Extremely proud to announce that I just swimmed (swam? swum? eh…) from the beach of Mazzaro to the Grotta Azzurra, and back. This is the first time I went to the sea deep enough to not touch the ground lol.

I think that swimming on the back is the most tire-less method, while front crawl is the fastest but requires the most energy. But this is just my opinion, any advice on how to swim in the ocean? The salted water in my nose still sends me in a little panick mode, but I managed to calm down and continued. Will do again

  • BurgerBaron@piefed.social
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    4 days ago

    Safety first if you’re self taught. What to do if you accidentally overdo it and get exhausted. Or get caught in a riptide.

    • make -j8@lemmy.worldOP
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      4 days ago

      thank you I had to look up “riptide”. I also got stung by a meduse/algae today so that’s fun, at least i know what it feels like

      • Donjuanme@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Cnidaria (jelly fish and anemone’s) stings on your skin are usually nothing, if you ever want to swim with jellyfish a pair of nylons over your exposed body is generally enough to keep you from being stung, but whatever you do don’t put your tongue (or other sensitive parts) to one, because the toxin can totally mess you up (generally just major swelling like the worst bee sting you’ve ever seen, but swelling could always lead to other problems). Some of the most potent venoms on the planet are secreted by the cnidaria, but there will definitely be (actual) signs warning you away from areas they exist in.

        • make -j8@lemmy.worldOP
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          4 days ago

          man you know a lot about swimming lol I don’t know what stung me, but AFTER i went out of the water, it was the most intense burn I ever felt. like someone continuously pouring hot water on my thigh/hip. It’s been at least 4h, I still feel it, but much less intense. hot water helped

          • pangolinean_ambler@slrpnk.net
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            3 days ago

            Vinegar helps counteract the toxin for most jellies. I also have friends that swear by bentonite clay, which helps absorb the toxin and soothe the rash, but I haven’t personally tried it. It’s definitely a good idea to look up what critters are in your waters, both for how to keep yourself safe and for you to avoid disrupting their habitats.

            And congrats! I also taught myself how to swim. I recommend joining an open water swimming group if any are around your area, you can learn so much just by watching how they swim.