Sunday Swim Practice at Barton Springs Pool

(Desplázate hacia abajo para leer en español)

Here's what you basically ned to know:

What to bring:

• Your goggles
• Bathing suit
• Having a swim cap will keep you a little warmer
• A swim buoy is great to have when you want to rest from swimming and for safety (remember there's no lifeguard on duty until 8am).

Where to meet:

• At the bottom of the stairs next to the water fountain after turning right at the entrance to the pool.

What time:

• Toes in the water at 6:30am sharp. I'll be there by 6:00am to get some extra swimming in, but I'll be by the water fountain at 6:15am.

Who will be there:

• Whoever signs up. We're a new group, so sometimes there's a few and sometimes just me. But we hope to grow into a larger community.
• If you have any questions, please ask! I love answering questions.

Read below for more details:

What we're about

The Seabird Swim Club or The Seabirds is an informal "non-membership" group of swimmers who share a love of swimming. We do not collect fees and we exist only to promote safe, group swimming at Barton Springs Pool.

Caution

Swim at your own risk. There are no lifeguards until 8am. Although there are other swimmers swimming at that time, it will be a dark and you may at times be swimming on your own if you haven't found a swim buddy yet. We (Seabird Swim Group) are not held responsible and you are coming out of your own volition.

Watch out for the spillway. It's marked off by two rectangular shaped PVC pipes at the farther side of the pool. This is where the water overflows and pours into the creek. The current can be strong around there so don't go near it.

Watch out for the tethered duck decoy. It'l located in front of the diving board.

Also, the water temperature rests consistently between 68-70 degrees Fahrenheit everyday of the year. Click here for additional info: Barton Springs Pool.

Now that we got that out of the way, come out and join us for a fun swim! By the time you are finished swimming, you'll see the beautiful Austin sunrise.

Location

2131 William Barton Dr., Austin, TX 78746

Make an immediate right after the pool entrance. We are by the next set of stairs opposite of the water fountain (see attached picture to get an idea of what I mean). You'll find me (David) with an orange swim cap and a huge water jug 15 minutes before we swim.

• Feet in the water at 6:30am
• I recommend arriving 15 minutes earlier to get ready, ask me or any of the attendees questions and meet our community.
• Keep in mind though, after 6am, parking becomes progressively limited due to the many running and triathlete groups that meet there as well.

Here is everything you need to know:

1. Joining is free. There's no cost to join.
2. Check out our swim schedule and click attend.
3. Safety is paramount. Along with being ready to swim, make sure to hydrate well the night before. For added safety, buy a swim buoy (here's one I like, no affiliation)
4. Swim with others. We will have people out there of various speeds, and by arriving early, you'll get a chance to find a swim buddy that matches your speed.
5. You are on your own. Generally speaking, you should be able to swim about 500 meters without much problem, which is 20 lengths of a 25 meter pool. We encourage newbies to come out, but you should have a base level of ability as this is a "informal" swimming club and not swimming lessons. As much as we all try to look out for each other and help each other, you are on your own and are ultimately responsible for yourself!!! No one is going to tell you that you are too tired, or too cold… you have to know your limits, your body and the water conditions… be aware of yourself and your environment.
6. Equipment: a bathing suit, goggles, a cap (I'm currently designing one for this group), a wetsuit (optional if you are true open water swimmer!), some Body Glide for chaffing from the wetsuit (another reason you don’t need a wetsuit!), warm clothes for after. And that’s about it.
7. Stay for a cup of coffee/tea after the swim! We all meet up after for a cup of coffee/ tea after the swim. It will help you warm up… and it will help you to get to know everyone… because you’ll want to get to know us, this is a BIG part of being a SEABIRD.
8. Cold water is your friend. It is often cold (68-70 degrees Fahrenheit everyday of the year) but you can wear a wetsuit… if you need to… and, yes, there are little things in Barton Springs Pool that you won’t find at the bottom of the local pool (like lane lines and hairballs!)… but don’t let it freak you out… it is a very clean spring pool. Once you get used to it you’ll find that open water swimming is to pool swimming, what trail running is to treadmill running! It’s great.
9. Bring a friend. Barton Springs is one of the best natural places to swim in the heart of Austin, Texas. It has a beautiful sunrise that rises above Downtown Austin's high-rise buildings. Tell people about how liberated you feel after nice swim, but also about the awesome weirdos like you who got up to swim while it's still nighttime.
10. Parking. Once you turn onto William Barton Dr. (it's a one-way street), go all the way down until you see a small narrow parking lot. If there's no parking, there's parking by the children's playground to the left hand side right before you arrive to the main parking lot.
11. As an added bonus, there has never been a shark bite at Barton Springs Pool.

