Open Water Swim Coming Up

Those 30 to 40 swimmers you will spot early Sunday morning off Barrington's beaches will be stroking in the largest open water swim event in Barrington.

The event is the second annual “Barrington Beach to Breakfast Swim” – a 3-mile swim between the beach at the end of Bay Road and the beach at the end of Annawamscutt Road.

“No one will be in over their heads,” said Michael Sever, swimming coach at the University of Rhode Island and director of Triton Swimming, a workout group that swims several times a week at Barrington Beach.

Everyone in the water will have qualified to navigate the distance or will have to complete a swimming test first or bring proof that they can do an open water swim, Sever said. Many of the qualified swimmers will be triathletes.

But, just in case, several kayakers will accompany the swimmers.

It will take anywhere from an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and 45 minutes to swim the 3 miles, he said. The water temperature is in the 70s this time of year.

“The course also has a crescent shape around the Nayatt lighthouse,” he said, “so we’ll be pretty much swimming in a straight line.”

The depth of the water also will allow just about every swimmer “to stand up at just about any point,” Sever said.

“A breakfast buffet will be served at the home of one of the swimmers who lives near the finish line,” Sever said. “You will see large quantities of food disappear.”

“Although participation is limited to qualified swimmers, I wanted our
community to know about our swimming program,” said Sever in an email. “I constantly meet people in town that are surprised and delighted to learn about Triton.

“Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise -- especially for adults,” Sever said. “I just want to reach out and let them know we are here.”