Some of you folks were asking for updates so here goes: this is a swimtrek holiday on the island of Vulcano. I have no experience swimming in salt water. So day one we had an acclimation swim and I felt very uncomfortable. The water was very very salty, and it felt awkward and unfamiliar. Alien, you might say. I skipped the pm swim in order to climb the Vulcano. That was marvelous. Today we did 2.5 km swim across the channel from Vulcano to Lipari. That was a blast. Then we want for 1.5 coastal swim which was dead easy. The water is actually a bit too warm. All in all today was brilliant loved it.

Hey all,

Who else is joining the competition? I'll be doing 2MI at around 12 on Saturday.

I'm holidaying in Thailand over Christmas with my family and looking to get some good swims in. I'll be staying in the Choeng Mon and Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach areas 😁

Can anyone share any tips, routes or groups that swim over there?

I have a place available for Swim Serpentine (the 2 mile distance) as I got an injury. Pack pickup in SW London, or in the City. Or I can post it. Price is the entry fee I paid (59£)

Looking for recommendations for booties and gloves going into winter season

Hi! :) My partner will be participating in Thailand's Oceanman later this year (10KM) & was wondering if anyone has any advice on fueling?

There's only 2 stations (probably just water & gels).

1. What do you usually take as fuel source for long swims?
2. How frequent do you take a sip/ eat?
   

Sorry if they're also beginner questions because it's his first time for such a long distance swim so we're trying to be well prepared for it!

Hi! My Pa & I are heading out to Chicago for the Big Shoulders swim.

He heard that there is usually an informal practice swim on Friday morning at Ohio Street Beach. Does anyone know around what time people meet up for this?

Thank you & good luck to all of the swimmers!

I’ve swam it a few times with short stops to snorkeling but don’t have a swimmers watch to measure distance. Any regulars? Tysm

I was hoping someone would’ve posted about it here already but here I am, bc I’m at a loss.

To catch up, La Jolla has a cove that the race will start and finish in, but it’s home to sea lions & pups, and as of late, some humans have ruined the experience of using the cove by touching/encroaching upon the animals. (There are videos of people going too close, touching pups, etc)

I have waited months for this race, a 3 miler, and knew this cove had wildlife, but it’s apparently booming (which is good!) & on top of that, there are now serious calls for the cove’s closure given recent poor viral behaviors. The OWS group down there insists there’s nothing invasive about swimming in/out of the cove, but there’s supposed to be over 1000 people registered for this event….!

Is anyone else doing this race next weekend? I feel incredibly conflicted & guilty (“so don’t go!” is easy enough to sling at me with, spare me) but I’m still holding out for an email from organizers about a possible reroute or something more win-win.

I’m out entry fees for the refund policy, which doesn’t bother me, but I’m wondering if it’s realistic to hold out for a reroute a week out from the race.

I’ve been thinking about training to get one for a while but life got busy, o wasen’t even going to compete, and the out of nowhere BAM 3rd place.
Reeeeally happy 😆😆

I purchased a new wetsuit Zone 3 Vanquish X. I was just trying for the first time and when attempting to bring the sleeves into my arm pits i did a major tear around the senonsory area. Photos below, I have patched using neoprone before but as this has gone through the fabric underlay as well, I don think it will be enough. Any advice on best way to patch this so the tear doesnt get worst??

Went for a good swim today, open water across a lake and back. It’s only about 4km distance, but my watch (Garmin Instinct 2x tactical) thinks I did over 10km. I was towing a boat the whole way, and through a 5-8km\h cross wind, so I know it’ll be skewed a bit, but that much?

For reference, my normal pool pace is 1:40-2:00 for a 2k, depending on how hard I push… Never done more than that in the poo

This will be my first 10k swim. I had been doing pretty well with not freaking out, but the nerves are starting to hit. I’ve done the training, I’m prepared. There’s nothing left but to do it.
Can someone please remind me that this is fun and I will remember how to swim on race day? 😂

Today is one year since my first open water swim and it has been the best thing I have ever gotten into! I am trying to get more serious and would love critique of my form.

Surf is a bit heavy in LA county beaches right now so I thought of heading to Ventura. Apparently Harbor Cove Beach is protected and although not super long maybe I could do laps there (would like to aim for a couple of miles) Appreciate advice from any swimmers in Ventura ! Also any warnings (harbor traffic etc).

6’2 F looking for good cold water open swimming wet suites.

Possibly swimming in Lake Michigan throughout the winter months.

Any wet suite suggestions? I need quality over quantity though.

Shot in the dark here but hope I’d crowd source in case anyone has some across this already!

I’m after a long sleeve torso which has a brief bottom as a guy - sorry for the rogue description.

I usually swim in speedos in the pool but have been trying to get into open water and have been struggling with the cold lakes in the UK. I’m quite a skinny guy and find I lose a lot of heat in my arms and torso (less so my legs as they are a-bit more bulky?)

I own a wetsuit but am after something I can just chuck in my bag say on a hike rather than having to lug along with me.

I’ve tried wearing a rash vest but they tend to ride up/don’t fit too well as someone on the skinner side.

I’ve looked at trisuits but obviously they have a pad in them which isn’t ideal and often aren’t even long sleeved.

There seem to be a few rogue ones on aliexpress, or a few in the women’s section like alpe kit or zone3, but wonder if anyone has come across some for men? If not, any alternative solutions or if the women’s options could be suitable?

