Training for open water in a pool

Which one do you plan to do in open water?

I'd say that it's much more valuable to worry about what is happening between the walls and not what is happening at the walls.  80/20 Rule,  Forest for the Trees, whatever.

DO try to practice sighting technique occasionally in the pool.  Just like once per lap a few times per workout.  Have something picked out on the wall at the opposite end and practice bringing the eyes up to sight like you would in open water and find that object, then resume your stroke.

If you ask ten people you will get eleven answers.

But just short and sweet my swimming improved a ton after I started doing them.

If you are capable of flip turns, do them.  

As far as training for OWS in a pool, I've had an instructor pull out of few lanes lines and have a group practice deep water starts.  You could do this with several people in one lane.  Also, she would throw out a buoy and have 2-3 people sprint to get if first - gets you used to some contact.  I've also done a circle swim with several lane lines removed to get used to the turning.  It's easy to practice sighting in a pool, just pick an object and sight it every now and then.

Mainly, just swim a bunch.  And flip turn.

The argument goes like this:

NFT = Non Flip Turner, FT = Flip Turner

NFT: There are no walls in the open water - you don't need to do them.
FT: Real swimmers are fast, they do flip turns.  Do Flip turns.
NFT: "Real" Swimmers are pushing off the wall, where is my wall in the open water.
FT: Right, there are no walls... no walls to grab on to take a deep breath rest for 2 seconds, and then push off of pretending you didn't rest. Open turns give you a rest, flip turns require you to go without oxygen every 25 yards.
NFT: I don't have to do that in open water.
FT: Oh? Never gotten hit by a wave, or pushed under, or swam over?
NFT: Oh.... well I don't know how to flip.
FT:Learn

End of thread.

It does not take long at all to learn. You just need someone to help you and should be set in a session (my guess would be that you can learn in about 15-20 mins).

Take 10 minutes after each session and go out just past the flags and swim in and practice turns. 10 minutes isn't long and I'm willing to bet you'd pick it up pretty quick. Nobody expects to go to a Rec/Y pool and see Michale Phelps. I guarantee your turns will be better than/equal to atleast someone at the pool

She says they're okay but I'm willing to bet doing a ladder workout from 100-1000 with 100s on the 1:20 she's probably doing flip turns. Stopping to turn on a wall gives you the oppertunity to cheat and take a quick rest, even if it's only for 2 sec, that you wouldn't get if you flip turned.

&n... don't think she is saying do open turns, it sounds more like her saying if you can't flip turn, doing open turns is OK. Which is what most people here would say, if you can't flip turn, just swim as you can, but learning how to do it is beneficial for sure.

Took me 2.5 years to finally make time to learn how to do flip turns... And I'm glad I did it. My times didn't come down significantly like some people would suggest, BUT over a longer set my times are way more consistent so for just that aspect I'd flip turn.

However, to stay on topic I'd say it doesn't really matter which you do, but as suggested practice that sighting technique frequently starting with slower speeds (I do it randomly during warmup and cooldown and occasionally during a faster set to test it at different speeds). 

In my mind the OWS is best summed up by paraphrasing a Tammany Hall favorite "Sight early, sight often." (19th century voting practices anyone?...)

I litterally spent no time learning them.

I just tried to flip when I did some of my turns.  If I got one wrong or it slowed me down I swapped to open turns.  Did it over 4 or 5 swims untill I was doing the majority as flips.

Even now if I'm really out of breath I'll do an open turn to steal some more air, I just admit is because I'm cheating just a bit and my fitness isn't where it should be.

It should be noted- I do really really sucky flips.

I train mostly in a pool at 24 hour fitness it is about 4 feet deep on the ends and I flip there.  On the rare occassion I'm in a 5 or 6 ft pool it is rather luxurious.  I'd say anything under 3.5 would probably be too shallow for a big oaf like myself.

Yep.  You shouldn't be going very deep when you do them.

Yes for both shallow and deep.  I do have to make a mental note that the lane markings on the bottom of the pool will not appear the same in the deep as they do in the shallow. It just takes an extra bit of practice to know when to initiate your turn.

I mix in flip turns and open turns depending on my sets. However, my open turns are fast and there is definitely no pausing.

The woman who was 2nd at St. George and won Lake Placid, Mt. Tremblant in 2012, and South Africa in 2013 (Jessie Donavan) doesn't do flip turns, so it isn't completely necessary. That said, she relies on her strong biking and running to really excel.