Swim Report(s) – Saturday/Sunday April 9/10, 2011 – Before and after the Spring Turnover?

April 9, 2011

Nick and Matt were out at L1 on Saturday for a cold, foggy swim. They met up with Dan and Arthur who shot some more footage for the upcoming mini-documentary. It sounds like the project is coming along great, and I can’t wait to see it when it’s finally produced!

I had a 12-mile run that morning, so I was MIA for the swim. I did arrive just after Nick and Matt had left and took a quick dip to cool down my aching legs. I have to admit I had a rather rough time in the water. My hands and feet were uncomfortably cold, and I could only stay in for a few minutes. So I wasn’t too sure about Sunday morning…

April 10, 2011

I woke up at 6:00am with a nasty head cold that I had been trying to shake off the day before. Our original plan was to get out there at 8:00am for a quick swim. I sent a message to everyone that I was probably a no go, and listlessly prepared a pot of my infamous longjing tea.

After a couple of hours, I felt much better (I blame the tea). And it was getting REALLY nice outside, so I messaged everyone to try to meet up at 10:00am.

I met Nick out at L1, and we got in just under a mile swim in “the pool.” It was about 75F at the time, and the surface water temperature came in at 50F (three readings). We estimated the lower water levels to be around 44F – 45F, but the clarity of the lake was a strong signal that it may have turned over from the previous day.

I decided to try out my new DeSoto T1 top and just go with some thermal jammers versus a full suit. I also wore the gloves, neoprene foot covers, and a neoprene cap. I wasn’t uncomfortable at all in the water, and it sure was pretty awesome to have all that extra maneuverability without the bulky gear!

We ventured out to the buoys and hung our there until the CFD chopper buzzed by. We decided to return to L1 and alight around that area for another 15 minutes or so.

The water is still pretty bracing, folks, but it’s definitely manageable as long as you have enough sunlight. Plus it looks like the awesome Spring Turnover has finally arrived – which means brisk but superclean water for the next couple of weeks. So get on out there and enjoy it!

What you missed out on:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *