# Did someone actually swim across the entire Atlantic Ocean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-someone-actually-swim-across-the-entire-atlantic-ocean/202995 "2003-09-21T16:50:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gorillaboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dc4da7/32.png) [@gorillaboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gorillaboy)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-someone-actually-swim-across-the-entire-atlantic-ocean/202995/1 "2003-09-21T16:50:00Z")
While playing cards last night, the subject of feats of endurance came up. One of my friends insisted that someone has swum…that’s right, **swum** across the entire Atlantic Ocean without getting out of the water once. As documentation, he said that it was the answer to a question in a trivia game.:rolleyes: I did some research this morning. In 1998, a Frenchman by the name of Benoit Lecomte did indeed claim to have done such a feat…with a few caveats. He was accompanied by a 40 foot sailboat, and slept in it. He also took a week off to rest in the middle of the swim. [This site](http://www.ultramarathonworld.com/news_2002/n06se02a.htm) gives details, and is quite skeptical of his claim. A number of news stories mention his feat, but no documentation is provided. Does anyone have more info? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-someone-actually-swim-across-the-entire-atlantic-ocean/202995/2 "2003-09-21T17:41:03Z")
It depends on what you consider is needed to qualify for “swimming across the Atlantic”. There are several things to consider. Swimming a few hours and then resting in a boat would disqualify him for me. But, even more, the fact is that the current is taking you forward anyway so, you can jump in the water off the coast of Africa and the current will take you to the Caribbean even if you are just floating and not swimming. Probably the current did mor than his swimming. I do not consider he can claim to have swam the Atlantic. OTOH, there are singlehanded Atlantic crossings in incredibly small boats. ---
**Author:** ![Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/13edae/32.png) [@Muldoon\_s\_Squishiness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muldoon_s_Squishiness)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-someone-actually-swim-across-the-entire-atlantic-ocean/202995/3 "2003-09-21T17:56:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gorillaboy \* > \*\*[This site](http://www.ultramarathonworld.com/news_2002/n06se02a.htm) gives details, and is quite skeptical of his claim. A number of news stories mention his feat, but no documentation is provided. Does anyone have more info? \*\* I’d hardly call that website you cited unbiased, in fact, snarky is the term I would use. The website’s credibility falls even further when they rip the BBC in the final sentence. And of course, they don’t add any evidence to back up their claim about the BBC. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-someone-actually-swim-across-the-entire-atlantic-ocean/202995/4 "2003-09-21T19:10:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muldoon’s Squishiness \* > I’d hardly call that website you cited unbiased, in fact, snarky is the term I would use. Don’t attack the source. They present facts and figures. Do you dispute them? Do you dispute the conclusions they draw? Then say so and explain. Attacking them without explanation serves no purpose except suggest that you may not have an argument. > [@](#): > > The website’s credibility falls even further when they rip the BBC in the final sentence. And of course, they don’t add any evidence to back up their claim about the BBC. The final phrase “Oh yes, and God bless the BBC. They will believe anything” is a dig at the BBC. So what? That does not detract from their analysis. How are they supposed to back up “Oh yes, and God bless the BBC. They will believe anything”? ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-someone-actually-swim-across-the-entire-atlantic-ocean/202995/5 "2003-09-21T19:25:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muldoon’s Squishiness \* > I’d hardly call that website you cited unbiased, in fact, snarky is the term I would use. Don’t attack the source. They present facts and figures. Do you dispute them? Do you dispute the conclusions they draw? Then say so and explain. Attacking them without explanation serves no purpose except suggest that you may not have an argument. > [@](#): > > The website’s credibility falls even further when they rip the BBC in the final sentence. And of course, they don’t add any evidence to back up their claim about the BBC. The final phrase “Oh yes, and God bless the BBC. They will believe anything” is a dig at the BBC. So what? That does not detract from their analysis. How are they supposed to back up “Oh yes, and God bless the BBC. They will believe anything”? Tell us what is their analysis and why you think it is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-someone-actually-swim-across-the-entire-atlantic-ocean/202995/6 "2003-09-21T19:38:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Muldoon’s Squishiness \* > I’d hardly call that website you cited unbiased, in fact, snarky is the term I would use. Don’t attack the source. They present facts and figures. Do you dispute them? Do you dispute the conclusions they draw? Then say so and explain. Attacking them without explanation serves no purpose except suggest that you may not have an argument. > [@](#): > > The website’s credibility falls even further when they rip the BBC in the final sentence. And of course, they don’t add any evidence to back up their claim about the BBC. The final phrase “Oh yes, and God bless the BBC. They will believe anything” is a dig at the BBC. So what? That does not detract from their analysis. How are they supposed to back up “Oh yes, and God bless the BBC. They will believe anything”? Tell us what is their analysis and why you think it is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-someone-actually-swim-across-the-entire-atlantic-ocean/202995/7 "2003-09-22T11:39:01Z")
Swimmer checking in. Now I’ve never heard of the guy, but that doesn’t mean much. However I caught this little tidbit off the site: > [@](#): > > That works out to 77.7 kilometres (48.3 miles) a day, not bad at all. In fact, to achieve this distance within his eight-hour daily time quota (maximum), Lecomte would have had to swim at a pace of 10 minutes a mile. and then this: > [@](#): > > Thus, his swimming time for the entire distance was just 64 days - meaning that he would actually have had to average 87.5 kilometres (54.3 miles) a day for the entire crossing. As a result, his swimming pace would have been under nine minutes a mile. Well I’m calling bullshit. Nine minutes a mile? No way in hell. For the record the world record for the 1500 meters, under a mile, is 14:5x or so. I know it’s just under 15 minutes. There is no way he could swim that fast for that long. I’m calling him on his speed if nothing else. Damn sure would be nice to be able to be the fastest sprinter in the world and be able to take a third of the time off the 1500 meter. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-someone-actually-swim-across-the-entire-atlantic-ocean/202995/8 "2003-09-22T11:56:33Z")
I believe somebody DID walk across teh arctic ocean (sorry no cite) Brian