Have you ever met someone that you know you’ll never forget? Someone with an inspiring story, someone you like to bring up in conversation. Well, Gary Emich is one of those someone’s. He’s an amazing individual who’s best know for his swim “escapes” off Alcatraz, like 358 of ‘em. Oh yeah, he doesn’t wear a wet suit either, just the essentials.
Equipment list:
- swimsuit
- Really BIG goggles
- Neopreme swim cap
- GPS device
Gary began his journey in May 1993 with his comrade, Pedro Ordones. They’re friendly competition got the attention of the Guinness World Records when the duo swam their 100th crossing. With nobody in their wake, they’ve got locked up. Worst case, a Silver.
I first met Gary at Tri California's open-water swim clinic. Once I heard his story, we immediately started talking GPS and MotionBased. We had a great conversation, but I really got his attention the next day. I returned with a print-out of five swimmers tracks on a single map-view. This really hit home. Gary has been swimming these waters for over ten years without any certain facts of what happens. He knows where he starts and ends, and that he’s cold, but everything in-between is vague.
This all changed in October, when Gary began tracking his “Escapes” with a Garmin Foretex 201 and MotionBased.
Gary says, “It's one thing to be in the water, taking mental notes of where you are in relation to landmarks and reading / trying to understand what the currents are doing but it raises the level of sophistication and accuracy an incalculable degree to actually have your movements tracked and then be able to play them back on the Map Player along with your actual speed as your swim is played out.”
Here’s a look at one of the 358 successful crossings. (A similar course as the infamous Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon)
And here’s what can go wrong, even after a couple hundred crossings.
“In the following two swims, my destination was the St. Francis Yacht Club (Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Course).”
Gary’s comments: “If the bottom of the screen at any point on the course is considered 6 o'clock, then I was swimming towards 7 o'clock the ENTIRE swim both when it was ebbing (moving me west) and then again when that nasty and totally unexpected flood (moving me back east) kicked in.
Gary’s comments: “I was aiming almost directly at 6 o'clock, due south, and look how the current took me due west. According to Map Player, even though I was aiming south, the current was hurtling me west at times at speeds in excess of 5 miles per hour.
While both of these swims were done during extreme current conditions (there are no races that are put on under these kinds of conditions - I'm simply pushing the edge to see what's possible out there), it still underscores why an Alcatraz swim is so much more than simply jumping in the water, aiming for the finish and having the strongest swimmer win. Besides the cold, the chop, the wind and the unknown (as in what's lurking down there), you have to continuously be paying attention to what the currents are doing at any given time and make the necessary corrections.
I am having so much fun using the Garmin & MB system AND at the same time my level of knowledge is increasing exponentially.”
Thanks Gary! We’re thrilled and lucky to have great people like you using and pushing the limits of MB.
Read more about Gary’s feats and coaching services on our wiki.
Once again, MotionBased is the mapping sponsor for the 
