Penny Palfrey On Open Water Wednesday

In the current era, we can witness the exploits and listen to the wisdome of some of history’s greatest marathon swimmers who ply their trades all around the world:

Lynne Cox, Kevin Murphy, Lewis Pugh and Penny Palfrey are just a few of these pioneers and brilliant modern-day mariners.

There are so many others from Michael Read and Alison Streeter to John Kinsella and Petar Stoychev, but Open Water Source members can hear Penny discuss her latest exploit in Hawaii, how she trains for her long swims and what she thinks about when Great White Sharks pass by her.

It is a fascinating one-hour interview on Open Water Source.

Photo by Jeff Kozlovich who paddled for Penny on both her attempts of the 72-mile Kaieiewaho Channel between Oahu and Kauai in Hawaii.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones

Penny Palfrey Defeated By Jellyfish Again

Penny Palfrey was face deja vu once again as night fell during her 72-mile attempt to swim between the islands of Oahu and Kauai in Hawaii.

Defeated once by Portuguese Man-o-War, she had to face them again. Over nearly an 8-hour period, she was stung repeatedly until her arms and legs were wrapped in the venom-filled tentacles.

Complete story and additional photos on Open Water Source.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones

http://www.waikikiparc.com/  

Rick Shema weather guy http://www.weatherguy.com/tp40/Default.asp?ID=126449

Shark Shield http://www.sharkshield.com/Content/Home/    

The Immensity, The Courage Of Penny Palfrey

The Daily News of Open Water Swimming flew into Hawaii to cover Penny Palfrey‘s 72-mile (116K) ocean marathon swim from the west coast of Oahu to Kauai.

Scanning down upon the immense Kaieiewaho Channel between Oahu and Kauai, we were awed by the size of the channel from the airplane. How a human even imagines a crossing is way beyond us.

The Kaieiewaho Channel is nearly four times the length of the English Channel where Penny will be passing over depths at least 3,000 meters and encountering ocean swells that can only be generated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But Penny remains stoic and confident in herself. “I have trained for this and am ready. One of the reporters asked me why I failed in my earlier attempt. I didn’t fail [in April]. I swam 58K in a little over 12 hours and just hit too many jellyfish. I knew when to call it because you always have to know when you have gone too far. [The jellyfish stings] hurt so much. I was even feeling jolts of shock days afterwards and I still have scars. I was shocked by an electric current when I was 15 and this was so much worse.”

As she sat arranging her equipment and giving final instructions to her crew, it was humbling to hear her courage and perspective as she discussed possible emergencies. “I know there is marine life out there. I have seen two Great White Sharks in my life. One passed right under me. It was so big. But you have to remain focused. I know you will do the right thing [in an emergency], but even if I slow down or my stroke count falls, then me get through it. It might take me a few minutes or much longer, but I will continue. Just be patient with me. This is not a race and when I get to the other side, let me relax for a few minutes.”

Wow.

We asked Mike Miller, a Triple Crown swimmer who has also done the 26-mile Molokai Channel, to put Penny’s attempt in perspective. “You can’t. You can put swims in perspective that have been done before. But you just can’t with the Kaieiewaho Channel.”

The plans are to start around 11 am Honolulu time on Tuesday. “One problem may be finding a safe place to take off from on Oahu. We’ll be patient and find a place that is a safe jump-off point, but we are all ready to go.”

Rick Shema, a knowledgeable meteorologist and oceanographer, predicted that after an initial calm period, winds will increase to the 15-knot range with rain showers coming later as an unsettled weather pattern passes over the channel.

Fans can follow Penny’s progress by sending a text (SWIM) to 32862 or via Twitter, although in mid-channel all Internet communications will be lost.

http://www.dailynewsofopenwaterswimming.com/ 

http://www.waikikiparc.com/  

Penny Palfrey is no longer under the radar in Hawaii as she wowed the local media with her humble nature and quiet confidence. The lead-up to any unprecedented marathon swim is always a time for worry – and relaxation. “I’ve loved my training swims in front of the Waikiki Parc Hotel just a few seconds walk to a sandy beach and into the warm, clear Pacific Ocean.”

“[In my training swims] I’ve swum with turtles and tropical fish. Yesterday the sun was shining and there was a very light sun shower, a beautiful colored rainbow ached above the Waikiki Beach Hotel as I finished my training swim.”

She and her crew are monitoring the conditions daily and trying to pick the optimal time for her to set off on her 72-mile solo swim from Oahu to Kauai – a feat that has never been done.

Unlike stepping off of Dover or Catalina for English Channel or Catalina Channel swims, Penny’s swim will face hazards right from the start. During the winter, Oahu’s shore, including Kaena Point, receives the wrath of the Pacific Ocean. Although Penny will select a time when the swells are small, Kaena Point is hit with large, powerful waves (up to 15 meters or 49 feet in height), larger than nearby Waimea Bay, one of the world’s most famous surfing spots. Her launching point is in a very remote area without rescue capabilities where she will also face dangerous rip currents.

People can follow Penny’s progress via texts or tweets. In mid-channel, however, her crew is going to be disconnected to the Internet so the entire 116K swim will not be covered. Similar to the 1960s when the Apollo capsules went behind the moon and NASA lost communications temporarily with the astronauts, there will be a period of time when real-time communications will be temporarily suspended between Penny’s escort boat and the global open water swimming community.

Copyright © 2010 by Steven Munatones