A SWIMMER ESCAPES FROM ALCATRAZ
San Francisco Bay is the backdrop for an unusual but worthwhile challenge
Every year, 800 or so adventurous swimmers board an earlymorning ferry for the swim of their lives.
The Alcatraz Sharkfest is a swim from the famous prison in San Francisco Bay to the mainland, through water known for its current, cold temperature and sharks. It’s not exactly swimmerfriendly, and yet I was registered. As Christmas presents go, it was a doozy.
The gift was from my daughter, Shannon, with the intention that we would swim the 2,400-metre (1.5-mile) course together.
I started training for the event in the fall, swimming 2,000 to 2,400 metres once or twice a week. Full disclosure: I’m a swimmer, so the distance wasn’t the intimidating factor. What I worried about were the conditions — the current, the cold water, usually around 14 C (58 F) in June and the swells — all of which are foreign to pool swimmers like me.
Meanwhile in Toronto, Shannon followed her own training regimen. We planned to meet up in San Francisco on the weekend of the race.
On my trip into the city, I met a few other Montrealers who were sharing the flight and the adventure. One was a rookie, like me. Another was returning for her fourth swim.
“Make sure you stop during the swim and do a full 360 in the bay to get a full view of the experience,” she advised.
Twenty-four hours before we were scheduled to zip up our wetsuits, we were notified that the swim would be rerouted to a course inside the breakwater due to high winds.
Devastated, we started exploring other options. Knowing there were plenty of swimmers who weren’t going to settle for an ordinary swim, Pacific Open Water Swim Co., a small company that guides swimmers through San Francisco Bay and Lake Tahoe, added several small-group swims to their calendar. Shannon and I got the last two spots at 5 a.m. on the Sunday, one day later and several hours earlier than our original plan.
So, at 4 a.m. on June 10, we pulled wetsuits over our bathing suits, wrapped ourselves in bathrobes from the hotel and jumped in an Uber.
We arrived at the pier 45 minutes later and joined seven other swimmers (five Americans, a Canadian from Vancouver and an Australian) whose expressions were similar to our own — excitement with a heavy dose of trepidation. Two of them weren’t wearing wetsuits; they planned on swimming in just their Speedos.
Before climbing onto the boat, we received a thorough safety briefing. The fleet consisted of three boats that would follow the swimmers from start to finish; the crew would keep an eye on everyone in the water as well as the boats, ships and freighters that frequent the harbour.
Shipping traffic, however, was not the only thing that needed to be monitored. Seals and sea lions have been known to give swimmers a bump or two. It’s also not unusual to see dolphins.
Nothing was mentioned about sharks, and nobody asked what the protocol was if any were sighted. Frankly, there are some outcomes you just don’t want to consider.
Once on the boat, we attached brightly coloured floats to our waist so we could easily be spotted in the water. The group was reminded that it’s not unusual to feel out of breath for the first minute after we hit the cold water.
“Don’t panic,” we were advised. “The best thing to do is put your head down and swim.”
As the boat approached Alcatraz, the conditions looked ideal. The water was relatively calm with only a slight breeze.
Nonetheless, we were cautioned about the cross current and given instructions on where to sight in order to correct our course and reach our destination.
The team gathered for a photo and a series of high fives before, one by one, we jumped into the water. The swim was on.
The cold hit right away. Combined with nerves and adrenalin, it did indeed take my breath away. As advised, though, I kept swimming and found my stride within a few minutes.
Shannon was out in front with the Aussie, while the rest of us spread out behind. Visibility in the water was limited to a few feet in front and directly below us, requiring frequent stops to sight and redirect.
I made sure to take in the requisite 360-degree view of the landscape several times during the swim. With Alcatraz looming eerily high up on the rock behind us, the lighted Bay Bridge to the left, the Golden Gate Bridge to the right and San Francisco’s magnificent skyline ahead, the pain of paying an additional $200 US for the experience vanished.
Thirty-six minutes after I jumped in the water, I climbed back onto the boat and stopped my watch, which had tracked my route by satellite.
The current had picked up significantly and demanded extra effort to make it to the boat, which is why the swim was scheduled so early. Timing is everything when making your escape from Alcatraz, something several inmates have found out the hard way over the years.
On this day, however, all nine swimmers found their way to shore, armed with a story they’ll share for years to come.