Swimming Alone

Swam alone again tonight, ya thought about this thread...water was like glass...sun setting..cruisin at constant speed like a wave ..it was awsome... www.youtube.com/watch :rolleyes:

I swim alone quite a lot...just yesterday afternoon this thought was running through my head as I enjoyed a wonderful lake swim in the Adirondacks. I also cycle alone...I decided that I am probably safer swimming alone than riding my bike. Besides, if I had to coordinate my schedule with someone else, I would never get to do the things I love. Plus, the alone part contributes to the "Zen".

Very Cute Ken! But the only thing I see is a school of blue gills...maybe 50 + at a time.

I won't. End of story. That works for me.

Swimming alone in shark infested waters is what its all about. My question is wether or not to strap on a knife. Looking behind under the water for critters is adds to the excitement. Murky water is creepy but oh well. My big question is if mp3 tunes attracts the critters or scares them away. What....Do you want to die in Hospice?

I just bought one of these. It is an inflatable device that doubles as a dry bag. You can put your keys, wallet, phone, etc., in it, seal it, inflate the bladder, and it floats behind you while you're swimming. It comes with a belt that you put around your waist. Swim Safety Device on Vimeo The ISHOF (International Swimming Hall of Fame) sells them in their store at www.ishof.org.

Anna Lea, The Swim Safety Device, looks very promising. Do you know if ISHOF or someone will have them available at the Open Water Safety Conference later this month in San Francisco?

Most of the time I don't swim alone, but I have done it on a few occasions. I wear a dive knife when I swim in the ocean, which I should probably also do in lakes since they too have the potential for discarded fishing line or other debris. The thing about swimming with buddies is that 90% of the time you end up strung out too far from the nearest person to even know where they are without stopping constantly. I sort of prefer swimming alone, with pack or side-by-side swimming being a close second. Swimming alone has that little extra tinge of fear/adrenaline with a side of guilt (husband, parent). What I'm curious about is what the statistics are for incident survival while swimming alone vs. with buddies. It certainly didn't help the triathlete in San Diego that got killed by the great white. Sure, they were able to bring him ashore, but he still died. Obviously that's an extreme case, but how many other cases are there, really? We always hear about the dangers of swimming without a buddy but I don't think I've ever read about an incident in which swimming with a buddy actually saved a swimmer's life. Notice I said swimmer, not random non-athlete who fell in the water.

Anna Lea, The Swim Safety Device, looks very promising. Do you know if ISHOF or someone will have them available at the Open Water Safety Conference later this month in San Francisco? Rob, I don't know but that's a good idea. I'll bet that you know who to contact to make that happen... :)