Last Swims: Saturday 8/13 1PM & Sunday 6PM (with 12pm & 1pm scouting trips)
Saturday Conditions:
Saturday Conditions:
Water Temp: 68 & rain
Waves: calm
Water Clarity: no report
Crew: The Patriarch, Diablo, Eileen, Mike
Sunday Conditions:
Water Temp: 70.2
Waves: frequent 4-6ft (12 & 1pm), 1-3ft (6PM)
Water Clarity: stirred-up
Crew: (6pm)The Patriarch, Gumdrop, Sir James, Capt'n with special guest appearances from Eric & Berkley
Crew: (mid-day) Gumdrop, e-Run, Dave, Capt'n with special guest appearances from Eric & Berkley
The waves mid-Sunday weren't the biggest or worst waves we've swam in but they were certainly wicked enough to permanently sink yer ship if you weren't careful....if ya' know what I mean.
The waves Sunday afternoon were probably the biggest we've seen this year and very frequent...spaced approximately 2-3 seconds apart. Swimmable, if you're daring but you need to be careful not lose your wits otherwise you may lose something of greater value.
Of the 4 crew members who walked the mid-day plank today only one successfully navigated back to their point of origin. The others were forced to make exits at locations dictated by the Lady of the lake. As one crew member described their experience:
"The Lady told me in no uncertain terms today who the bitch is as she mercifully spat me back to shore."
Navigating the currents and waves requires patience, saavy and a wee bit of luck. Always be mindful of the direction of the current, be aware of your surroundings at all times (i.e. know where those rock piles are!), scout out where the sand bars are (...they are NOT your friend...but rather the gatekeeper to calmer water), have a backup exit strategy and most importantly, never ever panic.
Upon returning this evening the conditions had settled down a bit. The waves were still as frequent but not nearly has big. Playing it safe, the crew launched from Klode's north beach to minimize the challenges of the northeasterly current and the Klode rock piles. While the swim out towards the sandbars was quite turbulent, once you made it outside of the sandbars the waves were a lot most hospitable....becoming almost nonexistent. Sir James reported that his swim out past Mudslide took 12 minutes while the journey back took just 8.
1 comment:
My swim with Dave Larson went from super-hilariously fun Noah's Ark wave pool adventure to "oh no I have to become a rock climber." We "swam" out a little bit after playing around smashing into the huge waves, and that quickly turned into us trying to get back to shore however we could. I climbed onto the rock wall the lake "brought" me to near the shore and had to make my way up the bluff. Not a smart idea. Sometimes bad decisions make for good stories, though.
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