Why do you like Open Water Swimming?

The La Jolla Cove is the most beautiful place I have ever swam,..I`m getting to love swimming around the kelp,..its like flying over the top of a forest. "swimming" over the kelp is interesting,..it is a great place to rest,..sort of like being in a water-bed.

The La Jolla Cove is the most beautiful place I have ever swam,..I`m getting to love swimming around the kelp,..its like flying over the top of a forest. "swimming" over the kelp is interesting,..it is a great place to rest,..sort of like being in a water-bed. My husband feels exactly the same way and swims directly to the A buoy to lie on the kelp like an otter. I, however, do not share in your joy and hate the stuff.

Flexibility, compared to pool swimming. Last week I was on a business trip to Utah and New York State. On Wednesday, I swam (upstream) in the Colorado River. I made 20 feet of forward progress for every 10 minutes of swimming. Air temp: 102. Water temp: 65. Visibility: 2 inches. The hotel pool was 20 yards long and 87 degrees hot. On Friday, I swam upstream, then downstream in the Hudson River in Staatsburg, NY. Back to the local pond in Maine tonight. Hopper www.swimvacation.com

Grabbed the teenagers to come along with Husband and me this morning. 14 year old daughter did a great job for her first time out. 15 year old son kind of freaked, but is willing to go again to try to get over it. It was nice to have a unique family experience in the summer--getting up at 5:30--especially with doughnuts and coffee afterwards!

it provides the ultimate opportunity for stroke analysis...when i swim OW i can forget about pace and focus on the stroke and body balance, there are no turns to disrupt concentration/focus and simply gives me the chance to feel any symptoms of a non-symmetrical stroke. also, nothing works better for endurance for OW races than cruising out a mile or two non-stop. In southern VA we don't have the nice lakes like I grew up accustomed to in western NY so I have to try to replicate the OW experience once a week in a long course pool by doing various sets such as 1x1,800, 1x1,200, 1x800...but that's just not the same

I love the variety of open water swimming. In open water swimming, you can swim planned routes and try to better your previous times. Or you can swim at a easy pace along the shore line, observing the underwater life as you go along. You can swim during a downpour or in the bright sunshine. Swimming in the rain is actually a lot of fun. Reminds me of playing in the rain as a kid. I swim on a lake in upstate NY during the summer. While swimming on the lake, I often discover underwater outcroppings, interesting underwater rock formations, fish hiding in the weeds, beaver dams, lily pads. Sometimes I encounter dropoffs along the shoreline that disappear into underwater oblivion. During an open water swim one can stop along the shore anytime for a break. My dog often swims with me and she loves it when we stop to explore the shore line. On a lake one can swim out to an island and explore a newly discovered beach. Swimming explorations can last as long as you like. I did a 4 mile lake swim in which I explored the shoreline of seven islands. Took my time enjoying the sights under and above the water. During this swim, I swam fast sometimes and at other times did a leasurely *** stroke. Took 3 hours. I love to swim in the early morning when the lake water is clear and very calm. During these times, the lake can be like a sheet of glass. You glide through the water seemingly effortlessly. Swimming in high wind is a real challenge, but doing so gives you a sense of real accomplishment. You can plan a route that starts by heading into the wind, in which you have to battle it out with the waves. Then on the return home, you cruise along at top speed with the aid of wind and waves. Swimming into the wind is a challenge. While turning your head to breath into the wind, you have to turn your face skyward so as to avoid taking a gulp of water from a crashing wave. But you get pretty good at battling the waves. With much practice, you can learn to take a broadside hit from a wave and still get a breath of air. Of course, it is much easier to get a good breath on the leeward side (looking with the wind).

I like looking to the north and seeing nothing but the water meeting the sky. I also think it's like a roller coaster ride when I'm in a group swim and 2-foot waves are throwing us up and down while we swim.

I like the feeling when I reach the other side and I see the bottom coming up at me and I can stand again. It's like being in a plane thats landing...I cheated death again!! YEAH!! I took part in a night swim last week...wonderful...seeing the lights of the shoreline from out in the ocean...nothing like it..ever. On the down side...I hope Body glied works...I'd hate to need a rashguard!

a few reasons totalimmersion.net/.../barra.html