Open Water Swims outside the US

Wow, Doug, those are some questions. Roatan, which is an island 40 miles north of Honduras and about 120 miles south of Belize, hosts an international event. It used to be every year and many Olympians came here to rack up points for qualification prior to the Olympics. But ours is not just a swim event, it is a triathlon, so I'm not sure it serves your topic's purpose. Roatan now is hosting this triathlon every other year instead of every year. The ITC only allows 200 or less entrants into this event. It is an extremely difficult course, ask Sheila Taormina, for she did extremely well but noticed the biking portion was unusualy difficult; we've got hills at unreasonable degrees. But all in all, the swim portion, which people can do just that portion of, is a great, great swim; crystalline blue waters, 80 degrees, current goes with you until the end (I like that toughness on the last leg); white sand, very well run event, doctors available, food/drink, condos on the beach; it makes for a very wonderful day and event. The swim events are 750, 1500 and 3K. Donna

Where was the event held? Vansbro, Sweden (1500m friday night, 1000m sat morning (a womens and a mixed), and 3km on sunday) this year is the 10-12 July. ( i beleive the 3km always starts on the second sunday in July) What were the political conditions like in the host country? similar to the US, but socialist What were the economic conditions like in the host country? the dollar is strong here, but stable Was the event well-run very well run Was the event safe very safe, in a river with about 20-40 boats in the water and staff along the edge for the last 900m Did you feel you got a good return on your investment of time and money? I live Would you do this event again? I went first in 2007, back last year and will go every year I can What are the best memories of this event? the number of participants. over 3000 on sundays 3km What were the water conditions like? down stream 2km, upstream 1km about 60-65F What extras did the organizer provide that added value to the event? participation medal and dinner after What were the distances of the swims? 1500, 1000, 3000 (even a 5km friday night 2008 & 2009) Was getting to and from the event a hassle? drove, its a good drive from the nearest big city airport How easy/difficult was it to get to the host country? fly to Copenhagen, Denmark; Gothenberg, Sweden or Stockholm Sweden I live in sweden, and this is the biggest OW event of the year. over 8000 participate in the races over the 3 days. but you need to book a hotel, hostel, or cabin in advance, otherwise you wind up living over an hour from the race. I'll be signing up for the 5km friday, 1000 sat and 3km on sunday. hoping to get a room or cabin from thursday through sunday. Also did the Christianborgrundt in Copenhagen, mid/late aug. 1900m around the state building. channel swims / salt water. lots of fun too.

I did the "Vibes and Scribes" Lee river swim in Cork this July and would thoroughly recommend it! Getting to Cork was very easy and inexpensive, as I was staying in London over summer. I would still love to travel to Ireland to do that swim again, even from Chicago (where I am now). It's a long way to go for a short swim, but I think there are a lot of cheapish fares from Chicago to Ireland. Also, it's a good excuse to go somewhere fun! The race was 2km. About 3/4 was downstream, and the rest upstream (after turning-the Lee river splits around the town of Cork). The current was fairly gentle though, so it wasn't much of a push at all finishing off. Race organisation was excellent. Check-in was at the finish point, from where swimmers walked an easy distance to the start. The warm sunny day helped! Swimmers were sent off in waves from a wooden platform to the sound of a pipe band. The water was cold! It was in the low 50's, BUT the finish line was manned by the Cork Fire Department (sweet). They not only helped everyone out of the water, but provided hot showers!! Really, there was a kind of inflatable shower room with hot water and shampoo!! We stayed at the Imperial hotel which was beautiful! very close to the start and finish points. The race started in the afternoon, so you could sleep in, wander around, eat, swim, then continue straight on to happy hour! And of cours kiss the Blarney Stone www.corkmasters.ie/.../leeswim.htm

I believe Canada has several OW swims, especially on the north side of the Great Lakes. Many are posted on relevant Masters swim sites. For an exotic OW swim that is still on U.S. turf, so to speak, the Pennock Island Challenge (8.2 miles around Pennock Island, Alaska) has captured my fancy: http://www.alaskateamada.com/ Swim with the whales. Here is a first-person account. The last hour was critical: usopenwaterswimming.org/.../index.php VB

Try www.10kswimmer.com. There is also a DIY blog spot on the Web with many long swim descriptions. Jennifer Figge is going to try to swim the Atlantic beginning in January 2009. Go Jen! :cheerleader:

If you are willing tot travel to europe that would be a great place to start! In my country, The Netherlands (also incorrectly known as Holland), we have about 30 exellently organised events, Belgium 20 or so, UK 50+, France 40+ Switserland 30+, Germany 50+. So make your pick! We do not swim in the winter, not unlike Virginia! The European open water swiming is summed up in http:/www.openwaterswimming.eu. You can find the Dutch (from The Netherlands) swiming on http://www.noww.nl. That is in Dutch (and perhaps intelligible to English and German knowligables), but send a PM when you have a date to swim and I will send you the needded facts (anyone can ask me!).

