mrs.jacinthe - Do you anything about this group?

[emilyj]

mrs.jacinthe

I want to say you are relatively close to San Fran...do you know anything about this group for OWS?  Also, I'm tempted to go for broke and sign up for the Bridge to Bridge swim.  :-) Basically, I have some time to play when I'm there next week, and would love to find a reputable group/event to do a swim with.  

waterworldswim.com/event-registration/?ee=142

www.odysseyopenwater.com/events.html#tmup=/w50925/p/50925-odyssey-open-water-swimmi/%23!month-2015-08-30

[ktzmoh]

My Alcatraz swim is going to be with Water World - and Mrs J had great things to say about them. If I was here next week I'd come over and meet you for a Bay swim!

[emilyj]

Jul 30, 2015 11:44:07 GMT -5 ktzmoh said:

My Alcatraz swim is going to be with Water World - and Mrs J had great things to say about them. If I was here next week I'd come over and meet you for a Bay swim!

Bummer - that would be so much fun! I just saw your race listed in your sig.  We're flipping coasts! 

[mrs.jacinthe]

Water world is pricey, but they do a great job with safety, etc. If I had the time and money, I'd do a few of their swims. Pedro is a *very* knowledgeable open water swimmer and a super nice guy. Odyssey has sponsored a couple swims I've done out there, but I've never swam with them, per se. They seem like super nice people, though. However, bridge to bridge, when timed correctly, is a fantastic swim with gorgeous sights. There *is* some sea life in that area you might encounter - seals, sea lions, etc - so be aware. If you're acclimated to 70 degree water, you probably won't need a wetsuit. The chop in the bay can be unpredictable - glassy and flat all the way to insane.

If you're *just* wanting to swim and not wanting to spend too much, you can swim at aquatic park for free, and on alternating days you can pay $10 to get into either the dolphin club or SERC, so as to use their sauna/showers.

Hell, if I can swing it, I can just roll out there in the morning and we can GTG at Aquatic park or point Richmond (which has a *lovely* and free swim area) and do a nice swim together. I'm sure ktzmoh will show up if she's available too.

[emilyj]

Jul 30, 2015 12:02:21 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

Water world is pricey, but they do a great job with safety, etc. If I had the time and money, I'd do a few of their swims. Pedro is a *very* knowledgeable open water swimmer and a super nice guy. Odyssey has sponsored a couple swims I've done out there, but I've never swam with them, per se. They seem like super nice people, though. However, bridge to bridge, when timed correctly, is a fantastic swim with gorgeous sights. There *is* some sea life in that area you might encounter - seals, sea lions, etc - so be aware. If you're acclimated to 70 degree water, you probably won't need a wetsuit. The chop in the bay can be unpredictable - glassy and flat all the way to insane.

If you're *just* wanting to swim and not wanting to spend too much, you can swim at aquatic park for free, and on alternating days you can pay $10 to get into either the dolphin club or SERC, so as to use their sauna/showers.

Hell, if I can swing it, I can just roll out there in the morning and we can GTG at Aquatic park or point Richmond (which has a *lovely* and free swim area) and do a nice swim together. I'm sure ktzmoh will show up if she's available too.

This would be so fun! My thought in all of this was "I'm going to be there, I should take advantage of a swim opportunity if I possibly can." So I'm not married to anything in particular - my schedule will end up dictating my final decision.

I'll PM you! 

[pixy0stix]

Jul 30, 2015 12:02:21 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

There *is* some sea life in that area you might encounter - seals, sea lions, etc - so be aware. 

What about otters?

[emilyj]

Jul 31, 2015 14:17:02 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jul 30, 2015 12:02:21 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

There *is* some sea life in that area you might encounter - seals, sea lions, etc - so be aware. 

What about otters?

DON'T RUIN MY SWIM!!!! 

[pixy0stix]

Jul 31, 2015 15:37:33 GMT -5 emilyj said:

Jul 31, 2015 14:17:02 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

What about otters?

