New Wave Swim Buoy -- Be Bright, Be Seen!

order your NEW WAVE SWIM BUOY here 

New Wave Swim Buoy

Have you ever wanted to improve your safety open water (lake) swimming either with yourself or with a group?

Let's face it, open water swimming is a great workout.  Swimming in open water is difficult to get comfortable with and still at any moment, one can get into a panic situation.  Some swimmers, while out in the water, might even get a cramp and need to rest. Knowing and using the New Wave Swim Buoy attached to you while open water swimming and close by will relieve some mental stress.

 This floating buoy has a chamber inside for your belongings as well as an air chamber you inflate before using. Stash your belongings inside the dry bag compartment, so your belongings won't be messed with, by leaving them on the shore. The New Wave Swim Buoy is not a substitute for having lifeguards or kayakers around while swimming in open water. Also having the brightly colored (this one is a neon green, but they also some in other bright colors) buoy nearby while swimming increasing the safety around boaters. 

The buoy is easy to inflate. Simply unscrew the valve, inflate by blowing into it, then tighten down the screw valve to keep the air inside. I store my belongings into the dry bag chamber before inflating. 

The New Wave Swim Buoy does not hinder your swimming stroke or kicking yet is nearby incase of emergency. The inflatable buoy simply attaches to a belt on your waist and is pulled along effortlessly behind you.  The waist belt is adjustable as so it the leash attached to the buoy. The New Wave Swim Buoy’s waist belt can even be worn over the top of your wetsuit. With wetsuits being black, in some cases depending upon the water conditions, it is very difficult to see a swimmer in the water. 

Inside the New Wave Swim Buoy dry bag chamber is big enough to take along your keys, nutrition, GPS and even a small towel for drying off with when you get out of the water.  Valuables you would not want to leave on the shore or in a car. The bright color attracts attention to you being in the water to boaters, jet skis, and other hazards. It is made of PVC and with care can last a long time. Rinse the New Wave Swim Buoy with clean water and store properly when your not using it. The New Wave Swim Buoy comes in two sizes. Either the 15 liter or 20 liter. The size depends on the weight of swimmer. They New Wave Swim Buoy also comes in TPU material, safe for use in swimming pools with chemicals. 

The New Wave Swim Buoy is not a life saving device. 

Wearing a bright swim cap while in the water can also draw attention and alert others where you are in the water.

Check them out and order yours.  Increase your safety in the open water. 

order your NEW WAVE SWIM BUOY here

New Wave Swim Buoy 

New Wave Swim Buoy is sold on eight Amazon Markets 

•  Amazon US: amzn.to/2g83c9q 

•  Amazon Germany: amzn.to/2eVmIty

•  Amazon UK: amzn.to/2gbHKli

•  Amazon Canada: amzn.to/2frQaEz 

•  Amazon Spain: amzn.to/1Svv8o1

•  Amazon France: amzn.to/1Svviff

•  Amazon Italy: amzn.to/1SvvOda

•  Amazon Japan: amzn.to/2afmEDF 

If you are looking to purchase for a group, ordering 10 buoys in any color combination, email Sales@NewWaveGear.com to get 30% to 40% off at NewWaveSwimBuoy.com

Lifetime SOMA Race Report (Relay - Swim portion only)

Eternal Water at the finish line!

One of the best, if not the best, finishers medals which doubles as a bottle opener. 

Race Report 

Lifetime SOMA Olympic Distance Triathlon - Team Relay 

Early this month I was asked to be part of a relay team that was doing the Lifetime SOMA Olympic distance triathlon in Tempe.  I would be doing the 1600 meter swim portion of the relay.  The team met the day before during the race packet pickup in Tempe Beach Park. I am pretty familiar with the swim course in Tempe Town Lake.  

Woke up on race day an hour before my alarm was to go off.  I have never been a good sleeper on the night before any race, however I did sleep better than other race mornings. It was kind of strange only bringing my wetsuit, googles and swim cap, but then again I was only doing the swim portion. We arrived at the transition area an hour and a half before my wave was to go off.  I had time to relax and stretch. The call was made that morning the water temperature was cool enough to make wearing the wetsuit legal. I pulled on my wetsuit and did my CarbBoom gel 45 minutes to go.  I felt very good and was excited to get in the water and start the race. I had my Suunto Ambit2 Openwater app set to capture data. I told my cycling leg member to watch for me around the 46 minute mark exiting the water. The horn went off and I started my route in Tempe Town Lake going east, right into the sun.  My Barracuda darkened corrective lens goggles worked great, sighting into the sun. With all open water swim starts, there was the fair share of bumps and kicks from fellow swimmers until the pack spread out a little.  I had a little bit of a problem a few times breathing, as my wetsuit is pretty tight.  I slowed down a bit and relaxed.  My plan on exiting was to not worry about getting my wetsuit off, yet sprint as fast as I could to pass the timing chip to the cycling member on my team. To exit the water, a volunteer told me to place my foot on the bottom step and he would help hoist me up.  I found the step with my foot, grabbed his arm and I was out of the water.  The first step up the stairs sent my right calf muscle into a tight cramp. I reached down and massaged it out for a quick second and off I ran to pass off the timing chip. I stopped my Suunto Ambit2 and was happy to see I made it out in 42 minutes, 4 minutes under my goal.  I took my wetsuit off and put back on my shoes to help cheer on the other members of my team out on the course. 

