Ocean swimming concerns (sad/scared)

[Mermaid Wesley]

So i am an OCEAN GIRL TO THE CORE.:cool: (in socal with 3 years of swim team experience) I will only willingly leave the ocean if i am shivering so bad it hurts, if i get stung by jellyfish, if i step on a fish (its happened to me like three times) or if my eyes burn so bad i cant see. welll maybe for food too.... but anyways, I have never even considered the possibility that i couldnt swim in the ocean in my tail! I mean I have seen some killer waves and have been knocked of my feet plenty of times . I have always felt safe in the ocean, though. I have been reading lately about lots of skilled mers who dont actually swim at the beach. Is it really that dangerous?! I have swum out to the buoys, around piers, etc. the only trouble is getting past the break zone usually, and I just really want to.... I have almost no interest in swimming in my (future) tail in a pool. Do any of you guys regularly beach-swim? I would love so much to be able to do this without fear of the unknown! I figure if i get stuck, its only(gonna be) a fabric tail so i can get it off easy, right? :$ i never considered that i would need to practice to swim in the ocean! idsghkjd,hfmbvdsfd any insight?:confused:

[Mermaid Harmony]

Hi, I live in Hawaii, and I swim both off of the beaches and in the pool. I enjoy the ocean, but sometimes getting out deeper isn't possible all of the time, and so I use the pool to practice certain tricks, and to do birthday parties and such. Both have pros and cons. :-)

[Mermaid Wesley]

I suppose... Why is getting out deeper not possible sometimes?

[Nykur]

Here in South Africa I usually just swim with a monofin, I swim most of the time in Jeffreys Bay, home to narley surf waves :cool:, but there's a reef just a bit out of Jeffreys, in Paradise beach, there it forms kind of like a barrier to the waves were the water at low tide) is as calm as a lakes water, and when my tail is complete I wouldn't even reconsider swimming there!;)

[Mermaid Wesley]

That sounds lovely!

[AptaMer]

There is a lady who grew up in SoCal and swam almost every day in the open water from the beach, and she wrote some books about her experiences. She actually swam with her open water swim group from Catalina Island to the mainland as a teenager, and swam offshore with a baby whale. This was a long time ago (1970s as I recall). She published 2 books that can be gotten cheap if you buy them used on Amazon (I read them both, and was kind of getting tearey-eyed while I read about the baby whale)

http://www.amazon.com/Grayson-Lynne-Cox/dp/B002UXS1GK/ref=la_B001IGHMB0_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355386835&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Antarctica-Tales-Long-Distance-Swimmer/dp/0156031302/ref=pd_cp_b_1

I would say I did learn a lot about open water swimming from her books, also from doing it (I have swum out from beaches around bouys, and things like that) but safety has to be formost in your mind! Anyhow, maybe you would find them interesting too?

Always be safe! Swim with someone, never alone. Always tell someone your plans when you go out. Learn about detecting and handling currents.

[Alveric]

Seems to me that swimming is like driving. You're safe so long as you know what you're doing and can deal with the unexpected without panicking.

[MerEmma]

I don't swim at the beach much anymore unfortunately because I've had too many run-in's with the creatures. Jellyfish stings aren't so bad, but I stepped on a stingray (was not stung) and that was scary enough to pretty much end my ocean swimming career! I don't think it's dangerous, to be honest...just have to be careful.

[Mermaid Wesley]

There is a lady who grew up in SoCal and swam almost every day in the open water from the beach, and she wrote some books about her experiences. She actually swam with her open water swim group from Catalina Island to the mainland as a teenager, and swam offshore with a baby whale. This was a long time ago (1970s as I recall). She published 2 books that can be gotten cheap if you buy them used on Amazon (I read them both, and was kind of getting tearey-eyed while I read about the baby whale)

http://www.amazon.com/Grayson-Lynne-Cox/dp/B002UXS1GK/ref=la_B001IGHMB0_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355386835&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Swimming-Antarctica-Tales-Long-Distance-Swimmer/dp/0156031302/ref=pd_cp_b_1

I would say I did learn a lot about open water swimming from her books, also from doing it (I have swum out from beaches around bouys, and things like that) but safety has to be formost in your mind! Anyhow, maybe you would find them interesting too?

