Swim across Lake Washington
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Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9939
Printed Date: 26 Apr 2024 at 10:22am
Topic: Swim across Lake Washington
Posted By: ChristianKnight
Subject: Swim across Lake Washington
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2010 at 10:13am
Anyone for a swim? Across Lake Washington, from Denny Park (just north of Kirkland) to Matthews Beach in Seattle. It's a little more than a mile across, roughly 1.25 miles according to my GPS. Rob and I have done it four times (maybe three). I've gotten thigh cramps at the end every time. Also, one of those times we had a kayaker with us for visibility. She got bored. Another time we tied helium balloons to our ankles. Helium seems to be attracted to water, though. Another time Rob tied an inflatable pool mattress to his ankle for safety and visibility. That slowed us down. So the last time, we just swam.
Always feels so good (on both ends of the lake).
So who's with me?!
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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Replies:
Posted By: James
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2010 at 10:18am
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what is rob going to rig up this time? when are you making your swim? Seafair weekend is going to be a bit wild!
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Posted By: rokmnky
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2010 at 1:08pm
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I'll jump in with you guys. Preferably sometime mid week when the damn boats are all docked. Ive been doing mile laps in greenlake. It would be good to get more distance.
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Posted By: fiddleyak
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2010 at 1:49pm
I've been wanting to do this!
I tend to be kayaking on weekends, so let me know if this happens on a weekday late afternoon/evening.
Ben
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Posted By: Ummm?
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2010 at 9:00pm
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The crew I sometimes swim with are in the water at 6AM to avoid boat traffic and to get to respective jobs during the week. I was just looking at that swim from Magnuson this afternoon. If you folks go Monday or Tuesday morn next week (aug 9-10), I'm game.
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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2010 at 7:40am
Looks like it's going to cool down for the next five or six days or so. I'm planning on making the crossing on the next hot day. Late afternoon. Weekday. Remember: don't eat less than 30 minutes before entering the water. (You might get cramps).
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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Posted By: rokmnky
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2010 at 7:58am
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6am is too early for me, besides, I go into work at 7. Christian Im with you for a hot day in the evening.
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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2010 at 3:27pm
Date: To help us all plan for the swim, let's just plan on the next weekday that is 80º or warmer.
Time: how about 4 p.m. That would put us on the other side by 5:30.
Meet: I'd say meet at Matthews Beach, which tends to shade out earlier, but, of course, that might present a logistical problem. I'm okay with riding the bus over there and swimming back to Denny Park. What do you guys think?
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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Posted By: matthewphoto
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2010 at 1:45pm
Keep me posted. I'd definitely be interested.
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Posted By: rokmnky
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2010 at 7:35am
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4 might be a little tight for me but if we have the day figured out ahead of time I can take off early.
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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2010 at 2:51pm
Swim Across Lake Washington
Date: August 18, Wednesday
Time: 4 p.m.
Place: Denny Park to Matthews Beach (or vice versa)
How does this sound?
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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Posted By: matthewphoto
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2010 at 5:41pm
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sounds good. what do you guys usually wear on the swim?
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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2010 at 10:41am
Weather's changing. Wednesday, our scheduled date is going to be 74º. No thanks. Sunday is forecasted at 93º. That's when we'll want to swim.
I know there'll be boats. I'm okay with them. We just need a kayaker and we might have one. What do you guys think?
Rob is down for Sunday. I'm down for Sunday. What about the rest of you?
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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Posted By: fiddleyak
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2010 at 12:37pm
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I say stick with a weekday. Who says kayakers need warm weather to get in the water!?
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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2010 at 1:31pm
Monday?
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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Posted By: fiddleyak
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2010 at 4:28pm
I'll down for Monday at 4, Shauna is willing to kayak along.
I'm on the Westside, any ideas on how we'll do shuttle?
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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date Posted: 12 Aug 2010 at 8:31pm
My plan was to ride the bus ahead of time, to the put-in from the take-out. Would be a bit of a hassle, but would save a much bigger hassle afterwards.
Monday rush-hour would not be fun. I'm okay with taking the bus to the Westside and then heading home. But I won't be able to run a shuttle back.
I do think the swim from west to east would be better—more sunshine going in that direction. But the difference is negligible. Rob is in as well. And maybe some others? If you're bus-averse, you could probably work a shuttle with one of them.
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date Posted: 13 Aug 2010 at 9:33am
Okay, final revision of plans:
We're sticking with Wednesday, even though it'll be 75º instead of 85º. The water might be a smidgen warmer on Wednesday. We'll meet at 4:30 p.m. Logistics could involve a bus or boats or cars. I'm opting for the bus, I think.
Let me know if you're going to show, that way we won't leave without you.
So far, it's Rob, Darren Albright, Ben Hawthorne, Matt?, and Dave. Anyone else?
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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Posted By: matthewphoto
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2010 at 8:58am
Wednesday works great for me I believe. I know I asked this before, but what do you guys wear for the swim? just trunks or wetsuits, etc.?
-matthew
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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2010 at 10:46am
Sorry Matt. I meant to answer this question.
I've tried an assortment of things to wear. While swimming across the Columbia in Hood River, I wore Kokatat's Surfskin shorts. Bad idea. I ended up stripping them off (yes, ladies, I was naked) and gave them to Bryan Urakawa, who swam with them for me. (He was training for an Ironman and swam across the river (about 1 mile) in about 30 minutes.)
I've tried baggy swim trunks, which creates a lot of drag. The other day, I wore a pair of biking spandex. I think I'll be wearing those again. They were light, frictionless.
Rob wears his Nookie wet suit pants.
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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Posted By: James
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2010 at 10:57am
I used to swim on year round teams and such, when we started swimming open water these were pretty popular too, they are also cheap and you can pick them up all over the place..
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f116/kwhettam/Mens_Thong_Swimwear1small.jpg - Older Version - More for comfort
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Posted By: fiddleyak
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2010 at 6:45pm
430 on Wednesday sounds good. Shauna's going to kayak along with us.
Logistics:
I don't have time to set a car on the east if we are swimming west-east. If someone is able to do this to return to the westside afterward, that would be great.
Otherwise, I think I'll either swim back or bring an innertube in the kayak and attach it to the kayak for the return trip.
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Posted By: matthewphoto
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2010 at 8:50pm
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See you all tomorrow at 4:30! Meet at Denny Park correct? Do we still have kayak support by the way?
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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2010 at 9:11am
We're working on logistics right now. Unless you hear otherwise, meet at Matthews Beach in Seattle.
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2010 at 9:13am
What works better for you guys? Swimming from Kirkland to Seattle or from Seattle to Kirkland?
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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Posted By: James
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2010 at 9:30am
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What way is the wind blowing?
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Posted By: fiddleyak
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2010 at 9:34am
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I'm not sure if I can make it to Kirkland by 430, so I vote to start in Seattle. Shauna is gong to come along in a kayak.
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Posted By: matthewphoto
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2010 at 12:06pm
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brrrrrrrrrrr....this morning is not doing much for my motivation.
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Posted By: ChristianKnight
Date Posted: 18 Aug 2010 at 1:07pm
I hope by now, everyone who is not going to swim has given up on this thread. It's really bad content, unless you're swimming.
So Matt, it seems we are meeting at Denny Park on the Kirkland side at 4:30. Don't worry about the clouds, they'll lift and once you're in the lake, you'll be glad you came. Looking forward to it!
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Catch your eddies,
Christian
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