The Deep Enders are getting closer to their goal of becoming the first group of humans to swim from San Nicholas Island to Point Vicente on the California mainland. After more 32 hours on the high seas, their unprecedented attempt at swimming 70.1 miles (112.8 km) to the California shore seems to be soon over [see a screen capture of their course on SwimTrack above].
According to SwimTrack [see here] provided by the Santa Barbara Channel Swimming Association (SBCSA), the team of Jim McConica (64 years), Tom Ball (55), John Chung (45), Zach Jirkovsky (34), Tamie Stewart (42), and Stacey Warmuth (59) has varied their speed between a low of under 1.8 km per hour and a high of about 5.2 km per hour during their relay.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.