Always be safe! Swim with someone, never alone. Always tell someone your plans when you go out. Learn about detecting and handling currents.


That sounds really cool! maybe when i get closer to starting up ill buy those :) I would never swim by myself in a tail, im a decent swimmer, but im not perfect! Plus theres a really cute guy who wants to swim with me :) haha
Edit: I know the whole riptide thing, my mom drilled that into my head as soon as i started trying to get past the whitewater

[Mermaid Wesley]

Seems to me that swimming is like driving. You're safe so long as you know what you're doing and can deal with the unexpected without panicking.

Im pretty good at that. I need to get some regular swimming in before i do it in a tail for sure. I havent been in the ocean since summer :( but when i panic underwater i usually develop adrenaline-fueled super-strength that allows me to *ahem* throw my cousins off of me.... (they were having fun, I couldnt breathe long story) and im pretty sure slipping out of a fabric tail wouldnt be too hard

[Mermaid Wesley]

I don't swim at the beach much anymore unfortunately because I've had too many run-in's with the creatures. Jellyfish stings aren't so bad, but I stepped on a stingray (was not stung) and that was scary enough to pretty much end my ocean swimming career! I don't think it's dangerous, to be honest...just have to be careful.
yikes! lucky for me we don't have too many stingrays, but stepping on animals is... freaky. to say the least. i had some sort of bony fish scrape up the bottom of my fish once, ive been stung by HUNDREDS OF BABY JELLYFISH... did you know that they look like drops of water when you get out? do you have any idea how hard it is to avoid invisible clouds of baby jellyfish? it didnt hurt too bad, but its kindof traumatizing because its so hard to get them OFF!

[Mizuko]

I love swimming in the ocean, but unfortunately there are a lot of big sharks in my home town, so I have to stick to coves/reefs/marinas for my own mental safety (I'm a pretty big wuss when it comes to great whites, haha!).
I've also had plenty of run-ins with sea creatures- especially sting rays. They are the things I'm most creeped out by- probably because I've had them scrape against my legs/pop out of the sand underneath me plenty of times. THEY'RE SNEAKY. *shakes fist* Otherwise dolphins, seals, jellyfish, smaller sharks, penguins (boy, that was a surprise!) have all made appearances to me while I've been swimming! But I'm pretty jumpy so I've always been more scared then them. haha!

[Mermaid Harmony]

Just because I don't always have access to a boat to get to a reef. :-)

[Mermaid Wesley]

I love swimming in the ocean, but unfortunately there are a lot of big sharks in my home town, so I have to stick to coves/reefs/marinas for my own mental safety (I'm a pretty big wuss when it comes to great whites, haha!).
I've also had plenty of run-ins with sea creatures- especially sting rays. They are the things I'm most creeped out by- probably because I've had them scrape against my legs/pop out of the sand underneath me plenty of times. THEY'RE SNEAKY. *shakes fist* Otherwise dolphins, seals, jellyfish, smaller sharks, penguins (boy, that was a surprise!) have all made appearances to me while I've been swimming! But I'm pretty jumpy so I've always been more scared then them. haha!
Its too cold for most of those things here which is lucky... or not since its cold for me too.....but I'm mostly just concerned about all the waves+tail=bad stuff I've seen around

[Mermaid Wesley]

Just because I don't always have access to a boat to get to a reef. :-)
oh, i see. I thought you meant you couldn't swim out deep from shore and i was confused XD i love hawaii... my uncle lives in Kona... I need to get out there soon!

[Mizuko]

Oh its freezing here! haha! Well, in the water anyways. XD We have a current which comes straight from Antarctica and thats why the ocean is so full of life- but so very cold. ><;

[MerEmma]

I love stingrays, I love the way they look and feel and just are when they're in Discovery Cove or basically in captivity. I don't like it though when they sneak up on me, though, hehe. I also don't take a liking for horseshoe crabs. xD

[Mermaid Wesley]

Oh its freezing here! haha! Well, in the water anyways. XD We have a current which comes straight from Antarctica and thats why the ocean is so full of life- but so very cold. ><;
well then :/ i don't know why we don't have all those things then haha

