Any triathletes or swimmers here practice their open water swimming in the BWCA? I’m thinking of bringing my swim buoy and goggles and do a some open water swim practice from camp. I swim several times a week at home and sometimes practice in lakes near me.

I used to bring my googles and swim across lakes. They were useful for looking for objects underwater. I have found a number lures this way.

Living on Lake Michigan, I have done a lot of open water swimming. Also participated in a number of triathlons with the swim leg in Lake Michigan. I especially enjoyed swimming with googles in the crystal clear lakes in Killarney PP.

salukiguy: "Any triathletes or swimmers here practice their open water swimming in the BWCA? I’m thinking of bringing my swim buoy and goggles and do a some open water swim practice from camp. I swim several times a week at home and sometimes practice in lakes near me."

Are though those swim buoys to make yourself visibile to motorized traffic? If so, you won't need that. Unless it's for emergency floatation. They are bulky though, no?

Apart from that, I think the swim idea is a great idea. What better place to do it?

A few years back we saw a group swimming along the shore of Slim Lake. They may have been a family with parents and adult kids. They'd gone from the entry to one of the hiking trails and we saw them on their way back. One had a swim buoy and one had a pfd. One fellow (not the one with the buoy or the pfd) had loose hiking pants on and looked very, very tired. The rest of them seemed to be having a great time. There were 5 or six of them, they were close to shore, and they looked like they knew what they were doing.

I love swimming in natural water! I don’t train for distance, but just swim around for fun and to cool off. I did cross paths at Isle Royale with some hardcore open water swimmers who were training in Moskey Basin, a large inlet on Lake Superior.

The swim floats deflate so they shouldn't be too bulky and if swimming across a lake could be a good idea for emergencies. I've thought of getting one for use near our cabin due to motorboats that speed through.

We've done some swims to nearby islands but nothing so long that it qualifies as distance training.

Argo: "

salukiguy: "Any triathletes or swimmers here practice their open water swimming in the BWCA? I’m thinking of bringing my swim buoy and goggles and do a some open water swim practice from camp. I swim several times a week at home and sometimes practice in lakes near me."

The swim buoys do both. They are brightly colored for. ISI I kitty and they can be used to hang onto if tired. They deflate so would be very portable.


Are though those swim buoys to make yourself visibile to motorized traffic? If so, you won't need that. Unless it's for emergency floatation. They are bulky though, no?


Apart from that, I think the swim idea is a great idea. What better place to do it? "

Salukiguy, how well do you think the swim buoys do at notifying motorboats outside of the BW? I’ve thought of getting them for my wife and I but am still worried that some of the motorboats near our cabin like to tear through at high speed.

andym: "Salukiguy, how well do you think the swim buoys do at notifying motorboats outside of the BW? I’ve thought of getting them for my wife and I but am still worried that some of the motorboats near our cabin like to tear through at high speed. "

I think they work pretty well but the lake I swim in has a horsepower limit. Last time I had a friend in a John boat trailing me as well.

Back in the day I was intent on keeping up on my tri training while in the BWCA. the fun part was swimming to a crowded portage and exiting the water and after taking off the goggles trot away and tell them I liked to travel light!!

salukiguy: "

andym: "Salukiguy, how well do you think the swim buoys do at notifying motorboats outside of the BW? I’ve thought of getting them for my wife and I but am still worried that some of the motorboats near our cabin like to tear through at high speed. "

I think they work pretty well but the lake I swim in has a horsepower limit. Last time I had a friend in a John boat trailing me as well."

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll get some. A horsepower limit would be nice although we almost got run over by a Jon boat with a small engine once. We managed to just yell at them. I now also carry an emergency whistle on a wrist lanyard. It's tempting to go to a no-motor lake and mix in some day trip canoeing with a long swim.