My team did great.  We had a technical issue on the bike, but all in all had a great race.  I was really impressed with the finisher's medals.  The strap is secured with velcro, but the medallion can also be used as a bottle opener and even has magnetic back so it can be placed on the refrigerator.  This is possibly the best finishers medal I have received to date. 

Barracuda USA Corrective Lens Swimming Goggles

As a triathlete good vision in a openwater swim is crucial to staying on course and exiting the water. This is sometimes hard enough as it is but add having difficulty seeing and becomes a little harder.  Exiting the water in a triathlon and running to your bike can sometimes feel overwhelming.  Now image not being able to see so well and trying to find your bike in a sea of bike racks. 

Lets begin with swimming laps and staring at the tile line on the bottom of the pool isn't that bad when it comes to my vision, but Barracuda USA corrective lens goggles have made seeing that lane line as well as the edge of the pool that much sharper, vision wise. The H2RX Blue (blue strap, clear lens) and the H2RX Smoke (black strap, tinted lens) come in diopter corrections of -1.50 to -10.00. These high quality made goggles come with three different size nose bridges to customize the fit better to each persons facial bones features as well as two adjusting straps making sure the goggles stay put on your face. The fit is very comfortable and the anti-fog coating is excellent. The goggles come with a protective case to store them in when you are not wearing them. The wide angle view is incredible while wearing these. 

All it would take to see if you would benefit from wearing these corrective lens Barracuda USA swimming goggles is a call to you eye doctor.  Give them your vision prescription and see if they can help you out telling you what diopter correction you would need. Simple as that.  In the long run it will save you from swimming a longer openwater course in a race, or worse grabbing someone else's bike in transition. 

Check them out here at Barracuda USA 

Photos Photos Photos from the past month

 Finishing SOMA Half Iron holding my 4-year-old son.

 Feeling the effects of over hydration.  I learned a lot that day.

 SOMA swim exit after taking the wet suit off.

 2011 Ironman Arizona Tempe Mayor's Charity Challenge.

  2011 Ironman Arizona Tempe Mayor's Charity Challenge.

 2011 Ironman Arizona Tempe Mayor's Charity Challenge.

Race day game plan coming together

I am shooting for beating my previous time in this distance by 30 min, yes a half hour. I am looking for the bike and run portions at keeping my heart rate in Zone 3 (64-76%) of my MHR, of course wearing my Mio Watch Quest to help me monitor this.  I have set the alarm on the watch to alert me if I go under or over my target heart rate of 137-152 bpm.

My swim should be stronger and a little faster and the weather I am expecting to be a little cooler. The bike I plan on being very relaxed and not pushing too hard knowing I want to keep my legs as possible fresh for the run.

My son with a PowerBar smile after paddling along side me in a kayak with my brother, while I did an open water training swim of just over 1.5 miles.


Of course what I have been using for fuel in training is exactly what I will use on course, PowerBar gels, Gel Blasts and PowerBar Restore(a carb/protein blend) drink.
Over the past 4 months I have been taking as directed, a PowerBar supplement Beta Alanine to increase muscle carnosine which buffers muscle acids and reduces muscle burn and fatigue.
Over the next two weeks I know nerves will set in and sleepless nights will occur as I finish my training program and prepare for race day.

 I am excited to get out on the course and rip it up.

Labor Day Open Water Swim

After swimming 1.34 miles in Canyon Lake on Labor Day.

I was able to beat the crowd of those headed out to the lake for the holiday Monday (Labor Day).  Before heading out to the lake I fueled up with PowerBar Protein Plus Chocolate flavored drink and followed by a pouch of PowerBar Protein Bites, so I was ready to take on the over mile swim for training.  The water temperature was perfect.  Put on my goggles and swim cap, had my brother hang out on his kayak around me, just in case, and headed out.  The entire swim I felt strong. Had no issues with fogging goggles like I normally do, which made the sighting much easier.  The stroke drills I have been working on in the gym pool have been paying off.  I didn't worry about pace or time really, just worked on good form and being comfortable in the water.  I know when race time comes around, it will be wetsuit conditions and I plan on getting a bunch of training swims wearing that.  My brother wore my Mio Watch Quest with GPS to track the distance while trailing me.