Ocean swimming
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Cold water (knocks the wind out of
you). Zero visibility (you can’t see your fingertips). Jellyfish (they sting).
Seaweed (can choke you). Dolphins (friendly, but still wild animals). Rip
currents (like you’re swimming in quicksand). Sharks (they’re out there).
Flailing legs (you will get kicked). Helicopter arms (you will get punched).
These are just a few of the things to think about if you’re entering an ocean
swim event. Fortunately, unless you’re going to conquer the Alcatraz swim as
your first race (yes, there is a real race from Alcatraz to San Francisco),
you’re only likely to encounter a couple of these obstacles. The beginning of the modern age of
open water swimming is sometimes taken to be May 3, 1810, when Lord Byron swam
several miles to cross the Hellespont (now known as the Dardanelles) from
Europe to Asia.In the first edition of the modern Olympic Games in Athens in
1896, the swimming competition was held in open water. In 2000, the Olympic
Games first included a triathlon with a 1500 m swim leg, and in 2008, a 10 km
open water swim. 5, 10, and 25 km open water races are included in the General
Fina World Championships. Open water swimming takes place in outdoor bodies of water such as open
oceans, and lakes.
In the first edition of the modern
Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, the swimming competition was held in open
water. In 2000, the Olympic Games first included a triathlon with a 1500 m swim
leg, and in 2008, a 10 km open water swim. 5, 10, and 25 km open water races
are included in the General Fina World Championships.
The activity has grown in popularity
in recent years with the publication of bestselling books on "wild
swimming" by authors such as Kate Rew and Daniel Start.
