Swimming for Life

Open Water

Joe Oakes — I must confess that, for several reasons, I was reluctant to do this swim. Here is what I mulled over while deciding whether to do the swim or not: The Voice whispering into my left ear said: You know that you do not love getting up at five A.M. to […]

Roy Webster Cross Channel Swim, 2022

September 17, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Events / Human Interest / Motivation / Open Water / Special by Joe Oakes

The sternwheeler - the windsock and flag are indicative of the wind on the OR side. that transports swimmers to the WA side. — Monday, September 5, 2022 by Diane Peterson This swim event was canceled for 4 of the past 6 years. Due to smoke from the Eagle Creek fire in 2017; rough water in 2018; and then Covid restrictions in 2020 and 2021. It was nice to finally have it back! It […]

The Rest of the Story–Roy Webster Cross Channel Swim

September 17, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Events / Featured / Human Interest / Meet Summary / Motivation / Open Water by Aqua Master Editor

Once upon a time, in a land before COVID, a hundred or more misguided souls would embark on a grand adventure each year, swimming from the Sellwood Bridge to the St. Johns Bridge through the middle of downtown Portland. It wasn’t just solo swimmers, no! This was a time when […]

2022 Portland Bridge Swim

June 13, 2022 in Announcements / Aqua Master Online / Events / Human Interest / Open Water / Open Water / Open Water / Relays / Special / Training by Marisa Frieder

Bob Bruce — The 2022 Oregon Open Water Preview The coming of spring reminds us that summer is not far away, and with it the 2022 Oregon open water season. You can find the schedule, event information, and entry links & forms for all Oregon events and information about the 2022 Oregon Open […]

Long Distance Swimming – May 2022

April 28, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Events / Long Distance / Open Water / Open Water / Planning by Bob Bruce

Bob Bruce — The swims at Eel Lake, started in 1999, have been a fairly consistent stop on the OMS Open Water schedule and have served as a valuable incubator and test site for new open water ideas. This is a short history of the event, and a big question about its future. […]

Eel Lake. Where We’ve Been. Where Are We ...

February 24, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Events / Human Interest / Long Distance / Open Water / Open Water / Planning by Bob Bruce

Joe Oakes — Many years ago, Frank Drum, the president of the San Francisco Dolphin Club, was quoted in an interview by a local newspaper reporter. Here is his version of the biblical quotation, “Many are called, but few are chosen,” to describe the club’s swimmers in cold San Francisco Bay. “Many are […]

A Biblical Quote

January 20, 2022 in Aqua Master Online / Human Interest / Open Water by Joe Oakes

Last Saturday I went for my final August swim at Broughton Beach. Broughton Beach is on the Columbia River, right behind PDX. The swimming area is long enough for a few laps back and forth. It is a place on the Columbia River where I can feel safe from heavy […]

Keeping Our Beaches Clean

October 22, 2021 in Aqua Master Online / Featured / Human Interest / Motivation / Open Water / Special by Joe Oakes

A “Tale” of Starting a Cold Water Swim Group by Suzy Happ It was Oct 6th 2020. The pandemic was in full swing and the pools were all closed. Being part of the Merfolk open water swim group had been my summer’s saving grace. But the water temps were falling […]

Birth of the Ballenas

October 22, 2021 in Aqua Master Online / Fitness / Human Interest / Motivation / Motivation / Open Water / Training by Aqua Master Editor

Camaradire photos

Camaraderie Photos

September 20, 2021 in Aqua Master Online / Human Interest / Open Water by Aqua Master Editor