The combat sidestroke is one of the most practical survival strokes because it trades raw speed for control, efficiency, and a low profile in the water. I’m going to break down what it actually does, how to swim it without wasting energy, where it fits beside other strokes, and how to practise it sensibly in UK conditions.
What matters most before you rely on this stroke
- It is built for survival, not racing. The goal is steady progress with minimal energy loss.
- Body line matters more than brute force. If your hips sink or your head stays too high, the stroke becomes inefficient fast.
- Breathing should feel calm and repeatable. You should be able to scan your surroundings without breaking rhythm.
- It works best in rougher water or long swims. That is where its stability and economy really show up.
- UK open water changes the equation. Cold water, current, and low visibility can turn a decent stroke into a bad choice if you are not prepared.
What the stroke is really built for
I think of this as a survival-first movement pattern rather than a “swimming style” in the competitive sense. It gives you forward motion while keeping the body relatively long and controlled, which is exactly why the combat side stroke shows up in military and rescue training. In practical terms, it helps you conserve energy, keep your mouth and eyes oriented well enough to assess what is happening around you, and avoid the frantic effort that burns swimmers out too early.
That matters because survival swimming is rarely about looking elegant. It is about getting from one point to another while tired, cold, carrying kit, or dealing with chop. The stroke is useful when you need to stay calm, travel in a straight line, and keep enough reserve in the tank for the unexpected. If the situation turns messy, efficiency beats speed.
How to swim it without wasting energy
The movement works best when you simplify it. I want a swimmer to feel long, narrow, and balanced rather than busy. Think of it as a controlled side-facing glide with a pull, a compact kick, and a short breathing window.
Keep the body long and level
Start by stretching out so your body rides close to the surface. The more you lift the head, the more the hips drop, and the more drag you create. A low body line is not a style choice here; it is the difference between easy progress and fighting the water.
Use one arm to pull while the other stays quiet
The top arm does the main work. It pulls water back in a smooth, committed stroke while the recovery stays controlled and close to the surface. Avoid the urge to saw at the water with both arms at once. In this stroke, timing and shape matter more than force.
Let the kick finish the stroke, not rush it
The kick should complete the rotation and send you back into a streamlined position. Many swimmers make the kick too small or too late, which leaves them stalled between pulls. If you use fins, the leg action usually shifts toward a steadier flutter-style kick; without fins, the scissor kick gives you more of the turning and finishing power.
Read Also: Flutter Kick for Swimming - Master Your Technique!
Breathe during the natural opening in the stroke
You should not feel as if you are hunting for air. The breathing moment is brief and tied to the body rotation, then the face returns to a low, controlled position. If you are gulping, lifting, or twisting hard to breathe, the stroke is already too messy. I prefer to practise it slowly first and only speed it up once the breathing feels automatic.
A useful rule is simple: one smooth pull, one compact kick, one clean breath. If those three pieces feel separate, slow down and reconnect them. Once the rhythm becomes consistent, the stroke starts to feel far less effortful and far more reliable.
How it compares with the other strokes you already know
People often ask whether this is just another sidestroke. In a broad sense, yes, but the survival version is tuned differently. It is not trying to maximise lane speed; it is trying to keep you moving when conditions are imperfect. That is also why I would not use it blindly for every swim.
| Stroke | Where it shines | Where it struggles |
|---|---|---|
| Front crawl | Fastest choice when you are fresh and conditions are clean. | Consumes more energy, makes scanning harder, and can fall apart quickly when you are tired. |
| Breaststroke | Good for steady pace, orientation, and simple breathing. | Head-up habits can raise drag and fatigue the neck and lower back. |
| Side stroke | Strong option for survival, especially when you need control and repeatability. | Slower than crawl and less familiar to many recreational swimmers. |
| Elementary backstroke | Useful for recovery and staying afloat when you need to reduce effort further. | Less useful if you need to keep a target or exit point in front of you. |
For me, the real question is not “Which stroke is fastest?” but “Which stroke lets you keep functioning after five minutes, not just the first thirty seconds?” That is where this one earns its place.
