Transition

Next Swims:  Today Thursday August 6th, 6PM
Tomorrow Friday August 7th, 6AM
Friday August 7th 11:30AM, meet in front of Discovery World to swim the USAT Nationals course

Last Swims:
Thursday August 6th 6AM
Water Temp: 58
Waves: One foot rollers
Water Clarity: Poor
Crew: Nivens McTwist, Diablo, Jenny, Erin, Showgirl, Super Hera, Patriarch
Wetsuit/Skin: 2/5

Wednesday August 5th 6PM
Water Temp: 59
Waves:  One foot chop
Water Clarity: Poor
Crew: Itch, Crash, Kahuna, Patriarch
Wetsuit/Skin: 1/3

The lake conditions at Klode have transitioned from cool calm and clear to (somewhat) warmer wavier and murkier.  Favorable winds continue through the weekend so I'm hoping for the warmup to continue.  We're still looking for that day when we can do a Big Bay swim.  

Hard Core

Next Swims: Today Wednesday August 5th, 6PM
Tomorrow Thursday August 6th, 6AM
Possibly Thursday at 6PM, check back
Friday August 7th, 6AM
Friday August 7th 11:30AM, meet in front of Discovery World to swim the USAT Nationals course

Last Swims:
Tuesday August 4th 6PM
Water Temp: 56
Waves: Calm
Water Clarity: Excellent
Crew: Nanook, Scarface, Slip-n-Slide, 2Ply, Silas, Liz, Erin, Patriarch, and Mitch swam before us
Wetsuit/Skin: 6/3
Pitsch: 8

Wednesday August 5th 6AM
Water Temp: 52
Waves: Calm
Water Clarity: Excellent
Crew: Kate, Showgirl, Gumdrop, Neo, Itch, Diablo, Scooby, Capt'n, Forger, Zoom Zoom
Wetsuit/Skin: 4/6

You would expect that the cold water temps of the last week would scare swimmers away.  But you would be wrong.  Instead of turning tail we've been toughening up.  I can remember the days when we thought 55 degree water was really really cold, and it took all our gumption just to accomplish a short swim in wetsuits.  Now we have a number of swimmers who brave water in the low fifties and even lower for swims of a mile and more.  Amazing!

Still, warmer water would be nice.  After ten days or more of strong offshore breezes the wind is finally turning onshore for a few days, so hopefully that will improve things.  

Bad Ass #3

Next Swim: Tonight Tuesday August 4th, 6PM
Wed, Thu, Friday August 5-7, 6AM
Also, possibly Wed & Thu at 6PM, check back

In addition we may swim the USAT Nationals course off Discovery World on Friday at lunchtime.  I am trying to learn more but in the past the course has been open for practice on Friday and we've been able to swim there.  It's behind the break wall and in an enclosed lagoon so it's generally much warmer and calmer than the open lake where we usually swim.

Last Swim:
Tuesday August 4th 6AM
Water Temp: 48
Waves: Calm
Water Clarity: Excellent
Crew: Nina, Showgirl, Itch, Diablo, and Scoobie on his paddle board and a bunch of us watching in envious amazement on shore.
Wetsuit/Skin: 1/3

Congratulations to Showgirl in earning membership in the Bad Ass Club this morning.  She joined Itch and Diablo in swimming a quarter mile skin in sub-50 water.  (Another way to be a bad ass is a one mile skin swim in sub-55 water.)

Despite the cold water we are coming back at 6PM tonight.  Yesterday the water warmed 10 degrees from 6AM to 6PM (47 to 57) and we are hoping today's bright sun and low winds will make it happen again.  

 

Mutiny! (Itch Made Us Do It)

Next Swims:  Tue - Fri, Aug 4-7, 6AM
Also possibly some 6PM swims, check back

Last Swim: Monday Aug 3rd, 6PM
Water Temp: 57
Waves: Calm
Water Clarity:  Good, surprisingly after last night's storms
Crew: Nancy North Shore, Mark, 2-Ply, No-Ply, Crash, Itch, Mitch, Capt'n, Super Hera, Patriarch
Wetsuit/Skin: 8/2
Pitsch: 5

Today I have a sad tale of a good man driven to mutiny by demon rum.  Capt'n had brought the Killepitsch for usual post-swim toast,  but then he and Super Hera took off on a late long swim, leaving the rest of us high and dry and thirsty.

The rest of us were patient but Itch's mad cravings would not wait.  With a crazed look in his eye he grabbed Capt'ns Pitsch and started guzzling straight out of the bottle.

"Stop, man, get a hold of yourself!",  I cried, "Capt'n will kill you!" But then Itch forced us all to join him at gunpoint. What were we to do?  

