<aside> 🏊‍♀️ Tired of following the black line back and forth for 25yds? Jealous of your biking and running friends recreating in cool unique places? Do you love adventure? Training for a triathlon? Open water swimming will CHANGE YOUR LIFE. People will look at you and go “you swim in there (the bay)?” and you can look back and smugly go “every week!” Wear a wetsuit, a swimsuit, or your birthday suit (speak to your VP about this one) - it’s liberating regardless! Fitness. Exploration. Total calm. Badassery. Shenanigans. Open Water Swimming is where it’s at!

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🎬 How to get started

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Open water swimming is a whole new sport. Yes, you should know how to swim, but you also need to know how to sight (look forward while you swim to make sure you’re avoiding obstacles, heading where you intend, etc.). You should also learn to breathe comfortably to both the left and right. Most importantly, do your research before diving in. Currents, animals, temperature, and water quality should always come up before getting in, and can significantly impact your experience.

❗Need to Know

Required before starting: Know how to swim in a pool, and float in water with depths above your head for up to 10 minutes
Equipment Needed: Wetsuit (triathlon)/Swimsuit, goggles, swim cap (bright colors so watercraft can easily spot you), earplugs recommended to avoid swimmers ear
Water Temp: Yea, it’s COLD. In the SF Bay, water ranges from 48-54 December to May, 53-57 June-August, 57-62 August - November. It can be numbing, but it’s also liberating and can be very healthy and manageable with breathing practice. There’s dozens who swear by a morning bay swim every day of the year - they’ve got it figured out. For slightly warmer temps, check out Tomales Bay and Lake Berryessa.
OWS is a Cult Classic in SF: When you dive in the bay, you’re participating in an activity dating back hundreds of years! San Francisco is to OWS what Brooklyn is to Basketball. So many greats of the sport come to our waters, and several landmarks provide the backdrop for iconic swims (your VP runs the annual Alcatraz Invitational). Don’t believe me?

⏱️ When to go

Always check the conditions before swimming. Look at NOAA or Sail Drone to confirm tides before jumping in. If you don’t know how to read a tide chart, reach out to Andrew.

🏖️ Where to go

So, technically, if there’s a nice beach and no “no swimming” signs, the world is your oyster. HOWEVER, for anyone checking out the sport, I’m only going to give one recommendation: AQUATIC PARK IN SAN FRANCISCO. Not only is the cove sheltered from tides, but it’s safe to leave your personal belongings on the bleachers, almost always full of swimmers, and just a great time! Parking is free at the end of Van Ness (where Van Ness becomes a parking lot), but SF parking rules apply (hide them valuables). The Dolphin Club and the South End Rowing Club are open to the public with a $10 guest fee on alternating days, and provide a great space to shower and sauna post swim, as well as to keep your stuff. There’s a buoyed course along the beach that's ~400 yds one way. It’s a MECCA for swimming and when you’re floating on your back looking at the Ghirardelli sign with a cable car behind it, you’ll instantly see why.

If you have more experience and want to check out some other fun locations:

Berkeley Marina: COLDER THAN THE REST OF THE BAY - enter and exit via boat docks, no ladder, buoyed course ~800yds one way
Secret Beach, Lovers, Chicken Ranch in Tomales Bay: Warmer water, bioluminescence, sandy exit and entrance, a great place to spend an afternoon post swim. There are usually a ton of Moon Jellies here - they don’t sting, but you will bump into a lot of them and it’s sort of uncomfy. Get oysters on your way out.
Santa Cruz Wharf: Friendly sea lions, cool views, clean water. A bit sketchy to leave stuff on beach here, don’t do it.
Lover’s Cove Monterey: A trek and a half, but it feels like snorkeling! Marine preserve, I’ve literally swam with otters here.