Boston Swimming in October

Jbetley

I am visiting Boston for 4 days next week. I have officially no clue where to swim while I am there. I am staying downtown. What are the options for OW and indeed pool swims?

I don't mind cold.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

J

gregoc

@Jbetley, @emkhowley swims in Boston Harbor in South Boston at the L St Bathhouse some weekday mornings. Also,BU maters takes drop ins I believe.

emkhowley

Hi @jbetley. Tides in South Boston are not terribly convenient this week. We're aiming to swim this afternoon about 4-ish at the L Street Bathhouse in South Boston to Carson's Beach and back. You can join us enroute if you like (you need an annual membership to get into the L, but once we're outside the fences, it'll be easy to see us and to join up with us. We are hoping to go on Thursday afternoon as well.

Where are you staying while you're in Boston? There are lots of places to swim in the area.

Jbetley

Hi @emkHowley - just saw your post! I arrived in Boston last night. I am staying downtown. What time are you swimming tomorrow? I would need to get there by bus as I do not have a car, and have somewhere to stash my stuff. It would be great to get an OWS in, will save me from another session at the Chinatown YMCA, underground and hot....... Cheers - J

emkhowley

@jbetley, we're going to meet at 4pm (right around high tide). Splash time is usually closer to 4:10 or 4:15 by the time we get changed and stuff. @kotjmf and I will meet on the beach at the L and swim west towards the Carson's Beach bathhouse. You can join up with us right alongside the K Street side of the L Street Bathhouse-- that's the women's side of the facility. It's pretty safe to stash your stuff behind a bush next to the fence but I'd leave valuables at your hotel. Or, I can always meet you out front of the L before I go in or at the fence and put stuff on the more secure side of the fence and then hand them back over when we're done. Very complicated, I know, but the beach in Southie this time of year is pretty dead anyway, so I wouldn't be too worried.

Water was about 59 degrees yesterday and lovely. @kotjmf takes public transportation to get down there, so perhaps you two can connect on that? I come in from the 'burbs and park on the street, so I honestly can't tell you how to get down there via the T. (Bad tour guide!) We usually swim for most of an hour or so over to the gazebo on the JFK library side of the basin and back to the L. It's a well worn rut of a route but it suits us.

I'd definitely advocate that you ditch the Chinatown Y-- yech, one can smell that place from three blocks away-- that can't be good! Hope to see you tomorrow!
E

Jbetley

Sounds good! I will aim to be down there by 4 tomorrow! If @kotjmf has any transport tips that would be great. I am about 6' 2" and will be wearing rather fetching orange crocs, lurking around the bathhouse - thanks a lot - J

kotjmf

@jbetley, I take the red line train to Andrew station and walk to the bathhouse. It's a 2km walk, but the route is relatively simple:

head east on Preble St to a rotary, continue on Columbia Rd, turn right at G St (just before reaching the tallest apartment building in the area on your left), and then left on the Harborwalk which follows along the shore.

I've not taken the bus there, but (looking at mbta.com) the #11 should be a good option. It has a number of stops downtown, and will take you to 8th and K, which is two blocks North of the bathhouse. Feel free to message me if you need help determining what downtown stop would be close to where you're staying.

I'll be wearing shorts and sandals and a blue sweatshirt and will keep an eye out for the orange crocs. See you tomorrow!

-J

Jbetley

Just to close out a nice thread and story, and pay tribute to the networking beauty of the forum, I had a wonderful swim yesterday with @kotjmf and @emkhowley in Boston. The sun shone, the wind blew up a nice bit of chop, and we spent a very enjoyable hour in the water, before warming up in the sauna at the L St Bathhouse. Thanks guys for your hospitality, and making a necessary work trip into something much more special. J

emkhowley

That was way fun yesterday. Thanks for joining us @jbetley! Always happy to have others join us. And I got a message from one of our local friend there last night; he got a reading of 52 F water temp yesterday afternoon. Brrr. I don't think it was quite that cold, but 55 F seems about right, so that was a good little frisky late season swim. Post the pic!! :-) and come back and see us again soon. Safe travels.

Jbetley

The pic is in here:

http://swimsequence.wordpress.com/2013/10/25/boston-in-the-fall/

Thanks again guys. You are always welcome to come and see me in the UK the next time the North Channel calls you.....

I agree it didn't feel like 52F. I would normally expect brain freeze for a minute or two at that temperature, it was peachy.