I had an interesting experience over the holidays. We had a vacation planned to Australia, I found an open water swim and thought it would be fun to participate while we were there. Of course, it is summer in their hemisphere, so water temperature is not an issue like it is here in Maine, and no wetsuits were permitted. This event was run by, and served as a fundraiser for the local surf lifesaving club. I had been to several beaches (as well as the Olympic pool) and while I enjoyed body surfing in the big waves, I was sure our race would be in a more protected, calmer area. Wrong. The Yamba Surf Lifesaving Club swim actually has 3 races - 700M, 2 KM, and a 200M sprint, I had entered the longer one looking for more of a challenge (though some people actually did all 3). Conditions were somewhere between a Beach Boys album cover and "A Perfect Storm'. As the Aussies said, "a bit of a chop out there today, mate". After longingly watch the 200 people in the 700 M race struggle through, they lined up our group of about 150 and sent us off in 2 waves. The run across the beach out to the breaking surf went pretty well. Then we had to either dive through, jump over or swim past the waves. None seemed to have much effect and I seemed to land behind where I started after each attempt. I briefly worried I would still be doing this as the leaders finished, but I eventually got through, though the waves knocked off my goggles a few times. The course was well marked with big buoys every 100 M or so, and guards on surfboards, but most times when I lifted my head to sight, I could only see the next wall of water coming at me. As long as I could see some flailing arms and bobbing caps around me, I figured I was roughly on course. As we got near the end, the waves began to help push us in some, though the brief ride would usually end with a disorienting pounding into the sand, after which you get your bearings, stand up and then get knocked down again. I pulled it together for an impressive run up the beach to the finish line. It took 40 minutes and I finished around the middle of the pack. One of the guys ('blokes') I talked to afterwards said he felt like he was swimming in a washing machine. They did have barbecue and beer at the finish line which helped with the recovery. After we were all in, they did the "Dash for cash" with a $150 prize, and an announcer on the PA calling it like a horse race. The swimmers lined up between 2 buoys 200 M out and at the starting signal sprinted in. The eventual winner started going diagonally away from the field and was last for a while, then caught a wave which he just rode past everyone else for an easy win. Hayley Lewis who was a medalist in '92 Olympics won one of the women's races. There is a full calendar of events over the season, some in rivers or harbors rather than the pounding surf. Entry fees were very reasonable. I paid $25 Australian, about $18 American. There is a great website - www.oceanswims.com - with calendars, results & photos, and the typical debates over things like bathing suits ('wetties' vs. "budgy smugglers'). Overall, it was a great way to see a different area and meet people and I would certainly recommend it.

I completely agree with Dave that the Sydney beaches OW swims are great fun, and can be very challenging. I have done a couple during vacations down there a few years ago - one at Malabar (a fairly protected bay swim) and the Warriewood - Mona Vale Swim (an ocean swim from one beach to the next around a headland). The second swim was toughest getting out through the surf among the melee of starters, but thereafter was in an ocean swell - quite easy for ocean conditions. Water was super clear so I spent a lot of time keeping an eye out for the big fish (there were none). After about 1km (2k swim) I was on my own - then another swimmer moved up beside me and started, well, bumping and bashing. Not necessary as there were acres of open water. I am normally a shy retiring sort but this teed me off a bit so I shifted into water polo mode and mixed it up a little. Anyway, this continued on and off for the rest of the swim and the two of us raced and finished together. After the run to the finish line up the beach the other guy (who was as tired and beaten up as I was) had a broad smile on his face and stuck his hand out to me and said "good on ya mate, great swim, I loved that!" I guess he hadn't been able to get to his usual bar fight the night before. Anyway, just be aware that for some OW swimming is a contact sport. The swim was really good fun, but you needed to be fairly comfortable in surf and open ocean. And I would say that the safety cover was light for the conditions and the numbers. The offset though is that the cover was provided by trained surf lifesavers who are well equipped and experienced. (As Dave said, many of the swims are fundraisers for the many Aussie surf lifesaving clubs). There has been an alarming increase in shark attacks in the Sydney area this year, so this may affect some of the swims. In some they will put divers or helicopters out onto the course to keep watch.

www.10Kswimmer.com has recently posted its list of the World's Top 100 Open Water Swims. This World's Top 100 List provides some of the information you ask. www.10Kswimmer.com has a database of over 1,500 open water swims around the world which they estimate is only about 60% of the total number of open water events around the world. However, they are attempting to catalog each of the events including a global ranking system for all open water swimmers to be able to quickly research in one location. This global ranking system will be launched before the Northern Hemisphere's summer season of 2009. You are truly god-like. You get my vote for open water person of the year in 2009. -LBJ

www.10Kswimmer.com has recently posted its list of the World's Top 100 Open Water Swims. This World's Top 100 List provides some of the information you ask. www.10Kswimmer.com has a database of over 1,500 open water swims around the world which they estimate is only about 60% of the total number of open water events around the world. However, they are attempting to catalog each of the events including a global ranking system for all open water swimmers to be able to quickly research in one location. This global ranking system will be launched before the Northern Hemisphere's summer season of 2009.