Swimming with fishes?

[Lamb]

My in-laws own a house on a lake and I couldn't bring myself to go swimming in the lake with the fishes this past weekend. Do you like to swim with fish? There were a lot of turtles around too and I don't know if they were snappers or not because I just saw their heads from a distance.

 

[NewCreation435]

I wouldn't do that just because of all the info in the news lately about parasites and other things that have killed some people in lake water. I would rather swim in a pool

 

[Josiah]

One of the GREAT experiences is diving off Hawaii (to name just one great place) and experiencing a whole other AMAZING world.... In Southern California, there are spots like that (off Catalina Island, for example) but often... it's pretty empty, just a lot of kelp, not great diving.

When I was young, I spent a LOT of time at the beach, but mostly to hang out with friends and to surf; I don't think I ever went there specifically to swim in the ocean. That happened only because I fell off my board (which happens a LOT, lol) - an unfortunate consequence of failure.

 

[vince284]

I have not been in a natural water body since I was in the Pacific 7 years ago. And I can't remember the last time I was in a river, stream or creek. I try to go to Puerto Vallarta MX annually and have been in the ocean only once. I went to Galveston TX a few weeks ago and just stool on the beach. I went to Riviera Maya last fall and stood on the beach. My friends, newly arrived from the flight met me on the beach and they both ran into the Caribbean after changing. They were in the water about 30 seconds and one of them got stung by a jellyfish. And after receiving medical attention, she was in misery for the next 4 days of our stay. In Cancun I was on a small dinghy very near the shore, and one of the people I was with decided to jump in the water and swim/walk to the beach. On jumping in the water he stepped on a sea urchin, not good. I'll stick to the chlorinated private pool.

 

[Lamb]

I have not been in a natural water body since I was in the Pacific 7 years ago. And I can't remember the last time I was in a river, stream or creek. I try to go to Puerto Vallarta MX annually and have been in the ocean only once. I went to Galveston TX a few weeks ago and just stool on the beach. I went to Riviera Maya last fall and stood on the beach. My friends, newly arrived from the flight met me on the beach and they both ran into the Caribbean after changing. They were in the water about 30 seconds and one of them got stung by a jellyfish. And after receiving medical attention, she was in misery for the next 4 days of our stay. In Cancun I was on a small dinghy very near the shore, and one of the people I was with decided to jump in the water and swim/walk to the beach. On jumping in the water he stepped on a sea urchin, not good. I'll stick to the chlorinated private pool.

That must have been a huge jellyfish! I've been stung before and it wasn't too bad.

My sister-in-law was stung by a sea urchin years ago after stepping on one and her foot swelled up so much that she thought she'd lose the foot! Ruined her entire vacation.

 

[vince284]

One of the GREAT experiences is diving off Hawaii (to name just one great place) and experiencing a whole other AMAZING world.... In Southern California, there are spots like that (off Catalina Island, for example) but often... it's pretty empty, just a lot of kelp, not great diving.

When I was young, I spent a LOT of time at the beach, but mostly to hang out with friends and to surf; I don't think I ever went there specifically to swim in the ocean. That happened only because I fell off my board (which happens a LOT, lol) - an unfortunate consequence of failure.

You brought back memories, I been to Hawaii a few times and four of the Hawaiian islands. I got a bento box on the North Shore Oahu and stepped into the ocean watching the waves, I got my ankles wet. I got my feet wet in Waikiki while walking on the beach. And stepping into a sacred pool in Maui... but other than that I stayed by the pool. (I do know how to swim, I was on the high school team. and I've worked as a lifeguard... in a pool.)

 

[tango]

I got my toe nipped by something, probably a crab, in the Atlantic off the coast of Virginia. That was a few years ago now. I'd gone for a swim, the tide was gently pushing me back to the shore so I figured I could swim out further than I might normally do. I ended up probably 1/4 - 1/2 mile or so out - I couldn't see much detail back on the shore - and for a time was just treading water resisting the tide pushing me back to shore so I could watch some brown pelicans fishing. Then when I swam back to the beach it was just a matter of making sure I made ground reasonably close to where I set out. There was virtually no lateral current that day, and I landed something like 50 yards from where I kicked off. Of course as I got closer I could get a better handle on where I was aiming, so it wasn't as if I just fluked it.

 

[vince284]

That must have been a huge jellyfish! I've been stung before and it wasn't too bad.

My sister-in-law was stung by a sea urchin years ago after stepping on one and her foot swelled up so much that she thought she'd lose the foot! Ruined her entire vacation.

Not sure how big is big. I see them floating in the aquarium exhibits. But it got her around her waist and it wrapped under her left leg and got her on top of the leg just under her swimsuit leg opening. I don't swim with anything that is faster than me (well, jellyfish look slow... but I still won't swim with them)! I was wading in Cozumel and saw a huge dark animal, swim by me, it looked like a stingray. Needless to say I got out, and went and had a drink at the bar.

 

[Forgiven1]

I tend to just wade. Love getting my feet wet and feel the warm ocean water wash over them.