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Key West Swims?
dc_in_sf
San FranciscoCharter Member
Anyone have any feedback on the two different Key West Swims?
Swim Around Key West
FKCC Swim Around Key West
Thinking of getting one on my calendar for next year.
Swim Around Key West
FKCC Swim Around Key West
Thinking of getting one on my calendar for next year.
http://notdrowningswimming.com - open water adventures of a very ordinary swimmer
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Just curious any specific reason to pick FKCC over the other one?
http://notdrowningswimming.com - open water adventures of a very ordinary swimmer
Cheers,
Rob
Just got back from Key West and can tell you that the SAKW is BY FAR, the better race compared to the FKCC Race. Contrary to the "advertisements" the SAKW is fully insured and Coast Guard authorized. I saw Coast Guard boats and Marine patrol boats throughout the race and the committee boats were always within sight as well. The organizers did an excellent job with the pre-race meeting and keeping track of every swimmer in the water. They even had check points at the two bridges and they would clear each section of the race after the last swimmer swam past each bridge. Following the race, there was plenty of food, water, gatorade and prizes for the swimmers, kayakers and family. It was a huge party under a huge tent and everyone received recognition and raffles. The FKCC race did not even have a tent or a finish line banner last year. Sure, they gave out water and medals under a palm tree- but that was about it. Basically, the FKCC race is run by one gal who really tries her best to do it all, but that's just impossible. If you have any questions or issues pre-race or during the race, the help is just not there. The SAKW race is extremely organized and has leads for each area of concern. There is a safety lead, a support boat lead, a race director and tons of volunteers and sponsors.
With that said, swimming around Key West is awesome, and you should try it regardless of which race you pick.
I'm glad I was finally able to check this off my bucket list.
Thanks to the tarpon, lobsters, conch, reef fish, turtles, sharks, and minnows that kept me company along the route. And thank you to that Weather Gods who provided a glorious day with flat calm water and perfect visibility.
Does the RD still swim his own event? That is a no go in my book. It may not be a problem when things go smoothly and as expected, but if there is an emergency that needs the one in charge to make an official decision it doesn't help if he is in the water.
Yes, he swims it every year. While I agree with you that it's not the brightest of ideas, he does make it very clear who is in charge and making the calls during the race. He's more of a spokesman, honestly. The group of volunteers who actually run the show do an amazing job.
He has a race director that is responsible. I have done SAKW several times and it always goes off without a hitch. This years went well again and the conditions were perfect.
SillyShark sums it up. I too just got from Key West and swam this race last weekend. I really can't say there was anything I didn't like about this race. As for the organizer swimming this race, I didn't see a problem with that. He had this race so well organized and his committee was in place. They were all introduced the night before and explained what their rolls were. Safety plan was laid out. I actually thought it was pretty cool he was out there with the other swimmers doing his 65th swim around the island. Way to go Bill! I would recommend this swim.
I swam this year's SAKW swim too and the organisation was brilliant. Bill makes it perectly clear that he is not in charge on the day - there is a great team that keeps everyone safe. Having signed up for this swim I was worried by some of the comments on here about the swim, but any fears were completely unfounded.
Hello,
Question regarding trying to do the Key West swim.
I train regularly in a pool, and normally complete a mile in a little under 1/2 an hour, and two miles at roughly the same pace. I competed in the NYC Triathlon in 2013 and 2014 and completed the one mile swim in around nineteen minutes. I also completed a three mile recreational ocean swim last summer in around 1 3/4 hours. I am considering doing the swim around Key West in June as a charity event in order to raise money for an organization called Grassroot Soccer. They are the reason I did the triathlon, but a severe foot injury has made it so that I can't run competitively any more. I just wanted to get a realistic idea of whether or not it would be possible for me to train for and complete a twelve miler in under 8 hours within the next ten months before I commit to doing it and get all the fundraising efforts in place.
Also, do any of you know the date for the 2016 event? All the best!
You might be cutting close, but it's hard to tell. Key West doesn't have any appreciable current assist while the ocean pours into the Florida Bay through Cow Key Channel, which you have to swim through. The water there is extremely hot, which can slow you down. I'd consider an OW training swim of about 4 hours and see how far you go, and don't quite double it to calculate your final distance covered. It's tough to predict a time because every swim and its conditions are different.
I never had a good swim there because it was so hot.
In the end, it's up to you and how much you're willing to suffer.
Chris
Suffer. I love it. I saw in another post to go out and see what your breaking point is. I went out two days ago and got four miles in at the pool. Right around two hours. Wasn't at my breaking point either....pool closed. I was a bit dizzy afterward and my left shoulder was sore that night, but I was fully recovered in around twelve hours. I made sure to take in about 16 ounces of fluid every thirty minutes. I realize that's only 1/3 of the way thee though....and in a pool. My longest OW so far was three miles. I'll need to do that. Getting a waterproof iPod and polarized goggles to help with comfortable training. It's just so boring after a while.
