03/26/2026
Lavaman Tips and Tricks - Swim Edition
For those doing Lavaman for the first time or just looking for some tips and tricks for the swim leg, here you go:
- Get to transition with plenty of time to get your spot set up. This is Waikoloa, wind happens. Make sure things are secure enough that if a breeze kicks up before you get back to your bike, your stuff won't end up blowing all over transition.
- Walk through transition a couple times just how you would go in the race so it isn't a surprise when you are foggy-headed after the swim. Know where the bike exit is and where the mount line is so you aren't looking for it in a panic.
- Have a plan for your timing chip. If you are wearing a wetsuit, make sure you can get it off over the timing chip, or, if you can't, have a plan to remove the chip to get the wetsuit off and then put it back on. Having this plan in your head before you need to do it will help make sure you go through that step correctly when it happens in the race. Personally, I found it was easier and faster for me to take the chip off briefly to get the wetsuit off and then put the chip back on. It seems like a pain, but if you plan to do it and know what it takes, it can be done quickly and efficiently.
- Get down to the beach with enough time to look over the layout. A lot changes from when you might have been out there Saturday to race morning.
- Self seeding - know your estimate swim time so you can put yourself in a good position for the start. This is important so you don't either have to swim over/around a bunch of others or get swam over/around by others.
- Sighting - Before the swim starts, make sure you know what buoys you are looking for at the turns. It can be difficult to find them sometimes when you are in a sea of swim caps that look a lot like buoys at water level. When you sight where you want to go above the surface, take a look at the bottom of the bay as you put your head back down and draw an imaginary line along the bottom. You can often use landmarks along the bottom to keep you on track and won't have to sight as often. On the last leg of the swim, look for something big to sight on because it can be really hard to see small things since you are looking directly into the sun.
- Relax and swim your swim. Don't feel like you need to get out of anyone's way. If they are catching up behind you, they are responsible for going around you. You don't need to move. On that note, if you are uncomfortable with people touching you in the swim, try to stick more to the outside of the course to reduce the chance that someone will come in contact with you.
- Don't go too far right on the last leg. There is a lot of coral over on the right side that is best to avoid.
- Kiddy pools - If you want to rinse your feet off in the kiddy pools if they have them, CAUTION! They can be slick when you step into them. People fall every year, either slipping in them or tripping over the edges. The run back to T1 is long enough that most sand will fall off on its own, so I have never felt the need to rinse along the way.
- Be methodical in transition. Slow is fast. It's better to take an extra second or two to make sure you are doing things right than losing 30 seconds or more because you put on your running shoe instead of your bike shoe by mistake and had to go back or forgot to grab your helmet.
Stay tuned for the Lavaman Bike Leg Tips and Tricks edition. If you have your own tips or tricks, post them below.
Send a message to learn more
