Open Water Swimming meccas

evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
edited December 2013 in Locations & Networking
Interesting post at the DNOWS, the "Great Cities In America For Open Water Swimming" :

http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2013/12/great-cities-in-america-for-open-water.html?m=1

1. Honolulu, Hawaii
2. San Francisco, California
3. La Jolla (San Diego), California
4. Boston, Massachusetts
5. Atlantic City/Ocean City, New Jersey
6. Miami, Florida
7. Washington D.C.
8. Indianapolis/Noblesville, Indiana
9. Chicago, Illinois
10. Austin, Texas
11. Miami, Florida
12. Laguna Beach (Orange County), California

"Hidden Gems":

1. Chattanooga, Tennessee
2. Atlanta, Georgia with Lake Spivey
3. Fort Myers, Florida
4. Branson, Missouri with Table Rock Lake
5. Clearwater/Tampa Bay, Florida
6. Seattle, Washington
7. Las Vegas, Nevada with Lake Mead
8. Derby, Vermont with Lake Willoughby / Lake Memphremagog
9. Salt River, Arizona
10. Salt Lake City, Utah
11. Bend, Oregon with Elk Lake
12. Orlando, Florida with Lake Cane

Not sure why Steve left off NYC/Brooklyn, home of the CIBBOWS & NYC Swim, but whatever.

[EDIT] Steve added NYC as #6 on the list, shortly after I suggested it.

What would a marathon swimming-specific list look like? Remember, this is about the body of water, but also about the people you get to swim with.

Here's my list (US only):

1. La Jolla
2. San Francisco
3. Ventura (California)
4. New York City
5. Chicago
6. Los Angeles / Orange County
7. Seattle
8. Boston
9. somewhere in Florida, I guess?
10. Denver

Please feel free to add your own list, or state your objections to mine! :)

Comments

  • evmoevmo SydneyAdmin
    Also, let's expand this concept outside the U.S.

    UK, Ireland, continental Europe, AUSTRALIA (!), etc. etc.
    Evan
  • bobswimsbobswims Santa Barbara CACharter Member
    edited December 2013
    how about the "Van Down by the River"?

    http://www.youtube.com/?watch?v=3nhgfjrKi0orasd
  • david_barradavid_barra NYCharter Member
    I would add the Long Island Sound to the list. There a couple of locations on the Connecticut side that are regular training grounds for some of the most accomplished channel swimmers in America.

    ...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

  • david_barradavid_barra NYCharter Member
    Aus... Melbourne, Bondi
    Eng.... Serpentine, Dover

    ...anything worth doing is worth overdoing.

  • lakespraylakespray Senior Member
    Under hidden international gems check out Nauthólsvík Beach in Reykjavík, Iceland I stopped by here on my way to Dover, England. It reminded me of Aquatic Park in SF, locals going for the cold water plunge without wetsuits. And @evmo thanks for including Denver :-)
    inezwibowo
  • IronMikeIronMike Northern VirginiaCharter Member
    edited December 2013
    Washington DC?! What the hell? I've gotta go check out that post. I'd love to know where the hell I"m supposed to be swimming here!
    BrandyBr

    We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams

  • JBirrrdJBirrrd MarylandSenior Member
    @IronMike
    I was thinking the same thing! Scratch Washington DC and head east to Annapolis area with the bay and river swims.
    Perhaps the thinking was that Potomac River swims are in the DC area, which they are not.
    BrandyBr
  • This is easy...
    Wherever Rob D is.

