Pacific Open Water Challenge

Marine Stadium? That's too bad. I think the pier is nicer...and probably has better water. I'll be up in Los Osos for the Montana de Oro trail run that day, or I'd do it. That would officially be the closest race to my house. It's about a 4 or 5 minute kayak from our slip!

I'm now signed up for this. I'll be doing the Aquathlon; 800 meter swim & 5K run. Did it last year too. Did the Mile Swim the year before.

The new location should make for a fast swim in the Marine Stadium as I expect there will be no waves or current to speak of. And the 5K course looks to be pretty much flat, so combined this should be an opportunity to really test your speed.

I'm wondering what the water temperature is in the stadium, and if it might be more comfortable to skip the wet suit.

Race web site: http://www.pacificopenwater.com/index.php?id=27


Edited by duggar1 2009-08-03 4:48 PM

I swam in Alamitos Bay today which connects to Marine Stadium, and I was fine without a wetsuit...and I am a WUSS about cold water. You could get by without one. In fact, there were two guys training today in full wetsuits that got too hot and took them off. You shouldn't see much chop. There is chop in the larger turning basin just outside of Marine Stadium, because the sea breezes come up the channel. In the stadium, there are houses that create a bit of a wind shadow. I didn't see a map of the run course, but can't think of any hills in the roads around the stadium, other than a tiny bridge or two, which hardly qualify as bumps.

Thanks for the info. Is there a website that shows the current water temperature in the Marine Stadium? I'm trying to figure out if it will be too warm for the wetsuit. At the Carlsbad Tri last year it was about 73 or so and I was uncomfortable in my wetsuit about half way through the 1,000 meter swim. The Aquathlon has an 800 meter swim so the wetsuit will improve my time nicely, but if the water is 73 or 74 or more I might prefer to skip it anyway.

The run seems to be pretty flat as it just follows the edge of the stadium, in a horseshoe shaped out and back.

I have no idea. I would just do a google search!

I paddled around there tonight, If I'd have to guess I would say 68. There was a little cold patch under the 2nd street bridge (the East side, bigger bridge), possible a little colder sea water pouring in. My $0.02: if you have a sleeveless suit I would wear it, if you have a full suit I wouldn't. 

Have fun! 

How gross is the water?

I don't think I want to know how gross the water might be.

Well it was a little cooler in the ocean south of the Manhattan Beach pier this morning, maybe 69, down from 72/73 the last couple weeks. Swam without the wetsuit and noticed it. So anything under 72 in the Marine Stadium will probably be fine for me to put the suit on.

Swam the mile today in 27 min, didn't really get going on a good pace until about a third of the way through. Then made a run right from the water to the changing room to put on running gear and off on my 4 miler on the Strand. Did a nice progressive (each mile a little faster) in 29:32. I'm hoping that's an indicator I can drop it to 7 min per mile pace for the 5K part of the aquathlon. I'll try it again next Sunday and see if I'm faster.

I kayak there all the time and wouldn't be opposed to swimming there, as long as there hadn't been a recent storm. It was closed recently for a sewage spill, but is now clean and reoppened.

Marine Stadium- open to boaters and pretty busy almost all week with skiers/ wakeboarders Also it's located basically at the end of the marina. Not clean water by any stretch of the imagination. Closed occasionally due to high bacteria counts

Edited by jbjboc 2009-08-10 4:06 PM

Interesting choice of locale, as I believe the RD wants to make this a world class (ie., get some of the OW swimmers on the circuit) event

Ah come on now. I asked you not to tell me that!

Doug, not sure if you'll check this,.....  but I just noticed on the website that maps are up, AND they say there are no aid stations on the 5K run..   just in case you wanted/were expecting one

Thanks for the heads-up Chris. I'd seen the maps before but will check them out again to see if anything has changed. Lack of aid stations won't be a problem unless it's uncommonly hot. I'm hoping to be finished in less than 40 minutes for the whole thing.

Also, looks like the water temperature has been dropping like crazy around here in the past 10 days, so I'm definitely expecting to wear the wetsuit.

Sorry for the late reply... Swam the naples loop last week, it isn't too bad. But this race is in the morning, tide's pretty low now...It won't taste that nice and don't expect to see the bottom. Maybe make sure to keep your mount shut and breathe out hard (Really, it's not that bad)Let us know how it goes...good luck!

Good luck Doug!

How was it?

Thanks for asking... am I the only one who did a race at this event? It went well for me. 11th over all and won my AG, though there were only 3 of us. Great racing conditions, without the poor water quality I was half expecting. Still the worst organized event in the entire history of sports. Well maybe excluding last year's. I guess they are improving. My race report is finally finished and posted. Some pic's too. Yes, I'll be back next year.