DON'T RUIN MY SWIM!!!! 

I just want you to be prepared!

[mrs.jacinthe]

Jul 31, 2015 14:17:02 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jul 30, 2015 12:02:21 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

There *is* some sea life in that area you might encounter - seals, sea lions, etc - so be aware. 

What about otters?

Lol! It's possible, but I've never seen one. Sea lions are by far more prevalent.

[ktzmoh]

Ok talk to me emilyj. How did it go??? Tips, words of caution or relentlessly optimistic encouragement for the scaredy cats among us?

[emilyj]

Aug 10, 2015 22:53:57 GMT -5 ktzmoh said:

Ok talk to me emilyj. How did it go??? Tips, words of caution or relentlessly optimistic encouragement for the scaredy cats among us?

It was absolutely amazing. I swam Saturday with mrs.jacinthe in Aquatic park, so that was helpful in actually swimming in salt water and getting used to the cold/conditions (I wimped out and wore my wetsuit).

I would absolutely recommend the Alcatraz swim. I decided last week while I was in San Fran that if I didn't do it, I would just kick myself and regret it.  So I did.  We met at the boat, they went over everything from tide, current, what to sight, the course - I didn't feel unprepared or like I had questions at all.

Loaded up in the boat, and the ride out was so pretty.  Once we got to the jump off point, they pointed out our sighting landmarks again, and then played the Rocky theme as we all jumped in.  There were 24 of us?  Lots of kayaks, paddleboarders, and small boats following us.

They blew the horn, and we took off.  I stupidly put myself in the middle of a bunch of guys, so the start was chaotic with everyone jockeying for position. I just stopped, let them all fight it out, and then went.  

The actual swim was easy. The biggest issue I had was from a huge boat wake I wasn't expecting - I turned my head, and got a huge mouthful of seawater.  I stopped, about coughed my lung out, and then kept going.  

It was amazing to breathe left and see the Bay Bridge and the skyline, and breathe right and see the Golden Gate.

The kayakers told us when to turn, so there was no guesswork there.  The distance was 1.42 on my Garmin.  I thought my pace would be slower, because waves, current, etc that I don't normally deal with, but my pace was actually a little faster than my last two tri's.  Guess I need to step it up. :-) 

DO IT.  It was so much fun, and such a cool experience!!! 

[CallingAllAngels]

Okay, this is now on my bucket list! I don't have any cold open water experience though, and I'm not sure I ever want any. So cool. Thank you for sharing your experience. Did you see any sea life?

[mrs.jacinthe]

Aug 11, 2015 10:34:26 GMT -5 CallingAllAngels said:

Okay, this is now on my bucket list! I don't have any cold open water experience though, and I'm not sure I ever want any. So cool. Thank you for sharing your experience. Did you see any sea life?

It's not that cold right now.  Maybe 65-70.  This being an el nino year and all, the water is way warm for this time of year, and will just keep getting warmer.  The bay usually maxes out at 70 in like ... Sept/Oct.

I'm happy to swim with anyone who comes out to the bay. 

[ktzmoh]

Ah! That sounds amazing!! emilyj, give me the birdseye on your swimming before this. It sounds amazing and I really want to do it, but the longest OWS I've done is 1mile, and the longest pool swim I've done is 3k. I'm not sure I can be ready in one month, especially since the route they do in sept is 2.1miles.

[mrs.jacinthe]

Aug 11, 2015 11:17:39 GMT -5 ktzmoh said:

Ah! That sounds amazing!! emilyj, give me the birdseye on your swimming before this. It sounds amazing and I really want to do it, but the longest OWS I've done is 1mile, and the longest pool swim I've done is 3k. I'm not sure I can be ready in one month, especially since the route they do in sept is 2.1miles.

You'll be fine.  It's current assisted.  It'll feel more like a mile and a half - maybe less.

[juliabug]

This sosounds amazing! Definitely adding it to my race wish list!