Open water swim temperature
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I am from chicago, but i am heading out to San Diego for work this thursday and will be there for at least a month. I just bought my first wet suit (sleeveless xterra vortex) to start preparing for Racine. I was going to hold off, but the thought of finally getting some open water time in San Diego was too much to resist. The surf report says the water is 60 degrees right now, is that warm enough to swim? Maybe i am just having trouble coping with the idea that winter in socal is as warm as early summer here. Edited by seiken 2013-12-24 8:05 PM |
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() 60's for a water temp is often our mid-summer OWS temps here. You'll be a bit cold in a sleeveless but it's certainly doable. |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() ok, that kind or what i figured, the surf report was recommending a springer suit, so i figure my sleeveless will be fine. |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Check out open water Chicago, they were out in the lake dodging ice recently. |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Hell ya. |
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![]() ![]() | ![]() Not on your life. I will be in the 81 degree pool tomorrow. Ya'll have fun in California. Your soft friends on the east coast. |
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![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() 60 is definitely doable, but I think you will find it pretty cold, especially with a sleeveless wetsuit. Once you get over the initial gasp reflex when you put your face in the water, you should be good to go. But I personally have a tendency to lean towards the warmer pool water. |
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Master ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() The Pacific off San Diego is cold and choppy in the winter. I've done a lot of running in January along Mission Beach, and there aren't that many people in the water other than surfers in surfing wetsuits. A few hardy souls venturing in waist deep, mostly with families with kids, clearly on vacation from colder climates). I don't recall ever seeing swimmers, nor there lifeguards. As for temperature, 60 is quite cold and I think many if not most people would use a full sleeve wetsuit and a neoprene cap. I'm a cold water weenie, I don't train in 60 degree water unless that's going to be race day temperature. For anything under 70, I use a full sleeve wetsuit. For under 65, I add booties and a neoprene cap that covers my ears. And I always use earplugs (Mac's pillow soft) in OWS, otherwise the cold water in my ears makes me dizzy as hell. My last race was in the upper 60s and quite comfortable in a full sleeve. Maybe a third of the field was in sleeveless, maybe 3 or 5 people without a wetsuit. I recall doing an IM Boise 70.3 in the low 60s, everyone was in full sleeve wetsuits. You could try it. Beware rip tides, read the surf report. Watch the surfers. Be careful. Edited by brucemorgan 2013-12-25 6:25 PM |
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Veteran ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() Originally posted by brucemorgan The Pacific off San Diego is cold and choppy in the winter. I've done a lot of running in January along Mission Beach, and there aren't that many people in the water other than surfers in surfing wetsuits. A few hardy souls venturing in waist deep, mostly with families with kids, clearly on vacation from colder climates). I don't recall ever seeing swimmers, nor there lifeguards. As for temperature, 60 is quite cold and I think many if not most people would use a full sleeve wetsuit and a neoprene cap. I'm a cold water weenie, I don't train in 60 degree water unless that's going to be race day temperature. For anything under 70, I use a full sleeve wetsuit. For under 65, I add booties and a neoprene cap that covers my ears. And I always use earplugs (Mac's pillow soft) in OWS, otherwise the cold water in my ears makes me dizzy as hell. My last race was in the upper 60s and quite comfortable in a full sleeve. Maybe a third of the field was in sleeveless, maybe 3 or 5 people without a wetsuit. I recall doing an IM Boise 70.3 in the low 60s, everyone was in full sleeve wetsuits. You could try it. Beware rip tides, read the surf report. Watch the surfers. Be careful. Some good advice right there. It's swimmable, for sure (ocean stays cold here, but is painfully so all but 2 months a year and we get out in it), but not a lot of others around ups the risk factor a bit. Beware the "ice-cream headache," too. Can take a little while to set in, and almost always passes within a few minutes, but if it hits you when you're getting tossed in any surf, it can be disorienting. Only has hit me a couple times, and usually only when around 60 or below, but I wasn't expecting it (a really odd sensation when swimming rather than eating a slurpee). Matt |
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Regular ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() I would recommend the sleeved suit and double swim cap if you don't have a neoprene cap. Where I swim/surf (central coast of California) water temps around 60 is the norm, anything above is a luxury! During the summer/fall I was going for weekly OWS's in water that temperature. As mentioned, the initial cold will be a shock but you can get used to it. Pouring warm water down your wetsuit before getting to the water can help mitigate it. |
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Expert ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ![]() 60 = perfect OWS if you ask me. Might be a little chilly at first but refreshing to say the least.
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Extreme Veteran ![]() ![]() | ![]() I agree. I swam in 57 degree lake a couple of weeks ago. It sucked for the first 2 minutes. Then felt great. |
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