    /thread
  • LOSTswimmerLOSTswimmer Oakville, Ontario, CanadaMember
    You're leaving out all the LOST Swimmers in Oakville, Canada! Not only does Lake Ontario have a history that goes back a long ways, and ties in directly with the first Catalina Crossings and Cpt Mathew Webb, it is currently a hotbed for open water swimming! For the past 9 years we've been meeting in Oakville every Saturday morning at 8:00 am and usually get between about 50 - 85 people out! We also host the LOST Race and will be starting to conduct Lake Ontario Crossings this summer too! In fact, a lot of swimmers in this forum have stopped in for a swim when passing through Toronto... and the rest of you are welcome to join us! :)
    JenABrandyBr

    Cheers,
    Rob

  • mauprietomauprieto New Orleans, LAMember
    I'd add Barcelona and the Costa Brava (Cadaqués, St Feliu, etc...) to the list. Amazing open water swimming spots all over the Catalan coast and the sport is fast gaining in popularity.
  • loneswimmerloneswimmer IrelandCharter Member
    edited January 2014
    Ireland's Copper Coast. Full disclosure, apparently me & @ColmBreathnach & @SuirThing are the few who think so. So it's a future Mecca. Get in while it's still cool. Free cave swimming tours!

    I mean you could go to Sandycove, but really, Sandycove is too warm and sheltered, that extra quarter of a degree makes them soft, it has almost no jellyfish, is protected from prevailing winds and it only has one piddling little cave that you can't even really swim into and you are falling over Channel swimmers who just get underfoot, with cake and tea everywhere, there's all that racing and competitive stuff. Whereas the Copper Coast is 40km of pure cold stingy wild cave sub-cliff lone swimming.

    Or you could go to Black Rock in Dublin, but there's the same problem with Channel swimmers underfoot, and then you might end up on @Fergal's SPAM friend list and next thing you know you're in a pub in the Dublin Mountains in the middle of winter having just done something stupid, again.

    Seems like an easy choice to me...
    phodgeszohocurly

    loneswimmer.com

  • SuirThingSuirThing Carrick-on-Suir, IrelandMember
    pssst @loneswimmer , nothing wrong with "Hidden Gem" status .... just sayin'

    I tried to convince myself, but, orange flavour electrolyte, mixed with hot chocolate,
    tastes nothing like Terry's Chocolate Orange ....

  • swimmer25kswimmer25k Charter Member
    edited January 2014
    Miami, FL is awful for swimming. Fort Lauderdale, DelRay, Hollywood, and Deerfield Beaches are great places to train an race.

    DC is another turd. I probably have over 150 miles in the Potomac River and can attest that it is a nasty place too swim. The Bay is much better.

    La Jolla and Hampton, NH are probably my two favorite places to swim outside of Florida.

    Atlantic City and the rest of the Jersey Shore are awesome in the summer. There's a race every weekend.
  • swimmer25k wrote:
    La Jolla and Hampton, NH are probably my two favorite places to swim outside of Florida.

    I'm glad to hear about Hampton as it's relatively close to me. Any specific spots I should check out?

  • ColmBreathnachColmBreathnach Charter Member
    edited January 2014
    @loneswimmer, shhhh. Let them all go down to the lovely warm water in Sandycove. Locals only ;-)
  • swimmer25kswimmer25k Charter Member
    edited January 2014
    Laflamme02 wrote:
    swimmer25k wrote:
    La Jolla and Hampton, NH are probably my two favorite places to swim outside of Florida.



    I'm glad to hear about Hampton as it's relatively close to me. Any specific spots I should check out?

    My in laws are there. When I was training for my EC swim, I went up there for some long workouts.

    I swam round trips from Rye Rocks Beach to the south end of North Beach. Water was 48-51 degrees. I did two back to back swims of 3 hours each. It was probably the best cold water training I ever had.
  • DavidDavid Member
    edited January 2014
    In South Africa there is the Midmar mile with over 20000 swimmers. Its a fantastic event with all levels of swimmers. The friendly crowds are huge but if that does not put you off you are in for a swimming experience to remember. Its organised like a well rehearsed military maneuver with 200 life savers on duty. The Guinness world record holder for the worlds largest open water swim. Its got to count in the list of swimming meccas.



