Glorious Phinney Gator Sharks

Our team does not hold formal practices. However we would like to swim with you and these are some ways you can do that: 

• Come to a Grown-Up Swimming meet! The warm-up period is about an hour long and you can get a good swim in before you compete, including practicing your starts and turns.
• Join us for an open-water swim! Glorious Phinney Open Water Swimmers are a long-standing open water swim group that meets at Magnuson Swimming Beach in the summer months (May-Oct). Generally we swim there Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings launching sometime between 6 and 7:30 am -- times may vary so reach out to Julie if you'd like to be sure to meet up with someone. Also, read about equipment and things to know at the bottom of this page.
• Join the Cascade Master's swim team at Yost Pool in Edmonds (fun fact, that's one of our team captains on the right on this masters page). This is also the home of another Grown-Up team, the Yost Emperor Penguins. But some Gator Sharks swim here too, especially in the winter when our reptilian bodies can't take the cold water of the lake. Cascade Masters is a big, fun team -- follow the instructions in the link above to get started. 
• Let's meet up at Madison Pool for their 12-2pm weekday lap swim! This is a less-crowded open swim at a Seattle pool. We don't meet up here regularly but contact Julie if you are interested in swimming together at Madison and let's make it happen. 
• Despite our North-Seattle-centric name, we have swimmers from around the sound — Burien to Seattle to Redmond — join the team and you may be able to coordinate practices with other Gator Sharks.

Open Water Swimming: Equipment and Things to Know

• Water temperatures are usually warm enough by the end of June to go without a wetsuit and stay close to 70 degrees into mid September.
• Outside those months, we tend to add more and more neoprene gear—mittens, booties, neoprene caps—to keep warm as water temps gradually drop. Many of us transition to the pool by November when the water dips below 50 degrees, but year round swimming is certainly possible!
• Bring a swimmer's tow buoy for safety and so you are visible to other watercraft.
• Get used to sighting by lifting "gator eyes" forward, and briefly, out of the water. Watch for rowers in particular, they don't face forward as they row so they can't see you. Always stay inside the buoy line, boats can pop up at any hour of the day beyond the buoys.
• Change out of your wet swim suit quickly to stay warm. A changing robe or a swim parka can help a lot with staying warm when you get out.