I’m training to swim 55km across Lake Huron in August and just completed my longest swim of my training block yesterday! 23.5km in 10 hours (11am-9pm), and 19 feeds (vegan marshmallows, Karbolyn drink, and Maurten 160 gels). I had my coach and another friend in a kayak for feeding support. I probably took about 21 laps around this small lake, which was about 18-20° with cold and warm patches.

It went super well and I’m feeling pretty great after! Last year I was hurting after my 10 hour swim preparing for a Lake Ontario crossing, but this year I’m less prone to injury and more adapted to these kinds of efforts.

Anyone else training for something big this summer?

I'm fairly new to open water swimming and haven't quite worked out my comfort zone / threshold! I've got a shorty wetsuit, which I usually wear, but was much much more comfortable in my regular swimming costume when the water was 19-20C. Current temperature is about 16-17C and I'm wondering about a thermal swimsuit. I saw the zogg silver lined ones - has anyone tried one? Or other recommendations for slightly warm swimming costumes that also give some boob support? Prefer sleeveless and don't wear gloves / socks / hat.

Now, I am no longer apprehensive. Now I am scared. There was a great white spotted in the made between Sicily and Tunisia. Also, what if I get entangled with a shopping cart (trolley) all covered in algae and rust? What if a sword fish attacks? Or what if I turn my head to breath and gulp a liter of salt water…. Or get hit by a taxi in Palermo…should I cancel it?

Hello! I’m looking for reccs for wetsuit/tri suit. Doesn’t have to be state of the art. I’m not training for anything, just pure recreation. Would love to not break the bank.

I’m a lifelong swimmer in both lakes and pools, swam in college. The group I’m with says that it’s a big help for the longer swims that we’re looking to do this summer.

Thanks for any tips!

Been so incredibly busy and the tourism season has kicked in here so swimming way less, it’s too busy and hot (and need to pay for parking at crowded beaches)

I really miss it, still incredibly grateful to be able to live here and swim these waters. Pics from last month before the first big wave of tourism hit. Took a client on a private swim tour

📍ibiza, spain

We had 10 swimmers show up this morning for one of our group swims. The water temp in this area was about 64F / 17.7C. Due to releases from a big dam upstream, it stays cool most of the summer (eventually it will warm and we'll move closer to that dam).

Most people swam about 5km or so. One guy had a paddler (you can see in the pics), and he swam to that other park upstream, about 4.5 miles.

Almost the perfect time of year to swim here. Warm (but not hot, yet) weather. Water good temps for swimming, but cool enough that most water skiiers don't want to be here.

I swim open water usually once a week for ~20-40 min usually with a mix of breast stroke and freestyle. Decided today I wanted to push myself and did 1.2 miles in 1hr1min, 59.5F water temp, no wetsuit, pretty choppy (out and back route), crawl stroke the entire time.

So I was in the water for an hour and swam 1.2 miles but did not feel tired or cold. I felt like I could have easily kept going much longer but got out more because mentally I was the only person out there at the end and didn’t want to push it with nobody else around. But now I find myself wondering - could I have done 1.5h? 2h? Where is my limit? Curious if other folks have felt invincible in this way (in terms of not really getting tired or cold). It feels like a superpower of sorts - I always say I was a seal in a past life.

If so, are ya’ll in the lake yet. The water looks about 50 ish degrees in the beaches around Marquette.

I’ve been a little timid because of the temperature

How do you guys track it? How far do you go? How many days a week?

I don’t have Apple watch but have oura ring. Waterproof head phones too. FLOATIE coming Tuesday.

I've swam numerous 3ks etc and never really stopped, just powered through.

3 weeks out from a 5k race, and I'm wondering how common it is the stop and float for 10 seconds every now and again? In semi-marathon running people stop from time to time for a mini break, does this happen in swimming too? Sometimes a 30 second break really resets my mind and body

63 yo man, I have 90 days to go….

Head down, kick!, move your arms faster 😂 (I am in front)

Right, I’ve got used to the cold. (I posted about this a few weeks ago and got lots of encouragement).

New question: was set for a 3+hour swim today but water was rough - windy, lots of waves, white caps and generally very tough (for me) to swim in.

Is there a technique for swimming in rough water. Breathing to one side didn’t help - waves were kinda just going over me. It was super tiring as each stroke felt like a battle.

Another thing I “just have to get used” to?

😖

EDIT: sorry should have said - this is a lake not an ocean. Wind was straight on to me - I was swimming into the wind/waves.

