{"id":64825,"date":"2017-11-28T10:10:35","date_gmt":"2017-11-28T16:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=64825"},"modified":"2017-12-07T15:30:45","modified_gmt":"2017-12-07T21:30:45","slug":"64825-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/64825-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Ice Monster Number One"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Rebecca Fanning<\/strong>
\nMedill Reports<\/em><\/p>\n

It\u2019s noon on a sunny Thursday in October and \u201cDiver Dave\u201d Oliva is sprawled on a black inner tube wearing only a speedo; his mask and snorkel leave a wet mark on the concrete beside
\nhim. He waves to passersby, some seem to know him, others just wave back, amused. Behind him, cars speed down Lake Shore Drive, rushing north from the bustling Loop.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re late,\u201d he says to me when I arrive. \u201cAnd where\u2019s your swimsuit? Water\u2019s never been this warm in October before.”
\n

\"\"<\/a>
Mike Tschantz-Hahn slides over a partially frozen Lake Michigan. (Steve Hernan)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n


\nLake Michigan was 65 degrees today, but Oliva has swum in much colder temps. The \u201cpioneer of winter swimming\u201d recalls a day when it was 17 below zero and a layer of ice formed on the water as he swam. While many still think Oliva must be crazy, winter swimming has gained popularity in recent years and even inspired the birth of Open Water Chicago, a club for swimmers who crave more than the novelty of a polar plunge.<\/p>\n

For 60-year- old Oliva, Lake Michigan is a both a retreat and proving ground; a place to relax and escape from life\u2019s responsibilities while staying constantly attuned to the dynamic elements that converge where land meets water.<\/p>\n

Swim Season<\/h3>\n

Open-water swimmers like Oliva pride themselves on swimming through the winter; using strong paddle strokes to break through the ice, taking cold showers for days before their swims and smearing themselves with Vaseline to protect their skin from exposure.<\/p>\n

Oliva, who complains about the bathtub feel of water in Costa Rica and swims no less than one mile when he comes out on winter days, says it\u2019s winter, not summer, when he finds the most peace out on the water. <\/p>\n

\u201cI actually swim slower in the winter.<\/strong> –Dave Oliva<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cWe relax at the half mile point, and before getting out. So I\u2019m in a good 45 minutes to an hour. Because I\u2019m not trying to break records. In fact, it\u2019s more relaxing swimming in the winter,\u201d said Oliva. <\/p>\n

For the retired carpenter and his swim buddies, the first ladder south of North Avenue Beach is the unofficial headquarters of Open Water Chicago. Swimming in Lake Michigan after Labor Day is technically illegal, but police have come to know the regulars at \u201cLadder One,\u201d which Oliva paints orange in an unspoken deal with the city to leave it in place year-round. No one has been ticketed in a few years for the trespass, perhaps because these diehards are competent swimmers and no officer has ever needed to jump into frigid waters to save anyone.<\/p>\n

Hidden Treasure<\/h3>\n

After so many years of swimming off the coast of Chicago, Oliva is used to finding things. He\u2019s fished out high-end bikes, two working iPhones, dozens of paddles and even a pair of handguns. This year alone, he estimates he\u2019s recovered more than $10,000 worth of items, including a bag of cash. Oliva keeps some of what he finds, but he mostly sells or gives away items that he won\u2019t use. His salvage efforts have earned free rentals at a local paddle board shop because of all the paddles he\u2019s recovered.<\/p>\n

Comrades in Ice<\/h3>\n

While Oliva often explores Lake Michigan solo, he sometimes swims alongside members of Open Water Chicago. Founded by Steve Hernan, the group meets at \u201cL1\u201d at sunrise on many weekend days. There is no fitness requirement and no fee to join, just a waiver acknowledging the dangers of lake swimming. Each new member is named a \u201clake monster\u201d whether they swim in June or January, a title Hernan enthusiastically applies to anyone who joins.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Fred Collison swims through a field of ice. (Steve Hernan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>
\n\u201cI would consider Dave to be the unofficial steward of ladder one, says Hernan. \u201cHe\u2019s completely devoted to that swim site, to the community there and to the people that he knows. The winter swims are always particularly fun because many times it’s just he and I. It\u2019s kind of a camaraderie, we\u2019re the only ones out there and it\u2019s freezing out, we get some weird looks.\u201d <\/p>\n

Oliva takes his legendary status a step further, insisting he is the only \u201cice monster\u201d in the crew, a category reserved for the man who considers Lake Michigan his private swimming pool. As fall begins to fade, Oliva watches with excitement as the temperatures plummet and a new Chicago winter boldly announces once again: \u201cSwim season is in session.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prepping for the Plunge<\/h3>\n

As lake temperatures drop, Oliva, Hernan and the Open Water Chicago (OWC) group prepare for winter conditions. A few OWC lake monsters weigh in on their survival tips for winter lake swimming.<\/p>\n

1. Drink plenty of fluids. Oliva sticks to water, and lots of it. \u201cDrink more water than you think you need in the 24 hours before your swim,\u201d he says. A hydrated body will maintain circulation even in cooler temperatures and will prevent the excruciating pain that comes from frozen fingers and toes. Avoid alcohol and caffeine and double up on electrolytes.<\/li>\n

2. Fuel up with calorie-dense foods. Eggs, nuts and avocados are easy to digest and will keep you going for longer. Hernan says food is an often-forgotten but essential part of swim preparation.<\/li>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Fred Collison enjoys the view during an icy morning swim off of ladder one.(Steve Hernan)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

3. Stick to cold showers. Many swimmers swear by cold showers the morning of a winter swim to avoid that moment of shock when they first plunge into sub-50 degree temps. Hernan rises an hour before his winter swims to take a progressive shower, gradually lowering the temperature until he\u2019s shivering and \u201cslightly uncomfortable.\u201d<\/li>\n

4. Swim early and often. Open-water fanatic Marton Siklos says he keeps a log of each swim: the water conditions, temperature, time spent in the water and the distance he swims. It\u2019s essential to \u201csuffer each temperature,\u201d and to swim multiple times per week as the water gets colder, he says.<\/p>\n

5. Use the buddy system. While Siklos and Oliva have both been known to enjoy solo swims, the potential for shock of the onset of unexpected weather conditions make group swimming especially important. Group swimming could be the difference between life and death. \u201cThis lake is dynamic, it can be flat one second and have 6-foot waves the next, Oliva says.<\/p>\n

Deep Dives<\/h3>\n

While most swimmers wear goggles and caps, Oliva swims with a mask and snorkel, paddling slowly while scanning the bottom for sunken treasure. The 9-foot depth off of \u201cLadder One\u201d makes diving for artifacts easy enough, though Oliva sometimes uses scuba gear for deeper excursions.<\/p>\n

Lake Michigan\u2019s chilly bottom temperatures\u2014it hovers around 70 in the summer and can dip to 32 in winter\u2014preserve sunken items. Years-old shipwrecks, crashed airplanes and dead bodies have been recovered by others in near-perfect condition in the fresh-water lake. And as invasive zebra mussels pillage the waters for algae, the water has become clearer, making lost items easier to spot.<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Nick Nielsen and Mike Tschantz-Hahn watch for icicles after a mid-winter swim.(Steve Hernan)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Rebecca Fanning Medill Reports It\u2019s noon on a sunny Thursday in October and \u201cDiver Dave\u201d Oliva is sprawled on a black inner tube wearing only a speedo; his mask and snorkel leave a wet mark on the concrete beside him. He waves to passersby, some seem to know him, others just wave back, amused. 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