Flying Freestyling Fast In The Gulf Stream

Courtesy of WOWSA, Gulf Stream, Atlantic Ocean.

One of the most remarkable feeling that a tired marathon swimmer can have is getting pushed forward by a tide or current.

“Swimming down the Hudson River towards the finish of the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim in 1984, swimming swiftly past all the tall buildings of New York City was a huge relief after racing Paul Asmuth and Shelley Taylor-Smith for hours,” recalled Steven Munatones.

“It just took several strokes and a few breaths and we would pass yet another building as we breathed to our left. We flew past joggers and even some cyclists. The feeling was great despite the fatigue after the race itself and the long professional marathon swimming season.”

And so felt Pablo Fernández Álvarez of Spain during his July 30th Century Swim in the Gulf Stream off the coast of Florida, a current-assisted 100 km solo swim.

Fernández swim over a swim streamer for 100 km – plus an extra 20 minutes just in case – in nearly a straight line, starting with a 5.5 km current that pushed him northwards and gradually increased to 7.1 km per hour by the fourth hour.

He swam from 26 deg 57.0’N 79 deg 51.0′ W to 27 deg 51.0′ N 79 deg 51.0′ W in 12 hours 21 minutes 14 seconds.

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