You might be an open water swimmer if ...

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  • I will be staying in Redwood City, and working in Hayward over the San Mateo bridge, but alas only for a day,before flying out to San Diego for a couple of days. I haven't decided where to stay there. The Hyatt in La Jolla has a pool. Maybe there's a place near the bay?

    Next time I come to SF area @heart, I will come early and look you up for an exciting swim!

  • heartheart San Francisco, CACharter Member
    In San Diego you can go for a swim in the La Jolla cove, which is stunningly beautiful, and I would take that over a pool any day. :)
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    I once stayed in a hotel with a curved lap lane-stripe
  • AK_SteveAK_Steve Member
    edited November 2012
    @Jbetley: When I was in San Diego at the end of October I stayed at the La Jolla Shores Hotel. It's right on the beach between La Jolla Cove and Scripps Pier. I just walked out the door, tossed my towel on the sand, and started swimming left towards the cove. It was one of the nicest open water swims I've been on in a long time. Water temp was 64 with good visibility. I had a sea lion follow me around in the cove for awhile which was really cool. Don't forget to request an ocean front room.

    You might be an open water swimmer......if your spouse says to you one day "God you stink (like chlorine)! I can't wait for winter to be over with!!"
  • oxooxo Guest
    edited November 2012
    @Jbetley @AK_Steve: I second ljshoreshotel.com and a second floor ocean front room. The round trip swim straight across to the Cove is just shy of 2 miles if one starts up the beach a bit at the main lifeguard station at Kellogg Park. As the Cove can have huge surf at times, one can get in/out more often at the Shores than at the Cove. With footwear, one can walk between the Shores and Cove along la-jolla-walking-trail.html. The very active TCSD.org folk do workout swims at the Shores a couple times a week, probably elsewhere too.

    I can also recommend ljbtc.com and lajollacove.com. The Shores has a low key business district with several nice restaurants, while downtown La Jolla has the nightlife, fwtw.

    Water temp at Scripps Pier

    You might be an open water swimmer..... if given the choice of pool or ow, you always choose ow provided it's not completely frozen over.
  • Thanks for all of your advice re La Jolla cove. I am booked into the La Jolla Cove Suites, and am meeting Dan Simonelli who is very kindly going to show me the ropes. So based on this, my contribution to this thread is:

    'Arranging your work trips and hotels to shoehorn a sea swim into your schedule!'
  • You might be an open water swimmer even if the pool is iced over and you still have hope for tomorrow.
  • You might be an open water swimmer if ..... the last time you saw a lifeguard was, well, you can't quite remember.
  • ....you get stung by a wasp while mowing the lawn and your second thought (after "oh shit, oh h*@# f&*$@! shit that REALLY hurts") is actually "hey, this is good pain tolerance preparation for jellyfish stings."
  • You might be an open water swimmer if...you stop putting salt on your food due to the amount you intake while swimming in the sea.
    miklcct
  • ... when you eat more breakfasts than a hobbit does.

    Sisu: a Finnish term meaning strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.

  • MvGMvG MauritiusCharter Member
    edited June 2013
    ... when you feel privileged to be allowed by the local school to climb over the fence and train in the 16C water of its swimming pool at 5 am, and wonder why no one else is jumping at the opportunity...
  • Mike_GemelliMike_Gemelli Rutherford, NJMember
    ...when your kids make you a Father's Day card that says:
    I'm Proud of my Dad because...
    He works hard at swimming
  • you spend more time reading these blogs than actually working
    Camille
  • RonCollinsRonCollins Clearwater, Florida, USAMember
    ... when you name your son, "Matthew."

    Ron Collins
    Clearwater, Florida
    DistanceMatters.com

  • Leonard_JansenLeonard_Jansen Charter Member
    When looking at the annual Sports Illustrated Swim Suit issue, all you can think is "That poor girl - the drag from those things must slow her down terribly in races."

    -LBJ

    “Moderation is a fatal thing. Nothing succeeds like excess.” - Oscar Wilde

  • njoynjoy Member
    ...when you hear the ocean late at night in your head. Literally. I woke up last night to the sound of ocean water trickling out of my ear.
  • oxooxo Guest
    edited June 2013
    You might be an open water swimmer if ...... your motto is: No walls, no lanes, no lines, no podiums, no rules. Just the water.
  • ....if you look like you've been constantly boxed in the eyes from the dark rings your goggles leave.

    Sisu: a Finnish term meaning strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity.

  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    You take photos every time you swim
  • malinakamalinaka Seattle, WACharter Member
    ...you've ever vetted potential roommates/employees/friends using nycswim.org (or similar).

    I don't wear a wetsuit; it gives the ocean a sporting chance.

  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber
    ...you've mastered a deck change, much to your mother's disgust (how can you do THAT in public?!)
  • sylmarinosylmarino San FranciscoMember
    You have to go to school to explain to the teacher that your child isn't a liar after said child comes home crying from school because she shared in circle time that she was late to school because "Mommy swam Alcatraz this morning and they had to wait on some boats to go by..." and the teacher said she shouldn't tell tall tales.
  • molly1205molly1205 Lincoln, NebraskaSenior Member
    When the checkout kid at the sporting goods store asks you what you are going to use the whistle for and you reply, "so I know when it's time to feed."

    Molly Nance, Lincoln, Nebraska

  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    edited September 2013
    molly1205 wrote:
    When the checkout kid at the sporting goods store asks you what you are going to use the whistle for and you reply, "so I know when it's time to feed."

