Sports
How Equipe Navegantes Structures Ocean Swim Training
Renato Ribeiro breaks down the routine in Copacabana, from beginners to buoy drills and ultramarathon distance workouts.
On the Natação Stemma podcast, coach Renato Ribeiro explains the Equipe Navegantes methodology in the waters of Copacabana. The program caters to everyone from first-time swimmers to athletes doing double workouts for long-distance marathon events.
In an episode of the Natação Stemma podcast hosted by Samir Barel and Wanderley Santos—which also explored reading the sea and major marathon swims—coach Renato Ribeiro detailed the methodology and operations of Equipe Navegantes, a Rio de Janeiro coaching group dedicated entirely to open-water swimming.
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From Praia Vermelha to Posto 6 in Copacabana
Equipe Navegantes began at Praia Vermelha, where Renato coached for two years before realizing the sport needed a beach with greater foot traffic. Observing early teams setting up in Copacabana, he moved to Rio's South Zone, establishing a program focused 100% on ocean swimming, complemented solely by functional training for physical conditioning.
Today, the group operates Monday through Saturday, from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., staffed by six coaches alongside Renato and his business partner, Patrícia.
Welcoming Beginners and Safe Adaptation
The team's structure was designed to welcome everyone from seasoned competitors to people who have never taken a pool swimming lesson. For beginners without basic swimming fundamentals, coaches enter the water with them using kickboards and flotation vests for a careful initial assessment. If a swimmer shows excessive fear or anxiety, they are advised to spend two to three months in a pool mastering the basics of freestyle before heading back to the ocean.
Buoy Drills, Long-Distance Workouts, and Surprise Saturdays
The weekly schedule divides technical development into distinct blocks. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the team runs buoy drills: a lane is marked in the ocean with buoys every 100 meters and an intermediate marker at 50 meters. Swimmers perform interval sets with short and long sprints, using gear like hand paddles and fins to build pace and intensity, alongside specialized beginner lanes and schedules.
Tuesdays and Thursdays are dedicated to long-distance swims, with staggered hourly departures. Routes vary depending on each athlete's target race—stretching toward the Copacabana Palace or all the way to Arpoador. Ultramarathon swimmers often stack two or three one-hour blocks to build the necessary mileage for endurance challenges like the Travessia 14 Bis.
Saturdays offer flexible programming: depending on wind and swell forecasts, the group either takes on long routes or gathers in the sheltered basin of Posto 6 for more controlled buoy drills.
Training Plans and Sport Club Mackenzie
Beyond beach operations, Renato manages online training plans for athletes across Rio and other Brazilian states. Around 80% to 90% of these workouts are designed for pool sessions, accommodating remote athletes as well as swimmers doing two-a-days—swimming in the ocean in the morning and adding pool volume in the afternoon.
Alongside the beach program, Renato has also taken over swim program coordination at Sport Club Mackenzie in Méier—a joint initiative called Swim Mackenzie with Felipe Garcia, reviving the club's storied development tradition in Rio's North Zone.
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