Becoming a stronger open-water swimmer became one of my main fitness goals in 2026. I started the summer with most of my recent swimming experience coming from an indoor pool, so I wanted to see how that fitness would translate outside. Over roughly seven weeks, I completed four races ranging from one mile to 1.2 miles in the ocean, a lake, and a bay. The finishing times varied, but each race taught me something different about sighting, pacing, crowded starts, equipment, and how much conditions can influence an open-water result.

My 2026 Open-Water Swimming Results

Date	Race	Location	Distance	Time	Avg. Pace
July 25, 2026	Barnegat Light One-Mile Ocean Swim	Barnegat Light, NJ	1.0 mile	31:33	31:33/mile
Aug 2, 2026	Long Branch One-Mile Ocean Swim	Long Branch, NJ	1.0 mile	37:48	37:48/mile
Aug 19, 2026	Medford Lakes One-Mile Swim	Medford Lakes, NJ	1.0 mile	34:50	34:50/mile
Sept 12, 2026	Avalon 1.2-Mile Bay Swim	Avalon, NJ	1.2 miles	35:47	29:50/mile

Barnegat Light One-Mile Ocean Swim

My season began at the Barnegat Light Ocean Mile Swim on July 25, where I finished in 31:33. It was my first time racing a full mile in the ocean, and the rough waves, strong current, and difficult sighting immediately made the experience feel different from pool swimming. My goggles also fogged badly, forcing me to switch between freestyle and breaststroke several times just to figure out where I was going. Even with those problems, I finished more than five minutes faster than my original goal and came away believing that breaking 30 minutes in open water could eventually be realistic.

Long Branch One-Mile Ocean Swim

A little over a week later, I raced another ocean mile in Long Branch and finished in 37:48. The slower time initially looked like a major step backward, but the race reinforced how difficult open-water times are to compare. More than 200 swimmers started together, and I spent much of the opening stretch boxed in, getting bumped, and waiting for space to move around other swimmers. I was more comfortable sighting than I had been at Barnegat Light, but I never found the same rhythm. Long Branch showed me that conditions and positioning can matter almost as much as fitness.

Medford Lakes One-Mile Swim

My third race was my first one-mile lake swim at Medford Lakes, where I finished in 34:50. The calm water and small field made the start much easier than either ocean race, but my goggles fogged badly enough that I nearly swam into a dock. Once I could see clearly again, the second half felt much more controlled. Medford showed me that calmer water does not automatically produce a faster time, while also giving me a better environment for judging my pacing, navigation, and technique without waves and surf changing the race.

Avalon 1.2-Mile Point to Point Bay Swim

I finished the season on September 12 with the 1.2-mile Point to Point Bay Swim in Avalon. I completed the race in 35:47, a 29:50-per-mile pace, and placed 112th out of 192 swimmers overall. The time-trial start was much easier for me than the mass start in Long Branch, the water was calm, and for the first time all season my goggles stayed clear. Although Avalon was the longest race I entered, it produced my fastest open-water pace and felt like my best-executed swim, giving me the clearest sign that the experience I gained during the summer was translating into better performance.

Looking Ahead to 2027

By the end of the season, my main takeaway was that open-water swimming is a skill of its own rather than simply pool swimming without lane lines. I became more comfortable around other swimmers, more aware of how important sighting and positioning are, and better at interpreting race times in context. My next major goal is to bring my pool mile toward 25 minutes and then see how much of that improvement I can carry into open water. Breaking 30 minutes for an open-water mile and eventually swimming 1.2 miles in under 35 minutes would be meaningful targets for 2027.

I am already looking forward to the one-mile Open Water Classic at the Stampone O’Brien Dilsheimer Holloway Escape the Cape Triathlon. I am registered for the race on June 13, 2027, and it may end up being the first event of my 2027 open-water season. The race is unlike anything I did in 2026 because swimmers begin by jumping about 12 feet from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry into Delaware Bay before starting the swim, which should make it a memorable way to begin the season.