Hawaii and Swimming- Exercising as Someone with a Disability

When I was in Hawaii, I tried to swim and look at fish most of the days we were there. Swimming in Hawaii is much easier for me than trying to swim at home. This week, I want to talk about my experience swimming in the ocean in Hawaii as someone with a mobility disability sensitive to the cold.

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Swimming is my favorite sport. I was on the swim team in middle school and swam in a few triathlons throughout middle and high school. I like swimming because it is easy on my joints, the water regulates my temperature, and it can start to feel meditative after a while. I have terrible hand-eye coordination, which eliminates most sports for me. Swimming is great because I can build up endurance without having to try to catch anything.

One of my biggest challenges with swimming at home is the water temperature. In the ocean in Southern CA, you need a wetsuit. The water is freezing, and I feel like I am going numb. This makes it hard to swim, paddleboard, or do any other water activity I enjoy. Most public lap swim pools are also colder than I would like. In contrast, the ocean in Hawaii is warm. I don't need a wetsuit, and at times I feel hot after swimming for a while. The benefit of the warmer ocean water is that I can swim without feeling like my leg muscles will tense up. I feel more motivated to swim because I don't need to work myself up to jump in cold water.

Another great thing about Hawaii is the clarity of the ocean water. Swimming in a public pool or cloudy ocean water means I can't see anything interesting. After a while, I feel bored and like I am swimming in a circle. In Hawaii, I use goggles or snorkel gear to see fish and, if I am lucky, turtles. One tip is that if you use glasses, they make prescription goggles. I bought mine from the Swim outlet for around $10, not including shipping. My prescription is a +6.5, so I purchased +6.0 and could see clearly. This was an affordable way for me to avoid headaches from not having my glasses on for an extended period of time and to be able to clearly see all of the interesting fish.

Overall, if you are ever able to travel to Hawaii, I recommend swimming in the ocean. The fish are beautiful, the temperature is warm, and swimming is a great way to get exercise without the negative effects of gravity on your joints. I am already looking forward to the next time I can go back!

Thank you for reading about reading about my experience swimming in Hawaii as a person who is sensitive to cold temperatures. If you have any questions or comments, please comment on the blog, reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook, or email me at Anniekrollblog@gmail.com. I hope to see you next week!