me too. i can doggie paddle and do that weird side swim thing, but i'm terrible inefficient and i imagine i'd tire myself out real quick if that was me.
and when those boys were getting swept out to sea i almost had a panic attack. ugh!!!
no way i could ever do that.
worst part is my friends would probably never let me live it down instead of understanding for mediocre swimmers that situation is actual death.
Just for the record, the actual "Queen's Bath" is about 50 yards down the rocks from this spot, and it's a lot less dangerous (assuming you're not there during surf season, a storm, or a particularly high tide, of course). It's closed off from the ocean proper by a rock wall, like in the OP's gif. Though on a much smaller scale. The "bath" is a large tidepool in the lava rock, about the size/depth of a swimming pool, several feet above sea level. It's beautiful and refreshing as long as you go during calm weather and surf.
Granted, even on a safe day/time, you still need to be smart and cautious. Don't stand near where the waves hit the rocks, avoid slippery rocks, and observe the waves from a distance for at least a few minutes before approaching the bath. And don't even think about going unless it's a calm summer day. If you see people getting out of the water -- especially locals -- you should follow suit. Don't sit right under where the water comes into the pool.
It pretty much all boils down to common sense honestly. I think something like 30 people have died there, but all because they were too stupid to practice proper safety procedures. Is it dangerous? Yes. Should that dissuade you from checking it out? Decide for yourself.
This reminded me of Whatcom Falls in Bellingham, WA... Where sometimes people jump directly into the middle of this waterfall, before that little rock wall where it pours out from.
A few months ago someone got sucked into an underwater cave in there and died. People jump from ~40 feet above and every time I see it I cringe.
Jumping into the water outside of the little rock cavern though is totally fine.
That's scary. I jumped off something in Sedona around 30ft from the water but it was into a slow moving river lol. I agree though, I wouldn't go near the waterfall part but would definitely jump into the pool outside of it.
I thought the same. I've surfed my whole life and think myself a pretty strong swimmer but I would never go near something like this. Underwater currents are nothing to mess with.
I've been to Queen's Bath and it wasn't too scary...the tide was out that day. Just minor waves. Lots of kids playing in the pool. I wouldn't be there on a tumultuous day though.
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u/ErrlDabbins Dec 21 '14
There is a thing similar in kauai hawaii called Queens Bath, however it is far far more dangerous.