Poll of the Day > Would you feel safe swimming at the public lakes ...beaches...

(+) Yeah! (+)

next to you? like bacteria..etc

Never been a big fan of swimming at the lake. Never feels good smelling like lake muck when you are done. Loved it as a kid though

There's a park about forty five minutes away that has disc golf and bike trails and I'll do one or the other then go to the public lake when it's hot

Safe? In MN, yes.

Well, people have been doing it since the dawn of mankind, so I think it's been proven to be quite safe.

I just spent the last 4 days swimming in a river. The majority of the lakes and rivers around my place are beautiful. No uh, 'muck' smell. Durrance and Killarney are my favourites. You can listen to all the baby eagles at Killarney during the right season.

The closest body of water is the harbour, which is ostensibly safe for swimming since they stopped pumping raw sewage into it, but every time we get a significant rainfall that overwhelms the amount of water the treatment plant can handle they issue a warning about it being unsafe due to bacterial contamination, so I can't say I'm too eager to hop in there. Other ocean beaches, sure. Lakes are alright, but I prefer the ocean.

Beaches yes, lakes not really
Lakes are just okay if you happen to fall off a boat or go tubing or something but I kinda hate the idea of swimming around with huge dead trees and shit.
Swimming from a lake shore is even worse because you feel all the trash and shit.

AltOmega2 posted...

Beaches yes, lakes not really
Lakes are just okay if you happen to fall off a boat or go tubing or something but I kinda hate the idea of swimming around with huge dead trees and shit.
Swimming from a lake shore is even worse because you feel all the trash and shit.

Sounds like they have some pretty shitty land management where you live. They keep them real clean near me, and fine the hell out of anyone that makes a mess. I absolutely hate the DNR, but I'll admit they do a good job at keeping the forests and lakes in good shape.
The only lakes I've seen with large trees in them were out in Washington. Don't really see that here. That's also the only place where a lake did in fact scare the shit out of me. There's a tiny little lake out there that looks very pretty and harmless, but it's formed in an old glacial gouge. Just a few hundred feet from the beach it drops off to over 700' deep. You go down in that, you're never coming back up.

AltOmega2 posted...

Beaches yes, lakes not really
Lakes are just okay if you happen to fall off a boat or go tubing or something but I kinda hate the idea of swimming around with huge dead trees and shit.

I'd go the exact opposite. Lakes with natural weeds and stuff? Sounds good. Beaches that kids are possibly crapping in/etc? I can do it, but...given the choice I'll go with the weeds.

adjl posted...

Lakes are alright, but I prefer the ocean.

In Canada either way I guess...but I'm going in the sauna first. :)

Yeah, the ocean is...ok, I'm not a big fan though. Very cold. Lots of kelp, sharp barnacles etc. Although there are a few spots where it warms up nicely, there's a great gorge for swimming. It's starting to sound like we're spoiled for choice on Vancouver Island. Because all of these 'lake problems' people seem to have don't apply to a lot of lakes I swim in.

I grew up swimming at the beach and nearby lakes.

but I havent done it in years and it would probably feel a little gross

Me this morning:
https://imgur.com/a/rgd91NB

No to the lakes. They are filthy. We do have a lot of fast running creeks in the spring that are much cleaner. We don't swim them this time of year.

I only swim in clear water. Dirty, muddy, brown water no, always afraid what may lurk in there.

I used to all the time growing up, we went to a lake for two weeks every summer. I'd still swim if I went up there but our family is large enough that it is tough to fit everyone and since my wife isn't interested I just leave my space for others to go.

depends on the lake.

in general though ocean is best <3

ReturnOfFa posted...

I just spent the last 4 days swimming in a river. The majority of the lakes and rivers around my place are beautiful. No uh, 'muck' smell. Durrance and Killarney are my favourites. You can listen to all the baby eagles at Killarney during the right season.

Hell yes Good place to have a picnic with the fat Red Barn sandwich.
though as someone who also grew up in the area. Beaver Lake for one is not somewhere I would swim.

The closest lake near to me is in a park where quite a few swim in it on hot days. Personally I wouldn't. I haven't been swimming in a long time and don't quite trust myself in water that deep with that many people getting in my way.

Pretty much grew up in the red river.
Meh, water doesn't effect mutants

acesxhigh posted...

Hell yes Good place to have a picnic with the fat Red Barn sandwich.
though as someone who also grew up in the area. Beaver Lake for one is not somewhere I would swim.

Good point; while I was busy bragging I forgot about the lakes I don't swim in XD. Too much goose poop.

Probably felt safe 20 years ago at a more remote lake/beach.

Today? Nah.

Nowadays I'd probably get strangled by a grocery bag or something

there's like 3 people a year who get the brain eating amoeba from Lake Erie, so i'll take my chances.

I have an ocean in my backyard. It makes for good swimming.

Apparently a big beach in Texas just announced that there's higher than acceptable amounts of fecal material in the water.
My boomer dad told me that and was like "I swear this is something new, I've never heard of grown adults shittin' in the water!"

Every lake within a 300 km radius of me is man made, and specifically designed for either irrigation, recreation, or both. So yeah, I would feel safe. We have natural rivers as well, which I'd be less comfortable with, but people frequently go tubing down the river in the summer.

We had a cabin on the coast of BC when I was a kid, and I often swam in the ocean (at least on days where the water wasn't brutally cold). The risk of being swept away or attacked by something in the water would have been much higher than anything at the man made lakes near me today.

If I swam in the ohio river I would come out with extra fingers.

Other lakes are fine, though. I think it's kind of cool you can just find water and swim in it.

AltOmega2 posted...

Apparently a big beach in Texas just announced that there's higher than acceptable amounts of fecal material in the water.
My boomer dad told me that and was like "I swear this is something new, I've never heard of grown adults shittin' in the water!"

This happens all the time here. Fucking geese shitting in the water