I am new to open water swimming and have a question for all you experienced swimmers.
I am thinking about swimming in a local fresh water lake at a state park. My plan is to swim about 50 -75 yards off the beach and swim parallel to the shore. I am thing about towing a lifeguard rescue tube behind me for safety and for visability.
Am I crazy for thinking this way?
Parents
Former Member
It seems to me that in order to make a reasoned decision about this, as opposed to a rationalization for the decision you want, you would need information about how open water incidents actually happen. Do people really suddenly just disappear under the water? Especially when wearing a wetsuit? Do people usually just lose consciousness or do they usually go through a period of distress first? If the danger is being hit by a boat will a second person be able to assist after the fact? Are you more likely to have a health problem or be hit by a boat?
Clearly swimming in an area with no power boats seems safer.
The beach where our team swims has a very gradual increase in depth, some of the swimmers choose to swim at a depth where they can stand up.
Our beach has a marked off no-boats area for swimming, we swim inside that. When swimming buoy to buoy faster swimmers can double back a buoy to avoid having to wait. It might be safer to give the slower swimmers a head start instead of waiting for them.
Would carrying a whistle be a compromise safety measure?
Anyway, I don't have all the answers, but it seems to me that you need data on the risks to do any sort of rational risk assessment, and that the risks will vary significantly based on local conditions.
It seems to me that in order to make a reasoned decision about this, as opposed to a rationalization for the decision you want, you would need information about how open water incidents actually happen. Do people really suddenly just disappear under the water? Especially when wearing a wetsuit? Do people usually just lose consciousness or do they usually go through a period of distress first? If the danger is being hit by a boat will a second person be able to assist after the fact? Are you more likely to have a health problem or be hit by a boat?
Clearly swimming in an area with no power boats seems safer.
The beach where our team swims has a very gradual increase in depth, some of the swimmers choose to swim at a depth where they can stand up.
Our beach has a marked off no-boats area for swimming, we swim inside that. When swimming buoy to buoy faster swimmers can double back a buoy to avoid having to wait. It might be safer to give the slower swimmers a head start instead of waiting for them.
Would carrying a whistle be a compromise safety measure?
Anyway, I don't have all the answers, but it seems to me that you need data on the risks to do any sort of rational risk assessment, and that the risks will vary significantly based on local conditions.
