First OWS swim of the season

[rocknrollgirl]

I put this in the catch a wave thread, but I was so excited about going that I pulled it out for all to read!!!!!



Yee Haa baby....

Today was a planned pool workout, and all day long my students kept telling me how nice it was outside. I have no windows in my classroom, so I was clueless. I had been in since 6:30 am. So I figured...today might be the day, OWS.

I emailed DH and told him I wanted to go. He was not available to be my swim buddy and voiced his opinion that he did not want me to go alone. Noted and ignored honey!

I ran home after school and did a partial wetsuit wiggle, into the bottom half and drove the 7 mins to the lake. We have access to swim on a small, spring fed private lake in our town. It is really nice.

I got down on the dock and the wind was blowing pretty hard. I looked up and down and said...dang, was the lake this big last year?


I had a thermometer with me, just for bragging rights, but I could not get an accurate reading. It was cold, but not unbearable. A big gasp when the suit filled, but no loss of feeling or coordination in the extremities. So I put it at about 65 degrees or so.

I decided since I was alone to do a perimeter swim. Great idea from a safety standpoint, but it brought me in to the striking zone for two very, very large snapping turtles, that were sunning themselves near the edge of the lake. They scare me, alot. I figured that in my wetsuit, maybe I looked like a huge snapping turtle to them. I hope.

It was a bit tough coming back in to the wind, but it was fun. I swam about 40 mins. I would have done a bit more if DH had been along, but at the end, I was getting a little tired. Not like I am going to sink in my wetsuit. I float like a butterball in that sucker!

So all in all, a successful first venture in to the murky depths....

[Tri Girl]

Woo hoo!!! Great job (and watch out for those dang snapping water dinosaurs- they scare me, too). My first is this weekend. I can't wait to feel the waves, and drink in the dirty brown water. Glad your first was a success!

[roadie gal]

I am so jealous. It will be at least a few weeks before our local lakes are swimmable.

[jesvetmed]

Same here... just talked to a woman last night who tried OWS in my lake yesterday -- froze her tushy off! She warned me not to bother for another 2-3 weeks at this point! The bathtub is looking good for trying out the new wetsuit!

[KnottedYet]

Same here... just talked to a woman last night who tried OWS in my lake yesterday -- froze her tushy off! She warned me not to bother for another 2-3 weeks at this point! The bathtub is looking good for trying out the new wetsuit!

Yeah, I don't bother until closer to the end of May either.

[kelownagirl]

Our lake temp is typically around 10 degrees celcius this time of year. (50F) It might get up to 14 in June and hopefully 20 in July.

[Tri Girl]

A group from the tri club went and swam in the lake this morning. I opted out. It needs to get a wee bit warmer before I'm pulling on that sausage skin wetsuit and getting my body in the cold water. My rule is: when the temp nears 90 I'll get in the water (but seeing as how I have a race in 3 weeks and I haven't swam in months- I might want to change my rule ).

[rocknrollgirl]

I am good down to 57 degrees. That was the temp in Tahoe at Nationals last September. I do have to say, that my digits were pretty cold after 30 mins. But is is doable. But if you don't have to yet, might as well wait.