Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

Why is walking on the sand so more difficult than walking on pavement?

It reminds us how swimming in the ocean is more difficult than swimming in a pool.

Pavement remains stable when walking – no effort is wasted while walking. Walking on pavement is sort of like the still water of a swimming pool with lane lines – very little effort is wasted in it with sighting, navigating, dealing with surface turbulence, currents, tides and waves.

Walking on pavement provide much more stable feedback that enhances balance while walking on the sand provides much less stable support when it gives way to our footsteps.

Similarly, when our hand enters the water in a pool with relatively little dynamic movement, our body position and hand path provides relatively more propulsion than the dynamic movement under the surface of open bodies of water. As the sand shifts, so does the water move especially in an ocean or sea.

Copyright © 2015 by World Open Water Swimming Association