Swimming Performance in Surf: The Influence of Experience

This Study tested the hypothesis (H1) that Surf swimming involves a quantifiable experience component. Sixty-five beach lifeguards with (n=35) and Without Surf experience (n=30) completed: a best effort 200-m swim in a 25-m pool, a calm and a surf sea; an anthropometric survey: maximum effort 30-s swim bench test; 50-m pool swim (25111 underwater). In both groups, time to swim 200 m was slower in calm seas than in the pool and slower in Surf than in either calm seas or the pool (p < 0.05). Calm sea swim times of the two groups did not differ significantly, but the no experience group Was, on average (Sp-pooled variance), 49s (62) slower on the 200-m swim in the Surf conditions (p < 0.05). A stepwise regression identified surf experience as a predictor Of Surf Swim time (R-2 = 0.32, p < 0.01). It is concluded that there is a significant and quantifiable (18%) experience factor in Surf swimming. This limits the usefulness of pool swim times and other land-based tests as predictors Of Surf swimming performance. The hypothesis (H1) is accepted.