[Mermaid Wesley]

I love stingrays, I love the way they look and feel and just are when they're in Discovery Cove or basically in captivity. I don't like it though when they sneak up on me, though, hehe. I also don't take a liking for horseshoe crabs. xD
Aren't horseshoe crabs the ones with the tail-thing? I saw an animal planet thing about how their blood cures some sort of disease... and also their blood is blue. but I've never seen one

[Blondie]

I love the ocean but it unnerves me because the water here is murky and I can't see anything around me. We've had a good number of bull shark attacks down at my beaches too. A lot of surfers and lifeguards I know say they've been nipped multiple times in the leg and ankles by some sharks. They still have teeth marks to prove it. That just kinda makes me go eeehhhh... Maybe if I could see through the water better that would help.

Also rip currents. Got stuck in one as a kid. They kinda make me nervous if I were in a tail.

[Capt Nemo]

yikes! lucky for me we don't have too many stingrays, but stepping on animals is... freaky. to say the least. i had some sort of bony fish scrape up the bottom of my fish once, ive been stung by HUNDREDS OF BABY JELLYFISH... did you know that they look like drops of water when you get out? do you have any idea how hard it is to avoid invisible clouds of baby jellyfish? it didnt hurt too bad, but its kindof traumatizing because its so hard to get them OFF!

You want to either buy a dive skin or sew one up yourself. All a dive skin is, is a lycra frontzip unitard. They'll stop a man'o'war with no problem.

[Mermaid Wesley]

You want to either buy a dive skin or sew one up yourself. All a dive skin is, is a lycra frontzip unitard. They'll stop a man'o'war with no problem.
luckily, I don't have those here, i just got stung in..... mexico? yeah. I've seen jellys here but never been stung... yet... :/

[Mermaid_Aryana]

I love the ocean but it unnerves me because the water here is murky and I can't see anything around me. We've had a good number of bull shark attacks down at my beaches too. A lot of surfers and lifeguards I know say they've been nipped multiple times in the leg and ankles by some sharks. They still have teeth marks to prove it. That just kinda makes me go eeehhhh... Maybe if I could see through the water better that would help.

Also rip currents. Got stuck in one as a kid. They kinda make me nervous if I were in a tail.

I hate that the water here is so murky. I love that in South Florida the water is much more clear.

[Blondie]

I hate that the water here is so murky. I love that in South Florida the water is much more clear.
It's gross... I've stepped on all sorts of things. But a beach is still a beach I guess. I've never seen the beaches in south florida D:

[Mermaid Wesley]

oh the water is pretty bad here in LA. the closest beach to my house is like the most polluted one in my area :/ but I love it just the same

[AptaMer]

Aren't horseshoe crabs the ones with the tail-thing? I saw an animal planet thing about how their blood cures some sort of disease... and also their blood is blue. but I've never seen one

Heh, horseshoe crabs are funny animals. Their legs are underneath their body, and nothing is on top, just their eyes, so if they get flipped over on their back, the only way they can get rightside up again is to flip themselves over with their tail.

8125

Their blood is blue because instead of the red hemoglobin fish & birds and mammals use to carry oxygen in their blood, they have a blue molecule called hemocyanin. They look kind of like the sea life fossils you see in books, and I guess that's because they are. People have found fossils of horseshoe crabs in rocks hundreds of millions of years old. (How can you tell i'm a science geek, LOL) You've probably never seen one because they only live on the east coast, from the Caribbean up to New England. To me they seem like pretty nice little animals, they don't bite or sting, they just seem to want to go along sandy bottoms eating food that gets into the sand, kind of like little Roombas.

[Mermaid Wesley]

Heh, horseshoe crabs are funny animals. Their legs are underneath their body, and nothing is on top, just their eyes, so if they get flipped over on their back, the only way they can get rightside up again is to flip themselves over with their tail.

8125

Their blood is blue because instead of the red hemoglobin fish & birds and mammals use to carry oxygen in their blood, they have a blue molecule called hemocyanin. They look kind of like the sea life fossils you see in books, and I guess that's because they are. People have found fossils of horseshoe crabs in rocks hundreds of millions of years old. (How can you tell i'm a science geek, LOL) You've probably never seen one because they only live on the east coast, from the Caribbean up to New England. To me they seem like pretty nice little animals, they don't bite or sting, they just seem to want to go along sandy bottoms eating food that gets into the sand, kind of like little Roombas.

