Open Water Swim

These are free swims; you can do as many laps as you want, go as far as you want, wear whatever equipment you want (like fins or paddles), basically anything that doesn’t interfere with other swimmers. We must be back inside the ropes by 8:30 AM. Set your GPS for “Deam Lake State Recreation Area,” park in the big lot, and walk down to the beach.
There are some non-negotiable rules that are strictly enforced:
1) You must be a Landsharks member to swim outside of the roped-off swim area during club swim times. We will have sign-in/sign out on site to make sure everyone that goes out also comes back. Non-members may watch from the beach or swim in the roped-off area.
2) Wear a pink swim cap. It’s easy to spot and will help identify you as a club member. If you don’t have a pink cap, we will have some on hand.
3) Use a swim buoy. This is an important piece of safety equipment that you must use. You can find these easily at places like Swimville or even Amazon. We’ll also have plenty to loan if you don’t have your own.
4) Swim only at designated swim times. We’ve had complaints from staff at Deam Lake about club members swimming on their own time. This is not acceptable, and could cause us to lose our open water swim access. If you swim at any time outside of our club days and times, you must stay within the roped-off swim area. We’ll start removing sighting buoys when the last swimmer returns or at about 8:15 AM. If you need more open-water practice outside of club times, post to the Facebook group or send us an e-mail to help arrange time and a safety kayaker at another location.
Suggestions for swim day:
1) Get there early. We’ll do a quick safety overview before we hop in. Gates will be staffed beginning at 7 AM, so if you arrive before then, you won’t have to pay the entrance fee.
2) Volunteer to kayak. If we don’t have anyone on the kayak, we don’t get to swim. You don’t have to kayak the whole time! You can switch off with another swimmer.
3) Tell someone if you’re nervous. There are plenty of members who will swim alongside you for peace of mind or to help guide you. We were all new to open water once!
4) Wetsuits are optional. They’re encouraged if you’ll be wearing it in a race, or if you’re new to open water for that extra buoyancy. You’ll probably want one for the May swims. Put some anti-chafe cream on your neck!
5) Text SHARKALERTS to 84483 to be added to the text alert list. We’ll use this for any cancellations due to lightning or other issues.