Has anyone done this swim before and, if so, did you enjoy it? Is it well attended?
My parents live in San Diego and I'd like to get down to visit them in the next few months. If I could plan it to correspond to some kind of swimming event that would be ideal. Any other events in San Diego County? I know about the La Jolla Rough Water, but that's about the limit of my knowledge. Orange County is a possibility, but I'd prefer something between San Diego and Oceanside.
Haven't done Coronado yet and Santa Barbara might be too far north for you, but a couple of good events around July 4th are listed on the SPMA calendar - www.spmasterswim.org/.../.
I've done Coronado twice. It's not a huge event but it's pretty well run. Street parking is hard to find due to the other activities planned. Coronado's beach is beautiful and wide, and the race is held by the lifeguard tower just up the beach from the Hotel Del Coronado. The course is as a simple L shape: swim a few hundred yards into the surf, then cut left for the first half of the race then return. I learned from only two years' participation that the conditions here, like La Jolla, can vary greatly. In 2013 the water was glassy and slightly cool - ideal for my first attempt. In 2015 it was very rough and icy cold, even though conditions were calm and warm in La Jolla just days earlier. I couldn't sight because my goggles were fogged the entire time and had to raise them often to see where I was going. My time was very slow but I was happy not to have had to be pulled from the water as many others were. I would do it again, but won't be in town this Fourth.
Oceanside's Tiki Swim ( www.tikiswim.com ) is fun and growing in participation. I'd like to do the San Diego Sharkfest this year, which I have not yet tried. Hope this helps.
For the 2015 Tiki Swim, the water was a "cold" 76 degrees F. Pretty darn pleasant, and much warmer than the typical sub-70 (to low 60s) water temperature just up the coast at Cabrillo Beach, where I tend to practice OW swimming. In any event, the Tiki Swim is well run and fun; this year will be my fourth.
Thanks for the tips. My folks live in San Diego too and I'd love to join a visit with a race. :) The water is so dang cold, though. LOL! To think I grew up there and mom used to have to drag us kicking and screaming out of the ocean when it was time to leave. We'd swim no matter how cold it was.
