If You Can Dodge a Wrench

Last Wednesday evening’s TNT open water swim (OWS) was lightly attended, mostly because team members were on summer vacations.  However, another possible factor (and by possible, I mean like a .000001% chance) in our low turnout rate was that the weatherbugs on the team realized what most of us did not, namely that the 14 mile per hour winds that swept across the Long Island Sound would result in pretty choppy conditions.  By pretty choppy, I mean consistent 3 to 4-foot swells and an occasional 5-foot swell, for good measure.  If you are skeptical about my claims, take a look at this report for Friday, Saturday and Sunday of this week (note (i) the wind speed chart and then (ii) the wave height chart, below it). 

I was taken back around 16 years, when I used to do a bit of boogey boarding off of Long Beach (yes, that Long Beach, which was on the news all weekend during hurricane/tropical storm Irene coverage).  I tried to get out to the beach on windier days, when the waves were larger, even going out once when the waves were gigantic (8 to 10-foot swells), thanks to a hurricane off the coast of North Carolina.  Yeah, I was one of the idiots out there that the news reporters love to point out “those maniac surfers who just won’t listen to the authorities”.  In full disclosure, the Long Beach lifeguards were on duty and, not only were they on duty, it was the first time and last time that I have ever seen every single lifeguard not only actually out of their chair/station, but they were actually standing in the ocean with the water up to their calves.  Last Wednesday’s waves were not hurricane-esque waves, but I can say confidently that they were equal to the ocean’s churn on a windy day (minus the hard break of the waves at shore).  As a result, our coaches cut our planned swim routine in about ½, a few people headed back to shore early and there were a few cases of seasickness.

Fortunately, last night’s OWS presented a kinder, gentler Long Island Sound.  Those of us who were at last week’s OWS could barely recognize the placid water that presented itself to us.  We swam long and hard, with little drama, other than the fact that I swam into a sizable branch, head on - undoubtedly a parting gift from Irene.  After swimming back to shore, those of us who were at last week’s OWS commented on how nice and easy it was to swim this time around.  I guess the saying is true - CLICK HERE! 

For a more extended clip, and for those of you who haven’t seen “Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story”, you can CLICK HERE.