The Single Worst Decision You Can Make During a Swim Session...

...and yet one which so many people make the mistake of, time and again!

Hey Swimmers

First up this week we’ve got three major announcements:

1. We have partnered with UltraSwim33.3 for 2026 and 2027 to provide our best-in-class training plans for their events. These training plans come in two formats: a 24-week version and a 16-week version and will appear available 2 weeks before the commencement of the plans within the Swim Smooth GURU and can be paid for on a “Pay Per Plan” basis so you don’t need a subscription.

   

   They are entirely unique to any plan you’ll have done before, are perfectly suited to the demands of this great event format, and written by Head Coach, Paul Newsome, as a 2-time winner of the Montenegro UltraSwim33.3.
   
   There are 4 events to choose from: Croatia (15-18 May); Switzerland (24-27 July); Greece (18-21 September - come and meet me at this one!); and Montenegro (2-5 October).
   

   The first 33 swimmers registering within the first 2 weeks of the start of these training plans can get 50% off the cost of the two versions (normally €109 and €89) - UltraSwim33.3 will send details of their specific discount codes when you register for their events.

   ---

2. To celebrate this new partnership with UltraSwim33.3 and also as part of our mega Black Friday deal this year for all new users, we are offering 33.3% off the cost of either an Annual subscription or 33.3% off the cost of a Monthly subscription for 6 months to the GURU’s premium Routine Level.

   

   The Routine Level contains all the bells and whistles including Stroke Insights℗ and immediate access to all our new training plans and sessions, including the new UltraSwim33.3 plans, the Rottnest Channel Swim plan, our 10 Week CSS Development Plan, and our Fundamentals program for those of you who are just starting your swimming journey - plus many more soon to launch!):
   

   
   This amazing deal is available now until 1 December 2025 for the first 100 sign ups only!

   ---

3. Last week we discussed some of the challenges we’ve had with building the Swim Smooth GURU on the Garmin and Apple platforms. However, we’re pleased to announce that v1.0.9 is now available for Garmin users here:

This new release is super simple and focuses on your quick access to the information you need mid-session between intervals. In the absence of being able to build configurable screens, on the rest screen, your pace and distance for that interval will now cycle through automatically every 5 seconds. It’s a small change but one which has been built by us as passionate swimmers seeking the exact same experience of ‘ease’ that you have all requested. Here’s more:

@swimsmooth

Swim Smooth on Instagram: "🔓Unlocking better swimming often co…

---

The Single Worst Decision You Can Make During a Swim Session...

...and yet one which so many people make the mistake of, time and again!

Back in 1994, I was training for my first 1500m pool race with the Borough of Kirklees Swimming Club in Huddersfield. As a young swimmer, I convinced myself that the secret to a good 1500m was “strength,” so every morning before school I’d swim for two hours using nothing but a pull buoy and paddles. In my mind, this was the pathway to becoming stronger.

It’s a familiar trap. Many swimmers and triathletes make this same mistake with the best of intentions.

If you’re preparing for a triathlon, it’s easy to justify it by saying you’re saving your legs for an upcoming bike or run session. But when that becomes your default—especially when a session gets hard—you drift into a pattern that feels productive but quietly undermines your fitness.

Here’s the issue: swimming with a pull buoy and paddles doesn’t just give you a bit of extra buoyancy. It actively removes the biggest source of drag many swimmers battle with, and it dramatically reduces how much your cardiovascular system needs to work. Your legs—your largest muscle group—switch off, and your heart rate often drops by 20–25 bpm.

You might still feel like you’re working hard. You might justify it because it keeps you “on pace” or “with the group.” But what’s the real cost?

For me in 1994, the cost was everything. When the gun went for that 1500m, the moment I actually had to use my legs, my heart rate soared. I hadn’t maintained the conditioning I needed to swim well. Despite my good intentions, all that pull buoy and paddle work had chipped away at my aerobic fitness rather than building it.

And here’s the truth many don’t want to hear: if endurance swimming were limited by strength, how is it that the slightly built 11-year-old in the next lane keeps lapping you? They’re not stronger. They’re fitter, their technique is better, and the modest force they apply goes in the right direction.

It pains me to see so many swimmers reaching for their pull buoy and paddles the moment a session gets tough. If you need that equipment to make the target pace or keep up with your lane mates, you’re swimming in the wrong lane or with the wrong group. You’re not helping yourself—you’re detraining.

What about the argument that a pull buoy “simulates a wetsuit”? Yes, it does provide extra buoyancy. But even in a wetsuit, your legs still move. That gentle flutter still carries an aerobic cost, and your fitness depends on maintaining that connection.

And paddles? They can be fantastic for shaping better catch mechanics—provided you take them off regularly so you can feel the water properly as well.

So are pull buoys and paddles “the villains” here? Not at all. There’s a time and place for both. We use them extensively and with purpose in our programs. Yesterday’s Red Mist Endurance session, for example, included a final 500m “ticking time bomb” specifically to highlight how much easier it is to maintain cardiovascular control with pull buoy and paddles compared to swimming normally.

Used well, they’re powerful tools. Used as a crutch, they hold you back.

Thanks for reading!

Your Coach, Paul.