A 6-week ocean swim program

This program assumes you can currently swim 1–1.5 km in a pool without stopping at a comfortable pace. Over six weeks you’ll build endurance, sharpen open water technique, and gain the confidence to step into the ocean and enjoy every metre. Four sessions per week balances adequate load with recovery — three pool sessions and one open water session from Week 3 onward.

Weeks 1 and 2 lay the aerobic foundation.

Every session stays in a comfortable zone —

the goal is building volume without fatigue, not speed.

Week 1 — Foundation		Building the base  5,400 m total
Mon ●	Technique & short endurance 1,200 m pool –    200 m easy warm-up (any stroke, focus on breathing) –    6 × 50 m drill sets — alternating catch-up drill and fingertip drag (15 sec rest each) –    4 × 100 m at RPE 5–6, 20 sec rest between each –    200 m easy cool-down, bilateral breathing
Tue ●	Rest or light walk / yoga
Wed ●	Steady aerobic endurance 1,600 m pool –    200 m warm-up, easy –    3 × 300 m at RPE 5–6, 30 sec rest between each –    4 × 50 m pull buoy (arms only), relaxed, 15 sec rest –    200 m cool-down, focus on long glide
Thu ●	Rest
Fri ●	Stroke & sighting practice 1,200 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    8 × 50 m with sighting practice — lift eyes (not head) forward every 6 strokes, 15 sec rest –    4 × 100 m steady at RPE 5, 20 sec rest –    200 m cool-down
Sat ●	Rest
Sun ●	Long continuous swim 1,400 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    1,000 m continuous at RPE 5 — no stopping, find your rhythm –    200 m cool-down, mixed strokes

Week 2 — Building volume		Longer sets, better form  6,400 m total
Mon ●	Technique & descending sets 1,400 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    4 × 50 m catch-up drill, 15 sec rest –    3 × 200 m descending pace — each 200 m slightly faster than the last, 30 sec rest –    200 m cool-down with focus on relaxed exhale
Tue ●	Rest or light cross-training
Wed ●	Aerobic pyramid 1,800 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    Pyramid: 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 200 m, 100 m at RPE 6, 20 sec rest between each –    200 m pull buoy, arms only –    200 m cool-down
Thu ●	Rest
Fri ●	Sighting & bilateral breathing 1,400 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    10 × 50 m — odd 50s breathe every 3 strokes; even 50s breathe every 5 strokes. 15 sec rest –    4 × 100 m with sighting every 8 strokes, 20 sec rest –    200 m cool-down
Sat ●	Rest
Sun ●	Long continuous swim 1,800 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    1,400 m continuous at RPE 5–6 — practice sighting every 10 strokes –    200 m cool-down

“Fitness is built in weeks 1 and 2. Confidence is built in weeks 3 and 4.

Swim readiness arrives in weeks 5 and 6.”

Week 3 — Threshold & open water debut		First ocean session  7,000 m total
Mon ●	Threshold intervals 1,600 m pool –    300 m warm-up (100 easy, 100 drill, 100 easy) –    5 × 200 m at RPE 7–8 — comfortably hard, 45 sec rest between each –    200 m easy cool-down, focus on long stroke
Tue ●	Rest — legs and shoulders need it after Monday
Wed ●	Broken 2 km 2,200 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    4 × 400 m at RPE 6, 30 sec rest — simulate race pacing, sight every 8 strokes –    4 × 50 m kick set on kickboard, 15 sec rest –    200 m cool-down
Thu ●	Rest or 20 min walk
Fri ●	Pack swimming & drafting 1,400 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    If swimming with a partner: 6 × 100 m drafting practice — follow 50 cm behind, 20 sec rest –    Solo: 6 × 100 m with eyes-closed 5-stroke balance check, 20 sec rest –    4 × 50 m hard effort, RPE 8–9, 30 sec rest — practise surging off a start –    200 m cool-down
Sat ●	Rest — prepare gear for Sunday’s ocean swim
Sun ●	First open water swim (OW) ~1,800 m ocean –    10 min beach walk — observe conditions, check current direction, pick landmarks –    5 min shallow water entry — acclimatise to cold, test goggles seal –    Swim 800 m easy out and back, sighting to a landmark every 8 strokes –    Rest 3 min at shore, assess how you feel –    Swim 1,000 m at comfortable RPE 5–6 — focus on relaxed breathing –    Exit and cool-down stretch on beach — note how the ocean felt

