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Solo OWS
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 2009-06-24 8:22 PM |
Extreme Veteran  317  Chelmsford, MA |  Subject: Solo OWSMy very first tri is in 17 days. I rented a wetsuit for the next several days so I could practice with it. The problem is my swim/surfer buddy is busy more often than I want to swim so he suggested I use the ankle tether on my boogie board and just go solo. I don't have much OWS experience swimming but I'm very comfortable with my floating and side stroking ability should I cramp. The beach at the pond where I swim is a short 200m across so I'm never too far from shore. I was raised that swimming alone should NEVER BE DONE. That being said I'm considering it to get in some extra swim time. What do people think, is this a bad idea or is it really not that big of deal, especially if I tow my own flotation with me? |
| 2009-06-24 8:40 PM in reply to: #2241281 |
Extreme Veteran 569  Austin, TX | Subject: RE: Solo OWS Mama told me to never swim alone too. I don't always do what mama says though. I've been swimming in open water at a local lake solo on early mornings. It is a bit eerie being out there by yourself but if you're confident in your ability and you're towing your own flotation device, you'll probably be fine. I imagine towing the boogie board will jack with your form though. You have swam in open water before, right?? **DISCLAIMER** Don't do anything I say. My past performance is in no way an indication of your future results. |
| 2009-06-24 8:41 PM in reply to: #2241281 |
Regular 97 Drayton | Subject: RE: Solo OWS I'm stuck doing OWS on my own too. I either swim parallel to shore, or only go out about 150m. |
| 2009-06-24 8:46 PM in reply to: #2241314 |
| New Haven, CT | Subject: RE: Solo OWS Can't you go to a guarded beach or lake? |
| 2009-06-24 8:56 PM in reply to: #2241281 |
Expert 908 Niskayuna, New York | Subject: RE: Solo OWS I'm not going to say you should do it.. but I've done it before.. stay close to shore if you must swim alone. It would be best if you could bribe a friend to come watch you though |
| 2009-06-24 9:02 PM in reply to: #2241323 |
Extreme Veteran 317 Chelmsford, MA | Subject: RE: Solo OWS jsklarz - 2009-06-24 9:46 PM Can't you go to a guarded beach or lake? I'd love to, but it's been raining a ton here in New England and the local beaches with lifeguards aren't staffed in the rain. |
| 2009-06-24 9:12 PM in reply to: #2241281 |
Veteran 167 Middleton, ID | Subject: RE: Solo OWS Definitely not the best idea. Even the best swimmers should not swim in open water unsupervised. Having said that I almost always swim in open water by myself. My wife comes with me occasionally, but never swims, and even if she did her 100lb tiny body would have a really hard time dragging me along. I would say if it's the only way possible I would. There are also aids to consider (swimsafe) that seem like they would work well. |
| 2009-06-24 9:21 PM in reply to: #2241281 |
Master 1402 Cumming, Georgia | Subject: RE: Solo OWS I've thought about this and I don't do OWS alone but is there really anything someone sitting on the shore can do except point in the direction he/she last saw you? I would like to think that my wife could quickly swim out and pull me to shore. However, my 8 y/o step-daughter can near drown me in water that is over my head. My wife follows me in a kayak and is never more than a few yards away but I seriously doubt she could do anything if I were 500 yards away and she was sitting on the shore. |
| 2009-06-24 11:38 PM in reply to: #2241281 |
New user 529 | Subject: RE: Solo OWS I have done solo open water swims in the Atlantic here in Va Beach, swimming parallel to the shore, within the breakers so that I have to swim through the whitewater. No big deal. Of course, I grew up in southern California, and comparatively, there is no surf here. |
| 2009-06-24 11:50 PM in reply to: #2241281 |
Expert 1121 Chicago | Subject: RE: Solo OWS Being "close to shore" (from the descriptions up to 100-150 yards) means "dead" if you experience the wrong kind of distress. Don't mean to sound overly dramatic, but as a former open water lifeguard, I felt compelled to jump in and point out the real down-side risk here. Granted if you're a strong swimmer, don't panic with a cramp or other minor distress, and are towing something you could float on, you're minimizing the risk and are better off than a weaker swimmer, but if, for some reason, you got light-headed and fainted, or some other weird event happened, you're screwed. The likelihood of the catastrophic downside risk happening seems very remote, just make sure you realize and are prepared to accept it - if the freak occurrence happens and you're on your own, 100 yards, 50 yards, even less may as well be miles. |
| 2009-06-24 11:57 PM in reply to: #2241313 |
Champion 4835 Eat Cheese or Die | Subject: RE: Solo OWS Tyrell - 2009-06-24 8:40 PM Mama told me to never swim alone too. I don't always do what mama says though. My mama told me not to get a tattoo of Roy Orbison. But what mama don't know can't hurt her. |
| 2009-06-25 12:10 AM in reply to: #2241281 |
Veteran 318 Ardmore, Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: Solo OWS when i tell my mother i'm going to swim alone she has a fit. last year to get in my swims when i had no swim buddy i would call someone (dad, brother, etc) and say "hey, i'm getting in XYZ lake. if you don't hear from me in 40 minutes you should call someone. bye!". They're buying me some sort of bouy thing to pull along behind me now... following shoreline is also a good idea. but I am a super comfortable OW swimmer. i almost never swim in pools. |
