Running along the beach is not the same as needing to getting pulled out... and currents don't explain why there were three times as many people pulled out in this swim as compared to previous swims, unless they misread the tide charts.
I have not swam in the Bay as much as others on the forum; but in the half dozen swims I've done in the open Bay the primary things affecting the conditions were the tides, the winds and the presence of stationary objects, whether natural or artificial - not necessarily where you are encounteringthe conditions. As for the Alcatraz swim, the roughest conditions have been when a fast tide runs against a strong wind in the opposite direction. It results in confused seas that can unnerve even experienced open water swimmers.
It would be interesting to see what the conditions were like in the middle of the swim. Based on what I've seen the wind can pick up quickly early in the morning vastly changing the conditions in less than an hour. It's my understanding that the great majority of the swimmers pulled were significantly offline. The wind may have been running with the tide which could have pushed people further west than anticipated necessitating that people be pulled from the water.
Frankly, having done it once in a wetsuit I can assure you that it is literally impossible to sink in tri wet suits with 5 mil torso & legs. However, if surface conditions were very rough, and swallowing a bit of salt water is not your thing, you may have decided you wanted out - or decided you couldn't make it. The smartest swimmers are the ones that know they need help before things get out of control.
I don't think it had anything to do with the cold. Everyone wears a neo cap and once it and your wetsuit fill with water, and your face adapts to the cold, even a skinny slow stroking triathlete can stay warm in 50+ water.
Running along the beach is not the same as needing to getting pulled out... and currents don't explain why there were three times as many people pulled out in this swim as compared to previous swims, unless they misread the tide charts.
I have not swam in the Bay as much as others on the forum; but in the half dozen swims I've done in the open Bay the primary things affecting the conditions were the tides, the winds and the presence of stationary objects, whether natural or artificial - not necessarily where you are encounteringthe conditions. As for the Alcatraz swim, the roughest conditions have been when a fast tide runs against a strong wind in the opposite direction. It results in confused seas that can unnerve even experienced open water swimmers.
It would be interesting to see what the conditions were like in the middle of the swim. Based on what I've seen the wind can pick up quickly early in the morning vastly changing the conditions in less than an hour. It's my understanding that the great majority of the swimmers pulled were significantly offline. The wind may have been running with the tide which could have pushed people further west than anticipated necessitating that people be pulled from the water.
Frankly, having done it once in a wetsuit I can assure you that it is literally impossible to sink in tri wet suits with 5 mil torso & legs. However, if surface conditions were very rough, and swallowing a bit of salt water is not your thing, you may have decided you wanted out - or decided you couldn't make it. The smartest swimmers are the ones that know they need help before things get out of control.
I don't think it had anything to do with the cold. Everyone wears a neo cap and once it and your wetsuit fill with water, and your face adapts to the cold, even a skinny slow stroking triathlete can stay warm in 50+ water.