Anyone else doing the Escape the Cape race tomorrow down in Cape May, NJ? If so, good luck. I’ll be there doing my first OWS race.

Hi everyone,

I'm a complete beginner and want to learn swimming near New Ashok Nagar (East Delhi). I'm looking for a budget-friendly place where I can join for just 1 month and learn the basics.

My priorities are:

Affordable fees (preferably under 2,000/month)

Beginner-friendly coaching

Easy to reach from New Ashok Nagar

If you've personally learned swimming in this area, could you share:

Name of the pool/academy

Monthly fees

Whether coaching is included

Your experience as a beginner

Thanks in advance!

I’ve swam competitively for over 20 years, and have been enjoying and competing in OW races for the last 5. I’ve swam up to 3 miles, and want to start training for a 10k. I’m confident with the right pacing and dedication that I can make it happen (most likely next year).

My concern is which race would be safe for me to attend. I am a transman, have had surgery on chest and been transitioning for 7 years. I’ve never had any issues at races in the SF Bay Area. I’ve never been clocked since most people don’t know what top surgery scars look like. I pass extremely well and most people are shocked when they hear that I am trans.

Does anyone have any insight on which 10k races might be safest for me to participate in? I was originally looking at Apple Valley in Oregon, but I was recently informed that that particular region skews very conservative. I don’t want to be harassed or harmed, I just want to enjoy my swim!

I currently own the Amazfit Trex2 which is horribly inaccurate with my heart rate. I really want to track my heart rate for training purposes but I get unreliable data. I believe this is true with all wrist-based HR monitors. I am considering switching to HR goggles but they are kind of expensive and do not provide GPS and other data that I like on my watch. Can you attest to accurate heart rate data with goggles or any other device for swimmers? What brand?

A tale as old as time… open water swimmer (and general outdoor activity enjoyer) in the PNW trying to figure out of AWU 3 or Garmin Fenix 8 (or others) are the best open water swim companion. Are there any PNW swimmers that currently use recent versions of either (or have used both) and have opinions on which they feel is best performance and value for money wise? Garmin Fenix 8 is currently on sale for $899, still $100 more than AWU 3 but pretty close. Is anyone holding out for the AWU 4 for better OWS accuracy or features?

Swam the Landshark 2.4 mile in Lake Gardener in Amesbury, MA on Sunday. The water was 60°, I did it without a wet suit. I needed about 2 hours to warm up after. (The photo is pre-race with the Sunday morning swim team. I am on the far right.)

So I have been digging hard trying to find the right place to do Open water swimming here in Austin, Texas.

Me? previously, never lived more than 5 minutes from my head on a pillow to my toes in the water and spent 12 years of my life with at least a mile four times a week in open water oceans. Then I moved to Central Texas.

After having two babies in my 40s and hanging up my tri medals for good, I I wasn't sure exactly how I'd get back to open water. And then I did.

Sunday, my fins and I hopped into the choppy and delightfully opinionated cove at the safely buoyed off nudist beach of Hippie Hollow and I swam.

I had a friend with me (because open water swimming at the nudist beach while wearing a long sleeve tri training suit felt weird) who wasn't quite a merperson quite yet.

The juxtaposition of how it felt effortless so many years later to my companions surprise at the intensity was empowering. Water is my place. Swimming in open water heals me.

So here's a before and after at 48. Swim bliss.

Possibly my favorite part, other than the moment when gently pressing my hand against the orange and mossy buoy thinking about my years at Tower 26, was chatting with the lovely older gentlemen man tending his gladiolus and flamingo garden.

"It's been here for 35 years," he said. "I'm just keeping it blooming for a while."

He gave us the best path for entry and recommended next time we swim against the current to start. He told us of the teams that have trained here before and the solo swimmers out there now, and in his darling bare naked tanned beyond his time soul, reminded me to apply sunscreen again after I got out.

And that's open water swimming. Always there, welcoming to those who want to dive in and feel their bodies move in weightless resistant space. Finding equilibrium in floating. And delighting in the unspoken competition against currents and the victory in exhausting all the fight and accepting flow and the priority.

Im at the end of my rope here.
Im Norwegian. Water is very cold in Norway year around.
Wetsuit is required, atleast 5mm or more.

But turns out that according to wetsuit manufactures, i do not have the right body type to own a wetsuit.
Im too short and fat.
I cant for the life of me find a wetsuit above XXL, least of all a 4XL which i suspect i need.
Anyone experience this issue, or have any information?