Week 4 — Ocean confidence		Longer open water  7,600 m total
Mon ●	Race-pace 100s 1,800 m pool –    300 m warm-up –    10 × 100 m at RPE 7–8 — this is your target race pace, 30 sec rest each –    200 m easy pull buoy –    200 m cool-down
Tue ●	Rest
Wed ●	Continuous 2 km 2,400 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    2,000 m continuous at RPE 6 — this is your target distance, swim it without stopping –    200 m cool-down
Thu ●	Rest or gentle stretching
Fri ●	Negative split training 1,600 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    4 × 400 m negative split — swim the second 200 m faster than the first, 40 sec rest –    200 m cool-down
Sat ●	Rest — light mobility work welcome
Sun ●	Open water — extended session (OW) ~2,000 m ocean –    5 min beach observation — find your sighting landmarks, check surf and rips –    400 m easy entry swim — practice beach entry through small surf –    1,600 m continuous at comfortable effort — pick 2–3 landmarks, navigate between them –    Practice swimming through a small wave on your exit — don’t fight it, time the surge

MID-PROGRAM CHECK-IN

By the end of Week 4, you should be able to swim 2 km in the pool without stopping and have two ocean swims under your belt. If the 2 km pool swim still feels very hard, repeat Week 3 before moving to Week 5. There is no shame in an extra week — it often makes the difference on race day.

Week 5 — Race sharpening		Peak volume week  8,500 m total
Mon ●	Threshold ladder 2,200 m pool –    400 m warm-up (200 easy, 4 × 50 m drill) –    400 m at RPE 7, 45 sec rest –    300 m at RPE 7–8, 40 sec rest –    200 m at RPE 8, 35 sec rest –    100 m at RPE 9, 30 sec rest –    Reverse the ladder back up: 200, 300, 400 at same efforts –    200 m cool-down
Tue ●	Rest — this is a hard week, protect your recovery
Wed ●	2.5 km continuous 2,700 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    2,500 m continuous at RPE 6 — your longest pool swim of the program –    Sight every 8 strokes, practice bilateral breathing throughout –    Finish strong — don’t ease off in the last 400 m
Thu ●	Rest
Fri ●	Race-start simulation 1,600 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    3 × (200 m fast start at RPE 9 for first 50 m, then settle to RPE 6–7 for remaining 150 m), 45 sec rest –    4 × 100 m at race pace, 25 sec rest –    4 × 50 m kick sprint, 20 sec rest –    200 m cool-down
Sat ●	Rest — easy walk only
Sun ●	Open water — race-distance simulation (OW) ~2,500 m ocean –    Replicate race conditions as closely as possible — wear your race gear –    Practise a fast beach entry through surf –    Swim the full 2–2.5 km at race effort (RPE 6–7) –    Navigate using only real landmarks, no pool walls or lane ropes –    Practice your exit — sprint the final 200 m and exit cleanly through surf

Week 6 — Taper & race week		Arrive fresh, race well  4,500 m total
Mon ●	Easy aerobic flush 1,400 m pool –    200 m warm-up –    1,000 m easy and continuous at RPE 5 — keep it completely comfortable –    200 m cool-down, mixed strokes
Tue ●	Rest
Wed ●	Short sharpener 1,200 m pool –    300 m warm-up –    6 × 100 m at race pace, 30 sec rest — feel sharp and smooth, not laboured –    4 × 25 m striding, easy 20 sec rest –    200 m cool-down
Thu ●	Rest — sleep well, hydrate well
Fri ●	Race venue preview (OW) ~900 m ocean –    If possible, swim at the venue — walk the course, enter from the start beach –    Swim an easy 600–900 m at RPE 4–5 — no pushing, just feeling the water –    Locate buoys and landmarks you’ll use on the day –    Exit and mentally rehearse the full course from start to finish
Sat ●	Complete rest — pack gear, eat well, sleep early
Sun ●	Event day 1.5–3 km ocean –    10 min warm-up in the water before the start — wake up the shoulders, test goggles –    Start conservatively — hold back for the first 300 m, then settle into your rhythm –    Trust your six weeks. You are ready.

Six weeks of consistent work compounds into something real. Every session — the cold Wednesday pool sessions, the first nervous open water dip, the long Sunday swims — has prepared you for this moment. Back yourself, trust your training, and go enjoy the ocean