Coast guard was tempted to but a small craft warning out that would have canceled swim. Wing over 15 knots fro NE strong rising tide, 2+ft swells with some white caps. Original race was to be two laps but decision was made to do only one while swimmers were out. First leg was with the tide but directly into the wind, ok. Second leg was with tide and wind at 90 deg from opposite directions, tide from my left wave from right took a long lime with a lot of course correction but still making progress and keeping up with other swimmers despite doing a lot of breaststroke, also drank a lot of bay water as the waves were on the same side I breath. Third leg was back to the jetties waves now on my left. Here is were the problems began from the second buoy to and into the jetties I got a series of leg cramps the required me to turn on my back to rest. As I progressed the cramps got worst and more frequent. I actual walked? backwards the last 200 yards to the finish.

Have a drink and some beans or gel 10-15 minutes before start, this may have been what contributed to my cramping in the third leg. Also the large amount of breaststroke I did because of the poor conditions.

They gave be a space blanket to help warm up after the swim.


Water conditions, chop wind and tide and maybe temperature.