Do you swim alone?

I don't usually swim alone, but only because the place where I do my OWS training has lifeguards.

I think there was one time last summer when I was there earlier than the lifeguards, but it wasn't a big deal because it's a pretty small swim lagoon (180 meters across), and I was the only person there.

I don't think I'd swim alone in a bigger lake.  And certainly NEVER in the ocean. 

That option, though available, is not practical for me.  However, if getting to open water was as easy as getting to the pool.  I think I would swim alone and start in areas close enough to stand or within a couple strokes, get within standing areas.

However, once I started getting comfortable, I could easily see myself swimming wherever/whenever I wanted.

Just having someone there does not mean safety.  I have swam WAY out in the ocean while my wife looked on.  If I ran into any problems, there was little to nothing she could do anyway.

This year I swim with a group on Friday mornings but the swims are short.

Last year I did most all of my long Open Water Swims alone and plan on doing more than a few of them alone again this year.

I swim parallel to shore during business hours for the Municipal Lifeguards and always make sure there are plenty of surfers out when I swim. I am usually just outside of the lineup (Where the surfers sit and wait for waves) and always wear a bright cap so the lifeguards can see me.

I have been followed by lifeguard jeeps on days when there is not much going on at the beach. (The lifeguards were bored) Quite a few of them know what I am training for and are always quick of offer some encouragement for my training.

I have on occasion in the past.  Our LA Tri has a "group swim" but unless you set it up with someone, you will likely end up "alone", i.e., no one within a 100 yards or more.  I also scuba dive alone, I am used to being alone in the water, even off the beach.

It's funny, I used to feel pretty bullet proof in the water.  I was always in the first 2 or 3 in the LA Tri club getting out of the water.  I wasn't waiting for anyone, swimming relatively alone, a good 100-150 yards offshore.  I was at least willing to take the risks I was taking.  Funny how when something happens to you to shake that comfy little world up and throw some reality in your face, your perspective changes. 

After my IMAZ experience,  I won't swim alone again until I have done it a few times with someone and can regain my confidence.  If I had the vertigo I had at IMAZ and there were no surf, I could probably get in no problem.  If there was any appreciable surf (which we often have), I highly doubt that I could make it in without assistance.  If it was a lake, I would be less concerned, but still somewhat.

And I consider myself a good swimmer.  Sh** can happen to anyone. 

Well, I don' think your a dork; Your one of the cool kids

I was confused by this also and I guess it is a personal decision. (As to what Swimming along constitutes)

By my way of thinking; swimming alone is sorta like the opening scene in Jaws where the drunk hippies strip off their clothes and stumble into the ocean under the moonlight. (Well, the guy actually passed out before he could get into the water if I remember correctly)

Seems like lifeguards, surfers, other swimmers are all part of the shared experience. If you get into trouble, they are gonna be there to help. (As a surfer, I have had several occasions to help swimmers who get into trouble with rip currents and such)

I don't know if I could do the alone in the sea part. I have swam across the center of the lake and felt like bait. That is with knowing there isn't anything bigger than a 3 foot pike in the lake. You've got bigger kahuna's than I!

This topic has been on my mind lately as the water is warming up. I will be doing 90+ minutes open water swims for my IM training. My friends that I swim with don't swim that long so I'm not sure what I will do.

I do a number of things:

1.Bring my husband, he watches me and works as he is in sales. He'll ask me to tell him exactly where I am so if I have an issue he can call 911. Reality I would probably be in sad shape if they had to come and help me..just makes me feel safer.

2. Some state parks have roped off swimming section with lifeguards. This is my favorite method as I swim as long as I want from one end to the other, my kids can play/swim and my husband usually makes a picnic/bbq dinner. I just found this place late last summer. I would like to be able to go during the day by myself and not disrupt my family to get a long swim in.

3. I'll swim along the shore where I can stand up and one shallow pond I do a tri in I'll swim across back and forth. I did this once after my tri team had a swim but a tri member saw me and watched me until I made it back (I'm slow) and it made me feel safe and cared for but I wanted to hurry up.

4. The group swims I know of folks swim maybe 30' which isn't so helpful when I need to swim 3x that long.

I just ordered a rescue can from Kiefers and I'll swim with it dragging behind me just as another layer of security and safety.

Yesss... I hadn't quite thought about it like that.  Oh well I'll have to see whether there are any shart nets.  The Ocean Swim series (2.8km) goes across Auckland Harbour and there's been no incidents that I've heard of...

 Maybe I shouldn't swim alone so that I'm not the only target!!! LMAO!!

don't really ever swim alone, unless it's close to shore....who would I stab if I saw a shark? 

I have a strong competitive swimming background and feel very comfortable in the water. I don't see the difference in swimming alone at 5am as the sun rises with not a soul in sight and having the whole lake to myself and swimming with a group of 10 triathletes and being 200 or 300 yds in front of them. If I go under, I'm under. I figure that if something happened that I couldn't get to the shore I'm pretty much toast anyway. Kind of like a seasoned marathoner dropping dead during a race.

There are worse ways to go!

Since swimming across the lake by yourself was what we did, growing up (a goal I achieved at age 11, I think), I've never really been concerned swimming alone (in a lake... you ocean folks are a different breed).

 I will admit to getting the willies a couple of times, though, looking down and knowing that there was a lot of water under me.  And sometimes if there's a lot of boat traffic on the lake I get a bit nervous and end up doing a lot of head's up swimming.  It doesn't generally bother me, though. 

Just having someone there does not mean safety.  I have swam WAY out in the ocean while my wife looked on.  If I ran into any problems, there was little to nothing she could do anyway.

I agree with aikidoman here.  I did it a couple times last summer in a small, motorcraft inaccessible, lake.  It did kinda creep me out.  I mean there were other folks just hanging around but no one I knew and no lifeguards. 

That said, I believe there's inherent risk in all 3 sports.  My husband detests when I go out biking because of the idiots in cars.  As I'm about to venture to an outdoor track here at 6 a.m. I keep my wits about me, who knows what creepazoids are hanging around.  But it's not like I can wait to do a track workout till the rest of the world wakes up AND get to work on time.

If just having someone there does not mean safety, what does not having someone there mean? Just sayin'.

I think part of the thing that concerns me about this thread, is that in theory anyway, there are a lot of beginners and newbies reading it, and here we have a lot of people advocating doing OWS alone.

I always try to find someone to go with me, either to swim or to watch from shore.  If I can't find someone (more often than not) I'll swim at a local pond that has lifeguards....they let me swim outside the roped area provided I don't go to far out.

I have real panic attacks when I'm alone, though, so I'd rather someone be in the water with me.  I like the swim can idea - I think I'm going to check out that website. (thanks KathyG)