Your first open water swim?

In my childhood I attended an awesome summer camp named "Camp Whitley". During your stay at camp you could earn awards by completing challenges. One of the challenges (Gold Bar) was to swim across Bear Lake. They called it a mile but in retrospect I think they were exaggerating. Flash forward ahead to the next year; all of the "swimmer kids" were complaining that the "Gold Bar" was no longer a challenge for us.......so that's how the "Double Gold Bar" began. (across bear lake and back) I think that was my introduction to OW swimming! *I also won the "Annie Oakly" riflery award every single year I attended this camp! :) I wish I could be a kid again and go back! :bliss:

A 3K swim at Miami Whitewater Forrest here in the Cincinnati area. June 2007. Unfortunately, that event was a one and done because it was great. Placed 3rd in the Men's and haven't swum a 3K as fast since. (I think that course might have been shorter, though. I had a horrible line and didn't swim hard until the last 700 yards or so.) Whatever it was, I was hooked on both open water swimming and having a beer as soon as possible after the race.

Marjorie, I greatly enjoyed your observation, especially in light that mankind has been swimming in the open water for millennium while pool swimming is relatively a recent luxury. For example, I enjoyed reading Peter Daland and Phil Whitten's first volume on swimming that included detailed explanations of swimming in the first four Olympics - where everthing was held in open water venues. So while the swimming community thinks of open water as something "new", history tells us otherwise. Great observation. Thank you very much.

I was just curious about everyone's "first time". When/where did you take that first plunge into open water?? Isn't this backwards? Open water is the template, pool swimming the unnatural imposition. Lake Michigan temp in Chicago is 47 deg, in case anybody wants to come out next weekend. :)

My first open water swim was at Narragansett Beach in RI. I was in a speedo, and got buddied up with another swimmer in a wetsuit. He took off on me and I never saw him again. I was going hypothermic, no one with me, and after about 1/2 mile I decided to try to head into shore (we were swimming about 250 yards offshore, parallel to the beach). I finally made it back after a near panic not knowing what would happen. Since that time I have vowed never to let a first timer experience what I did. All first timers deserve a real buddy, someone who will stick with them and help them through it. I now love open water, and I NEVER do it alone.

Isn't this backwards? Open water is the template, pool swimming the unnatural imposition. Lake Michigan temp in Chicago is 47 deg, in case anybody wants to come out next weekend. :) I work Saturday morning but could have a quick dip Saturday afternoon or sometime Sunday morning.

I guess I should start... 1970, we were camping in Greece and I was always in the water (I was 10 and a total pool/beach rat), the Aegean is stunningly beautiful and I wanted to be out in it. I met a couple of guys from the local Navy Base and they told me the distance between the buoys (they used them for training swims) and I decided I just had to give it a go. So I swam my first open water mile that week, and did the two mile loop the next week. I was HOOKED!! I managed to get in open water swims in the Atlantic, Pacific, Sea of Cortez, Mediterranean, Adriatic, Gulf of Mexico, and Lake Michigan. Then life and other interests got in the way...now I think I'd like to give it a go again.

My first OW swim was three years ago. It was a mile cable swim. I had started swimming for about 6 months when I decided to try it out. (did not swim in college, high school or any team ever) My wife, vetern of many open water swims with my daughters was there to watch. Upon completition of the swim I went to her with a big smile on my face, glad that they did not need to search the water for my body, and said.."how did I do?" she replied, "Your turnover is a little slow"

Isn't this backwards? Open water is the template, pool swimming the unnatural imposition. Lake Michigan temp in Chicago is 47 deg, in case anybody wants to come out next weekend. :) There was no implication that pool swimming came first, just when you made the first plunge into the big blue. ;) (born on Cape Cod and didn't see a pool until we moved away...open water is the norm :woot:)

May of this year. I did the 5K Beaufort River Swim (Beaufort, SC)...which is really an intercoastal (salt) with the tide. I forget my exact time but it was well under an hour. I was like 8-10th overall and won my age group. Temp about 90 (air), water about 75. What I learned....lines! You line is everything. I follow a small pack that took a really bad one! Also BREATHE!!! You get that initial adreniline rush of the start and your HR is up and I forgot to breathe enough...I was pooped after 10 minutes, but eventually calmed it down and got into a rhythm.