There are a number of open water swims that happen throughout the summer here in the DC area. The Potomac swim, the Chesapeake Bay swim, the Patapsco swim, etc. There are any number of swimmers in the water at the same time, and kayakers are the only ones allowed in the swimming lanes. If a swimmer gets tired, hungry, hypothermic, or just needs a little direction to stay within the course bounds, that's our job.
Today was the first official CPA swim support training, organized by our good friends Dave and Cyndi. Since Barbara and I want to start helping out with swim support this year, we thought it would be a good idea to attend.
Besides logistics and other information for kayakers, Dave and Cyndi invited one of the regular swimmers from the Chesapeake Bay swim to talk to us from the swimmer's perspective, which we found very useful. Then we got some actual practice on the water with Dave and Cyndi acting as swimmers; practicing towing a swimmer is very useful if you've never done it before. It especially tests the kayaker's balance and bracing skills. We left the water feeling a lot more confident about our role in the swim support, and we look forward to the actual events.
