If you're on the north side of things, Kent Couny Parks has swimming beaches at Long Lake, Myers Lake, and Wabasis Lake. If you're on the south side of town, maybe Barlow Lake or Gun Lake in Barry County.

Near Holland / Saugatuck, you can swim in Kalamazoo bay / inlet / channel. Water temps should be a little warmer than Lake MI. I've never done it, but I was there last month for a weekend and saw two guys in wetsuits doing a long swim.

---

Bike Sherpa
Fully Assembled Bike Transporters
http://www.bikesherpa.com

Are there actual areas to swim or is it one of those "watch out for the boats" kind of things? Just curious as I have never been to any of those lakes before.

My sister used to lifeguard at Long Lake during the summers, so there's an actual swimming beach up there. And I think there's a real beach at one of the Barry County parks.

But it's been a while since I lived in the area, and never really got up to Wabasis or Myers Lakes.

on a somewhat related note, is there a decent accessible pool in the downtown Grand Rapids area that anyone can point me to? I'm staying at the Holiday Inn but the pool looks way too small for lap swimming so i'm looking for suggestions. Thanks in advance!

I think that the pool at GRCC still has public lap swim hours:

(616) 234-4266

http://www.grcc.cc.mi.us/ShowPage.cfm?PageID=966

If that doesn't work, East Grand Rapids HS a little further out has a good newer facility and some public lap swim time.

http://www.eastgr.org/?t=90&c=56

chilly?

Coastwatch shows LM surface temps at 70...give or take a couple.

---

Train hard...race well.
www.jimmishler.com
"Jim, I happen to agree with you" DougStern

No, not chilly now. When I posted this it was, but that was over 3 years, one month ago. That was a long time ago. I have done 4- 70.3's and my first full since then.

Still looking for good places to open water swim around the Byron Center, Caledonia area though.

Hi All,
Just wondering if anyone in the Grand Rapids area has any info that is more up to date than this thread? I never would have guessed that it would be so hard to find a place to swim around here, especially since you can't walk to the mail box without tripping over water.
Thank you!!

Able to find a good place for open water swim? I live in Caledonia, have been exploring the options for tri training.

Bostwick Lake is a great place to swim, but might be a bit north of you... several groups swim there regularly.