
Originally Posted by
EBD
I use a (relatively) cheap Timex Ironman watch in the pool - it counts laps - I just put it in timer mode and then push a button every time I finish a lap. At the end it tells me how long I've been swimming and how many laps I did. It also saves your split times but I've never tried to figure out how to retrieve them. Any basic water-resistant sports watch would probably be able to do this.
Lots of people mix up strokes. Sidestroke, backstroke or breaststroke are great for taking a break, calming nerves, or looking for bouys without totally losing momentum.