I’m going to be in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan this weekend and was hoping to get in some swimming. Unfortunately, that means I’ll be using Lake Superior (Keewinaw Bay) for my workout. Right now, it’s about 51°F. Has anyone ever swam in water this cold? Anything to be careful of, or is a 30min swim no problem?
Thanks for any advice!
-Jay
I swam when I was is Rogers City in Lake Huron while the water was 55 deg F with a full sleave and a normal swim cap and was fine.
I tried it with my sleaveless and it was a big shock to me. It took about 10 minutes to get used to.
I wouldn’t have done it without the wetsuit.
My fishing buddies still thought I was crazy.
jaretj
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That’s cold water. I scuba dive in those temps wearing a 7mm wetsuit with gloves and hood. After a half hour under the water I’m starting to feel cold. Admittedly it’s not as cold on the surface as under it but the thing you have to be very aware of is hypothermia. I’d swim close to shore and if you start to feel cold then get out of the water.
Prepare yourself for possibly the biggest ice cream headache you’ve ever experienced. Also, make sure you stay close to shore if you’re able to go out. The cold water sometimes has an effect on equilibrium and hypothermia definitely affects clear thinking, so if you do go out, you’ll want to be able to get out quickly if your having any problems. It’s not your typical open water type swim. A 30 min. swim in Superior in October is impossible without a full wetsuit. If you’ve got a neoprene hood, gloves, and boots, that will only help.
On a related note, if you want to read about attempts by Jim Dryer to cross the big lake over the past couple of years, go to his website at www.swimjimswim.org . Granted, you’re not planning on going more than 30 min., but it’s some interesting reading.
-Dan