Jinxed!

Next Swim:  TBD  (next weekend?  Post a date/time if you're interested)

Last Swim:  Monday May 26th @ 11am

Conditions:
      Water Temp:  49.4 Captn-o-Meter / 48 Kahun-o-meter
      Air Temp:  74 & Sunny
      Waves:  rippled surface
      Clarity:  Crystal Clear with occasional little fish sightings
      Crew:  Diablo, Gumdrop, Kahuna, David, Ele, Nick, Capt'n with special guest appearances by Nivens McTwisp & Blackstone and Gigi
      Suit Count: 6
      Skin Count: 1
      Pitsch Count: 7

With a humid air temp firmly in 70's, an overnight low that was on the plus side of sixty and a very gentle southwesterly breeze the conditions looked favorable for even better swim conditions than yesterday....or so we thought.  If it's one thing we've learned over the years, "never try and predict the lake temp"....especially when you're close enough for the Lady of the Lake to hear you!

While most of us were expecting to enjoy water temps in the neighborhood of 60 we were all shocked by our initial reading of 53 by the south rock piles.  Of course we were even more shocked when we encountered the 48 degree water while venturing out on today's swim adventure.  Still, Diablo persisted and logged a skin swim to garage and back while a few others logged a Cedar Grove swim.

No plans have been set yet for our next swim.  Rest assured there will definitely be mid-day swims next Saturday and Sunday.  If you have a preferred time, or if you're interested in swimming this week please post a comment.

Strip-n-Dip Season Opening Swim

Next Swim:  Monday (Memorial Day) May 26th @ 11am

Last Swim:  Sunday May 25th @ 1pm

Swim Conditions:
   Water Temp:  57.2+  (warmer away from the rock piles)
   Air Temp:  71 & sunny with light wind from SE
   Waves:  light chop from south
   Clarity: crystal clear with frequent little fish sightings
   Crew:  Diablo, Gumdrop, Kahuna, Neo, Riptide, Zoom-Zoom, Capt'n with special guest appearances by Scooby & Eye Candy and Zoom-Megan
   Suit Count:   5
   Skin Count: 2
   Pitsch Count: 6

Wow...after the winter and spring we've had who would have predicted season opening conditions like this!?!?  If you would have asked me in March I wouldn't have been shocked to see icebergs still floating in the bay and today's swim akin to more of a polar bear plunge than a full fledged swim.

For the record, today's water temp was 5 degrees warmer than last years season opening swim.  The water temp registered 57.2 on the Captn-o-meter and 13.8C on the Scientific-o-meter.  All Kru members noted though that the coldest water was at our launch site with the water along our route south to the Silver Spring downspout feeling at least a few degrees warmer.  (60+?)  Perhaps the only downsides to today's swim were the slightly choppy waves and occasional patches of floating debris.  (weeds?)

Following our initial swim all Kru members performed the "Strip-n-dip" ritual whereby we shed our wetsuits and ventured out for a skin swim.  Both Diablo and I completed the quarter mile swim to Picnic table and back to log the seasons first official skin swims.  To celebrate our most excellent Season Opening swim the Kru enjoyed a round of Pitsch...highlighted by Kahuna's unique technique that can best be likened to someone who has never had a shot of Pitsch before.  (Obviously Kahuna must not have practiced much over the long winter months.)

Current Conditions - Saturday May 24th at 1pm

Less than 24 hours until the first official Klode Kru swim of the season.  In hindsight, had I known the conditions were going to be this nice I would most certainly have set today as the date for our first 'official' swim.  (...of course some of us may have already ventured out for a swim...but...the Klode Kru Code dictates that a blessing or proclamation from The Patriarch must be obtained first before a swim can be declared as an 'Official Klode Kru' swim.)

1pm Klode Conditions:
   Water Temp:  56.1 (54.3 right next to the NE rock pile)
   Air Temp:  68 & sunshine
   Waves:  None...virtual sheet of glass
   Clarity:  Crystal clear with frequent sightings of small fish

Next Swim:
   Sunday May 25th @ 1pm (Klode)

Note:  Klode's Northeast beach (the beach between Klode's 2 most northern rock piles) appears to currently be the best location to walk the plank from.  Let's plan to meet there Sunday.

Traditional First Klode Kru Swim of the 2014 Season

Ahoy Mates!  Memorial Day weekend is traditionally when we log our first 'official' swim of the season.  Surprisingly the maps are indicating that the surface water is nearing 50...stay tuned though for an official reading from the Captn-o-meter.

How about we meet at Klode at 1pm Sunday fer our first plank walk of 2014?  Of course there will be plenty of Pitsch for everyone on hand to celebrate the occasion!

....please post a comment and let me know if yer alive or dead...and if yer 'in' fer Sunday.  :)

Great Open Water Swimming Story and Video

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2611777/Dolphins-scare-shark-British-swimmers-8-hour-challenge.html

The nearshore marine forecast is predicting waves as high as 12 feet Monday.  I can't recall ever seeing a prediction like that.  If it comes true it should be an awesome sight.

Goose update:  Two female geese are sitting on nests on the island in the Estabrook Park lagoon, guarded by a lone male.  I expect the eggs to hatch in about a week.  

Lake Michigan Dreaming

For the past three springs I have watched geese laying eggs and hatching goslings on the pond in Estrabrook Park near my house.  Every year two females make nests and lay eggs on the small island in the middle of the pond, and they are guarded by one male who swims back and forth.  Here is a picture from two years ago of two of the adults and a few of the newly hatched goslings.

But this year the pond is frozen solid and for the past several days the three adults have been pacing at the side of the pond apparently waiting for the ice to melt.

I empathize with the geese as I gaze over the Lake and wonder when it will be warm enough to swim again.  Six weeks?  Eight?  All the ice on the lake may mean a slower warmup this year, or maybe not.  I read in an article that even a complete freeze over has little long term impact on lake temperatures.

In the meantime I've been dreaming (literally in my sleep) about the day when we can take our first plunge.  And I've been reading the latest book by our heroine Lynne Cox, "Open Water Swimming Manual" (highly recommended).

By the way, if anyone is interested in the Big Shoulders Swim this year (Sept. 6th in Chicago) better act  fast as it is nearly full already!

P.S.  To Kevin and anyone else interested in joining us, all you need to do is show up on the beach and introduce yourself.  Watch this blog for dates and times.  If we're lucky we'll start swimming at the end of May, but June is more likely.

Who Knew?

I always thought that winter cold water swimming was something done by drunks, daredevils, cranks, and eccentrics.  But I was wrong.  In Europe at least, there are lots of regular people who swim outdoors all winter.  Kahuna found this article on the New York Times website:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/20/world/europe/defying-winters-dreariness-with-an-arctic-embrace.html?_r=1&

I remain unconvinced.  My preferred method of dealing with the "dreariness" of winter is to hit the ski trail.  Actually if I had to pick one word to describe this winter it wouldn't be "dreary" it would be "awesome".  Best in years.  We're all a little crazy in our own way, right?