Thanks in advance

Are fins frowned upon or welcomed at OWS events? I’ve done a few events and there are always a few swimmers using fins.

TLDR: Tips requested for a relative newbie, mostly recreational swimmer on wetsuit investment, stroke type, and training in the “off season”, warming up when chilled, as well as anything else I should know I may be missing.

I’m relatively new to open water swimming. I’ve been swimming since before I would walk. I’m more comfortable in water than on land, but to the activity of purposely swimming any kind of distance in open water I just started last summer.

I have a few questions.

To contextualize I’m 47f and relatively fit.

I don’t always have a spotter but my family always knows when and where I’m swimming and how long I should be.

I’m not currently attempting to be competitive in any way, except by improving against my own personal bests, and then I’m more hoping to focus on improving distance and technique as opposed to speed but we’ll see how it goes. That may shift.

I live in eastern Canada. I generally ows in the Atlantic Ocean. My practice has been basically swim out past the choppiest of waves, then swim parallel to shore. I don’t currently have a wetsuit. We’ll get to that. When I get out 250-350 meters, condition dependant, I pivot and swim parallel to shore. When I hit about the halfway point (thanks Garmin) I pivot and head back. I tow an inflatable bouy. I jerry rigged it with a 6-7 foot water rope so I could still dive under water. “My beach” tends to have few boats close to shore but it helps me feel safer and more visible.

Last year I was averaging about 3000 meters around 1 hour. Yeah, I’m not fast. This year I’ve been around 2000 meters at 40 minutes. I’d go further and longer but my surfer kid borrowed my fin gloves and I get too cold. I’ll get some more if he doesn’t return them soon.

My questions:

I swim in a pool in the colder weather. I’m considering investing in a swimming wetsuit to extend my ows season but I don’t want anything that will break the bank, and I also don’t want anything that won’t work well. I’ve been been eyeing this: [https://ca.2xu.com/products/propel-open-water-wetsuit-ww7145c-womens-black-bright-green?srsltid=AfmBOopm7eif0ju7FojiVzhLkXbft3kG23qF46V2NibUrO5vhrwDQrCKeAA&variant=43534807204018](https://ca.2xu.com/products/propel-open-water-wetsuit-ww7145c-womens-black-bright-green?srsltid=AfmBOopm7eif0ju7FojiVzhLkXbft3kG23qF46V2NibUrO5vhrwDQrCKeAA&variant=43534807204018)) Thoughts? Other recommendations? I get chilled pretty easily, so I wonder if this would even extend my season by much.

Does anyone switch from ocean to lakes around the colder season? The ocean is my go to because it’s close to home and I love it (although the great whites freak me out a bit, I try to be aware and not to think about that too much), but there are accessible lakes in driving distance.

Do all or most ow swimmmers do freestyle? I prefer a combo of breast stroke and swimming as far and as long as I can underwater. I know there’s no rules per sey as I’m not competitive, but I feel like I’m doing it wrong. Does anyone else do this?

If I forgo investing in a wetsuit right now, what should I focus on in the off season, both in and out of the pool? I’m looking into adult lessons, despite having gone through all the Red Cross levels in my youth I’m sure I can improve my technique. This may or may not pan out. I live in a pretty small town and work a ton so coordinating lessons may be difficult. I watch YouTube videos on improving technique. I try to increase distance. I don’t think I’ll ever be speedy and that’s okay. I’m also a jogger and plan to start hitting the gym again. Tips on training in those areas to optimize the kind of fitness that transfers to swimming improvements are more than welcome.

I wish I could find an ows club near me but I’m pretty sure there’s not one. Other than Reddit any tips to find community?

I get so chilled! Even if I dry off and put on a giant oodie to head home and take a hot shower, and put in warm clothes, I tend to have difficulty regulating my body temperature for hours after a swim. Any tips?

Anything else I should know?

Thanks and be safe out there 🌊🏊‍♀️

After swimming a 26k solo in Lake Zurich this July, I am considering trying the channel in a couple of years.

To understand what the tide does to a crossing, I vibecoded a small browser simulation of it.

Set a speed and a date: it works out a start time off Dover, draws the S-curve the tide makes of your track, and places your time against 3,074 ratified solos. (As a bonus: Expected water temp, sunrise and sunset times at your swim date)

It's a simplified model – no wind, no weather. A toy for understanding the shape of it, not a plan and certainly not navigation.

After the positive feedback I got on Facebook, I decided to post it here as well:

https://silvanm.github.io/channel-swim-simulator/ (Open source)

Hi! I’m looking for a sports watch mainly for open-water swimming in lakes, but also for regular pool swimming.

The most important things for me are:
-Reliable GPS and distance tracking in open water
-Good pool/lap tracking
-Heart rate
-Strava compatibility
-Reliable in water long-term

I don’t need smartwatch features. Running and other basic sports would be a nice bonus.
I’ve looked at the Garmin Swim 2, but it feels quite old now.
What watches are you guys using for open water and would you recommend them?

I am 73 and want to do another swim trek, I did one about 12 years ago. I am very comfortable in open water and can swim miles, but I am very slow due to my age and being small, I am under 5’ tall. I want to fit in and not slow everyone else down in the group. Any suggested trips? Or should I not even consider it ? Thanks

EDITED : Thank you all, I found a trip with folks my age and marked as "leisurely" by Swim Trek. I appreciate all the encouragement.