It's too late for this season, but looking toward next year, what is the earliest folks start getting into Lake Michigan, specifically in the Chicago area. Along these lines I'm also curious to find a group that trains regularly in the lake.
Thanks for the help.
OK, then! Some ppl are put off by ocean-size rollers in a "lake" (actually, an inland sea).
Maybe also ask Marcia Cleveland, who is chair of OW swimming for USMS and just did the 23.4 mile length-of-Chicago swim in Lake Michigan? She is sort of local.
A third thought: check the tri groups in Chicago for their training times in OW. I caution they are inordinately fond of tech suits. I go in in my pool workout suit and can't believe the number of wetsuits!
A fourth thought: just show up on Ohio Street Beach, and you'll fall into conversation with other swimmers and learn about opportunities.
Hard core: May - October
Complainers: June - September
(all non-wetsuit; don't know what wetsuiters do)
A number of ad hoc groups swim in Lake Michigan. I'll see if I can dig up some info. Might there be a largish lake in IN that would satisfy? Sometimes you would drive to Chgo and find the lake too choppy to swim.
Training: very much ad hoc too. Perhaps a masters group has organized training in which they go set distances or swim for time or something similar. Once you start you'll get to know swimmers.
Here's one: openwaterchicago.wordpress.com/
Also: www.chicagobluedolphins.com has, I believe, an OW swim night.
I would contact the several USMS teams in Chicago, bec. most will have some OW times in the lake. Chicago Masters, Smelts (ask online coach Chris Layton), others; also check suburbs of Evanston and Oak Park for masters.
You can swim any day in the race area along the wall at Ohio Street Beach. If in early morning or evening (non-lifeguarded hours), you can continue swimming north swim from beach to North Avenue boat house, about 1.5 miles each way (I think). Others will be out there too.
Thanks for the help and the links.
There are many lakes close by to my home and but the numbers of swimmers is low here. The lakes are good sized, but none has the chop that Lake Michigan sometimes generates. Trying to prepare for an ocean swim next year while living in the midwest will be helped by some "choppy swims" in the big lakes.
Don't think its too late for this year in Lake Michigan. Watch the wind patterns and related water temps. You should be able to swim well into October comfortably. I've even been in mid-November one year (and I'm not a hard core cold water person).