I THINK THEYRE CUTE! haha i kindof want to hug it.... I think my inner mermaid's showing haha. Science geeks UNITE!!!!


EDIT: But i can see why you wouldn't want to step on one OUCH!

[Mermaid Melanie]

The first time I ever swam in a tail we went out on a diveboat for the day and took a freediving instructor with us, we had a surface float for resting in-between dives and a white line joining the 2 surface floats - Using the line in murky water can help when doing videos etc. you can see the white line quite clearly underwater and it gives you a reference !

As for - if the ocean is dangerous to swim in your tail ? ... it depends... if you are a strong swimmer, what the conditions are like... here in Phuket we get a few rip currents at some of the popular beaches and it wouldn't be a good idea to swim in the tail there. Use good judgement assess the conditions before getting in the water.

Some of you mentioned about aquatic injuries.. a little bit of research into marine life and you can find lots of info about what hangs out where, what corals sting what ones don't, what fish are aggressive etc... the more you know about this the less likely you will get hurt as your more aware of whats going on below you, beside you or even above.

We get the horseshoe crab here but I think they are generally found quite deep. they have funny little legs underneath them ... when you put one on your head it hangs on - Pic to come lol

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

There is actually a beach in Italy I sometimes go to that is very shallow for a good distance before deepening a bit, and has a series of rocks arranged parallel to the shore as manmade reefs in order to protect the beaches... it occurs to me that it might be an ideal spot to swim with a tail.

[AptaMer]

I THINK THEYRE CUTE! haha i kindof want to hug it....



We get the horseshoe crab here but I think they are generally found quite deep. they have funny little legs underneath them ... when you put one on your head it hangs on - Pic to come lol

MerHopefully- they are kind of cute, to my mind (other people weren't so convinced). When you see them you realize they are quite peaceful animals. Also, the ones I saw didn't have spines on their back as big as the one in the photo.

Melanie- Ha ha, what a great idea! I never thought of that when I saw them. They can be like a cool hat with a movable tail coming out the back. Please post a photo? That would be priceless!

[Mermaid Wesley]

@mermaid Melanie - thanks for the tips. I'll be sure to do that!

[Mermaid Caidence]

I love stingrays, I love the way they look and feel and just are when they're in Discovery Cove or basically in captivity. I don't like it though when they sneak up on me, though, hehe. I also don't take a liking for horseshoe crabs. xD

God I hate horseshoe crabs!! I ALWAYS get pinched/step on them. It's not even the pain really, just it's like oh god what if I step on it again, or what if my toe is gone and I don't even know? :eek:

[shelly7rox]

I've never swam in an actual ocean before. I've wanted too but never in a tail. It's stupid but I always thought a shark would think I'm a big fish and eat me

[Mermaid Melanie]

Hey guys ! although I dont really approve of touching marine life its hard to avoid it touching you sometimes... when you have people putting things like this on your head lol ... ( my boyfriend David at the Sea Kayak Caves in Phang Nga Bay 8167 ( hope this picture shows )

[AptaMer]

Ha ha, that crab hat is a riot!

I know what you mean about not disturbing the marine life, but this was obviously too good to pass up :cool:

Thanx for posting this!

[Mermaid Wesley]

So cute!
@shelly7rox I couldn't live without my ocean! also I doubt that a shark would be too interested in you. there aren't too many big sharks near beaches anyways.

[AptaMer]

There is actually a beach in Italy I sometimes go to that is very shallow for a good distance before deepening a bit, and has a series of rocks arranged parallel to the shore as manmade reefs in order to protect the beaches... it occurs to me that it might be an ideal spot to swim with a tail.

Sounds like it would be a lovely place to swim, Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained, esp. with the calmer water. Just need to be sure people don't go through there on jetskis, or whatever. There are stone breakwaters off Toronto's western beach, and the water would be nice for swimming, but every now & then someone goes between the breakwater & the shore either on jetskis or those racing rowboats where they're facing backwards and could not notice a swimmer.

