Yes. But I don’t let that stop me.
I’d rather risk injury or death due to “insert whatever farfetched low-probability reason here” than die of boredom at the pool.
I also do almost all my running along a busy state highway, and ride on roads w/ no shoulder regularly.
Solo.
The people who say “yes it’s dangerous” only need to be correct one time, and then like weenies say, “I told ya so” at the funeral. Just like a non-cyclist saying road riding is dangerous. Taking our heart rate up to 180 is dangerous too. Eating too much ice cream can kill you as well. Driving a car? Hot coffee?
Trust your ability, judgement, and pay attention to the conditions. Calculating risk determines danger.
Have always swam alone, probably always will.
Vivite una volta solo. Ma, vivite ragione, una volta e basta!
(You only live once. But if you live right… once is enough!)
Oh come on… we have been trained since we were children swimming alone is dangerous period and should never be done under any circumstances. It has always been, and will always remain the #1 rule of swimming. (Unless of course you are a triathlete… then all rules are negotiable)
Living in Florida my first thought was danger from sharks. In that case, always swim with a buddy, preferably one slower than you.
The rule is; You don’t have to be able to out swim the shark, just be able to out swim the guy next to you.
i worry about monsters too.
I also do almost all my running along a busy state highway, and ride on roads w/ no shoulder regularly.
Solo.
Yeah but do you run with scissors?
To address the question further I think it depends on where you swim. Where I swim there is no sharks or anything else that is trying to eat me, which is nice. Also at the times I go alone it is early so there is no boat traffic. Also no currents etc. Maybe it is dangerous, who knows, guess that is a decision we all have to make for ourselves.
like everything else with our safety while training and racing…it all depends.
i would have to think that you have thought about the where, the what, and the why, and already did your own balancing act on the relative safety.
i regularly go across the lake where i’m at…'cept on nights when there is a bass tourney. every time though when i go across, approx 1/2M, i tow a small kick board with a flag on it. it is very visible and have yet to have what would be considered a close encounter except for some gar, swans, and turtles.
When it comes to water there are two things I would never do.
never scuba dive alone
never swim alone
Most lake swims close to shore are fairly safe, but as for ocean swims, never, never, never swim alone. I’ve seen 10 ft bull sharks 200 metres off shore when scuba diving. They can swim in three feet of water or travel 150 miles up fresh water rivers. Not to mention jelly fish or other things that can be harmful.
Yes.
If you swim with a friend and happen upon a shark how will your friend save you? How is it safer? Your friend will be able to tell everyone a shark got him. But that doesn’t make it safer.
I ocean swim and surf alone, most of the time. If I have an MI or pass out I’m DEAD! I don’t worry about sharks but jelly fish suck.
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Boats are enough reason for me to not swim in open water alone. I can always find someone who wants to kayak or canoe with me while I swim. I’d try to find someone who will do that with you. They can keep an eye on you, warn boats that might not see you. Otherwise, others are right, its probably no more dangerous than many other things we do, but it sure does make people very nervous to know you are doing it alone.
I swim open water alone all the time, its either that or not swimming at all. The only monsters I need to worry about are 20-inch large mouth bass, but I figure that I could take one in a fist-fight if they try anything.
I do not, however, wear my ipod like I do while I’m riding & running, so that makes me 87.5% safer…
“How is it safer”
Most shark attacks are a case of mistaken identity. Quite often the shark will bite a swimmer and then after realizing he/she wasn’t on the natural food chain will swim away, often leaving a wounded but not yet dead swimmer. A buddy could help get an injured swimmer to shore and then get medical help. This scenario has happened more than once.
You have reached TC’s voice mailbox. She’s probably out training, or building a sandcastle on the beach. Please leave a message after the tone and she’ll get back to you when the tide comes in.
Did you get Karl Castle to record that for you?
The only things that bother me about swimming alone are 1) large nail-studded pieces of driftwood, just below the surface, waiting to stab me in the eye or slash my jugular; and 2) sea weed - because sea weed grabs you by the ankles & pulls you under.
I think when it comes to doing “dangerous” things, we have to really look at the odds. The shark attack is a great example. It all depends upon where you live, but (tell me if I am wrong) there has never been a fatality from a shark attack north of Cape Cod Massachussets in modern history. Thus debating the whole shark attack thing while living in Maine is flat out stupid. Now if I lived on the Gold Coast in Florida, I wouldnt go out in those waters if you paid me.
who’s Karl Castle?
it’s my beautiful voice you hear 
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She must’ve attended Total Immersion, because that’s a perfect example of “pressing the buoy.”
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