MOWSA currently offers several solo, sanctioned swims that challenge marathon swimmers over long distances in cold water.

Around Nahant (@NHT) – 8.4 miles (13.5KM)
Nahant Avenue Boat Ramp, Lynn to Ward Bathhouse, Long Beach, NAHANT

There’s a lengthy history of swims around Nahant and Egg Rock, most of which have been lost to history. In 2020, Kim Garbarino and Elaine Howley decided to work out some of their pandemic boredom by seeing what it might take to swim around the quasi-island and finally see what the backside of Egg Rock looks like. MOWSA had suspended operations in 2020 because of the risk of the virus, but veteran BLS and MOWSA pilot John Forgione and Amy Garbarino supported the unofficial test swim that proved the concept of starting at the Nahant Avenue Boat Ramp in Lynn at high tide and swimming out and around Nahant and Egg Rock to the Ward Bathhouse, a distance of 8.4 miles.

What to expect

Water Temperature: 58 to 70 degrees F depending on date.

Tides: Tidal flow around Nahant is significant, and the sandy stretch that runs along the “backside” of the causeway becomes exposed as the tide recedes. Thus, it’s best to time the start of this swim at or soon after high tide. Currents can become confused and difficult to manage once the swimmer clears the end of the island and turns left to cross Nahant Harbor. Conditions can also be challenging on the backside of Egg Rock. Swimmers typically face the last dregs of an ebb tide heading into shore at the finish, so the last 2.5 miles of this 8.4 mile swim can be a real challenge.

Weather: Anticipate ocean swells, wind, waves, and overcast skies. The water can be like glass or you may get four-foot swells. This is New England; expect it all.

Swimmer notes: The swim starts from the sandy beach alongside the Nahant Avenue boat ramp in Lynn and proceeds counter-clockwise around the island. The water temperature is coldest beyond the end of the island. The beginning of the swim runs along a shallow, protected area, so interference with boats is unlikely in that area, but not impossible. The guide boat must stay in the channel while swimmers traverse this section, so it’s recommended that swimmers also have a kayaker along to support and protect them. Recreational traffic, particularly coming out of Nahant Habor can become a concern as you near the end of the island, and there may be working fisherpeople pulling lobster traps along the course. You'll be in the open ocean for much of the swim, so expect to encounter marine life. The finish is near the Ward Bathhouse at the end of Long Beach in Nahant. It’s a sandy stretch, often covered with algae and seaweed. Swimmers will be able to see the bottom for at least 500 yards before they can touch the bottom at the finish, and may be coping with a strong ebb in that last mile or so to the finish.

Dates with favorable tides in 2024: The around Nahant swim starts in the early morning at a specific time in the tide cycle to capitalize on that assistance, which means there are limited opportunities available each season. In 2024, we have identified the following dates as being amenable to an around Nahant attempt:

• May 31.

• June 3, 13, 14, and 17.

• July 1, 2, 15, 16, 17, 29, 30, and 31.

• August 12, 15, 26, 27, 28, and 29.

• September 11, 12, 13, 24, and 25.

Solo Records

Watch a news story about the swim around Nahant: https://www.wcvb.com/article/swimmer-raises-thousands-for-greater-boston-food-bank-with-record-swim/41296054

Banner photo by Elaine Howley