Saturday, June 21, 2014

Saturday June 21st Swim Plans

Next Swims:
   Saturday June 21st @ Noon
   Saturday June 21st @ 6pm followed by Pirates Pizza Night

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Pirates Nearly Come to Blows!

Next Swim: ?? Please comment if you plan a swim this week.  (I have relatives visiting until Friday, I can't commit to anything before Saturday.)  If nothing else we will definitely be planning swims for this weekend.  We finally have some hot sunny weather which should raise the water temp.

Last Swim:  Sunday June 15 noon
Water Temp: 54
Waves:  1-2 ft very irregular, choppy and building
Water Clarity:  poor
Crew:  Diablo, Kahuna, Andy, Gumdrop, Andy, Capt'n, Patriarch
Wetsuits:  Everyone except Diablo who is becoming our most hardcore cold water swimmer

Pirates of legend fight over booty, but our sorry pirates Capt'n and Kahuna nearly came to blows over a dispute about the depth of the Appomattox shipwreck.  Capt'n says 10-12 feet, Kahuna says 20-25.  How can we settle this before one runs a sword through the other?  Someone will have to take a kayak or paddle board out there on a calm clear day and measure it.

Anyhow, here is a website with much more information about the ship and the storm that sunk it, with pictures of the ship and the underwater wreck.
http://www.wisconsinshipwrecks.org/explore_appomattox_serv.cfm   

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Sensational Shipwreck Swim

Next Swim:  Sunday June 15th @ noon

Last Swim Saturday June 14th @ noon (Atwater Beach)
   Water Temp:  58 near shore / low 50's away from shore
   Waves:  Calm
   Clarity:  crystal clear
   Crew:  The Patriarch, Diablo, Kahuna, Joe, Capt'n
   Suits / Skin:  4 / 1

Yo ho ho....what a show!  With the exception of water temp today's shipwreck swim may quite possibly have been the most sensational show ever.   The water was crystal clear, the surface was calm and the sand that typically covers sections of the wreck appeared to have been recently swept away.  The entire massive hull of the Appomattox was clearly visible and easy to follow.  According to my GPS visiting the site required less than a 1/4 swim...and if you/re daring enough (...like Kahuna and I...) swimming down to walk the plank requires you to plunge only about 10ft.  (...a challenging feat indeed when you're wearing a wetsuit...)

Following today's swim the entire Kru enjoyed a delicious BBQ Chicken and/or Rib lunch, a few pints of grog and live music....all compliments of the Shorewood Men's club.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Friday Morning Update

During my morning run I stopped at Big Bay to take a temperature reading.  I got 51, a bit too cold for me.  So I think I will pass on a Friday afternoon or full moon swim, and hope for warmer water tomorrow for the "shipwreck" swim:

On Saturday we will do a "shipwreck" swim at noon from Atwater Beach (Lake Drive & Capitol Drive), followed (optionally) by lunch on the bluff.   Meet at the beach overlook near the flagpole.  It will be busy you may need to park a couple blocks away.   

Tickets for the Shorewood Men's Club Barbecue are being sold by Kahuna in advance or day of.  More info:  http://shorewoodmensclub.org

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Me Myself and I

Next Swims:
Gumdrop is swimming today Thursday @ 4PM, email him if interested.  His email is in blogger profile: https://www.blogger.com/profile/16653021692065113816 (sorry I can't make it)

On Saturday we will do a "shipwreck" swim at noon from Atwater Beach (Lake Drive & Capitol Drive), followed (optionally) by lunch on the bluff.  Tickets for the Shorewood Men's Club Barbecue are being sold by Kahuna in advance or day of.  More info:  http://shorewoodmensclub.org

Last Swim:  Thursday 6/12 6AM
Water Temp: 51
Waves: Calm
Water Clarity:  Surprisingly clear, usually after a big rain the near shore is cloudy with runoff and sediment, but not today
Crew:  Me, Myself, and I

Well since no one else showed up this morning I presume that means the morning crew needs warmer water to lure you out of bed, not that I blame you.   It's too bad because the lake was extraordinarily beautiful this morning in a fog shrouded melancholy sort of way.  Anyhow, since the water temp is likely to stay the same or even go lower    I won't be showing up tomorrow morning.

Last night I talked to a bunch of swimmers at the Superrun in Lake Park, all anxious to swim but hoping for warmer water.  It will happen eventually of course, but it's frustrating in the mean time.   

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Too cold. Too dark. Too windy. Too rainy.

Next Swims:
Thursday 6/12 6AM

Gumdrop wants to swim Thursday @ 4PM, email him if interested.  His email is in blogger profile: https://www.blogger.com/profile/16653021692065113816 (sorry I can't make it)

We will probably do a Friday morning swim at 6AM, check blog tomorrow.

Also, Friday the full moon rises over the lake at 9PM exactly.  The weatherman predicts clear skies so the viewing should be great.  If interested in a "full moon swim" please comment.

On Saturday we will do a "shipwreck" swim at noon from Atwater Beach (Lake Drive & Capitol Drive), followed (optionally) by lunch on the bluff.  Tickets for the Shorewood Men's Club Barbecue are being sold by Kahuna in advance or day of.  More info:  http://shorewoodmensclub.org

Great minds think alike.  This morning Bubba and I independently came to the same conclusion, it was too cold, too dark, too windy and too rainy to swim.  I know, I know.  We're wimps.  We've swum in worse.  But here's the choice:  extra shuteye in a nice warm bed, or go swimming knowing that you will be exiting the water in a cold rain.  Chills and even hypothermia are going to set in very quickly.  You can try to mitigate the chills by immediately running up the bluff, not even stopping to remove a wetsuit, jump in the car, crank the heat and change into dry warm clothes as quickly as possible (made more difficult by numb hands).  It might keep you warm, probably not.

I turned off the alarm, rolled over, and went back to sleep.


Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Old Friends

Next Swim: Wednesday 6/11 6AM (unless it's raining heavily, which is possible according to the weather man)

I seem to be running into anxious swimmers everywhere.  Yesterday it was Coach Dom (the Shorewood High track and cross country coach).  Everyone has the same question:  when the heck is the lake going to warm up?

 Bubba to the rescue!  In the blog comments he reported swimming by himself Monday and Tuesday morning.   That's double good news.  First it's good to hear he's been swimming again, we thought he was injured.  More importantly, he reports water temperatures in the mid-50's.  OK that's not warm exactly, but certainly better than the 40's we've seen recently.  Apparently onshore winds we've had the last few days are finally blowing in some warmer water.

Bubba, I for one will be happy to join you tomorrow (weather permitting).

Also, we hope to do a "shipwreck" swim on Saturday at noon at Atwater Beach, followed by the Shorewood Men's Club barbecue on the bluff overlooking the beach.  Kahuna is selling tickets.  A shipwreck swim is a swim to the wreck of the steamship Appomattox which lies about a quarter mile offshore, it's quite a sight but we need clear calm water for best viewing.

P.S.  To Terri P who asked a question about PM swims on weekdays.  Yes, we will do that when the water warms up a bit more, stay tuned.