Night Swimming

Gul&Go Open Water Swimming: Blog Post 8

Stephen Clendenin

English 202, Writing About Sports

04/04/11

 Night Swimming

Open water swimming is a daring sport at times. Out in the elements, waves crashing, sea creatures swarming, freezing cold temperatures, it is enough to make one quiver at the thought. And just when it could not get any crazier, imagine doing open water swimming at night. Looking out over the horizon, all you see is the dim reflection of the moon (if it’s out) being caught by the rippling waves. The sand is significantly colder, but that is the least of your worries. The ocean is an untamed element. That is part of what makes it so mysterious and frightening. There is so much that could happen to you while you swim. Add that to the darkness of night, and it might give you chills. Night time can be like the ocean: you can’t see too far into it, and there are strange things out there that you don’t know about. Night time open water swimming is for the swimmers who are braver than most, and smarter than most. You don’t just go running into the ocean at the stroke of midnight and hope you somehow make it back to shore someplace. It takes some careful thinking and preparation.

            Mentally, it is a battle. All the fear and uncertainty that can creep into your gut and make you wimp out must be blocked by your own will power, and the knowledge of cold hard facts. Now when you think of swimming at night, you might think that it would be much colder than swimming during the day. In a way that’s true, but only out of the water. The temperature of the water generally does not change, just the air temperature. And if you’re worried about visibility, be smart and take precautions. Don’t use those nice mirrored goggles that block the sun. Get some clear goggles that are un-tinted. Oh, and of course, DON’T SWIM ALONE. The roughest part of swimming in the dark will probably be the landing. When you are coming up on shore, you want to be able to know where you are and see what you’re doing, so make sure you have someone waiting for you at your finish point with plenty of lighted markers.

            For this, know what equipment you need. Don’t be foolish and just go for it without some kind of lighted beacon. There are three types of lights you can use during the swim: pencil-shaped light-sticks (battery operated), a disc-light to place on top of your head (it has a strap, or attaches to the back of your goggles), and of course, glow sticks. And of course, DON’T SWIM ALONE.

            These are just some helpful tips and rules for people who are gearing up to swim an individual or group marathon swim. Nick Adams is a brilliant swimmer who swam the English Channel at night, and has some more facts about it on this site. Check it out before you decide to diving into the ocean after the sun has set. And for information on other awesome open water swimmers, check out the Swimtrek Guides page.