I've been swimming competitively in the pool for something like 15 years now, but I am interested in trying an open water race, either in a lake or in the ocean this summer. I have absolutely zero experience in open water other than just playing around at the beach. I've looked around this website but I would like some more info. Does anyone have any good books/websites/resources for someone who wants to try open water swimming for the first time? I'll take any and all tips!
The Don Burns CDM swim is a fun swim, and pretty easy to navigate. The water temps have been warmer this year (just did a series of 4 swims in Huntington Beach this a.m.), and I think CDM tends to be on the warm-ish side by August. As Fresnoid notes, the best open water swimmers tend to have a higher stroke rate to avoid getting battered by chop and wind. And while sighting isn't such a big deal at the CDM swim, the Newport Pier to Pier swim (as well as several other area swims like the Seal Beach Rough Water, Dwight Crum Pier to Pier in the South Bay, Gatorman-La Jolla Rough Water) does require some good sighting skills to make the shortest distance from point A to point B. In any event, have fun -- the open water swims out here have a good vibe and it's nice to enjoy our ocean this way.
The Don Burns CDM swim is a fun swim, and pretty easy to navigate. The water temps have been warmer this year (just did a series of 4 swims in Huntington Beach this a.m.), and I think CDM tends to be on the warm-ish side by August. As Fresnoid notes, the best open water swimmers tend to have a higher stroke rate to avoid getting battered by chop and wind. And while sighting isn't such a big deal at the CDM swim, the Newport Pier to Pier swim (as well as several other area swims like the Seal Beach Rough Water, Dwight Crum Pier to Pier in the South Bay, Gatorman-La Jolla Rough Water) does require some good sighting skills to make the shortest distance from point A to point B. In any event, have fun -- the open water swims out here have a good vibe and it's nice to enjoy our ocean this way.