| 2009-06-25 1:28 AM in reply to: #2241281 |
Champion 5782 Northridge, California | Subject: RE: Solo OWS I do some portion of some of my ocean swims solo out of necessity, with my wife watching from shore. As has been said, that's not really going to be much help if something happens. At best, I'm just playing the odds that nothing will happen during the half-mile to mile I'm swimming about 125 yds offshore at a fairly heavily populated beach. That shouldn't be taken as a recommendation, just another acknowledgement that there are people out there swimming solo, for better or worse. |
| 2009-06-25 6:35 AM in reply to: #2241281 |
Master 1702 Southern Ontario | Subject: RE: Solo OWS I always take someone to "spot" but I've often wondered what the purpose of this is ... I mean - if I'm 300-400m out how are they going to get to me in enough time? I have swam with a friend - but only once. (It's WAY nicer to have someone in the water with me!) I swam last week in huge (for here) waves with my mom on the beach. I was getting tossed under and briefly panicked about what I would do if I actually had difficulty... I won't swim alone just because I'm scared of something happening - but I worry about all sorts of things happening all the time ... so that's just me. (I come from a swimming background and I LOVE swimming open water... so it's not a swimming thing. I also worry about falling off the bike all the time. Or getting grabbed by some guy in a white van while I'm running. Yeah - I'm crazy...) |
| 2009-06-25 7:39 AM in reply to: #2241281 |
Champion 19812 MA | Subject: RE: Solo OWS Post on your state's forum and see if there is a BTer willing to meet up with you. I've made great friends by doing that. I do it but swim parallel to shore and see if I can get someone who isn't swimming to come with me either my husband and he works in the car or one or two of my kids. If you are with someone and you/they have an issue what are either one of you going to do? I bought a lifeguard can last year that I can put around my shoulder and swim with and that is what I often do when I swim alone. If I had something happen I could hang on. In a wetsuit if you had an issue you float so you could stop and do nothing and still be safe in most wetsuits. |
| 2009-06-25 7:55 AM in reply to: #2241281 |
Extreme Veteran 495 Stamford, CT | Subject: RE: Solo OWS I can't believe how many people think it is OK to swim alone. I would NEVER swim in OW alone -it's just asking for trouble. What if you got a debilitating calf cramp .5 miles out. What if there was a strong rip tide that pulled you out to sea. What if you had a heart attack? Yesterday I coached an OW session and it was very low tide. I ended up cutting my finger badly on a rock. What if it had been worse and people were not around to help me? |
| 2009-06-25 8:10 AM in reply to: #2241281 |
Pro 4828 The Land of Ice and Snow | Subject: RE: Solo OWS I almost always end up swimming alone. Is it safe? No...probably not. Am I gonna keep doing it? Yeah.....most likely. I work odd hours and do my OWS during the day when everyone else is working. |
| 2009-06-25 9:04 AM in reply to: #2241281 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: Solo OWS If you are going to do this... get a SWIMSAFE belt. http://www.triaids.com/ It's easy to swim in and you have the piece of mind that IF something does happen, you can pull the cord and you won't drown. |
| 2009-06-25 9:07 AM in reply to: #2241281 |
Master 1927 Guilford, CT | Subject: RE: Solo OWS I think I'm swimming alone in the lake in a couple hours. I'm more annoyed that I can't zip my Helix up by myself so I'm going without a wetsuit. If you're swimming a mile out in the lake or ocean and someone is watching you that is good for a secure feeling in my opinion but that's about it (unless they are a lifeguard). If they aren't swimming with you it probably means they aren't really "into" swimming and the best they could do is call the authorities and tell them where to look....grim I know, but that is my pessimistic outlook. What is a novice or non-swimmer going to do? Swim out a couple hundred meters and get you and pull you back in? I doubt it and even if they could it'd take them a long time to get to you. Anyway, sorry to paint the dark picture... I'm much more concerned about getting run over than drowning but that's just me. |
| 2009-06-25 9:23 AM in reply to: #2242030 |
| Veteran 110 | Subject: RE: Solo OWS I have a SwimSafe. I have not had to use it, but between that and a wetsuit, I should be able to float on top of the water. Very cheap insurance. If something happens to you that you cannot pull the cord, it is unlikely that a swimmer not trained in lifesaving techniques would be able to drag you out of the water anyway. Be safe. Gordon |
| 2009-06-25 9:28 AM in reply to: #2241828 |
Champion 4835 Eat Cheese or Die | Subject: RE: Solo OWS jellyfish - 2009-06-25 7:55 AM I can't believe how many people think it is OK to swim alone. I would NEVER swim in OW alone -it's just asking for trouble. What if you got a debilitating calf cramp .5 miles out. What if there was a strong rip tide that pulled you out to sea. What if you had a heart attack? Yesterday I coached an OW session and it was very low tide. I ended up cutting my finger badly on a rock. What if it had been worse and people were not around to help me? Smart a$$ answer for the rip currents, swim parallel to shore to get out of it? And yes I've been in them before. I for one am forced to swim in a lake because I'm 1000 miles from a coast. I'd gladly deal with currents and tides to be able to swim in the ocean. What if you have a heart attack with a swim buddy there? What happens if I am riding or running alone and have a heart attach? As far as cramping goes, if you're wearing a wetsuit, just flop over on your back until it works out. I've also never had a cramp swimming so it's not something I am too concerned with. Honestly, how many people who have enough swimming base to be out there actually get cramps? All that being said, I do always swim with a buddy, I get too creeped out swimming alone. Edited by graceful_dave 2009-06-25 9:29 AM |
