Crescent Beach OWS: July 31, 2010

Check the video below and see if you can count just how many Huntington area Open Water Swimmers showed up for a really nice Saturday morning swim in Huntington Bay. Hint: don't forget to count the cameraman who after shooting these "getting into the water" pictures, got into the water himself!

Paul and Chris were there... so was Sal but I was told not to take any more pictures of him. Just kidding!

Coach Bob was there too... and for the first time went without his lifeguard trope so he could actually enjoy a very nice Saturday Morning swim -- the last for July 2010!
Top picture: walking out for our swim.

Bottom picture: coming back from our swim... though it was a bit longer than having these 2 pictures right next to one another would make it seem! (Hint: compare the shadows in the 2 pictures.)

Taking your wetsuit off in the water is a bit easier. It would be a lot easier if it was high tide!

West Neck Beach OWS: Saturday, July 17, 2010

ABOVE: Sal and Bob relaxing after the swim. Speaking of which, there was a lot more swimming taking place this Saturday morning in July than there was picture taking! In fact, I only managed to take 3 pictures and one very short video. I think that this is a record for me... record for least number of pictures taken. Ah well, the swim was very nice. A few small jelly fish but no stinging ones that I ran into -- though there are reports of those nasties invading Long Island Sound in fairly large numbers. Best advice -- get your Open Water Swimming in NOW, while they're not around. Could this happiness last all summer?

Above: last "Podder" out of the water. Below: Aren't those fresh-water showers great? Not only do the swimmers appreciate them but their wet suits are happy too! (If it can be said that a wetsuit is ever truly "happy"!)

VIDEO BELOW: Sorry to say that by the time I got that video camera up and running, Carol had just about finished a very "happy", (And, "Happy" was the keyword of the day!), version of "Singing in the Rain". Note that there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

Class Picture From Shelley Taylor-Smith OWS Swim Clinic

Thanks to Pat Miller for sending me this "Class" picture from our recent Open Water Swim Clinic. Missing from the picture, Bob Miller and Mike Engel who were setting up the orange buoys -- just visible over Bea's shoulder. You can "click" on the picture to make it bigger.

The Y.M.C.A. is now officially just "The Y"

Founded 166 years ago in England as the Young Men’s Christian Association, The Y.M.C.A. is undergoing a major rebranding this week, adopting as its official name the nickname everyone has used for generations -- The Y.

The Village People's biggest hit "Y.M.C.A." may need a re-write!

5K / 10K In The Bay: July 11, 2010

Sunday, July 11, 2010 dawned bright and clear -- near perfect race conditions for the annual 5K In The Bay, Huntington Bay, New York. Of course, it's easy for me to say "perfect race conditions" since I wasn't swimming so we'll really have to wait to hear the judgement of those who were ACTUALLY swimming either the 5K or the 10K -- or one of the age group races that were swum between the docks of the Huntington Bay Club and the Nathan Hale Beach dock (where I was taking these first pictures -- we await photos from Bob who was on the Western-most turn boat, closer to Huntington Harbor and the Lighthouse). Perhaps I should just say that viewing conditions were perfect! The crowd above seems to agree.

These are some pictures from the age-group races... and by the way these kids were swimming, I don't think that it will be to long before they "age-up" to the 5K!

You should be able to "click" on any individual picture to make it bigger -- though don't expect to be able to pick yourself out in the crowd if you were at the Bay Club -- that was about 1,000 meters from where I was taking these pictures!

We're safe -- just as long as one swimmer is looking!

Of course, the folks in the kayaks were the ones who were really keeping everybody safe! It would be hard to have a race without them.

In the shot above, you can just about make out the Kayaks -- good luck spotting the people with them swimming the 5K or 10K -- they were really out in Huntington Bay!

The turn-around point for the age-group races at Nathan Hale Beach dock came with LOTS of encouragement to the swimmers. The swim back always seems shorter -- at least it does if the tide and currents are cooperating!

In the picture above, you can see Bob Miller manning the western-most boat -- the turn boat to start the swim home. Can't see Bob? The picture below is as close as I could get... that is Coach Bob isn't it? If not, then somebody stole his orange turn buoy and hoisted up his mast like the Jolly Roger! Pirates in Huntington Bay -- who would believe it!

7-Time World Champion Shelley Taylor-Smith Gives Us Her Open Water Swimming Secrets

The sign-in table... Thanks to Pat, (Bob Miller's "better-half"), for manning the table, making the name tags, buying the bagels etc. etc. -- well, you get the idea!

Left to right: Bea, Joye, Shelley Taylor-Smith, Joan and Carol. And that's the last time I try to identify everybody in a picture without Bob standing over my shoulder!

Is Carol mapping out her course for tomorrow's 5K In the Bay swim?

Oh yeah... there were certainly some dramatic clouds around this Saturday morning, (July 10, 2010), and though rain was pretty much a sure thing by Saturday afternoon or evening, the weatherman is promising great weather for Sunday's 5k or 10k in Huntington Bay.

Shelley had ALL our attention in the land portion of the course. We all got some great Open Water Swimming tips from one of the world's greatest open water swimmers plus a couple of laughs and then it was on to the open water swimming portion of the program. This is the portion where Shelley would get to laugh at us! Just kidding, she was very supportive even to most "aquatically challenged" among us!

If you missed this Saturday morning class, you missed a great opportunity. Hint: If and when Bob sets something like this up again -- DO IT!

And, I finally got in a picture. Thanks to Pat Miller who handled the camera for me while I got some swimming in... if you play the video below, I'm in the first group, first line on the left -- and yes, the cap does look pink in the video though it really isn't and, if you insist on calling it pink, I'll just say that it is in honor of my new granddaughter Thora Jayde Engel. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Bob is in the dark green, Shelley is in the light green -- can you guess which coach most of those colorful caps are listening to?

In the Video below, Shelley has some of the swimmers practicing a rope start.

And below is a close-up of the rope -- I can hear all of you non-open-water swimmers going "euhhhhh" right about now from all of the seaweed dangling on the rope. Well, I gotta tell you, if seaweed is the worst thing we run across in ANY open water swim we are quite happy -- heck we're happy when the jellyfish are just small!

I seem to have this thing for shooting seaweed up close... maybe I just like the color green!

Of course, two of our favorite coaches ARE wearing green. And, if you listen closely in the video below, you may hear one of the coaches, (Bob), suggesting a swim across the bay to Sand City. In case anyone was wondering, He Was Not Being Serious!

And, I can always count on Todd for happy smile to end the swim session.

Open Water Swim: Crescent Beach, Huntington Bay, NY, July 3, 2010

You can check out the "still" picture above or go to the video below! Either way, the Open Water Swimming was delightful this July 4th Weekend!

Don't forget that you should also be able to "click" on any still picture to make it a little bit bigger -- sorry, "bigger" is the best we can do... we can't actually computerize the feel of the water!

Anybody up for harvesting some fresh seaweed?

The video below will give you a 360 degree view of the waters off Crescent Beach!

Bob has discovered the secret of taking your wetsuit off while still in the water. It really is a bit easier than doing it on dry land.

Not that Joy looks ready to get out anytime soon!

The Pod gathers, talking about the morning's swim and waiting for the last few swimmers to finally decide that they've had enough for this Saturday morning.

"If it weren't for all that pesky boat traffic, I'd like to swim to Sand City!"

"Look... I'm not sure that they know where the beach is!"