"It's my nature to be in the water since the first time I was thrown in. My DNA says Hawaii, warm weather all the time, but I adapted to the cold water pretty good.
To me it's all about movement and being part of nature. When you do long swims you become part of the environment.
I always loved water and I think I always will."
Duke, 72
"The encounters with nature--weather, tides, pelicans, herons, grebes, seals--and the mood enhancing effects of cold water swimming keep reinforcing the desire to return over and over. Winter is my favorite time to swim.
And then there are the swim friends, a special breed of friend."
Duffy, 68
"Being immersed in the aquatic medium and thus perceptually aware of the tidal forces, the actual pull of the sun and the moon, is in the true sense of the word 'awesome'.
A regular dose of humbling perspective, and connection with visceral reality, is for me the ticket to being able to enthusiastically appreciate being alive."
Ken, 73
"Our water is alive and changing and amazingly restorative. I'm immersing myself in a living entity.
Swimming due to its isolation, meaning different orientation to gravity, sight and hearing allows you to enter a different world and really unplug so to speak. I find it to be meditative and introspective
My regular open water swimming practice is a tool for maintaining my physical and mental health.
It provides great joy and allows a connection to something much bigger and grander than me."
Laura, 59
"There is also the aesthetic experience of swimming in open water (cold or warm) that has an adventurous feeling to it.
The water conditions are different every day and each swim becomes a new experience."
Marlin, 62
"I Swim To Live and I Live To Swim"! That has been my mantra most of my life.
The endorphin rush I receive upon jumping into the chill, acclimating to the water temperature and tides, and feeling so significant yet insignificant in the vastness of the Bay is unique.
I cherish every swim."
Jeff, 68
"My grandma told us if we drown in the ocean, it's OK because if you die in the ocean, you go to Paradise directly. Maybe it was a way to overcome any fears we might have had back then.
I always felt safe in the ocean even in the middle of big waves, a storm or a lot of wind."
Wafaa
"It is a mood enhancer. Especially during these trying years in which democracy itself feels in jeopardy, I have found being embraced by the cool water gives me a break from the anxiety and puts me in a meditative state.
The water and the air comes in so many varieties, often forcing me to challenge myself and confront my fears. Doing so enhances my self-confidence and, dare I say, my mental health."
Hal, 73
