Off Shore Swimming

[Tingum]

We do it all the time. Swimming offshore is always an erie feeling, must be like space walking. That said someone capable is ALWAYS on board and we trail a very long line with a float.

[rognvald]

As trained divers know, the most dangerous time of a dive is when you enter or leave the water. What some fail to realize is that when you enter the ocean you are immersed in an ecosystem where you have the real potential to be part of the food chain--especially to offshore species of sharks. Everything in life is a calculated risk but there is also the element of chance that defies the odds. The choice is yours. There is no right or wrong. Just choices. Good luck and good sailing. P.S. Anyone for Sashimi?

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by Travelaxel

Of course you can. And even sharks will take a while to find you. So no worries for about 20 min. And remember, as long as your head is above the water level it doesn't matter how deep the water it is. You can alwasy lower your dinghy for safety reasons.
Enjoy, nothing to be scared about.

Ha ha. Good one, and oh so reasurring. And that dinghy is really going to help ... wot???? Sharks often shadow boats. I've seen them many times over the years. If you are flushing your waste overboard, you have company. That 20 min grace period was funny. Some of you guys just make stuff up as you go along.

I'm a one man band and I used to trail a line til the buoy on the end got bitten off. Still, I generally jump overboard to soap up and rinse off but I don't linger.

[LakeSuperior]

We did it 3 days east of Antiqua. Went in in pairs. The ocean is so vast and we are so small. It was a great feeling.

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

We did it 3 days east of Antiqua. Went in in pairs. The ocean is so vast and we are so small. It was a great feeling.

Good move! Cuts the odds in half if there's just one bad ass trailing along looking for an opportunistic munch.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by LakeSuperior

We did it 3 days east of Antiqua. Went in in pairs. The ocean is so vast and we are so small. It was a great feeling.

Great idea. Don't need to outswim the shark, just need to outswim the other guy

[mbianka]

Originally Posted by Blue Crab

Ha ha. Good one, and oh so reasurring. And that dinghy is really going to help ... wot???? Sharks often shadow boats. I've seen them many times over the years. If you are flushing your waste overboard, you have company. That 20 min grace period was funny. Some of you guys just make stuff up as you go along.

I'm a one man band and I used to trail a line til the buoy on the end got bitten off. Still, I generally jump overboard to soap up and rinse off but I don't linger.

THE BIANKA LOG BLOG: YOU ARE NEVER REALLY ALONE ON THE OCEAN

[Sand crab]

Don't go to the beach either because there's sharks there, too.
Don't go in the freshwater because there alligators and brain eating amoebas.
Don't drive your car because there are crazies out there. (Mad Max!)
Don't go in the woods because there are bears there.
Don't stay in your house because it is filled with formaldehyde and radon gas.
Don't skydive for obvious reasons.
Don't ride your bike because you could fall off.
Don't stand by your windows because your pissed off neighbor will shoot you.
Don't burp and fart at the same time because it is a proven scientific fact that you will explode!

Did I leave anything out?

[Nicholson58]

we do it often in Lake Michigan. I don't mind a cold dip but most guests want mid-70's F or higher. I swam in Marquette harbor In July - 54 F.

From the boat, I prefer everyone wears flotation. You are not so buoyant in fresh water. We toss out a few lines to hang onto. Sails down & usually glossy calm. I haven't seen a shark yet.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Don't go to the beach either because there's sharks there, too.
Don't go in the freshwater because there alligators and brain eating amoebas.
Don't drive your car because there are crazies out there. (Mad Max!)
Don't go in the woods because there are bears there.
Don't stay in your house because it is filled with formaldehyde and radon gas.
Don't skydive for obvious reasons.
Don't ride your bike because you could fall off.
Don't stand by your windows because your pissed off neighbor will shoot you.
Don't burp and fart at the same time because it is a proven scientific fact that you will explode!

Did I leave anything out?

Don't breath - your expelled breath contains CO2 at 100 times the concentration of the atmosphere (40,000 ppm). If you breath it back in, that deadly pollutant could kill you.

[Hudson Force]

We used to "troll" with our young children in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico with them hanging onto two 100 foot lines hanging off the stern. Nancie and I would also take a turn. We never had concerns,- we would drag over shallow reefs, 10 to 15 feet and out in the open ocean. As I remember our only concern was that we would lose steerage with a load hanging far aft. I don't see that being in the water off the beach is any less dangerous than being in the water many miles offshore.

[avb3]

You guys talking about all those sharks in the water now have me concerned about hiking in the woods near the mountains. There are grizzly bears in there.

Oh, wait, I DID go hiking in grizzly country two weeks ago. Saw one bear and some cougar tracks.

I'll be more careful next time.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by avb3

You guys talking about all those sharks in the water now have me concerned about hiking in the woods near the mountains. There are grizzly bears in there. ............

Oh, and there have been recent reports of thugs in the city. Oh, No! Lions, and tigers & bears and sharks and thugs in the city! Oh, What's a cruiser to do? It's enough to make you think that you ought to just get on a boat and sail away! .....but damn! There are those pervasive cosmic rays! No Escape!

[Blue Skye]

It sounds like too many people watch Jaws and shark week. Down under, yep, Crocs a serious consideration. When I was in Darwin '93, croc counts were lower, they were still a significant threat. Blue water off shore.... The fear of sharks has to be more sensationalized than realized. Go swimming! The 2 in a million videos shouldn't dissuade you

[onefastdaddy]

Try doing it at night.

I grew up surfing in San Diego California and usually always would head in before dark. A couple times I stayed out waiting too long for a wave in...once it's completely dark something inside us all just goes crazy not knowing what's down there our minds make up all sorts of things. Every shadow looks ominous after dark in an ocean a few minutes before felt completely safe.

Not many seals out there in the middle of the ocean so I doubt a great white is lurking there. Other sharks I worry a lot less about.