Going for swim ..... anyone?

Zim

Zim

Active Member
Jan 16, 2018
200
Boat Info
2012 Sea ray sundancer 310
Engines
Twin merc
So, been dreaming ...and contiplating about going out 2-3 miles off shore and jumping in for a swim. Currently in nj, Atlantic side, about 50 ft deep ...and other than sharks ...and brain eating bugs, what would be some of the pitfalls in doing such a thing. I know the current is factor. Do people do that sort of thing? I don't plan on swimming for miles, just a dip, naked off course, and back on board for a hot shower. Of course the wife is all about hell no... you see jaws..... so she'll be the look out.
Thoughts?
 
Good news for you. Brain eating bugs are a freshwater only thing. They don't exist in salt water. So it'll just be the sharks chomping at you.
 
Go for it, Just make sure you remain attached to the boat.
 
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Bt Doctur said:
unless she can operates the boat and save you, its a dumb idea
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A lot of dumb ideas out there, why is this? Specifically some specific dumb things that can happen. I get the sharks. Current. And more sharks. How is that different from swimmingin off the beach?
 
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ZZ13 said:
Good news for you. Brain eating bugs are a freshwater only thing. They don't exist in salt water. So it'll just be the sharks chomping at you.
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What about the sharks on the beaches eating people?
 
bobeast said:
Go for it, Just make sure you remain attached to the boat.
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Ya figured current would be something. But ya was gonna keep a line out. Thanks!
 
We boat on the Ohio River and occasionally have strong currents. When we anchor (or raft up) several boats tie lines to the back of their boats with a floating device on the end just in case somebody falls in.
 
If I was your wife I would also be in the "hell no" category but if you must get it out of your system, I would concur with absolutely no question wearing a good life-vest (not inflatable) and absolutely make sure you're attached securely to the boat. If it was me I would really want to weigh the risk vs reward. I just don't think it's worth it IMHO. Stay safe!!
 
There are some on this site who would think that the risk cannot be any worse than running a portable generator on your deck or swim platform, so I say go for it and roll the dice. Hopefully, you can get back to us to tell us how it all turned out. ;)
 
Zim said:
So, been dreaming ...and contiplating about going out 2-3 miles off shore and jumping in for a swim. Currently in nj, Atlantic side, about 50 ft deep ...and other than sharks ...and brain eating bugs, what would be some of the pitfalls in doing such a thing. I know the current is factor. Do people do that sort of thing? I don't plan on swimming for miles, just a dip, naked off course, and back on board for a hot shower. Of course the wife is all about hell no... you see jaws..... so she'll be the look out.
Thoughts?
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Sometimes when we're out on the lake I'll come across warm spots. I have stopped several times through the years to do exactly what you're thinking of. To find a spot of warm water, 69-72F, miles offshore where it's usually upper 40's to low 50's made me curious the first time, I wanted to see how deep the warm layer was. Sometimes it's a thin layer on top, sometimes 10 feet is much warmer than you'd expect, most times not.

I never do it unless it's dead calm out, I don't want the boat drifting away of course, besides it seems there are no warm spots if any winds have been blowing. There's nothing in the lake that can eat me so I don't have that worry. Other than that, if you're a decent swimmer, I say go for it.
 
Last year, my wife and the kids went out the Barnegat Inlet and went out a few miles. My daughter was insisting to go in and take a dip. My wife was saying let her go and I was making the same arguments that many of you have. As we were lowering the swim ladder for her to take a dip, I see a fin about 25 yards away. I quickly tell everyone to look at the dolphin. When we didn't see the fin come up again, we were suddenly on the same page and there was no "dip."
 
I jumped in 95 miles off the coast to check on what I thought was a fouled prop. The water was a VERY eerie deep blue and in my mind there was a huge shark sitting on the bottom waiting for me.

My wife said she didn't even think I got wet!
 
You guys worry this much about swimming off the back of your boat? Holy crap...reason #125.6 that I'm glad to live in the Great Lakes area I suppose. Driving a few miles off shore and skinny dipping is a moderately normal thing around these parts.

The biggest worry we have is the "shrinkage factor" since the water tends to be a bit cooler out there...
 
Stee6043 said:
You guys worry this much about swimming off the back of your boat? Holy crap...reason #125.6 that I'm glad to live in the Great Lakes area I suppose. Driving a few miles off shore and skinny dipping is a moderately normal thing around these parts.

The biggest worry we have is the "shrinkage factor" since the water tends to be a bit cooler out there...
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At least when out on the lake you know a park ranger isn't going to be motoring around the point like happened to me on Isle Royale one time.:rolleyes:
 
Stee6043 said:
The biggest worry we have is the "shrinkage factor" since the water tends to be a bit cooler out there...
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That reminded me of a story my parents told me. Years ago, we lived on Lake Michigan. A friend of my parents went in for a swim. His statement coming out of the water was "I went in a man and came out a woman."
 
Being a lake boater and growing up on a small lake in the NC mountains we think nothing of stopping the boat and going for a swim to cool off. Our water is around 90deg by mid summer! Now the little lake growing up was pretty cool and deep - pretty common for us to end up in the water late at night, unclothed of course (water was a little cool for romance :()! Even though I am a decent swimmer, I never go in the lake without a ski vest or some sort of float in hand. So to answer your question I probably would not think twice of going in the ocean for a dip, I would of course have a life jacket on and a tether to the boat - but as I described my lake boat experience maybe I am naive to something here.

I will say I have always had the heebee geebees over what is under you when swimming in a lake - stumps, trees, big ass catfish, even houses in some of the dammed up lakes we boat on - I just don't think about it.
 
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