“We have surf and some Portuguese man o war,” cautioned Lt. Jim McCrady before the ISHOF Rough Water Swim in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “If you have never been stung by a Portuguese man o war, that could cause some problems.”

But college kids being college kids, especially those from the colder climes of the Eastern Seaboard, they were all game to jump in the churned-up ocean in southern Florida.

Tim Landon of Franklin Marshall College described this year’s ISHOF Rough Water Swim. “[My] first year was sunny; this year was definitely an experience. I have never swum in water this rough before.”

Amiee Hooper of James Madison University agreed, “It was really rough. It was good. I got stung a couple times, but…it hurt real bad, right on my neck.”

All said with a smile and a deep sense of satisfaction.

Videos courtesy of Bruce Wigo, Chairman of the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Top 20 Results (Men’s and Women’s Divisions):

1. Yoelvis Pedraza 20:31.0 (shown above)

2. Drew Ledwith 21:54.7

3. Shahar Resman 22:04.8

4. Sean Minderlein 22:14.0

5. Spencer Scarth 22:30.2

6. Noah Lucas 22:58.4

7. Ricardo Valdivia 22:58.7

8. Luis Martinez 22:59.5

9. Nicolas Medina 23:11.4

10. Christian Kopecki 23:14.0

11. Nicholas Sharp 23:14.6

12. Dan Jacobson 23:16.6

13. Macian Campbell 23:20.7

14. Alfredo Mesa, Jr. 23:21.8

15. Andy Kilkenny 23:25.9

16. Mirco Di Tora 23:26.0

17. Chris Dieter 23:26.8

18. Sean Neri 23:37.3

19. Matthew Ahlberg 23:44.2

20. Kevin Lindgren 23:46.7

1. Amiee Hooper 24:13.4

2. Morgan Johnson 24:28.6

3. Melissa Criscuolo 24:43.1
4. Maggie Johns 24:45.5

5. Megan Moroney 25:12.3
6. Jackie Crawford 25:20.0

7. Amanda Presgraves 25:26.4

8. Cameron Martin 25:28.6

9. Alice Leoni 25:37.0

10. Darby Goodwin 25:37.6

11. Caroline Schirmers 25:40.3

12. Kelsey Richards 25:44.3

13. Benedetta Bugani 25:54.9

14. Daniela Veloza 26:03.7

15. Kelset Holmgaard 26:10.0

16. Brenna Ruth 26:13.2
17. Alexis Houser 26:19.6
18. Stephanie Murray 26:20.2
19. Lucy Emerson 26:20.4

20. Becca Daen 26:27.1

Copyright © 2014 by World Open Water Swimming Association