Your 2011 season... where & when

Due to family vacation, doesn't look like my season will start till late August with the Swim Hellespont event (http://www.swimhellespont.com/ ). Unless I can get the Russian Swimming Fed to answer my emails. Then I'll do a swim earlier in the year in Moscow and then one after Turkey over in the Black Sea.

David - WOW! That swim looks EPIC! Some day...some day... John hopefully, it will become an annual event.

Would anyone like to share goals for 2011 too? My bucket swims this season include the Boston Light Swim (August) and the Great Chesapeake Bay Bridge Swim (June)... might try swimming the ASA Lake Travis Relay (October) as a solo... add your 2011 goals or simply view the goals of others - cheers

Any OW discussion where Chaos chimes in instantly makes me feel wholly inadequate, given his super-human OW status. My plans this year are the Chesapeake Bay swim in June and, hopefully, the 2 mile swim at the Hickory Nut Gorge Olympiad at Lake Lure, NC in late August. OW swims seem to pop up at random more than pool meets so I am hopeful to find some more this season. There is also a 5K in Pinehurst, NC in June and the one mile southern zone championship in July which I might attend. Fortunately, I have ready access at all times to a lake and an escort kayak so I will probably do a half dozen or so solo swims at Lake Wateree, SC. I have thought about showing up at gull's door randomly some time and making him take me to Barton Springs, mostly because I can't stand the thought that he goes there frequently and I've never been and I hear it is nirvana.

Any OW discussion where Chaos chimes in instantly makes me feel wholly inadequate, given his super-human OW status. Agreed, but my super-wimpy short OW-race focused season will make you feel manly again: Fran Crippen Mile (www.active.com/.../the-crippen-sunset-mile-open-water-swim-2011) I'm signed up because until last week I was planning (e.g., flights paid for!) to be in Fort Meyers for my eldest daughter to swim the USAS 5K National Champs, then this came out ... www.usaswimming.org/ViewNewsArticle.aspx ... so I'm not sure where I'll be or if the USAS 5K champs will even be that same weekend La Jolla Rough Water (www.ljrws.com), Sept 11th, will do 1 mile 3 swims in the fall portion of the Arizona Open Water series (www.dcbadventures.com/.../Swimming), will do the 2K option I am hoping to find some open water swim somewhere in late July/August wherever my family goes on vacation.

How hot is the water in Ft. Meyers? I've done three swims in 88+ water, uncomfortable and nasty for sure.

How hot is the water in Ft. Meyers?I'm not entirely sure, but a friend of mine said mid-80s likely. I'm in total support of USA Swimming taking water temperatures and safety seriously, but they've known about the likely temps in Fort Meyers for a long time and have done races there before. I just wish -- especially in this era of higher plane fares -- they would've made the change of location decision much earlier.

I have thought about showing up at gull's door randomly some time and making him take me to Barton Springs, mostly because I can't stand the thought that he goes there frequently and I've never been and I hear it is nirvana. the best time to drop in gull would be oct-nov when there are a bunch of OW events going on around the austin area... and the water has cooled to the mid-low 70's: amswimassoc.com/events.html i'm trying to put something together for 1st week in nov. in lake travis that will require some crew, kayakers, and maybe a few pace swimmers.

chaos - keep me in mind for the austin area in november! I wouldn't mind being on a kayak there seems to be so many events that are under the radar whether USMS, ASA, USAT and USASwimming does anyone know of an open water event in Delaware

Would anyone like to share goals for 2011 too? My bucket swims this season include the Boston Light Swim (August) and the Great Chesapeake Bay Bridge Swim (June)... might try swimming the ASA Lake Travis Relay (October) as a solo... add your 2011 goals or simply view the goals of others - cheers So far I have: May 1- Nanticoke 3-mile June 4- Potomac River 7.5 June 12-Chesapeake 4.4 June 18-USMS 25K June 25-Chester Swim4Life 5-mile Possible/ Probable July 9 Kingdom Swim 10 August 7 Purple Swim 2-mile (nice local event) September 24 LRLS 10K October 9 Swim the Suck 10-mile Missed sign up for Boston Light- Good Luck! William, shoot me a message if you need anything when you are in town for Chesapeake.