Recently I traveled to La Jolla to take part in my first swim camp. What’s swim camp? It’s a chance to connect with a group of other like-minded swimmers who are interested in growing their swimming experience in open water. No pool time here. All swimming takes place out in the wild which provides the perfect venue to train your body and brain for longer distances. Here are five things I learned in sunny California that I’ll be applying to my upcoming swims this summer.
#5 Swimming in saltwater is much easier than fresh water.
Most of my big swims the past several years have been in fresh water or brackish (a combination of fresh and salt water). Candidly, I don’t have a lot of saltwater swimming experience. What I realized at once was how easy it was to swim and float. When I stopped swimming, I didn’t sink or have to tread water at the tempo I typically do in fresh water. My swim strokes seemed smoother as my body was buoyed like a surfboard. Feeling the occasional swell and waves push me around was fun, the ocean is so powerful. You really get a sense of how small you are out in the water.
#4 The marine life isn’t really interested in you.
I saw lobsters, starfish, sea lions, seals, all sorts of fish, and even some friendly small sharks. Initially I thought they’d be really interested in me, but they weren’t. I was surprised by how peaceful and calm ocean swimming can be. Swimming through seaweed and kelp floating on the surface was startling at first, but then you just get used to moving through it. It was like swimming in an aquarium, so much happening all around you as you move through shallow waters into deep waters with less visibility.
I also discovered sea lice (or they discovered me) which led to bites in the water that felt like little stings all over. The pod of swimmers I was with all commented on feeling the same thing, so we promptly switched directions and kept on swimming. Exiting the water, my skin was irritated for a bit, but apparently this is a good thing. The more experienced swimmers commented on the value of getting used to stings and discomfort as your swim distances expand. Sooner or later, you’ll connect with jellyfish whether you want to or not. Their stings will be less forgiving!
#3 Swimming in the dark is magical.
Our big swim on Saturday morning had us entering the water at 5:20 a.m. All swimmers had lights on their googles and suits as we swam in the darkness out into the cove to meet our kayakers. The kayaks were decorated with glow sticks, and we began swimming back and forth with kayakers on either side of us. Before we knew it, the sun began slowly glowing behind the cliffs as the day was beginning. I felt like a dolphin as the six swimmers in our pod chased our kayaker all over the cove.
One luxury of swimming in open water is having a kayaker with you. Having them lead the way as they paddle allows you to keep your head down and just swim. No sighting necessary with the need to constantly raise your head looking for landmarks. Another great benefit of having a kayaker is they have room to store your nutrition. No need to drag bottles behind you attached to a buoy. This allows for a better swimming experience as they are watching the clock and can tell you when to stop for a feeding session.
#2 Connecting with other swimmers is the best way to learn.
Hearing from other swimmers firsthand about their successes and failures is the best way to learn. Gathering for several days where you’re either eating or swimming together allows conversations to take place. Every swimmer I’ve ever chatted with has been so giving of their time and ideas. Try this, avoid that, this is what I learned when, the ideas and lessons are countless. There is most certainly a sense of community among this group regardless of how long or short a distance you are swimming. It’s like everyone is rooting for each other, because they truly are.
#1 Meeting one of my swimming heroes was incredible!
Our guest speaker Saturday afternoon was Lynn Cox, the GOAT of open water swimming. Lynn was the youngest American to swim the English Channel at age 14 and then go back and do it again. She has done swims all over the globe including the original ice mile in Antarctica. She’s also responsible for opening the border between Russia and the United States in the 1980s. This was carried out by her daring swim of the Bering Strait in ridiculously rough conditions. Open communications were created between President Ronald Regan and Mikhail Gorbachev thanks to her swim. This led to a relationship between the two leaders who agreed to limit nuclear weapons.
Her stories of tenacity, grit, purpose, and joy were moving. I’ve been a swimmer most of my life, so in 2023 when I started swimming longer distances, I wanted to learn as much as I could. I remember what a thrill it was to read Lynn’s book Swimming to Antarctica. Now, it seemed unreal to be hanging out with her, asking questions, listening, sharing dinner with her and other swimmers. A special experience I’ll treasure!
Life is good, but so short. Make sure you’re making the most of it!
