What Constitutes Choppy Swimming Conditions?

Odyssey Open Water Swimming prides itself on being part of the greater swimming community. Our events may all take place in San Francisco/Berkeley, but swimmers from around the world attend them, and our swimmers and staff participate in swims around the country and beyond. 

We recently received a great question from Pilar, a member of the open water swimming community. The question was, what does the wind speed need to be to constitute “choppy swimming conditions?” Pilar added that winds were expected to be 13-15 MPH in the area, but she was not sure what wind speed will result in chop. 

For those who are unfamiliar with what “choppy swimming conditions” are, when water is choppy, “it’s wind-blown and rippling with waves.” Choppy waters are difficult for novice and even expert swimmers to conquer and are the result of storms or strong winds. 

Waves are different from current, and waves and current can travel in opposite directions, which can be very confusing to new swimmers. Watch our video explaining the current during Alcatraz swims below. 

Odyssey Founder Warren Wallace answered Pilar’s question and provided some additional thoughts on the wind’s effect on chop. “13-15 MPH winds are significant and would likely result in moderate waves. When swimming from the dock in the Berkeley Marina, which is the site for our Odyssey Berkeley swims, the area is more protected from the wind when compared to swimming from the spot at Lordships,” says Warren. 

Morning swims in Berkeley are traditionally less choppy as the wind doesn’t pick up until around 10-11 AM. 

Can Choppy Conditions Result in Cancelled Swims? 

Odyssey has never canceled a Berkeley swim due to choppy water. However, in extreme conditions, we will set up a shorter course to ensure swimmer safety. Stronger swimmers are always welcome to do multiple loops if they are comfortable with conditions.

Time Considerations 

Every swim is different, which is one of the wonderful things about open water swimming. While it's fun to check your times and distances, we discourage swimmers from comparing one day to another, as some days are much more favorable. Just because you completed your swim in a shorter time one day doesn't necessarily mean you performed better! Coach Conny suggests trying to increase the amount of time you spent swimming instead of solely focusing on speed.

Staying Above the Chop

According to Warren, “keeping a positive attitude and being flexible is VERY helpful when conditions are tough.” Even experienced swimmers often get a mouth full of water when trying to breathe, or they will need to take several strokes to get a good sight of the buoy. The ones who are most successful are the ones who keep trying. “Just take a couple more strokes and try again,” says Warren. “If you need to stop and do a few strokes of breaststroke or tread water, don't beat yourself up about it,” continues Warren. 

When the water gets choppy, it can affect your breathing. If waves are coming at you from the right, as they do during Alcatraz swims, you will need to breathe to your left. Practice breathing on both sides, so when you are swimming in choppy conditions, you can do so successfully. 

Join us for an upcoming Berkeley swim! Learn more and sign up here!