Open Water Swimming

[Lexx]

15 minutes ago, Rob Mortimer said:

To add to what the others said - get as much open water swim practice in as possible and then try get adapted to cold water, as in really cold. I did it 2 weeks ago and water temp was 12.8. 

I will do that. I'm definitely going to use a wetsuit for the Robben Island swim. What's the best time of the year to do the swim?. I don't want to travel all the way from Mpumalanga and the swim gets cancelled a day before the event. 

[Rob Mortimer]

12 minutes ago, Lexx said:

I will do that. I'm definitely going to use a wetsuit for the Robben Island swim. What's the best time of the year to do the swim?. I don't want to travel all the way from Mpumalanga and the swim gets cancelled a day before the event. 

I did through Big Bay events and you book a week block, they look for the best day.

But knowing the Cape, even that might not be enough.

February is supposed to be best from what I have heard

[Lexx]

8 minutes ago, Rob Mortimer said:

I did through Big Bay events and you book a week block, they look for the best day.

But knowing the Cape, even that might not be enough.

February is supposed to be best from what I have heard

Ok, so you can't book let's say for instance the Saturday. And only arrive on the Wednesday or Thursday before yout swim. You must be available for the whole week. 

[ycowley]

1 hour ago, Rob Mortimer said:

Thanks, did it now early in January

Well done. How did it go?

[ycowley]

10 minutes ago, Lexx said:

Ok, so you can't book let's say for instance the Saturday. And only arrive on the Wednesday or Thursday before yout swim. You must be available for the whole week. 

They like you to be there for the week so they can get the best day as far as tides, weather, etc. is concerned.

[Rob Mortimer]

10 minutes ago, Lexx said:

Ok, so you can't book let's say for instance the Saturday. And only arrive on the Wednesday or Thursday before yout swim. You must be available for the whole week. 

Correct.

The weather is just too fickle to lock down a single day

 

 

 

[Rob Mortimer]

1 minute ago, ycowley said:

Well done. How did it go?

Really well, I was comfortable the whole way thanks to the wetsuit

I think I got my training spot on

[Jewbacca]

Can you not do it privately?

When I was involved in the scene many years back we just did things privately. 

So we organised a boat and a paddler accompanying us and we just did stuff. 

The Freedom swim was on a 2 day standby as a stand alone event, so we hoped things weren't too bad one day or the next.

We swam Kommetjie to Hout Bay, Dassen island to estuary, Big bay to robben island to ski boat club, robben island to ski boat club, big bay to robben island to big bay, cape point dash etc.... All you need is a slip way to launch the boat and bob's your uncle!

[Lexx]

4 minutes ago, Rob Mortimer said:

Really well, I was comfortable the whole way thanks to the wetsuit

I think I got my training spot on

 

8 minutes ago, Rob Mortimer said:

Correct.

The weather is just too fickle to lock down a single day

 

 

 

Cool. Will make a holiday out of it. 

[ChrisF]

19 hours ago, Lexx said:

I will do that. I'm definitely going to use a wetsuit for the Robben Island swim. What's the best time of the year to do the swim?. I don't want to travel all the way from Mpumalanga and the swim gets cancelled a day before the event. 

 

A friend booked for last year .... weather did not play nicely and it did not happen.

 

Yesterday a group of 13 did a 1,4km training swim at 5:40.

 

 

My friend is okay with the distance.

 

But that COLD is a whole different story ....

[Lexx]

4 hours ago, ChrisF said:

 

A friend booked for last year .... weather did not play nicely and it did not happen.

 

Yesterday a group of 13 did a 1,4km training swim at 5:40.

 

 

My friend is okay with the distance.

 

But that COLD is a whole different story ....

Still don't know how people can swim in just a speedo in those cold waters.

[Jewbacca]

13 minutes ago, Lexx said:

Still don't know how people can swim in just a speedo in those cold waters.

You get used to it.

In order for any of our swims to be recognised we were only allowed to wear a clothe swimming costume and one non thermal cap. They didn't even allow us to double cap

The old freedom swim was speedo only and I think they introduced wetsuits in the relay the last year I swam the official race.

When we did Kommetjie to Hout bay in Jan 2010 the water didn't hit double figures. I had no willy for a while

[ChrisF]

3 hours ago, Lexx said:

Still don't know how people can swim in just a speedo in those cold waters.

JIP ...😬

 

4 of the 13 did it in Speedos .... nee magtag ... 🤦‍♂️

[Lexx]

1 hour ago, ChrisF said:

JIP ...😬

 

4 of the 13 did it in Speedos .... nee magtag ... 🤦‍♂️

Legends, lol. The only cold water we get here are the water in our fridge.