ORIENTEERING TECHNIQUE To orientate yourself in open water, it is necessary to raise your head above the surface of the water to look ahead and thus control the direction in which you are swimming. Avoid breathing forward, this is the most common mistake made by inexperienced swimmers. To do this you will have to take your whole head out of the water, which will cause your legs to sink and drastically increase resistance, even with a wetsuit on. Lift your head as little as possible to see the target, as lifting your head too high penalises your position and will lead to increased energy consumption. Incorporate targeting into your natural stroke rhythm. PRE-COMPETITION PREPARATI...