The OW season in N. AMerica is wrapping up. Its time to dream about next year and years in the future. So what are the best swims to dream of or even plan to do?
Oh I have a really specific dream season. It's all about location, location, location..... I'm doing 3 of these this year, hopefully 4 or 5 next year!
-watergrrl
1. Start out in February with the Magen's Bay .667 Race againsT the Tide, swim against *** Cancer on St. Thomas, USVI
2. St. Kitts - Nevis Channel swim - March 10, 2007 (2.5 miles)
3. Grenana cross-harbour swim - not sure how clear the water would be there, but seems like a neat place to visit! (around a mile?)
4. Beach to Beach Power Swim on St. John, USVI ~ May 27, 2007 (1, 2.4, or 3.5 miles)
5. Key West Swim - June (?)
6. Grand Cayman 1 mile swim - June 16, 2007
7. Dominica Dive Fest swim race ~ 4th of july week or so (not sure it really happens, might just be a rumor....)
8. Bahamas One Mile fun Swim - early sept
9. Coral Reef Swim on St. Croix (5 miles)
10. Bonaire Ecoswim (10k)
11. Cayman Islands Pirate Week 5k swim - sometime in october
one thing i dream about is having a chauffer to drive me to each event (spouse not quite up for waking at 4 am and then driving me 2 - 4 hours to take a dip, though she did accompany me to most of the 13 events i participated in this season)
certainly, this past season came close to "dream status" for me. it started with the manhattan marathon on june 14 and finished with fanny's return on sept. 17. thats a good four months! i will try to extend it a bit in both directions next year.
for me, i would like to combine a busy racing shedule with some other ambitious swims.
stand by for a proposed 2007 shedule!
I love watergrl's list, I think some of those must go on the "to do list"
I was musing on alternating cold and warm swims-Trans Tahoe and Pennock Island Challenge plus Maui and Coral Reef?
What about the most scenic swims. THe 10 mile La Jolla Cove ADA swim was pretty but monotonous with the 10 laps.
The Bonaire Ecoswim in the Caribbean is ABSOLUTELY the most scenic and should be on your open water race list. They offer a 1 Mile, a 5K and a 10K. One year during the 10K, a pod of Dolphins joined us for part of the swim. It was an experience I will never forget!
People are very friendly and there is a variety of good restaurants on the island. Some of the social activities included snorkeling and diving as well as a scooter trip to the inland sites. Met lots of new swimmer friends there. The Ecoswim is held every year in either October or November.
:)
Very tough to create a top ten open water event list with so many great swims out there. Most on the USMS calendar are worthy for different reasons. Here are some events I’d do again or want to do…..I like Terry’s idea of a never ending season.....with that in mind there is still time for swimmers to enter the two Caribbean swims on this list!
1) Alcatraz -without a wetsuit, just to know I could escape.
2) Bonaire EcoSwim – world famous reefs in the clearest waters of the Caribbean.
3) La Jolla Roughwater – sheer numbers and great town make this exciting.
4) Maui – sunrise on Haleakala.
5) Manhattan Island Marathon -backstroke under the Brooklyn Bridge.
6) Something in Oregon – surrounded by beauty.
7) St Croix – Buck Island, for best experience stay at The Buccaneer.
8) Swim Around Key West – conch chowder and Duvall Street post event.
9) Tampa Bay Marathon –toughest swim in the US, maybe anywhere.
10) Trans Tahoe Relay – gotta go where the Olympic Club goes.
Ahhhhhh, BONAIRE!!! I'll be returning again this year! I've done the St. Croix swim 4 years (got 4 bracelets to prove it!) and loved it. But the last year I swam there we got smacked around big time by some ruthless currents. So I made the switch to a gentler swim...6.2 miles in calmer water. Either swim is a dream come true. I suggest everyone try them both!!!
My number one dream swim is to complete and conquer the Key West around the island swim! I know the race for this year is sanctioned and you can visit the website www.annualswimaroundkeywest.com. My second dream swim is swimming in the best waters in the Carribbean with the Bonair Eco Swim!:p
