I am a beginning swimmer. I owe a lot to this forum for planting the seed and motivating me. I went from hating swimming to needing to swim, all in two months. Thanks.
Now that I've got the bug, I'd like to try open water this spring and summer. How do I transition from pool to open water? Are there CO2 activated life vests for swimming alone? I'm thinking of something that doesn't produce drag until activated such as an airline life vest. How does one navigate and keep clear or boats, fishing line, and logs? I live in Oregon where the seas are somewhat dangerous. How do you address rip tides, creeper waves, and sharks?
I'm also curious about what kind of goals I need to set to be able to participate in the organized swims. I swim between 45 and 60 minutes three to five times each week. How does this translate to distance?
I'm open to all advice.
Cheers
Parents
Former Member
When open water swimming there are strict rules:
1. Never swim alone.
2. Wear a bright coloured bathing cap.
3. Tell a friend where, when and for how long.
4. Keep a gel in your cap incase you get low on fuel.
5. Know the area where you will be swimming.
6. If possible let the locals know, and find out any hazadarous areas.
7. Have a support boat/water craft and crew with all the necessary emergency gear beside you.
8. Know the weather report.
9. Know the coloform count.
If you are going to swim in the ocean, learn to read the tide times. Also know where a safe beach is. Know if there are any rips, currents, undertow potholes etc. If you can, swim parallel to the shore as you can not always tell if a rip has occured and you could be on your way to Japan sooner than you thought.
If swimming in a lake, be aware of boaters, where the sun is in the sky, and general lay of the land.
If swimming in a river, always swim upstream first.
A wetsuit is fine, but not always necessary. Even way up north the ocean is still an acceptable temperature in the summer months. But it does cut down on the tactile experiences and that cuts down on the overly active imagination. So a more relaxed swim is the result!
"To motivate, add water."
"Fear is a reaction, courage is a decision"
When open water swimming there are strict rules:
1. Never swim alone.
2. Wear a bright coloured bathing cap.
3. Tell a friend where, when and for how long.
4. Keep a gel in your cap incase you get low on fuel.
5. Know the area where you will be swimming.
6. If possible let the locals know, and find out any hazadarous areas.
7. Have a support boat/water craft and crew with all the necessary emergency gear beside you.
8. Know the weather report.
9. Know the coloform count.
If you are going to swim in the ocean, learn to read the tide times. Also know where a safe beach is. Know if there are any rips, currents, undertow potholes etc. If you can, swim parallel to the shore as you can not always tell if a rip has occured and you could be on your way to Japan sooner than you thought.
If swimming in a lake, be aware of boaters, where the sun is in the sky, and general lay of the land.
If swimming in a river, always swim upstream first.
A wetsuit is fine, but not always necessary. Even way up north the ocean is still an acceptable temperature in the summer months. But it does cut down on the tactile experiences and that cuts down on the overly active imagination. So a more relaxed swim is the result!
"To motivate, add water."
"Fear is a reaction, courage is a decision"