Bad Ass Kru members

Next Swims:
   Monday August 3rd @ 6pm
   Tuesday-Friday August 4th-7th @ 6am

Last Swim:
   Monday August 3rd @ 6am
      Water Temp: 46.4
      Waves: Occasional swell < 1ft
      Clarity: stirred up
      Crew: Diablo (skin), Itch (skin), Gumdrop (viking) with guest appearances by The Patriarch, Crash, Scarface, No-Ply, 2-Ply, Rosa, Capt'n

For the record, Diablo and Itch's SKIN swim today was the 3rd coldest ever at 46.4.  The record was set by Diablo and Nanook at 45.3 on August 27, 2013 with the second coldest skin swim occurring 1 day earlier at 46.2 and 3 swimming skin (Gumdrop, Nanook, Capt'n).

All these cold water skin swims have stirred up talk of starting a Bad Ass Kru.  The current proposal for membership to the Bad Ass Kru is to swim 1/4 mile skin (minimum distance to log a Klode Kru official swim) in sub 50 degree water or 1 mile skin in sub 55 degree water.  Of course all proposals must be blessed by The Patriarch and officially decreed at a Brethren Court.

For those worried that the lake temps have dropped into a bone chilling abyss never to return...it should be noted that the lake has a pleasant tendency to rebound nicely following Bad Ass Swims.  Most recently the 49 degree water encountered 9 days ago was followed up by 71 degree water just 2 days later.  When the record coldest skin swim was set in 2013 the water temp 2 days later was recorded at 65.  While there's certainly no guarantees for these tendencies to always happen there's certainly a possibility that they may continue.

Balls

Swims every weekday morning this week at 6AM (8/3 - 8/7)
Also: possibly some evening swims this week, check back.

Last Swim: Sunday August 2nd 10AM
Water Temp:  We recorded measurements from 50 to 59 near the beach, but pick any number you want and you could find a place and depth with that temp.  Cold and warm pockets and a steep thermocline.
Waves:  Calm
Water Clarity: Ultra HD Clear
Crew: Crash, Mark, North Shore Nancy, Capt'n, Showgirl, The Amazing One, Itch, Gumdrop, Kyle, Jess, Forger, Valerie, Kate, Diablo, Nanook, John, Erin, Gigi, Angela, Beth, Dan, Patriarch
Wetsuit/Skin: 14/8
Pitsch: 15

Despite continuing cold water temps we had another turnout of 20+ swimmers.  More like 30 if you count the tri group that swam after the main group of us finished.  Not just more swimmers, but tougher swimmers. Going longer distances including several skin swims of a mile or more.  Now if only those accursed big offshore winds would ever ease up and allow the surface water to warm up.  I'm dying to do a Big Bay swim, but we need mid to high sixties to consider it (or at least I do).

In other news:  It was nice to see The Amazing One join us, he's home for a week from Las Vegas.  And once again Showgirl put on a show, she emerged from the water and pulled her ball out of her suit bottom, golf ball that is.  Any of the regulars will tell you about the amazing number of golf balls on the lake bed.  The thing I don't understand is that they're not all in the same area but are scattered everywhere.  How did that happen?  Did the SS Titleist go down in a storm?  Perhaps we should have a contest to see who can show the most balls.    

Celebrations

Next Swims:  Sunday August 2nd 10 AM at Klode Beach
Note:  In the previous post I suggested we might do a Shipwreck Swim on Sunday but I am postponing because of the forecast.  Best shipwreck viewing happens on a sunny day with calm water but storms are forecast tomorrow so we will do it another day.

Also: Swims every weekday morning this week at 6AM (8/3 - 8/7)
Also possibly some evening swims this week, check back.

Last Swims:  Blue Moon Swim Friday July 31st 7:45 PM
Water Temp: 55
Waves: Calm
Water Clarity: Excellent
Crew:

We had a fantastic view of the rising moon from the water.  Pictures can't capture it and so I won't try.

After the swim many of us celebrated at the Three Lions Pub until almost midnight and after most of us went home, I heard a rumor about some of the group closing Wolski's.  I think everyone had a great time but it appears Capt'n had an exceptionally good time.  Take a look at his back this morning.  Apparently he forgot the "safe word".

Saturday August 1st 10AM:
Water Temp: 57
Waves: Calm
Water Clarity:  Super Ultra HD Clear
Crew: Diablo, Showgirl, Kahuna, Mark, North Shore Nancy, 2-Ply, Kate, Jackie, Crash, Liz, Capt'n, Mr. Anonymous
Wetsuit/Skin: 8/5
Pitsch: 9

A magical summer morning.  Hundreds of bright shiny dragonflies danced in the sky reflected in the water by huge schools of shimmering small fish.

And we had even more reason to celebrate; three new swimming names.  North Shore Nancy is North Shore Nancy because she is one.  2-Ply is 2-Ply because he used two wetsuits while his wife had none.  And Scarface is Scarface because you don't f*** with her.

Speaking of swimming names, Kahuna is paying dearly for naming his wife Squeezeakuhana in this blog.  If you have any rooms for rent you might want to let him know.