I agree. I swam on a relay to swim the Catalina Channel January 2008. All of us swam without wetsuits in water temps ranging from 50 ~ 54 degrees. It was not so bad. We, however, trained in such water temps for about 3 months before our Catalina Channel Relay. I am sad to hear that a person died at the event. It is unfortunate. There are, however, several possible issues for the man. First, it sounds like he might have had a heart condition to start with. Second, the man probably did not train in appropriate water temps. I live in San Antonio, TX. It is very hard to find very cold water around here. The coldest water I train in is my own swimming pool without a heater. Even Barton Springs in Austin, where the man was from, doesn't get any colder than 68 degrees year round. I hope more people will get check ups, train smart, and become more aware of their limits before its too later.
I agree. I swam on a relay to swim the Catalina Channel January 2008. All of us swam without wetsuits in water temps ranging from 50 ~ 54 degrees. It was not so bad. We, however, trained in such water temps for about 3 months before our Catalina Channel Relay. I am sad to hear that a person died at the event. It is unfortunate. There are, however, several possible issues for the man. First, it sounds like he might have had a heart condition to start with. Second, the man probably did not train in appropriate water temps. I live in San Antonio, TX. It is very hard to find very cold water around here. The coldest water I train in is my own swimming pool without a heater. Even Barton Springs in Austin, where the man was from, doesn't get any colder than 68 degrees year round. I hope more people will get check ups, train smart, and become more aware of their limits before its too later.
