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Open Water Swimming PSA

As I get ready to start doing more open water swims, I found this forum post on beginnertriathlete.com that has some sound safety guidelines to have a safe and fun Open Water Swim.

This comes from “Nan” at Beginnertriathlete.com

Here’s a list of tips to ensure a safe and happy open water swim season from your friendly neighborhood park ranger:

• Always swim with a buddy/never swim alone. This is the number one rule of Open Water Swim and the one most ignored.
• Know the weather, water temps, and tides and surf conditions before you go in the water. Unusually rough surf or cold temps can be deadly.
• Know your limitations. Know your limitations. Know your limitations. Misjudging you abilities on the bike or run can be embarrassing and painful but usually not life threatening.
• Follow the shoreline, swim in shallow water. If something does happen, you can simply stand up. If you get tired, you can also walk back along the shoreline.
• Wear a Personal Flotation Device. There are manually inflatable belt life jackets on the market that allow full range of motion and should not interfere with swimming.
• Wear a wet suit, weather permitting. It’s a little added security.
• Wear a brightly colored swim cap. The more visible you are the better.
• Tow a boogie board, etc., attached to your ankles. You may feel a little silly, but it’s safer.
• If you must swim in open/deep water, always be aware of boaters, personal water craft, etc. Remember, you can see them better than they can see you.
• Always assume the boaters do NOT see you. Again a bright colored cap really helps.
• Never, never, never swim across a boat channel. You don’t want to know what a prop will do to the human body.
• There are 3 types of boat operators: barely legal teenagers without experience or good sense; drunk and/or high boaters without a clue; and my favorite, the “I just bought this boat an hour ago, I don’t know a single boating law. Wait, there are boating laws?” You really don’t want to be swimming around any of them. Trust me.
• If you ignore the above, at the very least file a float plan with your family. Let someone know where you will be swimming and how long you will be. The more specific the info the better. If something does go wrong, I will know where to start searching for your body. With luck I will find your body within hours not days.
• Don’t think it can never happen to you. It can and does. Swimming is like flying. It can be very safely done, if the proper safety guidelines are followed. But it’s also very unforgiving. When something goes wrong, it usually goes very wrong.

Thank you and have a safe swim.

Nan

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