Open Water Swimming

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Aug 2020
8:28am, 12 Aug 2020
19,231 posts
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Angus Clydesdale
Kit’s important! ;)
jda
Aug 2020
8:30am, 12 Aug 2020
8,095 posts
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jda
When I was buying a float I found only real diff was in how much they carried. If you want to take shoes, towel, picnic to an island that’s more demanding than keys and a phone! Some have hydration systems built in but I bet a water bottle is less hassle. I end up drinking enough of the lake I can’t imagine needing more!

We use crocs for shore shoes, just leave them on shore.
Aug 2020
8:33am, 12 Aug 2020
19,233 posts
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Angus Clydesdale
I like crocs, but you can’t slip them into a tow-float. I’m after some new flop-flips so I can pootle about on the opposite shore.
Aug 2020
8:48am, 12 Aug 2020
6,696 posts
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Northern Exile
Mac - I would say some floats act as both. I have a Swim Secure 20L and it has good buoyancy if you inflate both sides, but can accommodate a decent amount of kit. It hasn't leaked in yet 🙂
Aug 2020
8:52am, 12 Aug 2020
12,668 posts
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FRU (KeepTheFaith)
I love a bit of kit 🙂

I am kind of totting up everything I’d need while it’s boiling and I dont have to wear a wetsuit.. but being coastal I know that this wont last! Lol. Definately going to need a wetsuit and then the afterswim needs thinking about

I got one of those waterproof phone covers which arrived yesterday and was great for messing about taking pictures with my nephews

But the real reason I got it was to test out the theory and also my next question is what do you all use to know how long/far you have swum?

Thanks for all the info.. very useful xx
jda
Aug 2020
9:09am, 12 Aug 2020
8,096 posts
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jda
Garmin watch but mine (235FR) has to be in the float or under hat to work well, else I get a massively jagged trace with a substantial overestimate of distance. Newer and/or swimming models (eg wife's 735XT) are better.
Aug 2020
9:10am, 12 Aug 2020
35,672 posts
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♪♫ Synge ♪♫
I used my Garmin 235 in the sea yesterday. I swim breast stroke and, the way I swim it, my hand and wrist stay pretty much under the surface. Each time I stopped, I raised my hand out of the water and I could see the display going from, say, 0.12 miles to 0.16 miles in a single jump as it worked out that I had moved from the previous point where it had talked to satellites. Not the best approach, but it worked!
Aug 2020
9:20am, 12 Aug 2020
17,313 posts
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Rosehip
My 735XT would probably be fine for font crawl - for breastroke my hand isn't out of the water enough - I also found that raising my hand out of the water until the distance stopped jumping up, was needed to get the distance anywhere close.

The first time with it in the lake it measured 0 ofr distance.
Aug 2020
9:22am, 12 Aug 2020
17,314 posts
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Rosehip
(_if I were swimming "hard" breaststroke I think my hand would come up and out just enough each stroke)
Aug 2020
9:23am, 12 Aug 2020
35,675 posts
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♪♫ Synge ♪♫
I had a similar experience in the sea earlier in the year! It was cold, so I wasn't in long, maybe enough to do a hundred metres or so. You wouldn't believe how disappointed I was to find that it had taken me 5 minutes to go ... nowhere!

About This Thread

Maintained by Nick Cook
There didn't seem to be a thread devoted to open water swimming, so I thought I'd start one.

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