The Nice swim through athletes' eyes: flat sea, sun in your face and contact at the first buoy

Calm water, for real

Those who have swum in the Baie des Anges describe it as "calm, flat and beautiful": one 2024 finisher clocked their best time over the distance after dreading the swim due to lack of preparation. Accounts from different editions agree on weak current and excellent visibility.

The real problem: the people

An athlete at the 2026 70.3 Worlds who started near the front waves says the group lit up right away all the way to the first buoy, and he had to work to hold position. After the turn, the sun rising just behind the mountain blinded everyone: you swam on a diagonal, just like on the course map, aiming for the buoy. Small packs formed along that stretch, with crowding and plenty of contact, and swimmers caught athletes from earlier waves, weaving constantly.

Wetsuit or no wetsuit

The 2026 70.3 Worlds was a non-wetsuit swim: those who did it admit the lack of buoyancy exposed technical flaws and burned extra energy. For the full it depends on water temperature, so train to swim 3.8 km without one too.

What to do

• Pick a wave that matches your actual swim pace: the traffic hits in the first 400 m.
• Try tinted or mirrored goggles for the glare after the first turn.
• Practice sighting on a diagonal without lifting your head too much: every look forward costs you.
• Entry is from a pebble beach: swim shoes or sandals, within the rules.

AI summary from athletes' public accounts; no quotes are attributed to real people.