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Open Water Swimming
By Jim Hinton
I would love the opportunity to encourage swimmers to take part in the open water swim held in beautiful Asheville North Carolina. Asheville Masters Swimming hosts the Steve Barden Memorial Swim Meet held annually in September. The last few years the water was 78 degrees, the air was crisp and the mountains in the background breathtaking.
I was fortunate enough to live on the island of Bermuda from 1987-2004 where I was in the hotel business. After just one year I married a lovely German named Barbara and then had two beautiful daughters, Theresia and Daniela. Our family moved to Asheville, NC in 2004 due to a hurricane that temporarily closed the hotel down where I was employed.
I became very interested in open water swimming shortly after my arrival to Bermuda and triathlons followed a few years thereafter. The climate in Bermuda was perfect for year round training and the crystal blue waters made a long ocean swim truly spectacular. I preferred swimming on top of the water and enjoying the pink sand, coral reefs and colorful tropical fish. There was always the occasion to become very alert when a sea ray or barracuda swam right below you but it soon became something to look forward to rather than to be frightened of.
I will always treasure the mornings we would start our swims in Harrington Sound before the sun rise. Because the sound was fed by an inlet from the ocean, it was usually calm and more protected than the open water. It was a little intimidating swimming by the moon light and not clearly seeing what all the shapes were below you, but the fact you had three or four of your buddies swimming next to you raised the comfort level. As the sun started to rise the schools of smaller fish would start swimming and jumping along side of you shimmering in the sun light.
During the 16 years of being in the open water an average of three times a week, there were only two things that were very annoying. First is the Remora or commonly known as the "Shark Sucker" These host fish who are not the prettiest looking things have a sucking disc on the top of their head. They attach themselves to sharks, sea turtles and once in awhile some poor swimmer just out trying to get a little exercise. They will not hurt you but having anything try to attach itself to you in the open water other than another human can be a frightful experience.
My first encounter with a Remora was when I was swimming alone in the early mourning. I did not know anything about my new little friend so when it started to bump on to my chest I can not even explain what was going through my mind. After many thumps I eventually had to get on my side and tred water about a half mile to the beach where I started. I used the other hand to keep him from getting on me. He swam a couple of feet below me the entire trip just starring and waiting for clear shot. When I finally made it to shore I felt as though I had just run a marathon!! A good lesson to be learned is "do not swim by yourself, especially when there are cliffs along the shore that prevent you from a quick escape" The other few times I ran into a Remora was when I was swimming with company. This was after I had learned about the fish and its habits. It actually became humorous because if one started to thump you, the quickest way to get rid of him was to move over close to one of the other swimmers, you get the picture.
The second annoying thing is the Man-O-War. Actually they are more than just annoying because they can hurt you bad! Man-O-Wars have a gas filled body which is a translucent blue and floats on top of the water. Underneath their body are a cluster of polyps or tentacles that can reach to 150 feet in length. If you swim regularly in open water during the warmer months, you watch the weather forecast like a hawk. If anyone asked me in Bermuda what the weather was going to be like the next day, I could not only tell them the air and sea surface temperature but also the wind direction and speed! During the warmer months it was important to know the wind direction as this would dictate which side of the island you would swim on to stay away from the Man-O-Wars. Although I prided myself on being one of the most careful swimmers in regards to these creatures, my day finally came.
I checked my usual swimming cove and there was one Man-O-War washed up on the beach. That was enough for me because if you see one, there are usually others. I drove to another smaller cove at a hotel where the water was very easy to survey. It was all clear, until my third lap. The sensation is much like touching a 110 voltage outlet if you have ever been dumb enough to do that. Obviously I have, which is why I am not an electrician. The worst part is that the sting is continuous and can last for hours. I jumped up (because I was only in 4 feet of water) and ran down the beach towards the hotel dive shop where luckily they were just opening. It was then I noticed the bubble drop off and I had tentacles hanging from both my arm pits and across my chin.
I yelled "Get the vinegar and water solution out of my swim bag!" I had carried this solution around for 6 years and finally got a chance to use it. The other alternative was to have someone urinate on me. Way too early in the morning for that! Either the urine or the vinegar supposedly takes away some of the sting but I didnÕt notice. After they peeled the tentacles off my body being very careful not to touch them, I sat in the dive shop in a cool place just shaking. I thought I would be OK but then my chest felt a little tight. I was not going to let a Man-O-War take me out so I went to the hospital. They actually shaved me to get every last tentacle removed and then pressed warm towels on my injuries. That did relieve the pain and all I was left with were red scars that looked like whip marks. They lasted about three months. I bet you wonÕt mess around with a Man-O-War after reading this!
Now that I have totally put you off from swimming in the open water, I want to encourage you to come to come out and swim the open water course at Biltmore Lake. There are no Man-O-War or Remora fish to worry about. Because it is a fresh water lake anything alive in the waters is more frightened of you than you of it!
ASHEVILLE MASTERS SWIMMING
Website by Nathan Hart - flyguy1992@bellsouth.net
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