I live in Pittsburgh. Mid-October, I went to lake outside of town, Raccoon Creek reservoir- it was cold. The next day, I went swimming in the QAllegheny with the triathletes and the water seemed much warmer.
The Allegheny was reported to be 60 degrees, but I'm skeptical. It was a bright sunny day. There was a temperature gradient where my fingertips hit much colder water. I'm thinking that colder water may have been 60, but even that seemed warmer.
Onj Saturday, I went swimming in the Youghegeny River reservoir up in the Allegheny mountains. I expected it to be quite cold.
I went in thinking it would be a "boasting rights" swim - that is, put my face in, swim 2 or three strokes, and get the h*ll out. It turned out to be warmer than Raccoon was a few weeks ago and I did a few hundred yards.
I think it might be warmer because the reservoir is really low, the swimming area is near the dam , and the water for the Yough comes out of the bottom of the dam. That means the coldest water gets removed and the sun-warmed water remains.
I hope to do the Mackinack Straits next summer. At this point I think I can train well for that temp. In my heard I have the range of 58 -72 degrees, but I don't know where I got that.
Does anyone know of a swimming place where I could train for a week in August that is reliably in the 55- 60 degree range?
I thought about Lake Superior, but my impressioin is that the range of temps there would be from 40-something to about 75. The places where I've swum in Superior recently, Marquette and Au Train Bay have been relatively warm in late July- maybe even over 70.
Either 45 degrees or 75 wouldn't do it if I wanted to train for a distance at 58 degrees. In 45, I wouldn't be able to do the distance training and 75 wouldn't be cold enough to acclimate.
I live in Pittsburgh. Mid-October, I went to lake outside of town, Raccoon Creek reservoir- it was cold. The next day, I went swimming in the QAllegheny with the triathletes and the water seemed much warmer.
The Allegheny was reported to be 60 degrees, but I'm skeptical. It was a bright sunny day. There was a temperature gradient where my fingertips hit much colder water. I'm thinking that colder water may have been 60, but even that seemed warmer.
Onj Saturday, I went swimming in the Youghegeny River reservoir up in the Allegheny mountains. I expected it to be quite cold.
I went in thinking it would be a "boasting rights" swim - that is, put my face in, swim 2 or three strokes, and get the h*ll out. It turned out to be warmer than Raccoon was a few weeks ago and I did a few hundred yards.
I think it might be warmer because the reservoir is really low, the swimming area is near the dam , and the water for the Yough comes out of the bottom of the dam. That means the coldest water gets removed and the sun-warmed water remains.
I hope to do the Mackinack Straits next summer. At this point I think I can train well for that temp. In my heard I have the range of 58 -72 degrees, but I don't know where I got that.
Does anyone know of a swimming place where I could train for a week in August that is reliably in the 55- 60 degree range?
I thought about Lake Superior, but my impressioin is that the range of temps there would be from 40-something to about 75. The places where I've swum in Superior recently, Marquette and Au Train Bay have been relatively warm in late July- maybe even over 70.
Either 45 degrees or 75 wouldn't do it if I wanted to train for a distance at 58 degrees. In 45, I wouldn't be able to do the distance training and 75 wouldn't be cold enough to acclimate.
