Dealing with cold ocean swim for face

Originally posted by RainGage78 I am looking for some good events this season. I have looked into the Boston Light swim and some of the Potomac are swims. Does anyone have any good experiences or events?? :confused: Boston Light Swim (8.5 miles) - Great race if you like colder water (high 50's - low 60's). Hard to get a volunteer boat, but you may be able to find someone to pay - can get expensive. Swim For Life - Chestertown MD in June - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 mile events. Focus is less on racing; more on fund raising. A good time in a pretty spot. 10k For the USA - Atlantic City in September - A must. Bridge to Bridge 5k - Atlantic City in July (?) - Another fun race. Rainbow Channel Challenge (~2.7 miles) - Somers Point, NJ in July or August - Really fun course. Lake Champlain Swim (8 miles) - July or August - Not really a race, but a great swim from NY to VT. Can be hard to get a support boat. Little Red Lighthouse swim - Hudson River, NYC - Was 8 miles, but I think they are making it 5 miles this year. A wild time, but not for the faint of heart. (Go to www.nycswim.org ) Hope that helps. -LBJ

Bert Thomas the first to swim the Jaun de Fuca straits said he prepared for the cold water by filling the bathtub with ice cubes and cold water and stayed in the bath for half an hour. I have swum for a short period in Lac StLois in La Tuque Quebec the day the ice went out and broke up a small film of ice on the water as a lark. I did a swim of five miles in the Bostanais River after the ice left the river and snow was on the side of the river. But when really training the rule was if the water was not 60 I would go to the pool. George

I did the Santa Cruz 10K Pier to Pier swim in 2003, and the water was below 60 most of the way. We couldn't wear wetsuits because it was a USMS National Championship event. I wore a neoprene "hothead" cap with a latex cap over it, and Mack's wax earplugs. There wasn't much to do about the face getting cold. It was amusing trying to speak to the escort paddler. My face was numb, as if I'd been sucking on ice cubes. After a while it didn't bother me as much, but it was important to wear the caps and plugs, and prevent the head from losing too much heat. ~SB

Do ear plugs help with retaining heat also? Originally posted by Swimmer Bill I did the Santa Cruz 10K Pier to Pier swim in 2003, and the water was below 60 most of the way. We couldn't wear wetsuits because it was a USMS National Championship event. I wore a neoprene "hothead" cap with a latex cap over it, and Mack's wax earplugs. There wasn't much to do about the face getting cold. It was amusing trying to speak to the escort paddler. My face was numb, as if I'd been sucking on ice cubes. After a while it didn't bother me as much, but it was important to wear the caps and plugs, and prevent the head from losing too much heat. ~SB

I take a water thermometer with me to the event. If you can arrive a couple of days earlier to test out the water. If you are not used to swimming in cold water, do not ever dive in. Many swimmers react to the cold water in what is called a vaso vagal response. Basically it causes hyperventilation. So get your giant stride entry down pat so that you can jump in without getting your head wet. Scull and tread water for a minute of two, then pop your face in and out pausing several seconds under. Wait and repeat until the water feels an even temperature and you are comfortable with the temperature. I have swum in FINA sanctioned events where you were allowed to jump in 2 minutes ahead. In one event, the water temp was 55. I jumped in at the 2 minute warning and was one of the 4 who did this (We were more seasoned open water swimmers). I treaded water for the first minute, then swam a few strokes to further acclimatize. When the gun went off, I was ready! The younger ones who didn't jump in until the gun went off regretted this. This was our National Championships and a couple of the coaches weren't quite up to speed on the challenge of open water. We also wore ear plugs as they do two things. One is they do keep your warmth in and the second is that they prevent the cold water from getting into your ear and down into your vestibular apparatus in the ear. When cold water hits there it will make you dizzy and nauseous. If you haven't worn earplugs, train in them. It is a different sensation and makes communication with your support crew more challenging!! Hope you find some events. Check at the Open Water Page on the site as well. Kiwi

The thermometer is for my own records. I record the water temp, the conditions of air, and water (ie waves, current etc) and then the distance, time etc that I do each day. On race day I am prepared for the day by knowing my reactions and training effects depending on the temperature. I still will warmup on dryland as well as in the water prior to the start of an open water event. I feel it is important to have your core temp up at the start. Peeling clothes off and doing arm swimgs too soon is very counter productive. So I will warmup using jogging, and other exercise routines while using my arms 10-15 mins depending on the outside air temp. I only peel off the clothes when the starter indicates the 10 and 5 minute warning. If it is in the warmer temp, then you need more time to apply suncreen and total blocking stuff like zinc cream. I don't use vaseline, however do use a non petroleum product to stop suit rubs. If the air is cooler, or the weather report has a slight chance of being cooler, I use warm drinks as my fuel. Having succumbed, and had to be pulled from a race for hypothermia, I never ever want to feel like that again. Hence my vigilant and disciplined approach to keeping my core warm right to the minute of the 'warmup in the water' period. Good Luck, enjoy taking it outside. Swim outside the lines! Kiwi

What's the thermometer for? Do you only warmup if it's a certain temperature and not, if it's higher temp? Also, since it looks like you are very experienced open water swimmer, what do you usually wear? Do you use vaseline on your face? Also, very interesting about the nauseous feeling due to water in the ears. I get that feeling once in a while and I always thought it was because of sea sickness.

Talking ear plugs the best I found were waxed lambs wool which melted enough from the heat of your hand so you could insert them in your ear easily. If you arrived early for a swim in Toronto to get used to the water temp what a surprise you would be in for. 73 degrees in the morning if the wind was on shore, 53 that same day when the wind blows off shore. Like 2go-h20 I always carried a thermometer a very good tool to let your competitors know it was cold if it was. I did not care what the water temp was for a race but I only trained if it was over 60 degrees. If you put Vaseline on your chin thats ok to stop friction on your shoulders it can wear through and break the skin. Stay away from where your goggles seal, it causes leakage. George www.swimdownhill.com

Gerenally, I get so cold it doesn't matter! Once swimmign for pleasure in Bar Harbor, the water was 47 degrees. Also, I used to swim in strip mine lakes in western Illinois when I was in college. the water in spring would be inthe 50's. almost unbeaarable. Now allof theose lakes are gone. Too bad!!!!! One of the few bad things the US & Il. EPA has done!

Having swam both the Golden Gate Bridge Swim and the Alcatraz Sharkfest Swim's twice, I can relate to cold water swimming. When I swam these events I lived in Texas and could not find COLD water to train in prior to these events. Thus, I used ice bags a few times a week and COLD showers for three months prior to these events to get my body used to the cold. I swam in Lake Champion in Upstate NY that was LOW 50's high 40's prior to the events and that helped (while there on business). I used silicone ear plugs to keep my inner ear warm on both swims. In the SFO area, swimmers who do not use ear plugs experience "Ear dancing" which is inner ear cold impacted dizziness and wobbling around after getting out of the water. Cold water IMPACTS the inner ear where it causes dizzy, unstable balance when swimmers get out of the water. I found the plugs to be 100% effective for prevention of this "Ear Dancing" phenomenon.