head.Rotate. Sight. Breathe. Glide. Repeat.

Because the straightest line between you and the buoyisn’t drawn in the water —it’s built in your technique.

Eyes up. Hips high. Stroke strong.

In open water, the fastest swimmers aren’t the strongest —they’re the ones who never lose their way. 💙🏊‍♀️