Home to the Great Bear Swim, and the training ground of ultra-marathon swimmer Susan Simmons, Drifter’s Cove is the ideal place to train for both adventure swimming and English Channel training.
For open water swimmers there are plenty of inlets, coves and beaches for you to explore. The water is clear and the life underwater abundant.
For channel swimmers, during the summer-months the water is between 13 and 15 celsius, comparable to that of the English and Catalina Channel. If you are training to swim across Juan de Fuca Strait, come in the spring or fall when the water dips below 10 celsius.
The cove, and the small bay and island beside the property are great places to get acquainted with ocean swimming. If you are looking to add do a bit of distance work, you can swim escorted from the cove, through Lama Pass and around the corner to Shearwater – a solid 10km swim. For those wanting to do a bit of current work, swim from Bella Bella to the cove. The natural current runs in the opposite direction and if there is a bit of wind can offer a sweet bumpy ride.
There are several other great training spots near by including a fairly large bay with an island in the centre and a lovely 1 km inlet that provides protected refuge to sea-cucumbers, star fish and sea anemones. There’s also a local seal that spends his time playing in the bay.
Kayaks and other small water craft are available for your support crew to use. If you are interested in private coaching or an organized swim camp let Susan know.