    BrandyBr
  • FilFil Derby, VTCharter Member
    Totally partial, biased, and self serving, I would humbly suggest an expanded "hidden gem:" the legendary lakes of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and the Eastern Townships of Quebec. If for no other reason, the Brault's beef jerky is worth the trip.
    OnceaRunnerTMcQueenswimrn62BrandyBr
  • gregocgregoc Charter Member
    @Fil, you're looking a little tipsy.
  • FilFil Derby, VTCharter Member
    edited March 2014
    Ya think? Evmo's been messin' with me pic.
  • ssthomasssthomas DenverCharter Mem​ber
    I can vouch for the jerky!
  • JBirrrdJBirrrd MarylandSenior Member
    ...and I can vouch for @Fil sometimes being tipsy with no help from Evmo.
  • FilFil Derby, VTCharter Member
    Help from the likes of you JBirrrd and other Crabby swillers.
  • sharkbaitzasharkbaitza LondonMember
    ssthomas wrote:
    I can vouch for the jerky!

    If you like jerky... you have to try biltong!
    tortugaswimfreeordie
  • We adding Rodrigues Island, Mauritius to this list !!!

    Mauritius swimmers

  • I would add Bermuda to the list. The Round the Sound swim is beautiful and well-organized. The best open water conditions I have seen.

    BrandyBr
  • loneswimmerloneswimmer IrelandCharter Member

    @David, the idea of 20,000 swimmers is almost as far from the idea of a swimming Meccas as I can conceive. Unless it was 25,000 and held in the filthy waters of Rio.

    I'll stick to my cold clean and most importantly empty waters thanks!

    suziedodsslknightJenA

    loneswimmer.com

  • I'd say the "mecca" for most of us is the place, whether pool, pond, river, lake, sea or ocean.. is the one we can access easily, cheaply,( or FREE) and often. Sometimes it's the best we can do to swim 15 min in a community pool at the end of a long day and the beginning of a long night. :)

    JenAIronMikejendutdpm50TMcQueenmolly1205nindor
  • NoelFigartNoelFigart Lebanon, NHSenior Member

    @Suzidods, in many ways, quite true. I'm extremely fond of Lake Mascoma...

    However, this list does have me eyeing Boston more favorably as a place to live than once it was....

  • marlinmarlin Member
    edited September 2015

    S. California,
    N. California,
    Hawaii (Oahu and Maui especially),
    Uruguay,
    Argentina (if you like rivers),
    Sarasota,
    Florida Keys,
    Tahiti,
    Fiji,
    Bermuda,
    Barbados,
    Cayman Islands

  • boobooabooboobooaboo Seattle, WA, United StatesNew Member

    @JBirrrd said:
    @IronMike
    I was thinking the same thing! Scratch Washington DC and head east to Annapolis area with the bay and river swims.
    Perhaps the thinking was that Potomac River swims are in the DC area, which they are not.

    Come on out to the eastern shore. Ocean city, Nanticoke, choptank, Chincoteague...so much water and great places to swim.

  • @Laflamme02 said:
    swimmer25k wrote:

    La Jolla and Hampton, NH are probably my two favorite places to swim outside of Florida.


    I'm glad to hear about Hampton as it's relatively close to me. Any specific spots I should check out?

    There is a regular ocean swim group summer weekend mornings (and other times) at North Hampton NH. We used to swim regularly at Rye/Jenness, but the Covid parking restrictions in Rye moved us a little distance down the coast. Both are great spots.

  • No US list can be complete without mentioning Jax Beach, FL, where the Duval Ocean Swimmers swim daily, year round, in all conditions.

  • Openh2oOpenh2o Member

    One and only Bora Bora!
    Top!
    My opinion!

  • Openh2oOpenh2o Member
    edited May 2021

    @marlin said:
    S. California,
    N. California,
    Hawaii (Oahu and Maui especially),
    Uruguay,
    Argentina (if you like rivers),
    Sarasota,
    Florida Keys,
    Tahiti,
    Fiji,
    Bermuda,
    Barbados,
    Cayman Islands

    All is not bad.but go in nice sunny day to swim in Varadero (Cuba)! And after will talk!)
    My opinion
    All the best

  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member

    Washington State has a lot to offer.

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • boobooabooboobooaboo Seattle, WA, United StatesNew Member

    @wendyv34 said:
    Washington State has a lot to offer.