Any idea on dates for 2016???
Yeah, but that's 4 hours in a pool. Mind numbing. That's equivalent to much more (psychologically) in the glory and freedom that is OW!
Please don't wear the iPod in OW! Too many crazy boaters out there. You want to be able to hear them. Plus, the nature and sloshing of water is nice to hear.
We're all just carbon, water, starlight, oxygen and dreams
Thanks Mike! Yes, the iPod will be for the pools swims. I can only go through so many "envelopes" in my head when I'm in the pool.
I have so many questions regarding the swim, but will limit it to a few.
First of all, I have completed an 8 1/2 mile swim across Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and did very well until I hit heavy chop and current with around two miles to go. It was almost impossible for me to swim through it even when upping my stroke considerably. It added an 1 1/2 too my ultimate time....making what could/should have been a 4 1/2 hour swim into a six hour swim. Is the chop and current around Key West that bad? I would be miserable if I had to DNF due to a patch of current that I just couldn't power through quickly enough.
Also, I get terribly gassy when I take in my Gatorade (20 ounces every half hour to hour). Is that normal? Will it subside as I train more?
Third. After I finished the Lake Geneva swim, my tongue felt like it had been burned by hot liquid and it took a couple days for it to mellow out. Is that normal?
Lastly, is there a really good, detailed, easy to read and understand map of the course that has tips for how to save time and avoid shallows and rough chop?
Again, there's more, but those are the pressers. Oh.....do you think I can even do it?? Thanks and all the best.
Are you sure it's the Gatorade? It could be that you're swallowing air. Being gassy when swimming isn't necessarily a bad thing--it keeps your hips high in the water!
In fresh water, no. But in salt water, definitely. In fact, if you're having tongue issues in fresh water, you might want to figure that out before you attempt 8 hours in salt. There are many posts here with tips for dealing with this problem.
No question. Check that box off of your list and focus on accomplishing it. You have 10 months to train. Build slowly.
"Lights go out and I can't be saved
Tides that I tried to swim against
Have brought be down upon my knees
Oh I beg, I beg and plead..."
I competed in the Swim Around Key West this past June. This was my first ocean swim and the chop was one of my biggest concerns. With as much open water practice as you can get in, it won't be an issue. But as we all know, we never know what the weather will throw our way. The Keys are not known for their rough waters. The day of the race it was mostly calm. The pre race meeting was awesome as far as going over the course. It's marked well. Your just swimming around an island, pretty hard to get lost. Have your kayaker study the map and you'll be fine. They tell you the parts to avoid where it's really shallow. There were a few parts that were more "choppy" than others. Going into the harbor with more boat traffic was one. But we had a bit of a push with tide. The race is planned to work in your favor as far as tides go. Unless you are really fast, you might be going against it for a bit. There were three parts in the race where we had a push. The last was the biggest and best. Like swimming down a river.
I would start experimenting now with feeds and stomach issues.
The race organizer Bill would probably answer any questions you have . Super nice guy. Last time I checked, he's swam around KW 50 times.
I was hesitant to swim it last year, breaking my arm five month out and having only three months to train. But I finished in 5 1/2 hours and loved the race. Will for sure do again. And... As others said, it's very warm. So find some warm pools to swim in once in awhile. Hope you decide to give it a shot. You'd love it.
Hi! I have a friend who is interested in swimming around Key West next year. I don't know much about it and all of these posts are a few years old. Any updates from more recent swims about which swim is the better swim? Thanks!!
I just did the FKCC swim on Saturday and it was great. It's smaller than the other one, was well organized, and very low key. (In my mind, the smaller the event, the better.)
The one annoying thing, which I think would be an issue on either, is the presence of the relay support boats. Always kind of annoying to have them in and out of the way.
The other thing they might want to know is that the sargassum issue is BIG down there right now, and getting worse due to climate change. Depending upon what the year is like, I would recommend not staying across from the starting beach. Those who did regretted it, and we, thankfully, had chosen elsewhere.
SydneD -- Was the regret due to navigation over the sand...or something else?
SydneyD- I agree about the support boat issue. I had one literally drive directly over the top of me. I came up for a breath and "bang" hit my head on the under side of the boat. They looked down at me like I was in their way. Fumes from boats getting VERY close to me was an issue at times too. Super nice ladies that run the event however, and it WAS a lot of fun.
@Sara_Wolf The grass piles up on the sand and it stinks something awful.
Ah.....nothing quite like rotting grass scenting the air to start your day off right! (gak!)
@Sara_Wolf
The regret was definitely due to the smell! @flystorms is right. The smell is TERRIBLE.
@MLamby Exactly! My husband, who is my kayaker, was NOT pleased!