With the discussion of the lost swimmer last week (Julian) and the threads about rip currents, let’s establish some standards for what to do for open water swimming safety.
What steps do you take to insure safety when training in open water?
<<What steps do you take to insure safety when training in open water?>>
Always swim with a buddy. Have confidence in your skills but respect for the nature of open water. Heck, even the pool facility I used to lifeguard at had a policy about us LG’s never swimming alone–even in the indoor lap pool! Murphy loves the water too!
Brett
I think filing a flight plan is key also- letting someone on shore know where you are going, what you are doing and when you will be back.
<<I think filing a flight plan is key also- letting someone on shore know where you are going, what you are doing and when you will be back.>>
(Homer Simpson style) DOOH! I can’t believe I forgot that one! I’m gonna pour myself another cup of coffee…
Brett
In addition, I usually swim with a brightly colored cap. Lots of boats running 100 yds offshore.
The Boy Scouts have a program called “Safe Swim Defense.” I’ll steal some of it and add some of my own-
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Trained lifeguards on duty. If you cannot swim in an area with lifeguards provided, you should provide your own (at least two). Should be certified by Red Cross in Lifesaving and CPR. In the surf, at least one should be in a kayak or on a surf board out in the water and the other on a tower on land.
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Medical clearance for all participants. Participants should have clearance from their physician or have signed a waiver stating that they have been cleared.
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Buddy System. Pair people off by ability levels and assign them to swim next to/within sight of their “buddy.”
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Ability tests. Prior to doing open water training, have a pool session to evaluate skill levels of participants. Design the workouts so people of differing skill levels can have a safe, enjoyable experience.
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Require swim caps. Swim caps add visibility for the lifeguards, and a system of different colored caps (blue for expert swimmers, red for intermediate, and white for beginner) could even help lifeguards keep track of less experienced swimmers.
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Communications plan. Go over signals before the swim. People should know how to signal the lifeguard (wave cap overhead). Someone should know where the nearest phone is and how to get help if needed. If any emergency arises, have a horn or whistle to bring all swimmers in immediately.
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Weather/water conditions. Experienced swimmers/surfers should evaluate the area prior to the swim. If any lightning/strong winds/riptides/high waves or winds present, postpone/cancel the swim.
My .02
BC
When I swim in the ocean, I always go to the Lifeguard tower and talk to the guy/gal on duty. I ask about the day’s conditions and tell them about my plans so that they can watch for me. I also put a bright swim cap on.
If you are a pro, or a work at a shop and are running/leading an “open water swim”, do more than make people sign disclaimers then go swim on your own.
Remember that it isn’t just your swim workout, and that you are leading the group. By advertising that everyone is welcome, you are accepting at least minimal responsibility to keep an eye on the people who show up at your event. Expect some open water newbies, and either have a separately run group for them or go slow enough so that they don’t find themselves 600 yards out all by themselves. If you do not want to deal with this, then explicitly state that it is an advanced swim.
I’m all about personal responsibility, but in my short career as a triathlete, I’ve been to too many “organized” open waters swims where the lead group blew off everyone else and left a trail of slowpokes(like myself) stretched across the lake not to mention this point.
Also, if the water is under 60-65 degrees strongly encourage people to wear squid lids.
As a minimum precaution, I have someone keep an eyeball on me from shore. In the interests of honesty, I’ll come clean and admit that this is not really the best solution. Depending on where I’m swimming and what kind of trouble comes up, it may not really do much good to have someone on shore- it could be a long swim to come get me. So if my safety person is on the beach, I try to make it a point not to swim too far out- I’ll swim parallel to the shoreline, for example, instead of out to the marker and back.
Where I am, I got a river or a bunch of lakes to swim in, all of which are heavily trafficked by motorboats. Frankly, that makes me more nervous than any ocean swim. Swimmers can be hard to spot in the water, and I’ve found that boaters are NOT looking out for swimmers. I don’t think a person on shore **or **a buddy swimmer is much help here. In this case, I only really feel comfortable if I have a safety boat- meaning, in my case, my wife and kids paddling next to me in a canoe.
Side note: If you’re going to be doing open water swims by yourself, allow me to suggest wearing a UDT vest. You’ll look like a dork, but it may save you from feeding the crabs.
I love long open water swims, alone. I know its dangerous, but I love the experience of getting out and swimming alone for hours on a hot summer day in a cool, clear lake. When I first started doing solo open water swims, it terrified me. Although drowning and boats are concerns, my biggest fear is always of the ever present, often heard, sometimes felt, but never seen, man-eating sea monster lurking just outside of my range of visibility. Although I haven’t come up with any tips for avoiding the hideous monster, here are some of the safety precautions for avoiding boats and drowning:
(1) I try to avoid high-traffic areas and times. There are fewer boats out before 1:00 or so than there are after. Ski boats tend to stay on the windward side of the lake (the side of the lake where the wind is comming from). Ski boats are particularly dangerous as the drivers are often distracted by the skiers. The second worst are the Sea-Doos, especially when in packs. When they come around, I just stop and float until they’re gone.
(2) Swim with an auto-inflatable flotation device. You can find them advertised in skydiving magazines/websites (the FAA requires that skydivers have them when exiting over water). They are no bigger than your fist when packed, but they rapidly inflate (with a CO2) to a seat cushion size/shape. They’re not perfect, but they do provide SOME flotation. I wear a belt with a water bottle and the inflatable flotation device has a clip on it that goes right onto the belt.
(3) Maintain constant 360* awareness. I use a “quadrant” system of scanning the horizon. I use a 3-count breathing method (i.e., I breathe on alternate sides every 3rd stroke). On stroke 3–I look back and to the right; stroke 6, back and to the left, stroke 9 front and right, stroke 12 front and left. That way, every 12th stroke (20 seconds or so), I’ve scanned 360 degrees. Not only does it improve your safety, its distracting from the monotony of swimming. If I see a watercraft, I monitor its progress, with a 2-count breathing style while occassionally checking the other quadrants. If I feel like a particular boat is presenting a problem, I stop, watch and wave until the boat is no longer a threat. Although I’ve never had to take any evasive action to avoid a boat, I’ve had some boats pass closely without ever being aware of my presence (despite frantic waiving and yelling).
The front looking is just like you would do to sight the bouys in a tri. Its hard at first, but you’ll get used to it. The back-looking is even easier. Just do your normal stroke, but exaggerate your head tilt head down and back and delay your catch a second for the water to roll off your face. I’ve learned to use this back-look trick in tris, as well. While others are wearing themselves out picking their heads up out of the water to sight the bouys, I’m keeping my head down and looking back down the line of bouys.
(4) When I wear goggles, I keep a little water in them. Although I don’t always wear goggles, when I do it is imperative to keep them clear of fog. Since I haven’t found an anti-fog solution that works well enough, I keep a little water in my goggles. As my head tilts side to side, the water acts as an interior “windshield wiper.”
(5) I take rest stops. I stop from time to time, even when I’m not particularly tired, and climb up onto someones dock, catch some rays and take a drink of water. Even if you get caught, the owners are often sympathetic/entertained (“You swam from WHERE?!”)
(6) I wear a bright orange cap. For obvious reasons.
(7) I’ve thought about rigging up some type of mini pontoon/flag device to drag behind me. Has anyone ever done/seen something like this?
I’m not trying to encourage anyone who is not already pre-disposed to taking occassional risks to do solo open water swims. But if you’re aleady a STRONG SWIMMER and like a little adventure, I think solo open water swimming is fantastic.