Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/320028
30 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | JUNE / JULY 2014 O P E N WAT E R A H E A D Nowadays, 20 to 30 dedicated swimmers meet weekly from June through August for an invigorating dip off Madison Park Beach. All WAC members are welcome. The only qualification is the ability to swim a mile unassisted. Wetsuits are required, but more for buoyancy and speed than summer- time warmth. "Group workouts motivate and encourage everyone to support their training partners," Julie says. "Once you join, no one dares to miss a morning swim!" It doesn't hurt that Lake Washington's summertime temperatures remind more of the Bahamas than the Bering Strait. OK, that's an exaggeration, but with shoreline water tempera- tures sometimes reaching into the 70s, the truth isn't far off. Combine that with a near absence of early morning boat traffic and an abundance of show-stopping sunrises, and you have the "There's no getting around the open water's main attraction–the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest." ➤ Raring to go at 6:15 am, swimmers are happy to be hitting the waters of Lake Washington off the shores of Madison Park Beach.