Saturday, June 6, 2015

Aqua Blue & Tan Swim

Next Swim:
   Sunday June 7th @ 1pm

Last Swim:
   Saturday June 6th @ 1pm
      Water Temp:
         53.3 (macho-meter)
         54 (Mr. Ducky-o-meter)
         55 (Kahun-o-meter)
      Air Temp:  64 & Sunny
      Waves: rippled to very slight chop
      Clarity:
         thick sand-filled nearshore
         clear blue water 200-300m from shore
      Crew:  Diablo, Kahuna, Gumdrop, Showgirl, Panini, Capt'n
      Suit / Skin:  5/1
      Pitsch Count: 6

Completely saturated with sand, the near shore water today had a distinctive light tan hue to it.  While it was thick enough to prevent you from seeing your hand in front of your face I would certainly not characterize it as murky or brown but more like a light tan paste.  By sharp contrast about 200-300 meters away was the beautiful blue water easing its way towards.  This water was so clear that you could easily see the sandy lake bottom about 12-15ft down.  (...which in case you're wondering translates to about 25-30ft in the Kahuna measurement system...)  As pleasant as it was to swim through the clear blue water it was noticeably cooler than the tan water.

9 comments:

HappyHelen said...

Hi there! I will be visiting from Boston June 18-21. How can I meet up for a swim and does anyone go out on weekdays? Please email me!

Thanks!
-Helen
happyhelen@gmail.com

KimberlyPifer said...

How far do you normally swim? And do you swim out and back or along the shoreline?
Thanks!

Kahuna said...

Hey, Helen, glad to hear you will be in Milwaukee, and are interested in experiencing our Great Lake! All details regarding our swims are posted on the blog. Yes, once we get going here, we normally have a swim scheduled everyday (typically, but not always, 6:00 a.m. during the weekdays, and sometime around the noon hour on Saturday or Sunday, depending on group members' race or other schedules. Watch the blog for scheduled swim times and changes. As to location, we usually swim from Klode Park, Whitefish Bay. We gather a few minutes before the scheduled time at the East end of the parking lot (look for anyone caring a wetsuit), then walk down to the beach together at the hour. Looking forward to meeting you. As to Kim's questions, distances vary. We are very welcoming/supportive to newcomers, who want to give open water swimming in Lake Michigan a try. We have swimmers come down who only want to swim less than a half mile, and are just OK swimmers, and we have nationally ranked open water swimmers and Ironman Triathletes who enjoy a good 2 mile swim. Whatever distance you are comfortable with, that is what you should swim. We encourage newbies to use a wetsuit (especially these days, when water temps have been in the mid 50's). But we never are sure what our temp will be, until we get there (and temps can even change, during a swim, as you hit warmer or cooler pockets). See the links on the right side of the blog (scroll down) to maps that show "current" water temperatures. We swim along the shore 99% of the time (the sunken ship swim from Atwater Beach, probably occurring this year on June 13th, being the notable exception). The shoreline and bottom off shore in Whitefish Bay is a beautiful sand bottom, and the depth is pretty consistent, if you stay the same distance from shore. A lot of our new swimmers stay closer to shore, at a depth that they can stand up any time they want. More experienced swimmers like to go out sometime so they are swimming in 30 feet deep water. Feel free to contact us with any other questions you may have. We welcome men and women, swimmers of all ages, and even get a few teenagers who swim with us now and then. Hope to meet both of you on the beach some future sunny day.

Unknown said...

Hi,

So I can assume you will be there at 6am every morning?

I just did my first sprint triathlon and thought I could overcome the swim, I barely made it through! I need some practice in the water in the next 2-3 weeks. I would love to come at 6 am if that is what the schedule is!

Kahuna said...

Great for you. It gets easier and more enjoyable with experience. The swim is definitely my favorite part of the race now. I'll be at Klode to swim tomorrow (Tuesday) morning t 6:00 a.m., and I've asked the Cap'n to update the blog post so that others know as well. Right now, the season is just getting started, so we are not swimming every weekday at 6:00 a.m. That schedule will likely be coming soon, as we get a little warmer water. Cheers, and looking forward to meeting you in person.

Kahuna said...

For those wondering about the Rider vs. Driver Commute outcome, see the article at this link:
http://wisconsinbikefed.org/2015/06/08/shorewood-commuter-race-bike-wins-again/. Go USA!

KimberlyPifer said...

Any thoughts yet on Wednesday morning since it's suppose to be warm out?

Patriarch said...

Just got back from Nashville. Kahuna I will join you Tuesday morning. Patriarch

Unknown said...

I couldn't make this morning as I teach class on Tuesdays! I hope you are swimming tomorrow morning (Wed 6-10) at 6 am ??