The Open Water Swim Club held a fun practice in Huntington Beach, California when the water was a bit coolish for the younger members.

Instead of a long, comfortable swim parallel along the shoreline, the team decided to do a BS To Ten workout. BS To Ten is an ocean workout where there is decent surf. Everyone runs into the water and tries to catch ten waves. The first one to ten waves win.

After the swimmers body surf to shore, they have to run up the beach to a certain point (e.g., lifeguard stand) and then run back into the water.

The effort of body surfing into shore requires a swimmer to sprint a bit to catch the water and maintain a strong 6-beat kick to body surf into the shallows. Then a bout of dolphining and running up and down the sandy beach is an aerobically taxing effort. Racing to ten ins-and-out when you combine the need to body surf ten waves is a tough set – and fun.

When the surf is larger, the swim in and the body surfing back to shore is longer making the ocean workout even tougher.

But it is certainly enjoyable, especially for the younger crowd.

And no BS.

Copyright © 2013 by Open Water Swimming