General Discussion Triathlon Talk » 2011 Charleston spring 70.3 swim course - Q on practicing Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2010-10-05 2:42 PM

User image

Expert
2852
20005001001001002525
Pfafftown, NC
Subject: 2011 Charleston spring 70.3 swim course - Q on practicing
I'm not running this.  I have another early spring race, elsewhere.  I just wanted to know if the lake at the KOA (or, adjacent to it - don't know) was accessible to swimmers?  And, if so, when do people start swimming, there (how early in the spring)?

If this doesn't work, is there another place to swim in Charleston that you guys would suggest?  I used to live there.  And, I'd like to get some OWS's in, as early-spring as possible.

THanks.

jeff


2010-10-05 3:37 PM
in reply to: #3134197

User image

Regular
95
252525
Subject: RE: 2011 Charleston spring 70.3 swim course - Q on practicing
I did the sprint in 2010.  There were lots of questions concerning alligators in the lake.  KOA doesn't allow swimming due to liability reasons, even made the local newspaper in Myrtle Beach.  The media loves to hype things up.  An alligator was removed a few years earlier.  They created an entrance/exit just for the race, which was much closer to the transition area.  The race was wetsuit legal.

Don't know of any swimming areas around there.
2010-10-05 4:07 PM
in reply to: #3134197

User image

Master
1286
1000100100252525
Mt Pleasant, SC
Subject: RE: 2011 Charleston spring 70.3 swim course - Q on practicing

Hello

I would suggest swimming on the IOP during a low tide and swimming the along the beach about 10 to 20 yards offshore.

We have an IOP Tri in early April so if you can stand it you could start swimming in late March.

Kevin

2010-10-06 3:07 PM
in reply to: #3134197

User image

Master
2094
2000252525
Subject: RE: 2011 Charleston spring 70.3 swim course - Q on practicing
I wouldn't drive to Charleston just to swim in this pond. It wasn't anything special and we had to swim 2 loops to make the distance. I am pretty sure they don't allow swimming in the lake anyway. There are a lot of inland lakes that  would be a lot closer and give you the same experience. Lake Hartwell in Clemson has a loosely supported swim on Thursdays. Overall Tri-Charleston was a well run race and I would recommend it to everyone. The sprint distance athletes also had amazingly fast run times due to the course being flat and mis-measured
2010-10-06 8:07 PM
in reply to: #3134197

User image

Champion
7595
50002000500252525
Columbia, South Carolina
Subject: RE: 2011 Charleston spring 70.3 swim course - Q on practicing
The KOA 'lake' (pond) is definitely not a swimming destination.  (The swim at the race was fine, but nothing special.)  As others said, it didn't look like KOA allowed swimming there anyway.

Given where you are, I'd drive to Wilmington -- maybe look into whether the B2B course is swimmable?
2010-10-08 6:44 AM
in reply to: #3134197

User image

Extreme Veteran
477
100100100100252525
, Virginia
Subject: RE: 2011 Charleston spring 70.3 swim course - Q on practicing
I volunteered at the KOA tri last year and we fielded plenty of questions about gators, but no one lost an arm.  But the pond isn't open to swimming unfortunately.

The beach at IOP however can be a very nice swim. Once it was really rough and once there were a lot of fish or -something- in the water, but all the other times it was a great OWS location. 


New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » 2011 Charleston spring 70.3 swim course - Q on practicing Rss Feed