Safety Plan

• This is an informal meet up. It's your responsibility to practice safe swimming with a buddy.
• This is a public space, so it's advisable to take precautions with your belongings.
• By signing up, you assume all responsibility.

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Aquí está lo que básicamente necesitas saber:

Qué más llevar: Tus gafas. Llevar un gorro de natación también te mantendrá un poco más abrigado.

Dónde encontrarnos: En la parte inferior de las escaleras junto a la fuente de agua después de girar a la derecha en la entrada de la piscina.

Hora: Los pies en el agua a las 6:30 am en punto. Estaré allí a las 6:00 am para nadar un poco más, pero estaré junto a la fuente de agua a las 6:15 am.

Quiénes estarán allí: Quienes se inscriban. Somos un grupo nuevo, así que a veces hay unos pocos y a veces solo yo. Pero esperamos crecer en una comunidad más grande.

Aquí hay más detalles:

Lo que hacemos

El Club de Natación Seabird o los Seabirds es un grupo informal "sin membresía" de nadadores que comparten el amor por nadar. No cobramos tarifas y existimos solo para promover la natación en grupo segura en la Piscina Barton Springs.

Precaución

Nada bajo tu propio riesgo. No hay socorristas hasta las 8 am. Aunque habrá otros nadadores en ese momento, estará oscuro y a veces podrías estar nadando por tu cuenta si aún no has encontrado un compañero de natación. Nosotros (Grupo de Natación Seabird) no somos responsables y estás viniendo por tu propia voluntad.

Cuidado con la desembocadura. Está marcada por dos tubos de PVC en forma rectangular en el lado más lejano de la piscina. Aquí es donde el agua desborda y se vierte en el arroyo. La corriente puede ser fuerte allí, así que no te acerques.

Cuidado con el pato señuelo atado. Está ubicado frente al trampolín.

Además, la temperatura del agua se mantiene constantemente entre 68-70 grados Fahrenheit todos los días del año. Haz clic aquí para obtener información adicional: Piscina Barton Springs.

Ahora que hemos aclarado eso, ¡ven y únete a nosotros para un divertido baño! Cuando termines de nadar, verás el hermoso amanecer de Austin.

Ubicación

2131 William Barton Dr., Austin, TX 78746

Gira a la derecha inmediatamente después de la entrada de la piscina. Estamos junto a la próxima serie de escaleras frente a la fuente de agua (consulta la imagen adjunta para tener una idea de lo que quiero decir). Me encontrarás (David) con un gorro de natación naranja y una gran botella de agua 15 minutos antes de nadar.

Pies en el agua a las 6:30 am

Recomiendo llegar 15 minutos antes para prepararte, hacerme preguntas o a cualquiera de los asistentes y conocer a nuestra comunidad.

Ten en cuenta que después de las 6 am, el estacionamiento se vuelve progresivamente limitado debido a los numerosos grupos de corredores y triatletas que se reúnen allí también.

Aquí tienes todo lo que necesitas saber:

Unirse es gratuito. No hay costo para unirse.

La seguridad es primordial. Además de estar listo para nadar, asegúrate de hidratarte bien la noche anterior. Para mayor seguridad, compra una boya de natación (aquí tienes una que me gusta, sin afiliación).

Nada con otros. Habrá personas de diversas velocidades y, al llegar temprano, tendrás la oportunidad de encontrar un compañero de natación que se adapte a tu velocidad.

Estás por tu cuenta. En general, deberías poder nadar unos 500 metros sin mucho problema, que son 20 largos de una piscina de 25 metros. Animamos a los principiantes a unirse, pero debes tener un nivel básico de habilidad, ya que esto es un club de natación "informal" y no son lecciones de natación. Aunque todos intentamos cuidarnos y ayudarnos mutuamente, estás por tu cuenta y eres responsable de ti mismo. Nadie te dirá si estás demasiado cansado o demasiado frío... debes conocer tus límites, tu cuerpo y las condiciones del agua... sé consciente de ti mismo y de tu entorno.

Equipo: un traje de baño, gafas, un gorro (actualmente estoy diseñando uno para este grupo)

¡Quédate a tomar un café/té después de nadar! Nos reunimos todos después para tomar un café/té después de nadar. Te ayudará a calentarte... y te ayudará a conocer a todos... porque querrás conocernos, esto es una GRAN parte de ser un SEABIRD.

El agua fría es tu amiga. A menudo está fría (68-70 grados Fahrenheit todos los días del año), pero puedes usar un traje de neopreno... si es necesario... y sí, hay pequeñas cosas en la Piscina Barton

These weekly meet ups are free, and we are looking forward to having you join our swimming community!

Host or Publisher Seabird Swim Group