Swimming

[GramChop]

ok, so we've had threads galore about biking, running and even yoga....how about let's talk about our favorite (and safest) place to swim on st. barths.

i include "safe" because i had an encounter with jellyfish in the waters off of shell beach last year that made me fearful to re-enter the water on any part of the island.

i'd love to hear, and i hope others would too, about your fav swimming locale!

 

[andynap]

The east side of St. Jean (Nikki side) is the safest and calmest water -very gradual slope.

 

[GramChop]

for clarification purposes, when you say the 'east side' do you mean, if i'm standing at eden rock facing the water, i would go left? sorry if that makes me sound like a doofus, but my husband would be laughing himself silly if he knew i was in a discussion about coordinates/directions. navigator, i am not!

thanks.

 

[andynap]

No you would go to your right. That's why I said Nikki side.

That would be my towel on the back of the chair on the right

 

[Earl]

The swimming pool for the Mrs and I.

 

[GramChop]

oh...i'm sorry. nikki beach IS around the other side of eden rock. i told you...i'm no navigator. i seriously think that part of my brain got left out.

thanks for the pic. i can see why you would choose this water to swim in.

as i've asked others, have you encountered any 'critters' in this water? like jellyfish?

 

[kathy49]

Andynap's picture and suggestion is exactly where I swam everyday...it is just great for swimming. Had a pool at the hotel but never got in it. Don't know about other spots on the island but I felt really safe and never saw anything unusual in the water there.

 

[GramChop]

The swimming pool for the Mrs and I.

most villa pools aren't large enough to actually get a good swimming workout, jim. i'm looking for good swimming water to actually burn some calories. however, in november, i think with my new yoga partner, i won't need anymore calorie-burning exercises!

 

[sradek]

Colombier is my favorite for floating, swimming

Great water depth - shallow to not so shallow, minimal waves and never very crowded

Also good for snorkling!

 

[GayleR]

Here's an article on jellyfish season in the Caribbean. When I was on the island one August all of St Jean beach was covered with very large, round, clear ones, hundreds of them all washed up on the beach for three straight days.
Jellyfish

I prefer to swim in the pool.

Some locals have told me March-September is the high season for jelly fish and that timble jelly fish (sea lice) hatch in April and have recommended Sea Safe lotion but given my pool preference I have never tried it. Maybe some of the divers on the board can speak to the seasonality and effectiveness of this product.

I love the beach...hate the sand...;-)

 

[GramChop]

gayle, i am a diver, a dive master, actually (not bragging...just proud) but i wear a full-body skin when i dive for that sole purpose! the sealice/thimbles always find me. now, i've got my vanity like the next chick and i REFUSE to wear a full-body black skin to swim the warm, azure waters of the caribbean! so, my only recourse is to try the product you suggested!

thanks for the advice!

 

[claudia]

Only some harmless little fish and some sea turtles.The grandchildren did plenty of swimming and no contact with any critters.Very calm.

 

[Theresa]

We've visited in April/May for several years. I can't recall ever seeing jellyfish during that time, although they are no doubt everywhere. I've experienced sea lice a number of times. The feeling is unpleasant, but not enough to ruin the beach experience. Someone recommended pouring beer over the area. I was reluctant to waste a Carib, but I admit that it worked.

I really enjoy swimming anywhere on St. Jean.

L'orient is also very calm, but I always see sea urchins along the water line. Keep an eye out for them.

Flamands is another favorite. The current really moves, so you definitely get a workout. The beach is always nearly empty. Enjoy a picnic lunch, some champagne, and then get in there and work it off.

 

[GramChop]

my experience on shell beach with the jellyfish i encountered was MOST unpleasant! one i wish to never encounter again. it was a clear one with long tentacles that wrapped around my arm and stung/shocked the hell out of me! we were pretty far out, about 200 yards or so, and i swam all the way back, dropping my booty (my shells and sanddollars) immediately! once on shore, the tell-tale marks were evident. i rolled around in the sand to remove any of the stingers that might have still be attached...not a fun experience, but that's what marius had told me to do (he shared his jellyfish story with us the previous day). it only hurt for a few hours, and then the pain and welts subsided. fortunately, i didn't have an allergic reaction. it sure made for a second-though every time i entered the water after that.

 

[Theresa]

That sounds awful, Missy. I would have been apprehensive afterward, too.

 

[claudia]

My cousin poked one down my swimsuit one year.Couldn't roll around in the sand.

 

[GramChop]

i was recently told that a good remedy for such an encounter was the ever-illegal 'weed'. i'm not one to imbibe in such natural remedies on a normal basis, but in all honesty, if someone had passed a joint my way on that day, i would have partaken!

i would love to know if anyone has first hand experience with the 'anti-sea critter' product mentioned earlier.

 

[andynap]

No but when I was a young man I unintentionally entered a swarm of Jellyfish in the ocean in South Jersey and was stung all over my back. I asked the lifeguard if he knew of a remedy for the stings and he said to go back in the ocean-the salt water would ease the sting. It did the trick- sting gone.

 

[Earl]

Oh...you want to exercise...that would just make me spill my glass of wine!

 

[GramChop]

that's also what marius said. i think the fact that i had a lengthy swim back to shore, helped ease the pain.

i can't imagine having the stings all over my back...that sounds awful!