Catalina! The romantic Island off the Coast of Southern California, the Island that makes the sunsets a bit more dynamic. To most the Island is a place to relax and over drink, but to a small group of marathon swimmers, Catalina is seen as a great mental and physical challenge. The Challenge begins the day before the swim, where the crew meets in the San Pedro Harbor to start the journey to the Island around 7 or 8 pm. The ride over to the island is filled with excitement and nervous energy awaiting the start. The freakish chasm crossing starts at 12:00 o'clock midnight and on average takes swimmers anywhere from 10-20 hours to complete. The reason swimmers are encouraged to start so early is it helps avoid the windy conditions that become an added battle for the swimmer. Most swimmers have a pilot kayaker that helps with feeds and guidance. Swimming that distance requires constant hydration and food, every half hour the swimmer stops and feeds. The feeds are documented by the official observer, who also document the time, conditions, and pace of the swimmer. Pace swimmers can jump in and swim for a maximum of 1 hour at a time followed by a minimum of 1 hour unaccompanied. The nearest distance between Catalina and California is from the West End of the Island to San Pedro spanning roughly 20 miles. With currents and wind, it often ads a couple of miles to the already long swim. To learn more about the history of the channel here's the official website. https://swimcatalina.org/
Wendy had a successful swim with 72 degree water temps and mellow surf conditions. Wendy did a great job not only the day of the swim but put with all the long hours of training for the challenge. Like anything you prepare and train your butt off, and pray that God provides the favorable weather conditions to help! You can see Wendy and many other encouraging swimmers on a weekly basis training at Shaws Cove in Laguna Beach. If you would like to get involved in open water swimming come to join the "The Pod" that swims out of Laguna Beach.
Location: Shaws Cove - Tuesday-Friday meet at 6 am.
Location: Oak Street - Saturday 7 am.
Location: Shaws Cove - Sunday 7 am.