| 2009-06-25 12:30 PM in reply to: #2241281 |
Elite 5316 Alturas, California | Subject: RE: Solo OWS Shrug, I always swim alone. Like the rest of my training. I try to avoid boats by staying close to the shore and just follow the shorline. Most boats don't go really fast in 4 feet of water 15 feet from shore. I also stay aware of where boats are on the lake. |
| 2009-06-25 4:56 PM in reply to: #2242131 |
Extreme Veteran 495 Stamford, CT | Subject: RE: Solo OWS graceful_dave - 2009-06-25 10:28 AM Smart a$$ answer for the rip currents, swim parallel to shore to get out of it? And yes I've been in them before. I for one am forced to swim in a lake because I'm 1000 miles from a coast. I'd gladly deal with currents and tides to be able to swim in the ocean. What if you have a heart attack with a swim buddy there? What happens if I am riding or running alone and have a heart attach? As far as cramping goes, if you're wearing a wetsuit, just flop over on your back until it works out. I've also never had a cramp swimming so it's not something I am too concerned with. Honestly, how many people who have enough swimming base to be out there actually get cramps? All that being said, I do always swim with a buddy, I get too creeped out swimming alone. To each their own. FWIW -I swim over 10 min faster per mile than you (based on your HIM split this WE) and I have had times where I have had trouble swimming against a current/rip tide (Hudson river and Waikiki roughwater swim). At the Waikiki swim of the 800 people entered in the race, 300 had to be rescued (some by helicopter airlift). |
| 2009-06-25 5:31 PM in reply to: #2241828 |
Master 1810 Morse Lake, Noblesville, Indiana | Subject: RE: Solo OWS jellyfish - 2009-06-25 8:55 AM I can't believe how many people think it is OK to swim alone. I would NEVER swim in OW alone -it's just asking for trouble. What if you got a debilitating calf cramp .5 miles out. What if there was a strong rip tide that pulled you out to sea. What if you had a heart attack? Yesterday I coached an OW session and it was very low tide. I ended up cutting my finger badly on a rock. What if it had been worse and people were not around to help me? yeah, open water swimming is really dangerous, you could even get struck by lightening, or hit by a meteor. *grin* Sorry, had to... I am currently coaching an open water swim clinic every Sunday, and the two most important things I stress to everyone is to 1) mentally prepare yourself for what you are doing; and 2) use common sense when you are swimming. Mentally prepare yourself: I have a 16 year old swimmer who before this clinic never swam open water, as he was afraid because he couldn't see through the water. In a pool, he's a fast swimmer. It took about 2 weeks to get him out to where he could no longer touch. Be prepared for the weather, if it's cool/hot, rainy/sunny, windy/still. All these affect your swim, and can affect you mentally. Be prepared for what you will encounter. Use common sense: Don't swim in the ocean during shark feeding times. If there is a ton of boat traffic, swim somewhere else (idle zone, designated no boat area, etc), and wear a very bright colored cap. If you are not a strong swimmer, or are not comfortable with open water swimming, to the point of asking this question, you probably shouldn't swim open water by yourself. I see no issues with someone swimming open water by themselves if they are a strong swimmer, has done open water in the past, has prepared themselves mentally/physically for the conditions, and uses common sense. That said, I spend most of my time in the lake. The only time I am in a pool anymore is teach swim lessons or stroke development. Find your local tri club. They will normally have open water training sessions. Sometimes the local USMS team has regular open water training as well, especially with regular races like Big Shoulders in Chicago, or the 25k championships. Edited by tjtryon 2009-06-25 5:48 PM |
| 2009-06-25 5:38 PM in reply to: #2241281 |
| Subject: RE: Solo OWS I wouldn't crack on jellyfish's advice. She's the real deal swimmer folks. One of the few on this board. And she is right on Should you swim alone? No. That said... I swim with a large group of LA Tri people, but we all get in the water and we start swiming, different speeds, different routes to the pier, so in all reality it's alone. I swam once or twice on my own in the ocean, but told the LG I was swimming and where. But in reality, what are they going to do other than notice "there's that dude's bag, wonder where he is." So even swimming with a group doesn't always solve the problems. And I have had an issue in an OWS, thank god there was a LG around to assist. But...... when I am pretty much by myself I know that there are risks and I accept them. I also solo scuba dive. Same deal. I know there are risks, and I accept them. So the advice is 99% of the time you'd probably be OK. Are you OK with the 1% of the time that you won't? |
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