Unusually strong rip currents in the waters off several New York beaches this weekend have left seven people dead or missing, marking one of the worst spates of drownings in recent history. Officials are pointing to a confluence of factors for the unforgiving seas off Coney Island and the south shore of Long Island, including the encroachment of Tropical Storm Cristobal, which has been creeping up the coast for several days.
The tragedies serve to underscore the importance staying safe in the open water. A day at the beach is nothing if not carefree, but it only takes a moment to get pulled into a situation that can quickly get out of control. First and foremost, you need to be a strong swimmer if you're going to venture out into the waves. You might think you know how to swim, but there's a big difference between splashing around in a backyard pool and plunging into the Atlantic Ocean.
If you never learned how to swim, consider taking lessons at your local pool. The 92nd Street Y in New York, for example, offers private and semi-private lessons to people of all ages and abilities. And when you feel ready to hit the open water, an outfit called SBR Multisports is offering an Open Water 101 course at Lake Sebago in Harriman State Park in New York (a great park, by the way: the Appalachian Trail runs through it), while more advanced courses are taught in Fairfield, Connecticut.
But the smartest thing to do is to pay attention to the conditions and never swim without a lifeguard nearby. And most of all, don't fight the rip! If you get caught in a rip, swim parallel to the shoreline until you're out of the current, then make your way back to dry land and enjoy the rest of your day at the beach.
How did we not already think of this? New York magazine once crashed hotel pools in Gotham, but now British lads--and you know it's the lads--are using Google Earth to find neighborhood pools worth infiltrating.
Says the Daily Mail:
The craze involves using the Google Earth programme, which provides high-quality aerial photos of Britain and other countries.
Once a target is chosen, the organisers use social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo to arrange to meet, say police.
Authorities worry that the trend is about to really catch on thanks to a combo of warmer weather and vacant houses, as Brits go on summer holidays. Time for us to get a Bebo account!
Remember how we told you about Martin Strel, the insane Slovenian who decided to spend his most recent holiday swimming the entire length of the Amazon River? Well, he's just finished, and he's just alive.
Contrary to our predictions, it wasn't the piranhas, crocodiles or poisonous stingrays that really threatened him. (Martin said the animals "accepted" him.) It was just the sheer lunacy of a 52-year-old man swimming 3272 miles at an average pace of 52 miles per day. Doctors told him to stop (especially when heart problems emerged) but he stubbornly swam on and arrived at the finishing line in Brazil on Saturday.
He was put straight into hospital suffering high blood pressure and dizziness, but has since been released. If you want to copy this kind of adventure trip, there's one advantage if you're keen to lose weight: Martin lost 26 pounds during the swim (and not to piranhas).
Some people like to run around the world, but now a new, perhaps crazier guy is hitting the headlines. Slovenian Martin Strel loves to swim. He really loves to swim.
Rivers are his favorite territory. Winning records for swimming the length of the Mississippi, Danube and the Yangtze (his previous longest success, at 2,487 miles), Strel is now ready to tackle the Amazon. Starting in Atalaya in Peru and heading down to Belem in Brazil, Strel plans to swim 3,375 miles. Possible problems? Well, a few of the native lifeforms:
The world's second longest river is home to piranha fish, crocodiles, bull sharks, poisonous freshwater stingrays and the toothpick fish, or candiru.
Nice. Fancy swimming along with him? Or prefer your adventure travel in a slightly safer form? Reminder: the candiru is the fish that can swim into your nether bits.
The London Fields Lido closed in the '80s, but after a major renovation it's been brought back to life as the only heated Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool in London. The project isn't 100% complete--a seasonal roof for winter swimming is in the works--but the pool is open for business. It's heated to a comfortable 77 degrees fahrenheit.
Access is £3 ($5.72) for adults, and the colorful lockers seen above are available for a single-use fee of £.20. Until November 19, weekends are reserved for general swimming only, while weekday hours are as follows: adult lane swimming from 7:15 am until 9:30 am, and general swimming from 10:00 am until 4:15 pm. After that, and until December 17, Tuesdays and Thursdays are also general swimming only, with hours reduced from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm (with lane hours set for 8:30 am-9:30am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday).
A sunbathing terrace is available, but you probably won't be able to make good use of it until summer. If your hotel in London doesn't have a pool, this is your best shot at showing off that bathing suit bod to a crowd.