    I see that you live near Seattle in Vashon. I'm moving to Seattle from TX. Can you give me some places and people to swim with in the area, a few days per week? I am excited to get back into colder, longer open water swims. I have built up my base again and would like to start pushing the yardage!

    Thank you

    wendyv34
  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member

    @boobooaboo Alki Beach (at the bath house) in West Seattle is the nexus for open water swimmers, people are there every day to swim, year-round, usually weekday evenings and weekend mornings. Jerome Leslie is the guy to talk to, you can't miss him, he's like 7 feet tall. I'd recommend joining the Western Washington OWS group on FB to find swim buddies for other locations. There are lakes galore and you can find people who are familiar with them on the FB group, as there are areas to be avoided due to boat traffic. I used to live near Seward Park (Lk Washington/south Seattle) so I'm partial to that location. You can swim around the peninsula, remaining fairly near shore, to avoid boat traffic. We have a group on Vashon Island that swims year-round at various locations, there's a meetup group (Vashon Open Water Swimming), and folks frequently come from off-Island to join in the fun. I manage Colman Pool, also in West Seattle, outdoors (summer only) on the beach at Lincoln Park, LCM and filled with sea water, if you fancy pool swimming. Welcome to Seattle!

    curlyboobooaboo

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • boobooabooboobooaboo Seattle, WA, United StatesNew Member

    @wendyv34 thank you so much for the detailed response! I think we are going to end up in the columbia city area (need to be close to both Boeing Field and Sea Tac). I will probably be spending a lot of swims at Seward, and join in Alki when I can. I found the West WA FB group. I will have to find the Vashon group...the girl would have fun on the ferry and sitting on the beach reading while we swim.

    I've heard about Colman Pool...I will definitely be swimming there when I can! The setup reminds me of the 33yd pool in Austin, which name escapes me right now. Are there covid restrictions to be aware of this summer for the Colman Pool?

    wendyv34
  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member

    You're thinking of Deep Eddy in Austin, I got to swim there a few years back and it was perfect, 68 degrees & spring fed. It was 100 years old when I was there. Colman is 80 years old this year. They don't make pools like those any more.

    At Colman, we'll be operating a bit differently from our normal program, due to COVID, (mostly staff shortage & budget at this point). There will be five 1-hour sessions per day, (12:00, 1:30, 3:00, 4:30 & 6pm) drop-in, first come first served, tickets are sold for all swims that day, beginning at 11:45am (on-site). We're going to start at 25% capacity and try to boost it to 33% if we can manage it. Masks will be required in the locker rooms. The pool will be divided roughly half/half with lap lanes and rec swim area for all 5 sessions. $6.25 for adults, $4.25 youth/senior/disability or get a 10-swim pass for $54/$37, they never expire. You can buy the passes online www.seattle.gov/parks click the yellow box that says "sign up..."

    Columbia City is a cool neighborhood. I lived there for about 7 years. It's not bad getting to West Seattle from there. For the other seasons, you'll be situated between 2 nice indoor pools, Rainier Beach (new in 2013) to the south and Medgar Evers to the north, (my winter workplace) which had major renovations in 2019.

    Say "hi" when you visit Colman!

    boobooaboo

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

  • boobooabooboobooaboo Seattle, WA, United StatesNew Member

    Than, you for all the gouge! Coming from Texas, it is a bit unexpected to read that the city is still very strict with capacity...I did read an article that 70% of Seattleites have been fully vaccinated so I’m hoping those restrictions soon change, especially in outdoor pools.

    Thank you for all of the recommendations, and I will definitely say hello when I make it to Colman. I’ve heard wonderful things. And it will be nice to have 2 other pools within biking distance of my home. Excited to get back into cold water and go for longer swims.

    wendyv34
  • wendyv34wendyv34 Vashon, WASenior Member

    June 30th is supposedly the date when WA officially reopens, although how long it takes to get to "normal" is anyone's guess.

    boobooaboo

    It's always a bad hair day when you work at a pool.

Sign In or Register to comment.