Swimming safe at night in open water. Suggestions?
Former Member
Hi guys!
Does anyone swim at night in open water?
Sometimes I swim at night or at dusk in the lake. I don’t care if it’s day or night, I’m not scared of darkness, but I’m sometimes scared of boats that ride preeeeetty fast… I worry that someone might not see me swimming and ride over me…:afraid::toohurt:
Does anyone have tips how to stay safe?
I made a research and found few lights that might help make myself visible for others on the lake :whiteflag:.
First one is safe light by Petzl. I could strap that light to my hands. You can look at it here: www.night-gear.com/.../Detail.bok . It’s waterproof to 3 feet.
Second one is a headlamp by Petzl (Petzl eLite). It’s a waterproof headlamp that can work as a flashlight and as an emergency light. It looks pretty cool. You can look at it here: www.night-gear.com/.../eLite-by-Petzl.htm . It's also waterproof to 3 feet.
And the last one is a scuba strobe, or emergency strobe. I think this one might work really well, but I’m not sure if there any restrictions in using light like that in non-emergency situations. Does anyone know about this????? You can look at that strobe and how it works in youtube here: www.youtube.com/watch - Scuba strobe test
Any suggestions will be appreciated!
P.S. I’m not trying to advertise any products or websites. I’m only looking for answers and maybe my post also will help someone who has the same problem as I do.
You only live once.
I think a lake is probably pretty safe, though drunken yahoos that speed around in the darkness are probably not watching where they are going, regardless of lights. If anything, it might increase your danger exposure. I can hear Billy Bob saying, "Hell, what the hell is that? You see them lights o'er thar? I betcha it's a UFO. Bubba, drive the Evinrude over for a looksee, but go real fast in case them aliens are thinking of probin'."
I say:
Acquaint yourself with photos of propellered manatees, that is to say, manatees that have been hit by propellers, not rigged up with them (though god knows the sluggish bastards could use the help.)
Use the adrenaline generated from such pictures to keep your wits about you. At the sound of an approaching cigarette boat, be prepared to dive deep and stay down there till the noise passes.
Under no circumstances wear a swimming costume that in any way makes you look like a baby duck. Muskies, the legendary freshwater barracudas of the north land, love baby ducks. You are better off being a propellered manatee than a muskied baby duck.
By following the above sensible and commonsense precautions, I feel certain you will be safe. The one other thing you could add is to drink heavily before the swim. They say that drunks and babies usually survive collisions because they are too loose to tense up and get hurt. I can't swear being drunk will help you in a run-in with a propeller or muskie, but I am virtually certain it couldn't hurt.
You only live once.
I think a lake is probably pretty safe, though drunken yahoos that speed around in the darkness are probably not watching where they are going, regardless of lights. If anything, it might increase your danger exposure. I can hear Billy Bob saying, "Hell, what the hell is that? You see them lights o'er thar? I betcha it's a UFO. Bubba, drive the Evinrude over for a looksee, but go real fast in case them aliens are thinking of probin'."
I say:
Acquaint yourself with photos of propellered manatees, that is to say, manatees that have been hit by propellers, not rigged up with them (though god knows the sluggish bastards could use the help.)
Use the adrenaline generated from such pictures to keep your wits about you. At the sound of an approaching cigarette boat, be prepared to dive deep and stay down there till the noise passes.
Under no circumstances wear a swimming costume that in any way makes you look like a baby duck. Muskies, the legendary freshwater barracudas of the north land, love baby ducks. You are better off being a propellered manatee than a muskied baby duck.
By following the above sensible and commonsense precautions, I feel certain you will be safe. The one other thing you could add is to drink heavily before the swim. They say that drunks and babies usually survive collisions because they are too loose to tense up and get hurt. I can't swear being drunk will help you in a run-in with a propeller or muskie, but I am virtually certain it couldn't hurt.
