Creating An Online Resource For Open Water Swimming Safety

Mike Carr, safety director of the RCP Tiburon Mile, gave valuable insights at the Open Water Swimming Safety Conference. Later he reflected upon his experiences that may have implications for the open water swimming world.

"I was Director of an organization in Yosemite for many years and worked for the search and rescue team.

Whenever we would come up against a rescue that we did not have prior experience with, whether it be something unusual on a large rock wall, a swift water river or winter back country, we would always get together and brainstorm how to effect that rescue and refine it if we came across it again.

The Search And Rescue (SAR) officer would spend hours developing plans and creating devices and tools to assist if we were to come into a similar circumstance. We'd also brainstorm possible scenarios we hadn't come across and what advice we could give the concessionaire or park service to keep from needing our service.

I had this same feeling at the conference. There were a bunch of pros brainstorming how to improve safety [in the open water]. This got me thinking that we should challenge our group to come up with plans or devices to improve safety. With SAR, we also cross trained with the Air Force, Navy, Sheriff's Office whom we often had to call in for support and resources."

This sounds like a far forward thinking initiative for the open water swimming world. Open Water Source will endeavor to provide its resources as an online library and resource center to share information, successes, problems, issues and resources.

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source

She’s Back. Penny Dean From 1976 To The Present

From upstate New York, Dr. Penny Dean quietly casts a large shadow in the world of marathon swimming.

Not only does she still hold the Catalina Channel overall one-way record of 7 hours and 15 minutes and was dominant on the world professional marathon swimming circuit for a few short years, but she also still holds the two-way crossing record in the Catalina Channel (20 hours and 3 minutes) and remains one of the top ten English Channel swimmers of all time based on her 1978 crossing of 7 hours and 40 minutes.

Penny also swam and studied at Pomona College and coached for Pomona Pitzer
Colleges for 26 years while coaching the USA Swimming national open water swimming team from 1979 to 1991.

During her long tenure at the pinnacle of the sport, Penny also influenced a number of athletes, coaches and administrators who remain involved in the sport. She also wrote several books including the authoritative History of the Catalina Channel Since 1927.

A contemporary of International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame honorary secretary Dale Petranech and former FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee chairman Sid Cassidy, Penny coached swimmers like Karen Reeder, a Catalina Channel record holder and top professional marathon swimmer in the 1990s, and Chad Hundeby, a world 25K champion.

Currently retired, Penny has been raising her daughter in New York far away from the oceans and pools that dominated her youth and coaching career. But the marathon swimming bug got to her and she is now back in action. "I have coached a few people in the last few years here in New York. Currently, I am teaching a beginner swimmer, two triathletes and Emma Moudry for the Ederle Swim in October. It feels good to be back."

Given her track record – from coaching athletes at the world championships, World
Cups, English Channel and Catalina Channel to her illustrious marathon swimming
career, Penny certainly has the right stuff. Kind yet demanding. Thoughtful yet
intense, Penny knows how to bring the best out of an athlete day in and day out, but
especially on race day.

With her return, the sport is riding yet another wave to the future.

Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source