Ride the rip until if stops pulling you (its like a fleur de lis) and then go parallel to the shore a bit more and then start in .... Lake Michigan swimming 101

I was in the check in queue at IMH one year (BDB) and started talking to a Canadian guy. He said that once we were through he was going to go for his first swim in the ocean. I naturally thought that he meant his first since landing on the island, but as we talked I realised that he meant his first swim in the ocean in his life. I've told that story to Australians who just can't comprehend it (85% of us live on the coast). I've told it to Canadians who say it's actually pretty common.

I don't go to Canada. There's moose in there you know? (way more dangerous than sharks).

I was surprised to find out that the Pacific there is a balmy 54 F 365 days a year. I was there in summer and wanted to go diving and was surprised to hear that you have to wear a dry suit every day of the year. Plus dealing with tides. And I thought Great Lakes diving was challenging. The divers on Vancouver Island were shocked when I told them the St. Lawrence River warms up to 72 F in summer. But of course it can freeze over in winter.

Yup. When I go to tofino in the fall I'm quite comfortable surfing in a wetsuit without gloves or a hood, but That's pretty much the least gear you can get away with.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

I live on an island off the coast of Vancouver. Most people who live here don't go in the ocean, because the ocean is god damned freezing. For the 3 or 4 weeks of heat wave we get a year some people may dip in, but for the most part it's a no go.

Sure is pretty to look at, though!

Too much swimming talk. BleP can you post your "take it to the tri forum" picture please.

To be fair, there's quite a lot of talk about not swimming.

Because you're all a bunch of pussies.

I did a thing once where you swim, then bike and then run (can't recall what it's called) and the water was 60 F. That was cold.