I am a first year swimmer (Of the older kind) and I have committed myself to a 1 mile open water swim on July 20th.
My pool workouts have gone up to 3500 yards so the distance itself is not the big deal. The problem is that I get nervous when I am in open water for no particular reason. (Actually, I am fine if I wear a snorkel, but I need to get weaned off of that.)
I am looking for a kind and gentle soul to swim (or paddle) with me to the quarter-mile buoy and back. I am swimming about a 36 minute mile. (That shouldn't exclude many people!) I need to get used to the sensation of being out there, and I need to learn the basics of staying on course, and other errata.
Any help or suggestions will be eternally apprciated,
thanks,
Former Member
The La Jolla Cove Swim Club has a "Buddy Page" where swimmers post the dates and times they swim. Every morning there are club members who swim out the B bouy or to the Coffee Shop @ La Jolla Shores. This Saturday the club is having a swim from the Scripps Pier to the Cove,...if you can make it you will meet many great people.
I`m usually there Saturday afternoons, after 4 and swim a mile.
Thanks for the input people. I swam at the cove today, the water was perfect. I was still too chicken to get to the buoy, but the swam halfway there and back repeatedly. Some random observations:
I forgot how buoyant the ocean was. I had recently learned to breath both ways. I still struggle to do this smoothly in the pool; In the ocean it was no problem.
For some reason, I felt more secure doing breastroke than freestyle. I did not fight this, since this was a recovery day from a big day freestyling yesterday. Maybe I am not so confident in my navigational abilities. With the breastroke, it was moot.
How does one keep goggles from fogging up? IN the pool no big deal. After 10 min, I could no longer see the buoy at all.
Oh well, Thanks for the encouragement, I will be back there on Sunday.
How does one keep goggles from fogging up? quote]
Spit of course! There are also drops you can use and I have found they work longer than the saliva method, but saliva works in a pinch. Oddly I haven't had that issue in the ocean, but I always have it in the pool.
The water was gorgeous today, wasn't it? Well, you can't beat 70* ocean water, ever. I'm wearing my spring suit which is perfect for me, but most I've seen are just going with swim suits now.
I will be there Saturday or Sunday if we can get up--what time do you shoot for? We go early (6-ish) so we can get a parking spot.
6ish? Might be a little early. I might shoot for 7 on sunday. Will all the parking be taken by then. I swam at noon today. I had forgotten how awful La Jolla can be.
Spit, of course, I sometimes think I have to learn everything the hard way.
Hi Eric,
I have no helpful ideas other than Ron's--go to the LJ Cove club's website.
I swim Fridays at 6:15 a.m.-ish. I've come back after being psychologically blocked from swimming OW at 13. What helped me was to get fins and swim on my back as long as I needed to get adjusted. Once I warmed up I could turn around and put my face in. Now I'm fine. I swim 3 strokes and then put my head up and look. I recommend swimming early in the morning (especially during the summer months) because there are less swimmers and you can maneuver your way towards the bouys. Also, don't be afraid to ask those who are just entering what to buddy you or what their strategies are. The Cove swimmers are a wonderfully friendly bunch of people. Oh, and make sure you go to the LJ Starbucks after--that's where they all congregate. They're easy to spot with their wetheads!
When you actually swim the mile be aware that there will be a jostle of people at the start. You may want to hold back if you're uncomfortable.
Good luck--just completing it is a feat in itself!
Well, I was able to swim to first buoy and back today...VERY empowering...need to spend less time navigating next time.
Ron, do they have the pier to cove swim at other times. I have my son in town thru next week, so I am a little crimped socially, but would love to do one of these.
Later this week, I will attempt the half mile buoy...yeah!
P.S. I got a weird tip that toothpaste is a good defooger. Anyone care to comment on this?
Well, I was able to swim to first buoy and back today...VERY empowering...need to spend less time navigating next time.
Ron, do they have the pier to cove swim at other times.
I'm not Ron, but here's a link to their schedule:
www.lajollacoveswimclub.org/UpcomingEvents.html
There is a 1.5 swim on August 3--a subset of a 5 mile swim.
Congratulations on your swim! Haven't heard of the toothpaste tip. Too messy to bring with me to the pool or Cove. Spit travels easier.
P.S. I got a weird tip that toothpaste is a good defooger. Anyone care to comment on this?
Congrats on the swim progress!
Re: toothpaste - Scuba divers often use toothpaste to "clean" the inside of a new mask. Fogging comes from moisture collecting on dirt on the inside of a mask lens. There is a thin layer of ... i don't know, manufacturing residue of some kind in masks, allowing more dirt and thus fogging. the grittiness of toothpaste gets rid of that layer (as does soft scrub), but it's a one or two time application when you first start using a mask, not every day.
It's spit for me :)
Ron and Eric~
Parking is going to be tough this weekend, including Friday morning when people start reserving spots. We've decided to cancel Friday and go tomorrow (Thursday) instead. Waking the teenagers up at 6 a.m. to come along--can't wait to hear the grumbling about that.
Hope you guys have a nice swim. And Ron--great idea about wearing the white rash guard and yellow cap. I have a pink spring suit and yellow cap so The Husband can keep a look out for me.
