Salt water or fresh??

[B_Stronzo]

I've lived by the ocean my entire life.

It seems whenever I swim in fresh water I get an ear infection. Once as a kid I even got impetigo Gross.

So I live for the salt water.

Here is my piece of heaven.

So which is it salt or fresh for swimming??

I know very little about the interior of this country and the Great Lakes Beaches so this is a learning opportunity for me.

 

[B_Nick4444]

SCUBA diving in saltwater has cured me of a bad case of crabs

snorkeling in saltwater cured some flesh wounds that been slow to heal beforehand

snorkeling in saltwater cleared up some sinus congestion (and grossed out my buddy)

standing, swimming in freshwater, a lot of little fish were biting at my legs and leg hair

 

[IntoxicatingToxin]

I say saltwater, personally.

 

[B_Stronzo]

Meg -When can you visit? :smile:

standing, swimming in freshwater, a lot of little fish were biting at my legs and leg hair

That's EXACTLY what creeps me out.

 

[DiscoBoy]

Both.

You can be more relaxed in freshwater, and it's just overall better for swimming. There's also an abundance of freshwater lakes in Ontario, so I pretty much have to like it.

Saltwater for everything stated above ^^. Well almost all of it, crabs.

 

[D_Doe_Ray_Mi]

I prefer the natural ocean salt water but grew up on the Great lakes so have a great appreciation for fresh water lakes too. Latest pool technology involves salt water that deionizes to chlorinate the pool without adding chlorine directly. Great technology. Natural salt water is soooooooo healing.

 

[IntoxicatingToxin]

Meg -When can you visit? :smile:

Be careful what you wish for. :tongue: If I came out there to visit, you might not be able to get me back home again! I love the water.

 

[B_Stronzo]

... wouldn't be such a bad thing Meg from what I know of you ;-)

 

[Principessa]

I've lived by the ocean my entire life.

It seems whenever I swim in fresh water I get an ear infection. Once as a kid I even got impetigo Gross.

So I live for the salt water.

Here is my piece of heaven.

So which is it salt or fresh for swimming??

I know very little about the interior of this country and the Great Lakes Beaches so this is a learning opportunity for me.

Grew up on the Jersey Shore and LOVE the ocean . . . for wading, maybe up to my waist. For swimming give me a pool. I can't stand those rocky river bottoms and slimey lake bottoms and that algae or seaweed type stuff that reaches up and grazes your ankles. :yuck:

 

[MASSIVEPKGO_CHUCK]

standing, swimming in freshwater, a lot of little fish were biting at my legs and leg hair

Yeah, those little shits aren't too bright are they?

I say saltwater, personally.

Dig it, me too.

Grew up on the Jersey Shore and LOVE the ocean . . . for wading, maybe up to my waist. For swimming give me a pool. I can't stand those rocky river bottoms and slimey lake bottoms and that algae or seaweed type stuff that reaches up and grazes your ankles. :yuck:

Summed up to a tee for me too there, NJQT.

 

[Viking_UK]

I'm a marine boy too, but then I grew up less than a mile from a beach.

 

[HazelGod]

Both, though I tend to do more diving in saltwater, more swimming and skiing in fresh.

In either case, I always rinse my ears with isopropyl alcohol afterward. Never had an ear infection of any kind.

 

[tripod]

My parents have a big ole pond on their property and I swam there as a child many times... you come out fuckin' dirty as shit. Fresh water swimming is absolutely DISGUSTING. I've never swam in the ocean but I have read enough on it to know that it is therapeutic and almost medicinal in it's efficacy.

 

[SpeedoGuy]

So which is it salt or fresh for swimming??

I know very little about the interior of this country and the Great Lakes Beaches so this is a learning opportunity for me.

I also have always lived near the ocean: the north Pacific.

The ocean's got many attractions: surfing, scuba, fishing, kayaking, etc.

But the best swimming and frollicking is in the freshwater lakes and rivers of the western US states and Canadian provinces. Clear, clean, water from snowmelt. Fewer biting bugs. Few warning signs that say "Private Property Keep Out." No alligators or water moccasins. Many salmon, trout, crawfish, steelhead. Great whitewater rafting, etc.

So, these would be my slices of paradise:

http://www.oregonlakes.org/events/annual_meet/2008/wallowa_lake.jpg

http://image-verse.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/clackamas-river.jpg

http://aquafornia.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/lake-tahoe-by-leto-a.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Horseshoe_Bend_1_md.jpg

http://aslo.org/photopost/data/504/medium/8Travertine_bench_Havasu_Canyon.jpg

 

[BirdinMo]

I have grew up with nothing but freshwater to swim in. Had never been in saltwater until I went to FL earlyer this year. I must say I love saltwater! But I live around LOTO where all the people visting just dump crap (literaly) into the water.

 

[crossy]

I dipped in the river Ganga (Ganges) several months ago in Varanasi, India. Boy did it stink! However lots of singing and dancing from the Puja. I had to do that to confirm a proper reincarnation.

 

[earllogjam]

I prefer the ocean and beach to lakes and rivers. -The pounding surf and the roaring ocean is so alive, so powerful, so teeming with life and energy.

So saltwater for me!

 

[sdbg]

Like them both, yet salt water wins hands down.

I spent my childhood in Atlantic City, NJ and Miami, FL. Going to the beach was always a great time for me, and I'm right at home in the waves. I learned to surf in NJ and had fun with it, although was never very good.

I lived in the Phoenix, AZ area for 15 years in the '70s and '80s. Tubing down the Salt River and swimming in Suguaro Lake were much more fun than hanging out in swimming pools. The best part of summer was the weekend trips to San Diego. I really missed the ocean when I lived in AZ.

Since '89, I've lived in my favorite place, San Diego. I love the ocean. I love to feel the surge of the current and the force of the waves. I learned to boogie board here and experienced getting tubed while riding it. Generally, we go to the beach at least once every weekend. The water will be warm enough for another 2 months, then fall will begin and the ocean temp will drop.

 

[Ed69]

Salt water,can you say 'Shark bait'.But then I can't swim so what do I know.

 

[Principessa]

Yet another reason I prefer pools to the ocean. :tongue: