Stephen Redmond made the Tsugaru Channel famous with his indomitable fourth attempt – and ultimate success in 2012 – to become the first person to complete the Oceans Seven.
But one of the shortest Oceans Seven channels – at 19.5 km across its shortest route – is also one of the toughest.
Its difficulty is largely due to its position between the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean.
The channel functions like a water tunnel whipped up by winds and shrouded in fog that causes all kinds of problems for swimmers when they attempt to cross the Tsugaru Current. Eddies relentlessly swirl and push swimmers to the left, right, and backwards due to the jigsaw pattern of the coastlines of Honshu (in the south) and Hokkaido (in the north).
When asked how best to train for these conditions and 19.5 km distance, I recommend standard pool training plus a few extra open water preparations.
Turbulence Training
The Tsugaru Channel can get extremely choppy due to strong winds that often run into an oncoming Tsugaru Current that flows from west to east. As the swim date approaches, it is best to increase the amount of time that you train in turbulent conditions. This generally means that you train in the ocean, sea or lake during the late afternoon hours, spending as much time as possible getting battered by the whitecaps and surface chop.
The more that you can get acclimated to swimming in extreme turbulence at home, the better off you will be prepared for the Tsugaru Channel in Japan. If possible, you can augment turbulence training with core work, trying to increase your abdominal strength. If you only have limited time for dryland training, it is recommended to spend as much time improving your core strength over other muscle groups because maintaining balance and trying to keep a straight hand path in the turbulent water while being constantly tossed about is augmented best with a strong core.
Low-light Training
You will start at Benten Cape off the small village of Kodomari on the far western side of Aomori Prefecture. You will most probably leave your hotel to meet your escort pilots at the Kodomari Port around 3 am. Then you will boat out to the start that will take 30 minutes depending on the conditions. Twilight will signal your start as you jump from the boat into the inky black water between 150-200 meters from the rocky coast.
It will still be dark, but not pitch black. Swim carefully to the coast, touch a solid rock, and then start swimming towards your escort boat. The sun will soon rise in the horizon to your right (towards the east).
If there is a full moon, then the channel will have a magical evening glow.
Depending on your exact date, you must finish before sunset according to the Japanese Coast Guard regulations. Therefore, part of your preparations for the Tsugaru Channel should be done in low-light conditions (either pre-dawn or post-dusk hours) so you are comfortable swimming in semi-darkness. You should also know where and how to place glow sticks or some kind of illumination of your swim cap or goggles.
Eddy Training
In the pool, while you are doing your long training sets, occasionally throw in sets where you significantly pick up your pace. You will most likely encounter eddies as you approach Shirakami Cape on the Hokkaido coast. These eddies can literally push you east or west or south despite your target of heading north. You will be faced with a choice to either continue swimming at your same pace while being pushed off course, or you can significantly pick up your speed in an attempt to overcome the push of the eddies.
It will not be easy.
So, if you do a set of 8 x 1000 (or 6 x 1500) in a pool on a certain interval, try to do a fast-paced 500 on the end of each swim. Or, if you swim 8 x 1000 at a 12:00 interval (1:30 pace per 100 meters), you can try to swim at a 1:25 pace per 100m for some portion of your workout.
Hydration and Fueling Training
You are accustomed to your favorite drinks and foods during their pool and ocean training. Definitely bring your favorites with you to Japan. Whatever you are used to drinking and eating will not be available in northern Japan – or perhaps even in Tokyo.
Also, practice hydrating and fueling quickly. Because the speed of the currents and unexpected and inevitable eddies that you will encounter, your feedings must be fast for every minute spent treading vertically in the water and casually feeding will result in much more time in the water.
Marine Life Expectations
There is no industry other than fishing in the Tsugaru Channel area. So the water is remarkably clean…and filled with marine life. Do not be surprised to run into jellyfish, squid, sharks, and dolphins. The jellyfish stings will not be debilitating, but irritating to say the least. The squid may be nowhere to be seen during the day – or may be everywhere as night approaches. The sharks which feed on the schools of tuna in the channel are not interested in a slow-moving human swimming next to a diesel-spewing escort boat going in an out of gear, but they may be curious. Because the water clarity enables you to see quite deeply and clearly in the royal blue water, you may see things swimming deep below that the escort crew and pilots may not see.
Petar Stoychev completed the Oceans Seven on his Tsugaru Channel crossing. This is what he experienced [see below].
For a general overview and description of the Tsugaru Channel experience, listen to Steven Munatones in his presentation above.
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