Solo OWS? (Page 2)

I haven't done solo swimming but I plan on doing it this summer. I also plan on buying one of these.

Swim Safety Device

Video here of the device
 

swimsafe is a good idea, and if I remember correctly it is allowed in ironman.

I use a noodle when I solo ows, went to target and found one for a few bucks and bought a surfboard leash, attached the two and you now have a bright red something floating behind you and a flotation helper if you need it. Between a wetsuit and the noodle you should be pretty buoyant.

You could also consider a lifeguard can.  Buoyancy and visibility.

http://www.thelifeguardstore.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=2143&idcategory=1167

I ows swim solo at our lake cabin all the time, usually with a wetsuit.  It is a smaller lake with minimal boat traffic and I just swim close to shore in water 3 - 5 feet deep mostly.  I have done a few solo ocean swims as well while on vacation with no problem, although my nerves were a bit more on edge! 

I agree that having fellow swimmers with you provides little real help in case of an emergency as one can slip below the surface and inhale water so fast that unless your fellow swimmers are watching you whole time and have good lifeguarding skills, you are pretty much on your own.  Towing a noodle or something sounds like a good idea, and having someone follow you in a boat or on a board is a great option of course.  Towing a noodle AND having someone follow you is the best of both worlds, but a luxury that I will never see I'm sure.  If I were a weak swimmer and unsure of my ability, going solo ows would be much more of a concern and I'd probably stay in a pool or swim with the above precautions until I was more confidant.

I do it but swim with a lifeguard torpedo bouy.  Acts as a flag to boaters as they are used to looking for red bouys and also as a life preserver if in trouble.

No.

Even G.I. Jane knows this: Two is one, one is none. Always operate with back up.

Never; I say again; NEVER do an open water swim by yourself. It simply isn't worth the risk.

Would you skydive without a reserve parachute? It is exactly the same thing. Exactly.

About a year or two ago Outside magazine did an article on either a N.O.L.S. (National Outdoor Leadership School) or Outward Bound class where one female drowned in knee deep water crossing a river.

Many accidental drownings never make the news, or at least, not the national news.

The bottom line is the marine/maritime environment is inherently unforgiving. Mistakes are punished very harshly. Luck is rare or non-existent. Death is common. If you get yourself in even a minor mishap it can rapidly spiral out of control to be a serious incident or accident.

Don't take the chance. Never swim alone. I think you already knew this Sir- you simply needed the reminded we all do from time to time.

Really though, if I am swimming with someone and trailing them by a few feet and get into trouble, how are they going to know it?  I could swallow water, panic, breath in more water and sink like a stone in a matter of seconds.  People drown all the time while in the midst of other people.

I am not advocating swimming alone, just saying swimming with a partner may not help you depending on circumstances.  I would rather be alone in shallow water where I can stand up if I got a cramp or into some kind of trouble than with a partner in deep water...

Generally speaking, I know this has  happened, but am I the only one who thinks.. "how could that be?"....especially if you are in a wetsuit.....even if you are just treading water or lying back you could float for a while with no problem...but I guess the mind plays tricks with you

It isn't good form to directly disagree with other posters on a forum, especially since I'm new here, but Ladies and Gentlemen from the previous two replies, I'm going to respectfully take to task on this one, and reassert:

Never swim open water alone. Ever.

Here's why:

1. Firstly, posting on a forum is different than a casual conversation between you and I. WE (collectively) don't know who is reading- but we are writing. As such, we have some obligation (attornies and courts disagree on how much... now) for dispensing advice that won't cause or contribute to harm. Everyone reads this. We have no calibration of their experience.

And...

2. Even elite military units like Special Warfare Combatant Craft Crewman (SWCCC), Naval Special Warfare (SEALs), Army Special Forces, Coast Guard rescue units and Marine DET and reconnaissance units do not operate in the water without a partner. Two is one, one is none. No swim buddy, no swim.

3. Well, there are exceptions... right? Eddie Aikau was one of the greatest "Watermen" who every lived: Champion Surfer, fisherman, swimmer, stand up paddler, outrigger canoe expert, native Hawaiian. He died at sea paddling by himself while trying to assist in the rescue of a stranded catamarran at sea. He had a paddleboard and was less than 12 miles off shore. To a man like Aikau who routinely paddled between Hawaiian Islands in various endurance events, this was a 10K run to you or I: no big deal. They never found him.

Can you swim open water alone? Let's say, 1,000 times in a row without incident? Maybe- probably... It's that random day in there when a thunderstorm comes up, an odd current, a dangerous marine animal, a drunk jet skier, a big boat...

And, finally, as for the ballons people tow with them when they swim: I've had more jet skiers and boats come over to me towing a bouy- even with more than 10 swimmers that avoid me just to see what it was. When I looked up one guy was like, "Whoa, I thought is was an airplane or something so I came right over here. Almost ran me over."

I respect the previous posters experience and significance, but I, in my opinion, do not- under any circumstances short of a boat sinking at sea (and even then you're safer to stay with the wreckage) ever recommend open water swimming alone. My opinion is that it is neither safe nor responsible.

-Just my opinion.

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