The errors that drain speed and confidence
Most poor technique comes from trying to make the stroke feel more powerful than it needs to be. The paradox is that the harder it looks, the less useful it usually is. These are the mistakes I see most often.
- Lifting the head too long. That pushes the hips down and creates drag.
- Rushing the pull. A short, frantic arm action usually moves less water than a calm, well-shaped pull.
- Forgetting the glide. If every stroke is a scramble, you never get the benefit of the stroke’s natural economy.
- Letting the knees bicycle. The legs should help you travel, not create extra resistance.
- Practising only on one side. That may feel comfortable, but it leaves you asymmetric and less adaptable.
The easiest fix is often to slow the stroke down by about 10 to 15 percent and make each length look the same. If the movement is efficient, the water tells you pretty quickly. If you feel like you are fighting to stay level, the issue is usually body position before it is strength.
The gear that changes how useful it feels in practice
You can learn the basics in almost any standard pool kit, but open water changes the value of small choices. In the UK especially, that matters. RLSS UK repeatedly flags cold water, poor visibility, and changing conditions as real risks, and I agree with the underlying message: technique only helps if the environment is not overwhelming you.
| Item | Why it helps | What to watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Swim fins | They can increase propulsion and make it easier to keep momentum with less leg fatigue. | They change the feel of the kick, so practice with and without them if you may need both. |
| Wetsuit | Reduces cold-water exposure and adds buoyancy. | It can slightly restrict movement, so fit matters. |
| Tow float | Improves visibility and gives you a practical safety aid in open water. | It is a support tool, not a substitute for control. |
| Bright swim cap | Makes you easier to spot in waves, traffic, or low light. | Choose visibility over style when conditions are uncertain. |
| Goggles | Useful for pool drill work and for swimmers who need a clearer line of sight. | In rough water, fit and anti-fog quality matter more than marketing claims. |
My practical view is simple: use the least gear needed to stay safe, then add equipment only if it improves either visibility or temperature tolerance. Too much kit can hide bad technique, which is a poor trade in survival swimming.
How I would practise it in UK waters
I would not start in open water. I would start in a pool, because the stroke is technical enough that you want clean repetition before you add cold, chop, or current. Once the movement feels stable, move to a recognised venue rather than a random stretch of river or beach. In the UK, that distinction matters more than many swimmers admit.
- Swim 6 x 25 metres on one side at an easy pace, resting 20 to 30 seconds between repeats.
- Repeat 6 x 25 metres on the other side so you do not become one-sided.
- Do 4 x 50 metres at a steady, conversational effort and focus on keeping the head low.
- Add a simple scan every 6 to 8 strokes so you learn to check direction without breaking form.
- Only then take the stroke into open water, and only with a buddy, a clearly visible float, and a route you already understand.
When I move swimmers outside, I want them to think about more than the stroke itself. What is the exit point? Where is the current coming from? How cold does the water feel once the first adrenaline rush passes? Those questions are not side notes; they are part of whether the stroke will actually help you.
What this stroke gives you when the water stops being friendly
The value of this technique is not that it replaces every other stroke. It is that it gives you a dependable middle ground between floating and sprinting. If you are tired, cold, or swimming in awkward conditions, that middle ground is often where safe decisions happen.
My recommendation is to pair it with the ability to float, orient yourself, and stop early if things start going wrong. The RNLI’s float-first advice exists because even a good swimmer can lose control in cold water quickly. That is the right mindset here: use the stroke to buy time, protect energy, and move with purpose, not to prove anything.
If you treat the side stroke as one tool inside a broader survival kit, it becomes a very useful one. If you treat it as a magic fix, it will disappoint you the first time the water gets cold, choppy, or unfamiliar.
