little red lighthouse swim

Thanks so much for the replies. I must admit I am a little freaked out about being sucked into the plant and/or getting pulled past the finish and fighting my way back. I hope they have a lot of volunteers out there -- I

hi sarah, if the swim goes off heading north, the gw bridge is the object you will sight. you will probably not get sucked into the treatment plant. if heading south, pay attention to start heading in when you should to avoid having to swim against the current back to the finish. this 5.85 miles swims like a 5k. the pre race briefing will address all this stuff. see you there.

Wish I was doing it :( I did it last year and did get sucked into the plant! Had to work a bit to get back out. Once safely back into the current I couldn't see the finish (they put me in the wrong heat so there was hardly anyone to see ahead and the finish wasn't marked), and nearly got swept past it!! Fun swim though.

What is the date ? 26 September. See: www.nycswim.org for more info -LBJ

To those of you have done this swim and other mid to north east coast swims how would you rate this one? Most of my travel swims have been to west coast but for 2010 I'm thinking of going east for a swim. Looking at 5 to 10K distance, prefer a no wetsuit race or at least two divisions non wetsuit and wetsuit with equal awards.

To those of you have done this swim and other mid to north east coast swims how would you rate this one? Most of my travel swims have been to west coast but for 2010 I'm thinking of going east for a swim. Looking at 5 to 10K distance, prefer a no wetsuit race or at least two divisions non wetsuit and wetsuit with equal awards. It's a fantastic race as long as you feel comfortable in water that can get a bit rough. The Hudson River can be quite choppy depending on a number of factors like the wind. Other good ones: Bridge to Bridge 5k in Atlantic City - I LOVE this course. Swim For Life (1-5 miles), Chestertown, MD - Nominally a race and really more of a tourist swim for most - they only have awards for the first 3 people in each race - but the course is beautiful and it's a good time. Best post-race food, too. Boston Light Swim - OK, It's more like 8.5 miles and pretty cold, plus it's a royal pain in the butt to get a boat, but there is nothing quite like it. Chesapeake Bay Swim (4.4 miles) - This race is practically an object of religious devotion among some people, but I have to confess I don't get it. Still, it's probably the best competition, a very unusual set of "course markers", and is a must-have for your OW resume. It is expensive (I think $250) and difficult to get into. Also, keep an eye on www.dvmasters.org website next year. They publish a pretty good list of races in these parts and and using that you can sometimes arrange to do multiple races in a day or over a few days. -LBJ

Dear Sarah, Last year I had similar concerns, my first LRL swim. Not to worry, the tidal assist is rather substantial, you can see from the times at past events that this swims like a fast 5K, as chaos points out. The course this year is 57th Street --> Little Red, navigation should be easy (aim for GW Bridge); you'll want to stay well clear of the water treatment plant, so that should not be much of an issue. www.nycswim.org/.../Event.aspx Good luck and see you there, Andreas.

What is the date ?

I've done several of those listed above(Little red lighthouse, chesapeake bridge, boston light), and they are all good races. There are some big swims in Charleston and in St. Petersburg which I have not done, both are 2,4 mile swims or thereabouts and sound like large fun races. If you can swing it, either St. Croix or the Bermuda swims are great races, although I'm not sure if they qualify as East Coast. I did a weekend in NYC earlier this year with a truly fascinating swim around Liberty Island on Friday, followed by a Coney Island swim on Saturday--that was one of the best ocean swim weekends I've ever had. I'd never been to either place before and enjoyed both. Good luck--its hard to go wrong.

Have to add the choose-your-mileage DCAC Chestertown Swim for Life. It's well run, friendly, and a beautiful out-and-back river swim up to 5 miles long depending on your preference. I did the 2 mile this year and had a blast - planning for the 3 miler next year.