Summary
Being able to swim in a pool and being open water competent are two different and only loosely correlated skills. The best way to become more open water competent is to familiarise yourself with how to stay safe and then gain as much experience as possible. Learn how to enter the water safely, use sighting to help you navigate, and how to swim in difficult conditions. Also, be thoughtful about your acquisition of kit and make sure you know how to use what you’ve got.