Did my first ever OWS this evening. Very enjoyable. I've swum in pools all my life, but never went more than a few yards in a lake. So I joined a local Tri club and went to their Tuesday night practice, a 1/2 mile loop around a small, quiet lake. There are no motor boats allowed. I'd say it's a little bit tougher than pool swimming.
It was different. I'm not accustomed to a hundred other arms and legs flailing around me, and I probably went a tad faster than I should have. I may have gotten just a bit carried away with the mass start. In the beginning, it was very muddy and weedy but once away from shore it was OK. There was only a tiny chop from wind, but more from other swimmers, and I had to keep looking forward to stay in line with the buoys. After a couple hundred yards though, I was pretty much alone and on cruise control.
Yay, it does sound like a good experience so congratulations and welcome to the dark side. :) It's wonderful here! Just wait until you get into super clear water where you can see all kinds of things while you're swimming. It's pure heaven.
Just wait until you get into super clear water
No such thing in New York. Plus, the best lakes are so full of boats, it would be dangerous to go more than 15 yds off shore.
No such thing in New York. Plus, the best lakes are so full of boats, it would be dangerous to go more than 15 yds off shore.Find a sympathetic kayaker or paddle boarder to accompany you. My wife and sons enjoy this. Welcome to the purest form of swimming!
We have the same problem in TX with all the boaters. We've found that its good to go at about 6:30-7am, swim for an hour or so, then the crazy rednecks start getting on the lake with their boats by about then. Also, we wear bright caps and this buoy to help other people see us. It doesn't interfere with swimming at all. www.swimoutlet.com/.../
And what I meant by clear water is maybe you'll do a race down in the Caribbean or something at some time. You'll really be hooked then. There's a fantastic 3 miler down in St John USVI in May that it's easy to get distracted by all the amazing sights and forget you're trying to race. :)
Just wait until you get into super clear water where you can see all kinds of things while you're swimming. It's pure heaven.
No such thing in New York. Plus, the best lakes are so full of boats, it would be dangerous to go more than 15 yds off shore.
Sumorunner Time for a day trip to the Finger Lakes! Crystal clear water, light boat traffic (away from the larger lake shore towns and occasional marina). Such a paradise for OW swimming, but with a few exceptions, not well known in the OWS community. How I wish I lived closer...
Lake Placid is beautiful. There are also several swims in Lake George this summer. http://www.lakegeorgeswim.com/
For your first swim, my best advice is to start out mindfully. Unless you're a pool sprinter, don't get caught up in the start, get your breathing and your stroke smooth and easy before pressing for speed. It's easy to end up out of breath in the first few hundred yards. A friend uses the mantra, bubble, bubble, breath but whatever works for you.
Caution: open water swimming is highly addictive! You'll know you're hooked when the pool becomes a necessary evil.
Lake Placid is beautiful. There are also several swims in Lake George this summer. http://www.lakegeorgeswim.com/
Yes. I first had my eye on Lake George. I live only an hour away. But my daughter-in-law has a baby due that week which negates any other plans.
2nd OW session last night. I felt much more comfortable this time. Got in the groove from the start, mostly because I waited and began way back in the pack. I could get to like this.
But here's what I don't get. Maybe because I'm something of a purist. I train with triathletes and they all wear wetsuits. It was 85 degrees and the water was not the slightest bit chilly, maybe mid 70s. When I looked around the crowd, there were probably only 3 or 4 people out of 100 without a wetsuit. Why?
I personally never swim with a wetsuit and am more of a frigid water swimmer. 2 people who I know who do triathalons always use wetsuits and I once posed the same question to them. They train in what they will wear in the race. The buoyancy is different.
Personally I don't like swimming in wetsuits and actually prefer the water below 60 degrees.
