View Full Version : Swimming
Have been lurking on the forum for a couple of days, reading as much as I can in prep for my first trip to the U.S and the AT in the spring. This place is great :) Am kind of reeling from all the information and opinions that are on here, and looking forward to learning a lot more.
Could someone answer this for me, please?
How wet do you get out there, when you're fording a river how deep does it get? I can't swim. Is that going to be a problem?
fiddlehead
10-23-2008, 05:23
If you are a northbounder and take the canoe across the Kennebec in Maine (as most do), your fords are perhaps knee to mid thigh deep. (unless you happen to hit them after a big rain when they might be crotch deep)
No need to swim anything although there are some nice ponds that you may past when it's hot and maybe wish you could swim.
It's mostly all good!
Thanks Fiddlehead. I am northbounder, and happy to know that it's all good.
Even if you're a reasonably good swimmer you can still get yourself in deep trouble when dealing with unknown open water situations .It's a sad fact of life that good swimmers can and do drown in unfamiliar open water situations.
volleypc
11-17-2008, 17:59
Learn to swim. It is much easier than typing, driving, etc.. it takes an hour at mostto learn , and it can save your life or someone elses one day. I grew up in a small town with a local pool that closed when was in high school. Since then we have had three kids, on seperate occasions, drown because they never had the opportunity to learn to swim. Take the time. If you like the outdoors it is something you need to know.
You shouldn't be terribly challenged by deep water on the AT, unless you are in Maine extremely early in the season, or there has been a tremendous amount of rain.
However, you would really be doing yourself a favor by, if not exactly learning to swim, cultivating a level of comfort with water. Knowing how to hold your breath, expel water from your nose and mouth, and float using the air in your lungs will keep you from panicking if you go under water for some reason. Someone can teach you this in under an hour and you can practice in a pool until you're comfortable with it.
The basics of stream crossing are pretty simple--
*unbuckle your chest and waist straps
*secure anything that will be damaged by getting wet inside plastic
*secure anything you can't afford to lose (passport, etc.) where it won't fall out of your pack or pockets and float away from you
*don't wear clothing or gear that will drag you under if you slip and fall
*don't go barefoot--you will have much better traction on the rocks if you are wearing your shoes or boots; also if you're barefoot you might cut your feet
*keep three points of contact at all times; before you move a foot, make sure your other foot and both hiking poles are solidly placed