[Mermaid Wesley]

Oh yah, I had forgotten about people being dangerous! The last thin I would want is to run into a surfer... But I think Ill be fine, I have almost been hit by several surfers without a tail and well I'm much more careful now. I ha forgotten about that particular problem...

[AptaMer]

I never thought of this before.

I wonder if you could surf in a tail? I've seen dolphins surf on the bow wave of boats, and I saw a video of some dolphins surfing at a beach. I've bodysurfed using flippers. With the speed you can get in a tail, I bet you could catch a wave quite nicely.

[Mermaid Star]

I think it depends on the monofin you have and how calm the ocean is that day. I swam once in the ocean. It didn't seem that roughbut it was very difficult to swim out in my tail. I could swim parallel to the beach but swimming away was a bit tiring. I have a pretty small monofin in my tail however. Perhaps those with larger monofins find it easier to swim in heavier currents.

[Mermaid Wesley]

I never thought of this before.

I wonder if you could surf in a tail? I've seen dolphins surf on the bow wave of boats, and I saw a video of some dolphins surfing at a beach. I've bodysurfed using flippers. With the speed you can get in a tail, I bet you could catch a wave quite nicely.
O.o i must try this.

[AptaMer]

Hmmm, so of course I started looking for bodysurfing info, and I came across this website with interesting lower leg fins http://shinfin.com/body-surfing-fins.asp

8341

What he doesn't realize is, he should just go all the way and cover his legs with a tail- then bodysurfing force galore! :)

Also, couldn't resist connecting to these bodysurfing videos


http://youtu.be/LGlXO8ti7_Y

I guess it's still called bodysurfing when dolphins do it?


http://youtu.be/bWauuX_1KH8


http://youtu.be/yp3xxfXJvKA

I noticed the dolphins in San Diego are smart. They jump out the backside of the wave before it breaks, so they don't get pummelled!

[Mermaid Wesley]

oooooooohhhh im so going to try this

[Mermaid Melanie]

nice idea! but not sure if its possible to build the same speed as a dolphin ? would be interested to know how you guys get on ! x

[AptaMer]

nice idea! but not sure if its possible to build the same speed as a dolphin ?


Unfortunately, it's not possible for a human to swim at the same speed as a dolphin. They can average 12 km/h for long periods of time, and can do sprints for short bursts of speed of up to 40 km/h. That['s as fast as some motorboats. They can also average higher speeds by jumping out of the water as they swim (science geek surfaces again- apologies :) )

Humans wearing a monofin can swim faster than humans wearing ordinary bi-fins, and humans with a streamlined, form-fitting tail and a good fluke can swim faster than a human just wearing a monofin (this is based on reports by people wearing the otter Bay mermaid wetsuit that other swimmers found it impossible to keep up with them when they were swimming at what seemed a normal speed) Still, no matter what you do, humans don't reach dolphin speeds no matter how good their tail is.

OTOH- it seems to me that if you're going to bodysurf, being the fastest you can be can only help you catch the good waves. This needs to be tested (in the summer, and when I have a smooth tail of my very own) but I think a memaid shape will help you ride the wave out in front more.

[daviddario8100]

Swim whenever you like on your own schedule at your own perfect place. No traveling, no crowded pools,no heavy chlorine.Swimming is my main sport,I'm a distance swimmer (1500m in the pool, anything more open water!).Swimming is a sport that is not natural to everyone. Walking, running, biking, all of these are quite easy to master, however, it takes some coordination and stamina to learn how to swim and to top it all off, before we improve our swim technique, we all have a different swimming style based on our physical ability which makes it that much more challenging.
I agreed what's said above!!!

[halesloveswhales]

On bodysurfing: I have tried it with a monofin, and I am able to catch so many more waves than without one. It's such a fun thing to do, and I definitely recommend it (if you're not near children or tourists). If you have a smaller monofin, that can also help you steer in the wave, which would be pretty cool. (my fin is too big for that).

