Hello guys, I have been learning from this forum for some time while preparing for my Windermere butterfly swim. I have a few questions relating to the cold which I really would appreciate any insight on. Date: 31st August 2024 Stroke: Butterfly Distance: 17k (11 miles) Temp: 13-15°C (55-59°F) Rules: Regular channel swimming rules Expected completion time: 6-7 hours (swimming at 2.5k-3k/h pace) So far, I have achieved: 8k butterfly in warm indoor pool 2.5k butterfly in 10.9°C lido with sun (took me 1 hour and I got quite cold - I would guess into mild hypothermia from the decent afterdrop, sl ..read more

Any of you live in or near Cocoa Beach? If so, any OW swim locations you can tell me about ..read more

Hi All, in case anybody hasn't picked up on this news, Neil Streeter has retired, with immediate effect. This hasn't been an easy decision for him but he doesn't feel able to continue. Originally, he intended to make 2026 his final season but he wasn't really happy about carrying on, so I hadn't booked many swimmers for that season. Eddie Spelling has all the booking info and between himself and his sons, will see that all of Neil's bookings are honoured. Neil has piloted English Channel crossings for 19 years, including my own...and the swims of many on this forum. Thank you to all those who ..read more

After digging around through forum and whatnot I found out Ice mile is a thing and I'm hooked on it. I'm mostly average amateur swimmer, but I've been trying to extend my swimming season for couple of years, and this year I finally stayed in the water through autumn and into the winter. All the different sensations were really exciting and I'm confident and happy to be able to dive into water as long as its liquid, no matter how cold it gets. With that goal done, I want to continue for something more challenging, like under-ice diving and ice mile. How would I go about training for Ice Mile? A ..read more

Dear all, As many of you will already know, with my sociologist's hat on, I've been working for the last three years on a project called "Becoming a Channel Swimmer". The research phase of the project is now coming to an end, so no more glorious research trips to California for me in the foreseeable future! However, to mark the end of the project, I've just published a magazine setting out the key findings. If you would like to have a look at it, you can download it at: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/sociology/staff/academicstaff/throsby/homepage/channelswimmer/research/publications/ I'd ..read more

Sorry about the title but I couldn't think of a concise way to title this. I was ruminating during my swim today and thinking about times, distances, and age. There is a big deal in golf about shooting your age. A low score in golf is really hard to do, so the pros tend to hit these really low scores, but they're also young and at the top of their game. As you get older, your score tends to increase. But there is a sweet spot where you might be old, but you are still pretty good. And one nice day you have a great game and you shoot your age. Neat. So I started thinking about that because I was ..read more

I realise that compared to many others here I’m a relatively novice. But after an interesting year discovering new joys from swimming - from cold-water to long-distance experiences - I’ve written up my story from the last few months (see link at bottom). Prologue: On Saturday 6 January 2024, I swam solo unassisted and non-stop from Kawau Island to Tiri Tiri Matangi Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. It took me 7hrs 35mins to swim 18.5km which was about 2hrs longer and 2km further than I had planned. Weather conditions varied between clear and calm, heavy rain with low visibility, through to st ..read more

This July, I'll be attempting to cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca. In brief, the swim is a cross from Vancouver Island, BC to Washington state with a minimum straight-line distance of 11.6 miles (18.7km), water temperatures rarely above 52F (11C), ships, orcas, ocean swells, an international crossing, and and some strong currents. I'll be following the SBCSA Rules for an unassisted swim. This is the first big swim I've planned on my own and wow has it been an experience. There is a long-winded write up coming in installments at http://forums.usms.org/blog.php?36101-andrewmalinak, where I'll a ..read more

Has anyone successfully collected data about marathon swimmers? I would love to chat about data collection/contact methods that worked ..read more

Sad news news out of New Zealand... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2285192/Swimmer-mauled-death-Great-White-shark-New-Zealand-beach-despite-police-rescue-bid.html For those of you who live in "hotspots", what are some strategies you use to deal with your fears in the open water ..read more