Open Water Swimming News & Views

The Weather Channel's latest on-camera talent and marathon swimmer Bruckner Chase is now wanted by the Police and Fire Departments in Melbourne, Florida. The departments have placed Chase's WAVE SAFE stickers on their official vehicles as a way to promote ocean awareness and safety. As warmer temperatures roll around throughout the United States, Chase will be seen more and more often on The Weather Channel as its Ocean Expert: TWC Ocean Safety America's Weekend HQ 4-9-23 from Bruckner Chase on Vimeo . The Weather Channel Ocean Safety Weekend Recharge 4-9-23 from Bruckner Chase on Vimeo .

It is not rare that channel swimmers and marathon swimmers get an upset stomach in turbulent conditions. It is highly probable that these swimmers swallow water in the surface chop, waves, and swells. Over time as the swim and turbulence continues - sometimes hour after hour - it is inevitable that the swimmer has swallowed several (dozens) of gasps of saltwater. Mixed in with their normal feedings, an upset stomach is the end result. Many (most?) swimmers can deal with this upset stomach and eventually finish their swim or crossing, but a handful of swimmers have to call it a day and abort their swim. On the other end of the spectrum are experienced ocean and sea swimmers who - no matter how turbulent and wavy the conditions are - never or very rarely swallow a bit of saltwater. How do they do that? How do these swimmers interact with a choppy ocean or rough sea and breathe - sometimes as many as 30 times per minute - without inadvertently swallowing any water? For th...

Lewis Pugh , the United Nations Patron of the Oceans , and Bruckner Chase , NOAA’s Wave Safe Ambassador, have swum together in Huntington Beach , California [see photo above]. In their own spheres of influence, the two liked-minded ocean advocates - Pugh from South Africa and Chase from America - are both concerned about the effects of climate change as glaciers increasingly melt, ocean temperatures increasingly get warmer, coastal storms become more dangerous and marine life becomes increasingly impacted. They both adhere to what Jacques Cousteau long advocated: " People protect what they love ,” and “ When one person, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to live an extraordinary life, they have no right to keep it to themselves ." It is clear that watermen Pugh and Chase love the ocean and the wonders it holds - and focus their skills and talents to protect it and our communities. In a creative sense, these real-world issues that ocean-goers and ocean-lo...