How to start open-water swimming at La Jolla Cove

• It's mainly about controlling your breathing, but when you're out in the ocean, that might be easier said than done.

How it works: Swimmers start at La Jolla Cove and can swim to the ¼ mile buoy, the ½ mile buoy, or if they're really ambitious, all the way to La Jolla Shores (and back).

Flashback: Swimmer Dan Simonelli remembers hearing people say again and again that they wished they could swim at La Jolla Cove.

• "They would say, 'Oh, I'm too scared,' or 'I'm just not used to swimming in the ocean,'" he told Axios.
• So he started Open Water Swim Academy in 2012 to help. They charge $150 for an hourlong session and have discounts for multiple sessions.

And it's addictive, he said.

• "It gets under people's skin, and you just keep on going back," he said. "I often use a term called moving meditation, so you're just cruising along and really enjoying the experience."
• Plus, you're swimming in an ecological reserve, so with good visibility it's like swimming through an aquarium, he said.

How to start: With true beginner swimmers, Simonelli advises practicing in a pool for a month or two.

• But if you can swim, you can be cruising through the cove in a few sessions, he said.
• "It's all about the breathing, relaxing and getting your breathing under control, because you could swim 500 meters in a pool, but in the ocean the nerves are up," he said.

💭 Claire's thought bubble: This has always been my exact experience. I can swim a mile in a pool (though I may die of boredom). But as soon as I get in at the cove, I'm breathing so fast that I immediately exhaust myself.

• I'm not exactly sure why. Rationally, I know a shark isn't going to attack me, and the fish I swim by are harmless.
• But being out among ocean life with the depths of water beneath me sends me into panic mode.

I got to meet up with coach Karianne Scheevel to try out the academy's techniques.

• She taught me to focus on my exhale, to feel the bubbles on my face when I breathed out, and to swim calmly and slowly.
• It made a huge difference, and I quickly learned to calm myself down and keep breathing and swimming.

My breath would quicken when I saw something (like a small fish, so scary) or when the swell pushed me around, but then I calmed down and was able to recover quickly.

• She and I swam together to the ¼ mile buoy, which I frequently try and fail to reach, and it felt so easy.

Open Water Swim Academy's tips for safe swimming in the ocean:

🤿 Duck dive when entering surf.

👀 Exiting surf: check behind you every few strokes for waves; in bigger surf, stop, duck under, and let it pass before continuing in.

↔️ If you're caught in a rip current, swim parallel to shore, then angle in. More guidance here.

⚠️ To spot a rip current, look for more turbulent, murkier water and then watch for a "widow's peak" of foam heading offshore.

🎯 Practice sighting in the pool and ocean. Here's a video guide.

Before you go:

🌐 Check surf reports like surf-forecast.com.

📏 Wave height and interval timing show you how powerful the swell will be.

⚡ If wave energy is anything over 600/700 kJ, be extra careful.

💨 Higher wind means choppier water.

🌊 High tide usually means stronger waves.

🧴 Use Bodyglide, Aquaphor, or Vaseline (even without a wetsuit, salt water can chafe under a swimsuit).

🥽 Anti-fog goggles with Frog Spit or a drop of baby shampoo.

🥶 Neoprene cap over your latex cap for warmth if the water's cold.

👂 Earplugs help with warmth and equilibrium.

💨 Enter cold water on an exhale to train your body past the shock response.

Technique tips:

🫁 Breathe every stroke to stay relaxed and get enough air.

👄 Exhale forcefully through your mouth and nose so you're not holding air, and go right into your inhale as your head clears the water.

🩱 To put on a wetsuit, start at mid-calf, smooth out rolls from inside, pull up in small increments to your hips, then use that tension to help get your arms in.