Also, ocean swimming depends a lot on the type of beach, and also your way of dealing with waves. If you are good at swimming under crashing waves, then that's a good thing. If you're the type of person who jumps over waves, you might want to get better at swimming under.
I generally only fin swim at the beach on clearer days, when the waves are smaller and break cleanly. The lifeguards at my beach are pretty strict, so I generally try to not freak them out by binding my feet together and swimming on bad days.
Know what your tail is made of. If you tumble in the waves and hit the sand, will that damage your tail or crack your monofin?

I think it's not a big deal to swim in the ocean, as long as you know what you're doing and are careful. You may have to adjust the way you do some things, like approaching and avoiding waves and such, but I think you'll be fine. Just start yourself off easy and know your limits. Good luck!

[AptaMer]

On bodysurfing: I have tried it with a monofin, and I am able to catch so many more waves than without one. It's such a fun thing to do, and I definitely recommend it !

Sounds Great! You get waves big enough to surf in here in Toronto and I'm stoked to try it, once the weather warms up (Lake Ontario is 7ºC/44ºF today, yikes :crazy:)

[Mermaid Wesley]

On bodysurfing: I have tried it with a monofin, and I am able to catch so many more waves than without one. It's such a fun thing to do, and I definitely recommend it (if you're not near children or tourists). If you have a smaller monofin, that can also help you steer in the wave, which would be pretty cool. (my fin is too big for that).

Also, ocean swimming depends a lot on the type of beach, and also your way of dealing with waves. If you are good at swimming under crashing waves, then that's a good thing. If you're the type of person who jumps over waves, you might want to get better at swimming under.
I generally only fin swim at the beach on clearer days, when the waves are smaller and break cleanly. The lifeguards at my beach are pretty strict, so I generally try to not freak them out by binding my feet together and swimming on bad days.
Know what your tail is made of. If you tumble in the waves and hit the sand, will that damage your tail or crack your monofin?

I think it's not a big deal to swim in the ocean, as long as you know what you're doing and are careful. You may have to adjust the way you do some things, like approaching and avoiding waves and such, but I think you'll be fine. Just start yourself off easy and know your limits. Good luck!
That is the sort of thing im most worried about. I am comfortable swimming without a tail so I think I will just do some monofin swimming at the beach to see how it goes and then I can try out the tail... Luckily im an under-wave type person :) I am a bit concerned about the lifeguards since i live in la aka:tourist trap central and the lifeguards are nazi-ish..... but hey, I can always play dumb hehe

[AptaMer]

Woo Hoo! Guess what? On Aug. 3, 2013 there's going to be an international bodysurfing competition in Manhattan Beach. That's not Manhattan in New York, that's the beach in Los Angeles south of the airport.

http://www.surffestival.org/BodySurf/BodySurfIndex.html

9082

Hmmm, need to save up some cash to fly down to L.A. for a weekend? :highfive:

[Merman Ray]

I wanted to ask has anyone tail swam in say, Miami Beach. I was considering the idea since I have a chance to go there every year now. Also, what about tail swimming in a florida gulf coast beach like Ft. Myers Beach. Thats another beach I will be visiting again.

[Keiris]

Well they are two different bodies of water, Ray. I swim in the gulf regularly (Naples here.) I have also swam in Miami and the waves are always choppy and the beach is always crowded. How big an audience do you want? ;-)

[Mermaid Wesley]

Woo Hoo! Guess what? On Aug. 3, 2013 there's going to be an international bodysurfing competition in Manhattan Beach. That's not Manhattan in New York, that's the beach in Los Angeles south of the airport.

http://www.surffestival.org/BodySurf/BodySurfIndex.html

9082

Hmmm, need to save up some cash to fly down to L.A. for a weekend? :highfive:
I literally go there all the time. hahaha i almost entered this competition last year but didn't :/ also remember how i mentioned swimming around piers? THIS IS THE PIER I SWAM AROUND haha

[Usagi]

Ooooh potential meet up.

[Mermaid Wesley]

yessss

[Merman Ray]

Well they are two different bodies of water, Ray. I swim in the gulf regularly (Naples here.) I have also swam in Miami and the waves are always choppy and the beach is always crowded. How big an audience do you want? ;-)


Well, it was not really about having an audience although I grant you there will be a hell of a lot of people there at Miami beach. I was just saying because that is one of the beaches I will have a chance to go to because of my traveling job.