7 Helpful Tips on Racing With SwimStraight™
Open water swimming can be a daunting experience, whether you’re a seasoned racer or new to the challenge. Navigating a swim course under race pressure, with a lot going on, can easily cause you to drift off course, costing you valuable time and energy.
SwimStraight™ helps solve these issues by giving you real-time feedback to swim more efficiently. In this post, we share seven tips to help you make the most of FORM goggles and SwimStraight™ in your next race:
1. Swim the Course Like a Pro
Understanding any swim course in advance of your race is key, but having a tool to guide you through it is even better. Whether you’re swimming in a single direction or multiple laps, SwimStraight™ helps you stay on course. For single-direction swims, it ensures you swim straight through to T1 (transition one), avoiding unnecessary detours. In multi-lap races, SwimStraight™ will help you adjust your heading quickly after every turn buoy. Practicing on the course ahead of time with your goggles will help familiarize you with the feedback you'll see, so you're ready on race day to swim smarter, not harder.
2. Save Your Energy by Swimming Smart
In open water races, even a slight deviation from your heading can add extra meters and time. With SwimStraight™, you’ll know the exact direction to take at every turn. After completing a lap or reaching a new heading, as you manoeuvre your body around the marker and as you sight to see the next buoy or landmark, our in-goggle compass will show you the precise bearing to guide you to it, so you can swim the course more efficiently than your competition.
3. Stay Calm and Confident
Pre-race anxiety can take a toll on your performance. Simplify your preparation by setting up your goggles and calibrating SwimStraight™ ahead of time. By doing this, you can focus on your race rather than on last-minute adjustments. Get to the ‘Front to Start’ screen before the race, and when the starting horn sounds, you’ll just need to press the select button once and dive in confidently, knowing you’re fully prepared.
Easily calibrate SwimStraight™ before your race starts by following these simple steps:
4. Be Safe—Sight Regularly
While SwimStraight™ helps guide you on course, it’s still crucial to stay aware of your surroundings. Other swimmers without FORM goggles may unintentionally swim off course and cut across your path. Let SwimStraight™ direct you, but always remain vigilant about your competitors’ positions and potential obstacles in the water to ensure a safe and successful race. You will be prompted to sight in your FORM goggles if you’re not sighting regularly enough, ensuring that you stay safe in the open water.
5. Stay Ahead of the Competition
Not only will SwimStraight™ help you swim more efficiently, but the FORM goggles also provide real-time access to critical metrics like heart rate, pace, and much more. These insights allow you to monitor your performance and adjust as needed in real-time, helping you stay on or within your limit and beat the competition. Knowing your metrics ensures you get to T1 quicker and fresher, giving you a significant edge over your fellow racers.
6. Maximize Your Pack Swimming Strategy
If you’re swimming in a pack, you’ll often find it advantageous to draft off other swimmers, even if the group isn’t heading perfectly straight. SwimStraight™ gives you the flexibility to stay with the pack for drafting benefits, but if the group strays too far off course, you’ll know when it’s time to break away and swim your own race. This balance can save both time and energy while ensuring you stay efficient throughout the race.
7. Practice Makes Perfect
Getting practice on the race course ahead of time, while using SwimStraight™, is invaluable. Familiarizing yourself with the feedback you’ll see in the goggles ensures that once race day comes, you’ll know what to expect and can swim with confidence. Your pre-race preparation will help you acclimate to the conditions, reduce anxiety, and allow you to focus solely on your performance during your race.
With FORM’s SwimStraight™ digital compass, you can take the guesswork out of navigating your open water races or the swim leg of your triathlon. Focus on your performance, swim the straightest line possible, and get to the finish line or T1 faster than ever before.
Have you raced with SwimStraight™ yet? We'd love to hear your race stories!
