Evanston, September 18

Official swim season is over and the guards are gone, so the beaches are ours. Just stopped by on the way home from work to check the water temperature, I had heard conflicting reports. I expected serious wave action but with the wind direction from the south west there were no visible significant waves in view. Just by chance my old swim partner, Mike, was just getting in the water. I was upset that I hadn't brought my swim stuff so I couldn't go with him. So I talked to his wife, enjoying the first warm sunny day in a while, and then took a reading near shore -- 69 F! I'll have to bring my current swim partners back tomorrow.

I recently got an email from a swimmer who reads this blog, someone I don't know, who was arrested for swimming off of a Chicago beach when guards were not present. My understanding is that this swimmer went in as it was getting dark in the evening and swam away from the entry beach. Apparently some citizen became concerned, or wanted to make some trouble, and called the police about a swimmer in distress. When the swimmer returned to the beach to find out why police and rescue vehicles were there, the swimmer was apparently arrested for not actually being in distress.

Of course, this is one of the hazards of lake swimming. As we were told in school it is better to not swim alone, i.e. swim where others are swimming, not necessarily with them, so you won't be singled out. Also remain reasonably visible from shore so that casual observers will see that you know what you are doing and won't try to rescue you. My guess is that normally a real swimmer violating the posted "No Swimming" signs will at most get a lecture, but I can see the police being pissed about bringing out the rescue squad.