Open Water Overview
Open water swimming is one of the joys of living in this region. We are graced with an abundance of beautiful rivers, lakes and reservoirs as well as the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
Something for Everyone
Open Water Swimming has something for each swimmer. For the highly competitive swimmer, there is the contest of how fast one can navigate the course and how do you compare to others. For the recreational swimmer, it’s a time to enjoy the freedom of swimming without walls or lane lines and to enjoy the lake or ocean. For the new swimmer, it’s the challenge of learning to navigate the course and to acclimate to open water conditions.
Open Water Events
Pacific's open water events vary in length from .5 miles to 10k. The open water season extends from June through September. During the open water season look to the Pacific Masters website for events, standings, results and other useful references. This year's open water swims include:
Lake Berryessa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Berryessa
Lake Berryessa is an inland lake in Napa County located about 80 miles, about a 2-hour drive from San Francisco. The event offers a one-mile and two-mile race. One can swim both. There is a wetsuit category. About an hour interval between races. In water start off gentle beach. Clear, flat water, generally in the low 70s.
Santa Cruz Open Water Weekend
http://www.santacruzmasters.org/open-water.html
The Santa Cruz Open Water Weekend is a 2-day rough water event that includes a 1- mile swim around the Santa Cruz pier, and a 2.5-mile ocean swim that parallels the beach. Characterized by beach starts, unpredictable surf and cold water (high 50s to high 60s) make these swims ocean adventures. There is a wetsuit category. Santa Cruz is about 75 miles and a 2-hour drive from San Francisco.
Donner Lake
https://www.donnerlakeswim.org/ (from 2023 event information)
Donnor Lake is a high-altitude (5933 feet) alpine lake in Truckee California. It is about 180 miles, and a 4-hour drive* from San Francisco. The event is a 2.7-mile swim from the east to west end of the lake. There is a 450-person limit on entries and the swim generally sells out within a few hours of opening for registration. A off the beach start in clear, flat water in the mid to upper 60s.
Lake Del Valle Open Water Festival
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Del_Valle
Lake Del Valle is an inland lake in Alameda County. It is about 60 miles, an hour drive from San Francisco. The event is an Open Water Festival over 2 days. The first day has a 1.2k and 2.5 k swim. One can swim both. There is a wetsuit category. Day-2 offers 5k or 10k distances. There is about an hour interval between races. Start is in water start entered from a gentle beach. Clear, flat water, generally in the upper 70s.
Whiskeytown
https://www.usms.org/events/events/whiskeytown-lake-open-water-swim?ID=5421
Whiskeytown is a beautiful mountain lake located just west of Redding. It is about 230 miles, and a 4-hour drive* from San Francisco. The event offers a 1 mile and 2-mile swim. You may swim one or both events. A sand beach provides an off the beach start in clear, flat water in the mid to upper 60s.
Keller Cove
https://richmondswims.org/keller-cove-swim/ (from 2022 event information)
Keller Cove is a beach cove on the San Francisco Bay. It is about 20 miles and a 30 minute* drive from San Francisco. The event includes ½-mile, 1-mile and 2-mile distances, wetsuit and non-wetsuit as well as two combination events, a ½-mile + 2-mile race and a ½-mile + 1-mile race. There is a wetsuit category. Bay temperature vary greatly and can be between high 50s and high 60s. Water conditions and also vary greatly depending on the weather and wind directions.
* Drive times taken from Google Earth. Traffic will vary greatly and impact all drive time estimates.
Lake Berryessa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Berryessa
Lake Berryessa is an inland lake in Napa County located about 80 miles, about a 2-hour drive from San Francisco. The event offers a one-mile and two-mile race. One can swim both. There is a wetsuit category. About an hour interval between races. In water start off gentle beach. Clear, flat water, generally in the low 70s.
Santa Cruz Open Water Weekend
http://www.santacruzmasters.org/open-water.html
The Santa Cruz Open Water Weekend is a 2-day rough water event that includes a 1- mile swim around the Santa Cruz pier, and a 2.5-mile ocean swim that parallels the beach. Characterized by beach starts, unpredictable surf and cold water (high 50s to high 60s) make these swims ocean adventures. There is a wetsuit category. Santa Cruz is about 75 miles and a 2-hour drive from San Francisco.
Donner Lake
https://www.donnerlakeswim.org/ (from 2023 event information)
Donnor Lake is a high-altitude (5933 feet) alpine lake in Truckee California. It is about 180 miles, and a 4-hour drive* from San Francisco. The event is a 2.7-mile swim from the east to west end of the lake. There is a 450-person limit on entries and the swim generally sells out within a few hours of opening for registration. A off the beach start in clear, flat water in the mid to upper 60s.
Lake Del Valle Open Water Festival
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Del_Valle
Lake Del Valle is an inland lake in Alameda County. It is about 60 miles, an hour drive from San Francisco. The event is an Open Water Festival over 2 days. The first day has a 1.2k and 2.5 k swim. One can swim both. There is a wetsuit category. Day-2 offers 5k or 10k distances. There is about an hour interval between races. Start is in water start entered from a gentle beach. Clear, flat water, generally in the upper 70s.
Whiskeytown
https://www.usms.org/events/events/whiskeytown-lake-open-water-swim?ID=5421
Whiskeytown is a beautiful mountain lake located just west of Redding. It is about 230 miles, and a 4-hour drive* from San Francisco. The event offers a 1 mile and 2-mile swim. You may swim one or both events. A sand beach provides an off the beach start in clear, flat water in the mid to upper 60s.
Keller Cove
https://richmondswims.org/keller-cove-swim/ (from 2022 event information)
Keller Cove is a beach cove on the San Francisco Bay. It is about 20 miles and a 30 minute* drive from San Francisco. The event includes ½-mile, 1-mile and 2-mile distances, wetsuit and non-wetsuit as well as two combination events, a ½-mile + 2-mile race and a ½-mile + 1-mile race. There is a wetsuit category. Bay temperature vary greatly and can be between high 50s and high 60s. Water conditions and also vary greatly depending on the weather and wind directions.
* Drive times taken from Google Earth. Traffic will vary greatly and impact all drive time estimates.
Rules
Open water swimming follows rules that are somewhat different than pool competitions. One’s age is determined by the age you will be on the last day of the year. The open water points competition has divisions for swimming with and without wetsuits. swim suit rules. The rules preclude the use of tape (spider tapes, bandages, duct tape, etc.) in either category.