DISCLAIMER: Open-water swimming is inherently dangerous. Open-water swimmers risk drowning, hypothermia, hyperthermia, heart attacks, panic attacks, cramping, jelly fish stings, fish bites, boat or jet-ski collisions, collisions with floating or submerged objects (including other swimmers), and other calamities that can be injurious, disabling or fatal! The "West Neck Pod" is an informal association of open-water swimmers who swim "outside the lines" with no lifeguard protection, it has no formal membership, organizational structure or legal identity, and its participants, including the author of this blog, make no representations and assume no liability with respect to its group open-water swims. All swimmers who participate in West Neck Pod group open-water swims do so at their own risk. Be careful out there!

Friday, October 1, 2010

First October Swim a Wash-Out!

Rob Martell, the newly anointed "Paul Revere" of the West Neck Pod, sounded the e-mail alarm early this morning for those intent on taking to the Salt for the first October swim of the 2010 season. Although Rob had predicted we'd face windy, choppy conditions in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Nicole, the remnants of the storm exceeded his expectations, and he wound up giving the win to Nicole:

"Calling this one as a NO swim day. The waves and sweep are extremely dangerous for anyone. Sorry for the bad news but it's gusting at the beach at 30 maybe 40 and the sweep would push people to CT and no way to swim back to the beach. For those that can swim tomorrow, it's to be sunny day."
The news left the Pod disappointed, but grateful to have been spared the trip to West Neck Beach in the blustery darkness.

By 9:30, with the tide well on its way out, the wind had died and there were no waves to be seen, but a steady rain pelted the surface of the water under a glowering sky....



With Nicole now drenching eastern Massachusetts, the sunshine is expected to return to Long Island tomorrow! So, weather permitting, we'll see you in the Salt at 8:00!

2 comments:

  1. Did you actually get into the water to film the video - love it! Won't be able to swim this weekend so I'm hoping there will be multiple outings next week - I'm all about open water October. Thanks for the posts!

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  2. Of course I got into the water! (up to my knees, anyway!) Sorry you have to miss the weekend swims, but open-water October works just as well on weekdays! See you next week!

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