Elite open water swimmer and coach, Gary Emich

Today we’re stoked to have Alcatraz swimming legend and triathlon coach, Gary Emich, on our podcast. Gary is most well known for having completed over 1000 Alcatraz swims (without a wetsuit!) and for a host of other impressive open water swimming accomplishments. 

Gary is a Certified Level 1 USA Triathlon Coach specializing in open water swimming and a Certified Level 2 ASCA Coach.  He is co-host and co-producer of the DVD “Lane Lines to Shore Lines:  Your Complete Guide to Open Water Swimming†and co-author of “Open Water Swimming:  Lessons from Alcatraz.† And, from 1998 through 2009 he was the race director for the “Alcatraz Challenge Aquathlon & Swim.â€Â His open water swimming CV includes the Amazon River replete with piranhas; Peru’s Lake Titicaca; Scotland’s legendary Loch Ness; the Hellespont (a swim from Europe to Asia); and the 20km Rottnest swim at the age of 58.  Relay crossings include the English Channel (2000 and 2011), Catalina, Santa Barbara, Monterey Bay, the Bay of Naples (Italy) and the Strait of Gibraltar as well as relay circumnavigations of Manhattan, Key West and Pennock Island in Ketchikan Alaska.

On today’s podcast, Gary and I chat about all things open water swimming related including…

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• Navigation and sighting: What’s the impact of poor sighting? Tips and drills on how to improve this critical skill
  
• Wind, waves and current and how to deal most effectively with these challenges
  
• How training in the pool can cheat you
  
• Safety considerations for swimming in the open water
  
• Race starts and finishes
  
• Goggles: what are the most important considerations for open water swimming?
  
• Triangulation: what is it, and how can it help you in the open water?
  
• Are you a bilateral breather?  Is it a worthwhile skill to develop?
  
• And much more!
  
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Thanks for joining us! Make your next open water swim a great one!

~Coach Al

ps: Here’s a neat funny which I know you’ll enjoy!