Mona  has forwarded an additon to the Open Water Swim Training Diary page. Notes, Commments, Suggestions are below: 
First Name: Mona
Last Name: 
E-mail Address: mona.albano@rogers.com
Question/Comment: For the first time this year, the water was clean enough and warm enough yesterday for a 
lesson in open-water swimming with Coach Kelvin. There were four of us: LotStreetWiz, Anthony, 
Lynda, and me. 

We swam back and forth over a 500-yard course marked by buoys. All the others are much better 
swimmers and were able to do things like “go swim around that buoy and back” in a reasonable 
amount of time. All of us had to wear bright-coloured bathing caps to make us easy to see. 
Our coach is also a lifeguard and he brings another lifeguard to watch from the dock and 
keep track of us all.

It was a bit of a struggle getting into my wetsuit and when it was on, no matter how much 
I tried to let in a little lubricating water, the suit remained tight and constricting. 
A wetsuit is neoprene foam; it’s supposed to let you get wet, but keep the same layer of 
water next to you so that your body heat doesn’t get carried away. I felt like I couldn’t 
breathe. It dragged on my arms. And I wasn’t used to swimming with little foam shoes on. 
They are very useful for wading into the rocky water, but next time I think I’ll leave them
 on the dock of the lifeguards’ hut once I’m in.

Anyway, I swam a little but quickly became out of breath. I felt like I couldn’t get a proper
 breath in the suit. Then I would breathe too hard and feel like I was hyperventilating. If I 
stopped to rest, I got seasick in the buoyant suit.

However, my practice last week at swimming evenly and ending each stroke at the same place helped 
me to stay on course. I did get around the buoy once. Then I went half-way and back. Then I 
swam out to where the others were gathered. When I got tired of freestyle, I used the breast 
stroke or back crawl and I got where I was going, eventually. I probably swam only about 350 
yards. But at least I was out there.

The water was cool but not too cold, so I got used to it immediately. This part of Lake Ontario 
is sheltered, by the Leslie Street Spit and Toronto Island, from the cold current that swirls 
counterclockwise around the lake. The water is fairly shallow, as well, and it warms up in summer. 
I think perhaps next time I’ll start without the wetsuit on and just swim in a bathing suit.
Referred by: 2008-06-27