Lynn's Anacapa to Mainland Swim

For this Anacapa swim, I had trained for cold wind-blown seas.
What did I get? Nearly tropical, smooth warm seas! A big starfish greeted me on Anacapa Island as I touched and began swimming.

About a mile off the island there was a "salp bloom" with all sizes of the gelatinous creatures. I felt like I was swimming through the macroscopic version of pondlife under the microscope. I also got stung by "noseeum" jellies all over. It hurt but I tried to focus on just swimming. That lasted about three hours and then I noticed a couple of seal lions playing underneath me. After that there were dolphins and my crew said they saw three whales in the distance! I came in at 7 hours and 8 minutes at Silverstrand Beach in Oxnard, well under my projected time of 8 hours!

I am very grateful to my crew: Julie Flanagan (kayaker) Roni Hibben (feeder-mixer and cheerleader), Rob Dumouchel (pace swimmer), Gail Rubly (Mom, feed-signaler) and Captain Bob and Three Ring Mike.

Also congratulations to Captain Bob for his 100% success rate in getting swimmers across the channel!

Here is Rob D's writeup of the swim:
http://robaquatics.com/2011/08/anacapa-island-to-mainland-with-my-friend-lynn...

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Santa
• Barbara
• Channel
• Swimming
• Association
• Anacapa
• Ventura
• Oxnard

[ralph432156]

Awesome! I'm glad the conditions were favorable. Or were you dissapointed the elements didn't test you more?

[Oceanswimmr]

@ralph432156 I had so many unfortunate things happen prior to this swim (work schedule change negating training time, rent increase, impending move and other stuff) I was grateful for the gift of the conditions, I was ready for anything but this was a complete blessing!

[ljw19901]

thats a hell of a swim! Congrats!

[ralph432156]

bad stuff happening? then friendly waters... guess the gods decided you need a break.

(ronf)