# Swimming Across the Atlantic **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 19, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793 "2007-09-19T21:53:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fireclown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@Fireclown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fireclown)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/1 "2007-09-19T21:53:25Z")
Suppose I attempt to swim across the Atlantic. For sake of argument lets suppose that getting tired, eating, drinking, and sleeping are not factors. What are the chances that some EXTERNAL factor (sharks, boat propellers, giant whirlpool etc) would prevent me from completing the journey? ---
**Author:** ![Sofaspud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8491ac/32.png) [@Sofaspud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofaspud)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/2 "2007-09-19T22:22:32Z")
[QUOTE=Fireclown] Suppose I attempt to swim across the Atlantic. For sake of argument lets suppose that getting tired, eating, drinking, and sleeping are not factors. What are the chances that some EXTERNAL factor (sharks, boat propellers, giant whirlpool etc) would prevent me from completing the journey? [/QUOTE] Well, I can’t quote figures, but from experience, I’d say that your biggest danger is going to be hypothermia. That thar ocean is _cold_! Brr! Extreme sunburns might be the next most likely cause of death, because umpteen hours in the water is going to defeat even the best sunblock. Then maybe sharks. I think the whirlpool is rather far down on the list… ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/3 "2007-09-19T22:25:54Z")
Are we assuming that there is no external support structure here? No boat puttering alongside with staff to reapply sunblock and the like? ---
**Author:** ![Fireclown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@Fireclown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fireclown)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/4 "2007-09-19T22:38:07Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Are we assuming that there is no external support structure here? No boat puttering alongside with staff to reapply sunblock and the like? [/QUOTE] No external support. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/5 "2007-09-19T22:47:16Z")
What about desquamation? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2007, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/6 "2007-09-19T23:03:42Z")
I think it’s going to be quite difficult for an unsupported swimmer to maintain a proper course - sure, you could tread water every now and again to take a bearing, but I think you might end up meandering to the extent that the distance to be swum becomes significantly greater. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/7 "2007-09-20T00:02:21Z")
unneeded post ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/8 "2007-09-20T00:41:22Z")
Just being in the water that long will do horrible things to your skin like make it swell and crack to the point where you probably couldn’t survive it after a few days. I think huge waves could be a big threat also. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/9 "2007-09-20T01:59:54Z")
[Hijack] Could someone swim across the Atlantic with the support in place? taking breaks along the way? [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/10 "2007-09-20T02:16:20Z")
[Benoit Lecomte](http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1425586) > [@](#): > > Benoit Lecomte successfully completed a Trans-Atlantic swim, a swim more than 3,700 miles, in 72 days in 1998. Lecomte immigrated to Texas from France when he was just 23 years old. However, when his father died of colon cancer in 1992, Lecomte became determined to do something to prevent the ignorance of the disease from taking the life of other people as well. > > Lecomte enlisted the help of the University of Texas Austin’s Human Performance Lab Director Edward Coyle to help him prepare for the enormous crossing. Lecomte trained to build his endurance, swimming and cycling 3-5 hours a day, six days a week for two years and underwent a series of long endurance swims that usually lasted up to 24 hours. One of these swims included 24 hours of non-stop swimming at Barton Springs covering the distance of 48.5 miles. This also helped fine-tune the equipment and nutritional regiment that Lecotme would need for the crossing. > > swimming from the shores of Cape Cod, Massachusetts towards Quiberon, France with only two sailors to guide him, Lecomte swam over 600 km (3, 736 nautical miles) in just 72 days. Using a large joined flipper that was attached to his feet and a swim suit that reduced the resistance in the water Lecomte went down in history as the first, and so far only, man in history to swim the Atlantic ocean. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/11 "2007-09-20T03:58:05Z")
[hijack] I think it’s funny that of all the things we hear about in the news that get 24/7 coverage (Paris, OJ, Britney, etc), stuff like this guy’s SWIMMING ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN just gets swept under the rug. Geez! Thanks for sharing, Exapno. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/12 "2007-09-20T04:01:08Z")
[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase] [Benoit Lecomte](http://www.everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1425586) [/QUOTE] That’s amazing but hardly 600km?? ---
**Author:** ![Baffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@Baffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baffle)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/13 "2007-09-20T04:16:39Z")
Maybe they mean [6000 km.](http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=6000+km+in+nautical+miles&btnG=Google+Search&meta=) I wonder why he picked that area to do it, instead of swimming between South America and Africa, a mere [2800 km](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean#Geography). ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/14 "2007-09-20T07:38:23Z")
[QUOTE=Baffle] Maybe they mean [6000 km.](http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=6000+km+in+nautical+miles&btnG=Google+Search&meta=) I wonder why he picked that area to do it, instead of swimming between South America and Africa, a mere [2800 km](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean#Geography). [/QUOTE] Maybe helpful currents (NAD)? Maybe more sharks etc. in tropical waters? ---
**Author:** ![Fireclown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@Fireclown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fireclown)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/15 "2007-09-20T08:27:19Z")
Holy crap, I didn’t know someone actually did it. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/16 "2007-09-20T08:47:44Z")
I’m not actually sure a person could do it without support: it would take too long and you still need to eat and drink. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/17 "2007-09-20T09:13:43Z")
[QUOTE=Baffle] I wonder why he picked that area to do it, instead of swimming between South America and Africa, a mere [2800 km](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean#Geography). [/QUOTE] Presumably because he would first have had to swim 8,000 km from Cape Cod to Rio. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/18 "2007-09-20T09:17:06Z")
[QUOTE=Baffle] Maybe they mean [6000 km.](http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&q=6000+km+in+nautical+miles&btnG=Google+Search&meta=) I wonder why he picked that area to do it, instead of swimming between South America and Africa, a mere [2800 km](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Ocean#Geography). [/QUOTE] Strong West to East currents. He slept onboard the support boat while it was floating with a drift sock out. While he swam for 6-8 hours each day, the currents pushed him towards France 24X7. ---
**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 20, 2007, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/19 "2007-09-20T11:26:34Z")
[QUOTE=cornflakes] Strong West to East currents. He slept onboard the support boat while it was floating with a drift sock out. While he swam for 6-8 hours each day, the currents pushed him towards France 24X7. [/QUOTE] I asked about this guy a couple of years ago. I still don’t believe it. He would have to average 51 miles a day, every day. That’s just over 2 miles an hour, for 24 hours. Even if he swam for 12 hours a day that’s 4 miles an hour, as fast as the fastest Olympic swimmer in the 1500. Even the best swimmers in the world couldn’t do that much swimming that fast, I would say most don’t even do that in a year. I think there’s something really fishy about the guy as I’ve never heard of him doing anything else. Nor does he get talked about on any swimming boards or magazines. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2007, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793/20 "2007-09-20T12:36:37Z")
It petty much breaks the rules in most peoples mind if they can leave the water. None of the other feats like swimming the English Channel allow the people to get out of the water and rest or sleep. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/swimming-across-the-atlantic/419793.md?page=2)