What investors can learn from ocean swimming when the waves get rough
Ari Baum, CFP®
THERE’S A MOMENT DURING EVERY IRONMAN OCEAN SWIM WHEN THE WATER SHIFTS. THE CURRENT PICKS UP, A WAVE HITS YOU AT THE WRONG ANGLE, AND THE CALM RHYTHM YOU HAD GOING SUDDENLY DISAPPEARS. EVEN STRONG ATHLETES FEEL IT, THE QUICK SPIKE OF FEAR, THE INSTINCT TO STOP, THE URGE TO LOOK FOR SAFETY. BUT THEN YOU BREATHE, SETTLE IN, AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD. YOU DON’T QUIT THE RACE BECAUSE THE WATER GOT CHOPPY. YOU ADJUST, STAY PATIENT, AND LET THE ROUGH PATCH PASS.
Market corrections work the same way. They show up fast, they feel bigger than they are, and they test every investor’s nerves. Yet when you zoom out, most corrections end long before they ever threaten your long-term goals. Since the market bottom in March 2009, the S&P 500 has experienced more than thirty corrections over five percent. Most lasted only a few weeks. During that same stretch, including dividends, the index returned more than 1,200 percent. Before we go deeper, remember this: fear hits harder in the moment than the actual danger. That’s true in the ocean and it’s true in the markets.
Corrections and Currents:
They Both Come With the Territory
Anyone who’s raced an Ironman knows the ocean is never perfectly still. Even on a calm day, the water rolls. Some swells lift you, others push against you, and sometimes you don’t realize you’ve drifted until you sight the buoy ahead.
Corrections are the market’s version of those currents. They’re not signs of failure. They’re signs you’re in motion. Investors often expect the market to move in a straight line. It never does. There are waves, dips, and stretches where progress feels slow. But none of this means you’re off course. Just as you trust the race map, you trust the long-term trend of the market. Every correction has a reason that sounds scary in the moment, wars, inflation, politics, interest rates, a sudden headline that hits before the opening bell. Yet history shows those reasons fade, the market stabilizes, and the long-term trend resumes. When you look back, the correction becomes one brief bump in a much larger upward climb.
Why Volatility Feels Like a Rogue Wave
Ask any athlete what makes open-water swimming different from a pool. It’s the unpredictability. You can train for months, feel ready, and still get hit by a wave that throws off your timing. In the moment, it feels personal even though it’s not. It’s just the ocean doing what the ocean does.
Volatility hits investors with the same force. When your portfolio drops suddenly, it feels like something targeted you. Your brain jumps to worst-case scenarios. Your chest tightens a bit. You pull your head out of the water and look around for danger. That reaction is natural, but it usually leads to poor decisions. Most corrections are short-lived. They come fast, shake confidence, and fade. The emotional impact lasts longer than the financial one. Peter Lynch summed it up years ago: more money is lost trying to anticipate corrections than in corrections themselves.
Sight the Buoys, Not the Splash
In ocean races, you learn quickly that staring at the water right in front of you is pointless. You sight the buoy ahead, lock in your direction, and let the waves move around you. Investing works the same way. Your long-term plan is the buoy. The splash and churn around you are the headlines. It’s tempting to react to every dip. But the goal isn’t to dodge every wave. It’s to keep your line long enough to reach the finish. When you focus on the next buoy, the long-term goals for your family, your retirement, your future, you stop worrying about the swirl of short-term motion. Perspective beats prediction every time.
The Real Power Is Staying In the Water
When the ocean gets rough, some swimmers tense up. Others pause. The experienced ones stay steady. They shorten their stroke, breathe consistently, and keep moving. They know the chop will pass, and they trust the work they’ve put in. The same patience pays off in your financial life. Most wealth is built by staying invested, not by jumping in and out. The people who try to time every dip often miss the recovery. They get stuck waiting for the “right moment” that never feels right. Meanwhile, the market keeps moving without them.
Let the Market’s Waves Roll,
and Keep Your Rhythm
Market corrections can feel loud and unsettling, but they rarely change your long-term path. Like a rough stretch in an open-water swim, they’re temporary. You breathe, steady yourself, and keep your eyes on the next marker. Over time, every correction becomes just another story, another set of waves you moved through on the way to something bigger. Investors who stay focused and patient, who trust the long-term process the way athletes trust their training, are the ones who reach the finish line strongest. q
The content is developed from sources believed to provide accurate information. Investing involves risk including the potential loss of principal. No investment strategy can guarantee a profit or protect against loss in periods of declining values. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Consult with a financial professional regarding your specific situation.
