The new winter season for the Wasatch Front Polar Bear Club is almost here! I'll admit I'm pretty excited about it. I plan on doing a lot of cold water swimming this year and 1Oct is when the season begins. We will all meet every Thursday at the Saltair marina throughout the whole winter until the end of March. COME JOIN US!!! I plan on going out on most Tuesdays and Saturdays from the Antelope marina.
Since we are trying to get more people out to join us (and a CASH prize didn't work!), we are going to offer special made silicone swim caps. There will be requirements to get one. These caps will not be given out for just showing up. They must be earned. This is to hopefully get people to come out more than once and for us to make new friends with swimming. There really is a special bond with people who do these swims together.
Only ONE requirement met is needed to get a cap! The requriements will be:
4 ways to get a cap:
1. 5 jumps into the water when
it's under 50. Must go fully under. No time limit. You can just run in,
dunk, and run out. Must be on 5 seperate dates.
2. 10 min swimming up to neck
under 50 degrees. I'm not going to require a full head submersion for swimming
ones. If you do heads up breast stroke for the whole swim, it will count.
3. 5 min swimming under 40
degrees
4. 2 min swimming under 35
degrees
**************Allowed to wear for
qualifying*********************
Any goggles
Any cap including thermal - we
all did it last year!
brief or thigh covering
speedo
thermal gloves
thermal booties or small fins
like Jim wears
*****************NOT allowed*************************
torso wetsuit
more than 2 caps at a
time
long fins
Those that want to get into to IISA (like I'm training for), those are a seperate set of rules.
The 5 "founding members" are Gordon Gridley, Josh and Jake Green, Jim Hubbard, and Goody Tyler IV. We will be the one who validate all swims and will reward the cold water swimmer accordingly.
No "honorary caps" will be given for any A-list swimmer that comes and joins us. They must earn theirs too like everyone else.
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT SAFETY IS STILL OF THE HIGHEST IMPORTANCE.
Everyone is encouraged to join us and I sincerely hope we get 100 people a week showing up! BUT if anyone is swimming beyond their ability or starts showing any signs of the cold getting to them, they will be pulled immediately and the swim will not count. Your life is NOT worth a swim cap!
Be responsible too please! Bring lots of warm clothes, towels, and some blankets with you if you are new to this. There is a MAJOR adjustment period and the best way to get better at cold water swimming and tolerance of it is coming out regularly.
We will have a kayak with us if needed and life saving devices. All new swimmers will get a safety briefing on where to swim, how to swim, when to get out and proper warm up procedures. (Yes, warming up the wrong way can kill you!!!)
A complete safety list is being made and all the founding WFPBC members will have a copy with them at every swim. This is to ensure that proper safety measures are followed for every swim.
Let the season of red skin and "anatomy change" BEGIN!!!!
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