Ok, it’s Friday so forgive the silliness of the question, but i’ve always wondered…are there any swim races where swimmers can use whatever they want (except a motor) to be faster? i.e. paddles, fins, wetsuits, etc. If so, what is the world record for 100 meters for these “assisted-swims”?
If there are no races like this i’m surprised as i think it would be interesting. It would measure how fast a human can propel him or herself in the water using a much technology as possible without an engine.
As someone who generally finishes in the top 10% of the swim at IM events (ie. an ok/good swimmer for a triathlete, but nowhere near a previous collegiate swimmer or even top age group youth swimmers) I’ve done a flat-out 100 a few times using fins and paddles just to gain an appreciation for how fast the olympians are going. Holy shit they’re fast!
Ok, it’s Friday so forgive the silliness of the question, but i’ve always wondered…are there any swim races where swimmers can use whatever they want (except a motor) to be faster? i.e. paddles, fins, wetsuits, etc. If so, what is the world record for 100 meters for these “assisted-swims”?
If there are no races like this i’m surprised as i think it would be interesting. It would measure how fast a human can propel him or herself in the water using a much technology as possible without an engine.
its like asking why are there no electric bike races.
this remind me though there is a guy who always swims with fins and paddles in my pool, bragging about how many miles he does. wtf is the point? he is older. perhaps to relive glory days of speed he used to have?
Some SwimRun races allow you to wear whatever you want. You just have to carry it all in the run portions. A lot use giant hand paddles and a pull buoy that’s attached to one thigh so they can spin it around to the outside for running. I don’t think I could do the paddle bit without shoulder death, but fins, with maybe some backpack to quickly stow and retrieve them might work better. Oh yeah, you’d be wearing your running shoes, so I’d choose some open-back diving fins with foot pockets big enough to accommodate the shoes.
There are two adventure races in Pennsylvania that can be done either solo or as a team. They combine distance running, swimming, cycling, orienteering, and kayaking. The swim portions of both races are in the range of 2.0 - 2.5 miles and fins are allowed.
One is the Millcreek Adventure Race sponsored by the Brookville YMCA and the other is the Kinzua Tango sponsored by the Warren YMCA. I’ve done both since 1999. Both are incredible events.