Swim Around the Rock

Start of the Swim Around the Rock Race.

At about 11am I finally did it. After about 2 hours of swimming, I completed the swim from the shores of San Francisco, around Alcatraz, and back in nothing but a swimsuit, cap and googles.

Receiving a medal after completing the swim.

The flood tide was even stronger than expected and it swept me about 1/4-1/2 of mile east of the island on the way out despite my efforts to aim to the west. It also caused me to be swim several hundred meters to the west as I neared the beach. But all told- it was a fun swim in comfortably cool temperatures (62 degrees warming to high sixties in some pockets near shore).

My family was there to see me off and my sister and her family were there to see me arrive.

With the family after cleaning up. Alcatraz can be seen in the background.

Thanks also to the wonderful support kayakers and other swimmers who helped spur me on through some of the rough waters in the channel.