    I just have my paddler throw the bottle at me. If she hits me, it's time to feed.
  • mjstaplesmjstaples Atlanta, GA, USSenior Member
    @timsroot that can easily backfire. Game plan for end wet was my kayaker to toss it in front on me and Id swim up, grab it and feed while she caught back up to me. unfortunately my last bottle (approx mile 18) sank when she tossed it forward. And it was my last bottle!!!
  • timsroottimsroot Spring, TXCharter Member
    mjstaples wrote:
    @timsroot that can easily backfire. Game plan for end wet was my kayaker to toss it in front on me and Id swim up, grab it and feed while she caught back up to me. unfortunately my last bottle (approx mile 18) sank when she tossed it forward. And it was my last bottle!!!

    My bottles usually float, and are almost always tethered to the boat. Also, my kayaker is often my wife, so we've joked about this before.

  • JBirrrdJBirrrd MarylandSenior Member
    edited September 2013
    On my Tahoe swim, my coach jimmy-rigged this little rope system w/ a carabiner tied on the end to latch to my bottles (which have a built-in plastic loops). About 6" in, he had a piece of a foam noodle (the kind kids play w/ in a pool, cut to around 6" long w/ a hole sliced thru the middle for the rope to thread thru) and a glow stick tied near the noodle for night visibility. I don't know if everyone does it this way, but since this was my first long swim w/ a bigger support boat, it was the first time I'd seen anything like it. Worked great. Only problem was when I'd forget the top was open and submerge the bottle and water gushed in.
    (oops, wrong thread. Meant to put this on your night swim thread. @timsroot )
  • You might be an open water swimmer if ... your swimsuit(s) smell like low tide.
    Kate_Alexander
  • You might be an open water swimmer if.... you can make constellations out of your sea lice bites.

    I am a long time lurker, first time poster and I saw that this thread had some information on hotels with good pools. I suggest The Hyatt at the Bellevue in Philadelphia. They have access to a 25 meter pool which was pretty empty the five times I swam there in April. It also has a nice locker room and other amenities.
  • sylmarinosylmarino San FranciscoMember
    You might be an open water if... every time a pharmaceutical ad plays on television that has a person swimming you cringe, groan and critique their stroke to everyone in the room.
  • 50% of your porridge consists of Maxim .
  • calypsocalypso Member
    edited September 2013
    1-You ALWAYS have a swim backpack ready to go in the trunk of your car - you actually have 2 that you alternate right away to make sure you always have one in the trunk when you bring the used one in to launder.
    2-You think of your own scarlet letter as a big white X on your back.
    3-You're psyched when it's the end of the summer cause the water's cold again which will chase away the jellies and tourists, leaving you with swim peace-of-mind (understand "Yay! I can zone out!") and cleaner and quieter public bathrooms.
    4-When you feel that finding a shower at the beach is a luxury (and you actually soap shower there before going straight to work)
    TPear33904
  • calypsocalypso Member
    edited September 2013
    sylmarino wrote:
    You have to go to school to explain to the teacher that your child isn't a liar after said child comes home crying from school because she shared in circle time that she was late to school because "Mommy swam Alcatraz this morning and they had to wait on some boats to go by..." and the teacher said she shouldn't tell tall tales.

    lololololol! Srsly?!!! One for the family annals.

    This thread is deliciously funny!

  • sylmarinosylmarino San FranciscoMember
    @calypso - yes!
  • malinakamalinaka Seattle, WACharter Member
    ...you intentionally sit facing away from the water-view windows in restaurants because you know otherwise you'd be focusing on the sea and not the conversation.

    I don't wear a wetsuit; it gives the ocean a sporting chance.

  • You might be an old open water swimmer if you can melt 50 lbs of ice in less than an hour. Does any one take ice baths any more?
  • You wear your goggles to cut onions.
  • @suziedods .. so clever!
  • You have more towels than dresses.
    wendyv34
  • jendutjendut Charter Member
    Your daughter, when she was 3, got her first swim cap and wore it everywhere (I mean everywhere) because THAT seemed normal- she also slept in her first team suit, but that is another story- she is 13 now and is obviously not on this forum (Mom please, just DON'T embarrass me!).
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber
    @jendut- I was that kid. :-) However, I didn't start wearing the cap everywhere until I was about 10. I always left my ears sticking out, because I didn't (and still don't, really) like having my ears plastered to my head for a long time. And in high school, a few times I accidentally forgot to pack underwear in my swim bag. With no way to go home between swimming and school- I'd just wear a dry suit for the day. Really itchy...
  • ChickenOSeaChickenOSea Charter Member
    suziedods wrote:
    You wear your goggles to cut onions.
    Lol!! Yes and doing yard work.

    ....when you have to consciously practice bladder control on the rare occasions you swim in a pool.

  • ...you've learned to do a flip turn without touching the wall. 'Cause that would be cheating.
  • If you forget your' unmentionables' , you are fine and actually happier, to wear your suit instead...
  • ...swimming non-stop for hours is enjoyable, but hanging on the edge of the pool for a whole minute between sprints feels like the most boring thing that has ever happened.
    Kate_Alexanderwendyv34
  • west - so true, those few seconds on the side of the pool feel like a complete waste of time.
  • If you can tell the difference between high and low tide by smell. Also the difference
    between a lake and a river. Brings back old memories.
  • ZoeSadlerZoeSadler Charter Member
    You might be an open water swimmer if you eat a raspberry jam sponge pudding for dessert and then argue that it counts as one of your five-a-day.
    TPear33904
  • heartheart San Francisco, CACharter Member
    ... when friends talk to you about Diana Nyad, you take a big breath and say, "ok, so let me explain."
    tortugadpm50IronMikeNoelFigart
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