I’ll be in Saint Simon’s Island this summer and was wondering if anyone had suggestions about locations for open water swimming. Is there a group that swims daily? Anywhere unsafe (ships, sharks)? I’ll also be at Jekyll Island one day and would love to combine a mile swim with one lap around the island.
I grew up on St. Simons between the ages of 10 and 15. So… some bad news about what is, otherwise, a beautiful place: I can’t think of anywhere that’s “safe” to swim. One of the largest shark breeding grounds in NA is roughly ten miles to the south between Jekyll and Cumberland Island. Black tips, white tips, and bull sharks are all common. Occasionally hammerheads and makos will be caught off the SSI pier. There’s an ACE hardware store just north of the airport where they have a very large bull shark that was caught off the pier up on the wall. Swimming in any of the marshes, IMO, is also a bad idea as gators are everywhere.
With all of that said you should be able to get some good bike rides in. If you take the causeway over to Brunswick there’s an ample shoulder you can ride on. Be careful of riding north toward Frederica though. There’s very little traffic but the traffic that does go up that way goes rather quick and I doubt they’ll be on the lookout for cyclists. Jekyll is great for riding. Nobody is ever on the island!
I can’t answer your swim question other than to say that they have the Turtle Crawl Olympic race on Jekyll every May so I don’t think the shark situation could be “that” bad. Jekyll is great for running and biking. Great roads, low traffic, scenic. I wished I lived on Jekyll so I could train down there year round.
I grew up on St. Simons between the ages of 10 and 15. So… some bad news about what is, otherwise, a beautiful place: I can’t think of anywhere that’s “safe” to swim. One of the largest shark breeding grounds in NA is roughly ten miles to the south between Jekyll and Cumberland Island. Black tips, white tips, and bull sharks are all common. Occasionally hammerheads and makos will be caught off the SSI pier. There’s an ACE hardware store just north of the airport where they have a very large bull shark that was caught off the pier up on the wall. Swimming in any of the marshes, IMO, is also a bad idea as gators are everywhere.
With all of that said you should be able to get some good bike rides in. If you take the causeway over to Brunswick there’s an ample shoulder you can ride on. Be careful of riding north toward Frederica though. There’s very little traffic but the traffic that does go up that way goes rather quick and I doubt they’ll be on the lookout for cyclists. Jekyll is great for riding. Nobody is ever on the island!
Thanks. I understand that there was once a triathlon where the swim leg was St. Simons to Jekyll - that must have been awesome. How about along the public beaches like Massengale Park? I like to go early but fearing sharks will hold off until 1030 (I’ve read that sharks tend to feed before 10am and after 4pm).
I find that a bit hard to believe as the current between the islands is extremely strong and it’s also frequented by large shipping vessels and fishing boats.
Maybe try swimming close to east beach. FWIW, I wouldn’t swim anywhere there… especially alone.
I was at St. Simon’s two summers ago and spent every day in the water off East Beach (higher up, around 12th St.). Did see one bitty shark, but that’s it.
I think it would be hard to find a good swim spot there, though. We were way far out off the beach and the water was still only about knee/thigh high, and when it was high tide the water seemed pretty rough and much colder. There was a channel you had to swim across to get to the sandbar (which we’d then walk across to go into the ocean) so I suppose you could swim up and down the channel.
Now that I think of it, we rented SUPs at a place near Massengale park (we parked in the beach access lot off Driftwood Dr.) and the water there seemed deep enough to swim in. It’s a little bit up from the King & Prince.
There was a channel you had to swim across to get to the sandbar (which we’d then walk across to go into the ocean) so I suppose you could swim up and down the channel.
We go there every summer. the ows situation on St S is non-existant, at least from what i’ve learned. However, the channel that you mention is where i swim and it’s not too bad- decent swim opportunity twice a day. As you mentioned, it’s on East Beach at the end of 12/13th streets, or there abouts
I’d love to go there every summer. Long slog from California though. (and yes, I get the oddity of a Californian going to GA to go to the beach. I like the warm water!)
I’d love to go there every summer. Long slog from California though. (and yes, I get the oddity of a Californian going to GA to go to the beach. I like the warm water!)
Let’s trade. 
There is an active tri club here “Golden Isles Triathlon Club”. The swim here is not that great, but dismiss the post about the sharks. I’m in the water every week off Jekyll. There is a cycle group that rides to Jekyll every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon if you bring a bike. Either island has run routes that will more than fill up your time. PM me for local contacts. Hurry here before it gets too hot and humid.
There is an active tri club here “Golden Isles Triathlon Club”. The swim here is not that great, but dismiss the post about the sharks. I’m in the water every week off Jekyll. There is a cycle group that rides to Jekyll every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon if you bring a bike. Either island has run routes that will more than fill up your time. PM me for local contacts. Hurry here before it gets too hot and humid.
So swimming between massengale park and neptune park is doable? Or should I focus on massengale park to east beach? I won’t have a bike but hope to log in a few swim/run bricks.
The currents north of East Beach are bad at tide changes with the sand bars and the inlet. Life gaurds are only posted on the beach down to around Massengale. I wouldn’t venture much farther than the King and Prince that way, about where the beach plays out on GoogleEarth.
I live a little further south in Fernandina Beach FL. Do the Turtle Crawl on Jekyll Island. This year the currents kind of sucked. I’d disregard what was said about sharks. There is a very large bull shark breeding area around Cumberland Island. Lets face it though. It’s the ocean, there’s sharks. Have had one “attack” locally (Jax beach), she got a couple stitches. I worry more about jellyfish. Jekyll Island had really good roads and the island loop is about 14.5 miles. If you’re interested there’s a summer tri series where I’m at (roughly 45 min drive) called the Jax Tri Series. It starts this weekend and there’s races in July and August.
I find that a bit hard to believe as the current between the islands is extremely strong and it’s also frequented by large shipping vessels and fishing boats.
Maybe try swimming close to east beach. FWIW, I wouldn’t swim anywhere there… especially alone.
There really was a Jekyll Is to St. Simons Is. triathlon a few years ago, I saw it on Trifind and considered signing up for it until I saw the price, it was on par with a WTC 70.3 event. Would have been interesting to do that swim though, would be a bit like the Escape from Alcatraz tri with much warmer water.
I was born and raised on St. Simons and live in Savnnah now. I would recommend just staying fairly close to the shore for beach swims. There are several pools that offer lap swims, such as the one next to the lighthouse and at the fitness center when coming onto the island. I’ve never really gone to the beach to train in the water, i keep out unless its a race environment myself, but its totally doable. Be safe and be smart with the currents and such.
Just be sure to go to the 4th of May Cafe. My wife and I used to go to it when we lived near there, of course that was over 16 years ago.
And Southern Soul for BBQ.
I went to Fourth of May two years ago. Not what it used to be 
They used to have the best damn carrot cake…
There’s a decent Mexican place in Redfern Village if I remember correctly.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitecapsup/4315380536/
this is Goulds Inlet at East Beach (end of 13th street) at low tide. Decent swimming if you don’t mind the out of shape vacationers sitting on the beach wondering what the hell you’re doing. I swim from the southern point of the “lagoon” up to just before the small pier (which is not in the pic) and back.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitecapsup/4315380536/
this is Goulds Inlet at East Beach (end of 13th street) at low tide. Decent swimming if you don’t mind the out of shape vacationers sitting on the beach wondering what the hell you’re doing. I swim from the southern point of the “lagoon” up to just before the small pier (which is not in the pic) and back.
You’re brave to paddleboard in the marshes - did you see any gators?