Swimming Outdoors in Cool Weather

[Triskeliongirl]

While most of you know me as a die hard cyclist, I recently started swimming when a gym opened up where I work with an outdoor half olympic length lap pool. While the pool is heated, I found I get too cold when I try to swim on cool mornings (40s-50s). For now, I switched my swimming to the warmer part of the day, but what do you all do when the colder weather sets in. Do I need a wetsuit?

[badger]

the complex where I swim has an outdoor pool. The past couple of years they've been running it year round, so even in snow last year it was heated and open.

I find it quite warm there, it's the getting to/from the pool that's a nightmare as it's about 200' from the indoor part.

I usually find that I never get very cold swimming as I tend to just keep moving. How cold is the water, anyways?

[Triskeliongirl]

I don't know what temp its heated to, but the problem I had the cold morning I tried to swim, is that my arms would feel cold whenever they came up out of the water at the top of each stroke. Also, the water did feel colder to me on the cold day than on a warm day, so maybe the heater doesn't work as well when its cold outside.

[channlluv]

Let me say right up front here that I'm a total weather weanie, having lived in San Diego for over a decade now and acclimated quite well to the extraordinarily mild year-round weather. I don't even own a winter coat. Don't need one. And the rain jacket I have was a gift from my mother a year ago and I have yet to wear it during actual rain.

Okay, so, it's gorgeous here and DD and I go to the Y that is set in the valley just inland from the Pacific. Wind off the ocean, especially when the marine layer is settling in in the evenings, comes whipping up through the canyon walls and can be really cold. When we're in the pool and the wind is coming off the ocean, it's freezing! Okay, more like 60, but it's cold!

I've been chased inside by wind off the ocean. I bought DD a rash guard made of recycled bamboo, but she only wore it once. She said it created too much drag. She loves swimming, though, so I'm open to suggestions, too.

Maybe a lightweight wetsuit is in order.

Roxy

[Veronica]

Work harder!

That's what my swim team coach would say whenever we complained that the water was too cold.

Veronica

[Selkie]

the complex where I swim has an outdoor pool. The past couple of years they've been running it year round, so even in snow last year it was heated and open.

I find it quite warm there, it's the getting to/from the pool that's a nightmare as it's about 200' from the indoor part.

I usually find that I never get very cold swimming as I tend to just keep moving. How cold is the water, anyways?

Get yourself a swim parka to wear to and from the pool. Swimout.com sells them.

I wonder if they would turn the heat up higher on the pool if you asked? It's worth a shot. I would LOVE to swim outside in a toasty warm pool when the air temp is cold...

Don't feel bad---there have been mornings when the water has been chilly in indoor pool where I swim (County is trying to save money....). The final indignity is the freezing cold hallway to the locker room. There have been times when my teeth have been chattering and my body shaking as I wait for the shower to heat up!! And the winter cold hasn't even set in yet....

[Crankin]

And this is why I hate swimming... and the fact I can barely float.

[katluvr]

And this is why I hate swimming... and the fact I can barely float.

Thanks for my morning chuckle!

[Triskeliongirl]

Well, I started swimming because unfortunatly after a series of cycling accidents involving myself, DH, and all our cycling friends on our commuting route, coupled with the installation of a new gym at work, I decided at a certain moment that the risk outweighed the benefit of cycle commuting to work.

It actually started while my husband was rehabbing from his last cycling accident. We thought we would just join the gym for a few months and started swimming before work instead of riding in (like cycling it seems like a very effecient way to get a good workout in, but I agree, its not as much fun as cycling). I got really hooked, but it was warmer outside when we started this. As it started to get colder in the mornings, DH shifted to indoor spinning class, but that doesn't work for me since I ride with a custom crank set, so I started swimming later in the day. SO far that is working, but I am worried what I will do when it gets even colder.

I did start taking both a yoga and weight training class that I also love, and of course I still do long club rides on the weekend. I have to say that I love the cross training, and knowing I do have fitness options when the weather outside is not safe for cycling.

[Crankin]

This is why I love cross training, too. I just am not a good swimmer. I am now trying to convince DH to cross train. He does the winter sports stuff, but is not good about yoga, weights, etc. I am putting him through a boot camp starting in December... hopefully some of it will stick.

[ginny]

I can empathize with the brrr chilly cold feeling even in a heated pool. I used to swim on a team year round - outside - in sunny So Cal. I used to turn blue. They kicked me out of the pool every work out into the jacuzzi and eventually told my mom I couldn't swim during the winter with them. I get it. Even when you are working hard, you get chilled. You could try a wet suit, but that would give you so much flotation that you would pretty much float from wall to wall with very little effort in a 1/2 olympic sized pool (that's 25meters across, right?). Maybe you should consider other gym activities in the colder months - or, as you are doing, swim during the warmer part of the day.

[NadiaMac]

I swim at an outdoor pool in temps in the low 50s (but in the blowing fog in the evenings, it somehow seems colder). I don't have a problem with the cold (the colder, the better!) but there are some folks who swim in what looks like a tightly fitted long-sleeved shirt. If this is ok with your pool, perhaps try this? Not sure what the material is, but it looks synthetic, is tight fitting, but is not neoprene.