Contributed by Guy Davis, Jennifer Downing, Bob Fernald, & Elaine Howley
Happy spring, and we hope you and your families are safe and well. In these disrupted times, our greatest responsibility is to do what we must to minimize the consequences of this public health crisis for the community and especially for vulnerable individuals. But at the same time, we need to find ways of staying sane and healthy in the face of a very uncertain timeline.
As swimmers, most of us are facing pool and gym closures. This reality is hard on many swimmers who find not just physical, but mental health benefits from swimming regularly. We have already seen many creative adaptations to these restrictions with a great deal of information shared online to help redesign and redirect our fitness regimens.
With most (if not all) pools across our LMSC closed for the foreseeable future, it’s not just the open water die-hards who are eagerly waiting for the lakes and ocean to warm up before beginning their regular outdoor training. While swimming in open water is an appealing option in light of the current public health crisis, we want to raise a few points of consideration before you do. This advice is aimed primarily at first-timers who might be looking to try open water swimming as an early-season substitute while our pools remain closed, but open water veterans should also take heed of these important precautions we raise below.
It’s important to remember that social distancing remains a public health imperative. In the southern states, where waters are already warm enough for swimming, throngs of spring breakers led to the closure of many beaches and other open water swimming venues. Currently, this isn’t a big issue in the Northeast because it’s still too cold for most would-be beachgoers and open water swimmers. But closures may well become a reality here as our own weather warms and the pandemic widens. The closure of the L Street Bathhouse in Boston is perhaps a foretaste of future restrictions.
Even with some venues still “open” for open water swimming, these are likely to be “less traveled” and therefore less regulated and potentially less safe. Safety has a more important public health dimension now than ever before—any private actions that lead to unnecessary demands on our overburdened emergency and health services are particularly problematic in these times when our first responders and hospitals are already facing unprecedented pressure. If you get into trouble in open water and need assistance or care, you’re diverting public health resources and emergency responders who are needed to cope with other emergencies. You’re also potentially putting those responders and caregivers at risk, too.
With all this in mind, we thought it might be helpful to share a few broad thoughts and perspectives with our less experienced open water swimming members, or those who might be thinking about trying it for the first time. Should you decide to venture into the open water over the next month or two, please carefully consider all aspects of the public health situation and check out the pointers and resources we’ve provided below.
Disclaimer: The following advice represents the views and expertise of several seasoned open water swimmers and should not be taken as an official recommendation from the NELMSC.
