OWS and Parasites

Considering the amount of people on here that do OWS frequently, and how little we seem to hear about people getting sick, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Yeah, you might swallow a mouthfull of lake water, but you're not drinking glasses of it...

Usually the town would do weekly sampling/testing of the water.  When "bacterial count" is high, they would close of the beach/lake. 

I swim in pretty gross water at times in the summer - imagine having to negivate through a tropical rain forest-like weed area that goes 40 ft wide.  Swallow plently, and even get a swimmers' rash, yes from whatever microbes hanging onto the skin.  But never get sick from it. 

In my hometown I swam in a spring-fed lake, it is the absolute dirtiest thing you will ever see on some days. There is a huge sandbar in the center of it that has turned white from seagull shiiiiit!

One day when the water was hot, i went for a swim and stirred up the bottom of the shallow beach and swam around in the murky water.....for 4 hours after my swim i had swimmers itch, it was the most brutal mind punishing experience.....i had to go for a bike ride to ignore it.

But my point is, when i swim here my nose runs like crazy probably from the bacteria in the water, but i have "never" gotten sick from the water, just a sore stomach from swallowing quite a bit. My hometown triathlon is held here every July, no one has complained.  Even with a lakebed that dirty, your immune system is usually strong enough, as specially as an athlete.

Parasites will help keep your weight in check. Win-Freakin-Win as Peter Griffin would say.

-Chris

Unfortunately the conventional wisdom is to not drink out of a water hose now either.  But, somehow, we all survived.

I wouldn't worry about it.  Just swim and practice sighting.  Parasites should be the least of your concerns.  And always wear a bright swim cap and bring a buddy!

There have been a few BTers over last few years who have reported they have gotten sick from ows. Worst one I recall was someone got sick from a tri in NYC and they were sick for about a year after wards trying to get over what they picked up.

 Risk is low but the reward is great.