Open Water Swim Navigation "CRAB WALKING"

An open water swim technique where you adjust your sighting and trajectory to account for current, drift, or wind — and you end up swimming at an angle to your target, like a crab walks sideways to get where it’s going.

Swimming with a cross-current strategy. Aiming off or offset sighting. Tactical angling in open water navigation

You sight to a false target — deliberately aiming to one side of the buoy — because you know the current will push you back on course. This is a smart adaptation that elite open water swimmers use all the time, especially in ocean swims, rivers, or races with strong lateral movement.

Example:

• Buoy is straight ahead, but the current pushes left to right.

• You aim left of the buoy.

• The current carries you toward the right as you swim.

• You end up arriving directly at the buoy — like a crab walking sideways to go forward.

Why It’s Important:

• If you sight directly on the buoy without accounting for current, you’ll get pushed off line, swim extra distance, and fatigue faster.

• Good swimmers know: “Swim smart, not just hard.”

What to practice:

• Practice sighting every 6–12 strokes.

• Look at water movement, chop, or other swimmers for drift clues.

• Pick a landmark offset from the buoy if conditions require it.

• Use a pre-race warm-up to test the current and refine the “crab angle.”

Pool-Based Drill: “Target Drift” (Simulated Current Awareness)

Setup:

• Use 3 floating targets (e.g., cones, kickboards, or printed signs):

• A = actual buoy

• B = visible target (landmark or fake buoy to aim for)

• C = result/landing zone

• Position them to simulate a current (e.g., aim at A, drift to C)

Drill:

Do 25s or 50s aiming at different targets, noting where they end up. Learn to adjust aim and repeat.

• Add variation:

• Swim with eyes closed except for sighting strokes.

• Have other swimmers to create cross-wakes.

Open Water Drill: “Angle Aiming”

Best done in a lake, river, or ocean with visible current.

Warm-up: 3–5 minutes easy swimming, practice sighting.

Drill Block:

• Pick a buoy or marker 200m out.

• First rep: Swim directly at it.

• Second rep: Swim same line, note drift.

• Third rep: Aim into the current — pick a landmark offset.

• Fourth rep: Swim blind (minimal sighting) using only internal body compass and test accuracy.

Take note how visual aiming point changes resulted in different outcomes. Take note how current, chop, or wind alters path.

Group Race Simulation: “Offset Start”

Train competitive awareness in current.

• With a group line up on shore with a buoy 100–200m offshore.

• Divide into small waves if enough people

• Each wave of athletes can try aiming to different landmarks (left, center, right) — then race to the same buoy.

• Video from a kayak or drone for feedback if possible.