Upwelling Continued

Next Swims: Thursday 8/20 @ 6AM and Friday 8/21 @ 6AM
Also, possibly Thursday @6PM (but no Wed 6PM swim)

After Friday morning's swim we will stop for a quick breakfast somewhere (Stone Creek? Collectivo?).   Those of us doing the Great Lake Plunge on Saturday can plan our strategy (my strategy: survival).   Please join us even if you're not Plunging.

Speaking of the Plunge, I will be driving and could take three others.  I plan to leave at 5:30 AM.  Let me know if you're interested, or come to the breakfast Friday and we can plan car pools.

Last Swims: Tuesday 8/18 6PM
Water Temp: 57
Waves: Very choppy
Water Clarity: OK
Crew: Kim, Crash, Itch, Jack Frost, Mark, Brennan, Patriarch, with North Shore Nancy cheering us on from shore
Wetsuit/Skin: 7/1
Pitsch: 8

Wednesday 8/19 6AM
Water Temp: 51!
Waves: 1 foot rollers
Water Clarity: OK
Wetsuit/Skin: 4/4
Crew: Nivens McTwist, Kahuna, Forger, Super Hera, Itch, Showgirl, Panini, Diablo, with me, Capt'n, Scarface and Crash wimping out and watching from shore

The upwelling I wrote of in yesterday's blog has continued and intensified.  The water temperature has dropped to 51, possibly even colder away from shore.  And strong offshore winds make for slim chances of any improvement today.

Because of the cold water many swimmers cut their swim short, and some of us didn't swim at all (or as Capt'n likes to say - we made it to Toe Stubber- the submerged rock a couple feet offshore).  However a brave few saw the cold water as a challenge.  Today Super Hera swam a full mile in 50 degree water, she wore a wetsuit, but that's still a long time in cold choppy water.  And last night Mark and Crash and
Jack Frost ventured a short skin swim in choppy 57 degree water, which I believe is probably the coldest water they've experienced skin.  Outstanding job!

I suppose it's time to start obsessing about the conditions for Saturday's Plunge, but if there's one thing I've learned about Lake Michigan swimming is that you've just got to roll with it.  I really want to swim skin, but if it's too cold and rough for that, no shame in donning the wetsuit, and if it's too cold for that we'll just head for breakfast somewhere.