OPEN WATER SWIM GROUPS
SwimRI and Barrington Beach Swims Group @ Barrington Town Beach (map / conditions). Weather allowing, generally Wed & Fri ~6:00am, Saturday 7:30am, or as arranged between local swimmers. Masters swimmers from SwimRI-East Providence have a GroupMe "Open Water Swims" direct messaging group for arranging ad hoc swims at Barrington Beach. Newcomers are usually vetted by a current member before being added to this close-knit GroupMe group.
No fee to walk onto the beach, but from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. parking in the lot is limited to cars with a resident beach parking sticker. There is a cold water outdoor shower and, during staffed hours, restrooms.
Narragansett Ocean Swimming Enthusiasts (NOSE) @ Narragansett Town Beach (map / surf report) and other South County venues. OW swims start in late spring in the Upper Pond of the Pettaquamscutt River (aka Narrow River) tidal inlet, then transition to ocean swims at NTB as the ocean warms. Up to 80 people per swim during mid summer. Read the September 9, 2013 Providence Journal article.
Sunday 8:00 am, Mon & Wed 6:00pm (earlier after Labor Day), Fri 7:30am. Occasionally a swim may be relocated to Roger Wheeler State Beach if conditions at NTB are very rough. See https://swimtrirunman.org for updates and recaps.
For ad hoc early morning swims (EMS), post your interest on the NOSE/SSS Swimmers Facebook group page to see if anyone wants to meet or if there is already something planned. In the past, there have been regular 5:15am and 7am swims, generally organized via text.
WARNING: At NTB, take care to avoid the submerged barge just south of the main pavilion 50 to 100 yards offshore depending the tide. It skirts the surface of the water, especially during low tide, and has razor-sharp edges.
NTB parking lot restrictions are in place. The parking lot fee is separate from the beach entry fee. There are free parking spots on surrounding streets — some have time limits and some (e.g., along the sea wall) do not. Read the signs. To avoid the entry fee, get on the beach before 8am weekdays (7:30am weekends/holidays) or after 5pm.
There are cold water outdoor showers and, during staffed hours, a concession stand and restrooms at the pavilion.
Mackerel Cove Swimming @ Mackerel Cove (Jamestown Town Beach) in Jamestown (map / water temp). Several swimmers swim year-round at the beach. Active Facebook Group.
Potter Cove in Jamestown (map). During summer a small open-water group led by Lou Sardelli has traditionally swum at 6:30am on weekdays and 7:30am on weekends, weather allowing. Former Kent County Y Masters Coach Christina Lorenson has also planned daily swims at Potters Cove in the past (current status unknown).
Sachuest Ocean Swimmers (SOS) @ Second Beach in Middletown (map / surf report). Ad hoc swims posted on the Facebook page. During summer, this group often does a Sunday-morning First Beach to Second Beach small group swim. Contact: SwimRI member Paul Dow at pauldow53@icloud.com
Second Beach has cold water outdoor showers and porta johns (at Surfers End and at the main pavilion) and, during staff hours, a concession stand, restrooms, and changing rooms (at the main pavilion).
Georgiaville Pond Tri Training Group in Smithfield (map / forecast). Tues/Thurs 5:45am most weeks, Saturdays 7:30am, Sundays 8:00am. Other, ad hoc swims posted on the Facebook page. Contact SwimRI member Jorge Matesanz for more info about this GPTTG group. Read the May 21, 2019 Only In Your State article. Per Jorge, these swims relocate to Spring Lake in Burrillville if there is algae bloom at the pond, but the town has installed an aerator fountain to combat the bloom.
In Connecticut, occasional ad hoc small-group swims at Power Lake in East Lyme, Long Pond in Ledyard, or Williams Beach Park in Mystic. Contact: SwimRI member Sarah Dombrowski.
