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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The river near DC is notoriously treacherous. There are drownings every year from people who underestimate it. I wouldn’t swim anywhere in the river without a life jacket.

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I think this is both true and an exaggeration. the river is quite treacherous after heavy rains, but is totally swimmable at other times. I have swum in it many times (near cabin John) but I only go in when and where there is very little current.

Lots of people swim in the river, we just kind of keep it hush hush.

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/news/blog/riverkeepers-seek-to-lift-a-50-year-old-ban-on-swimming-in-d-c-waterways
https://www.npr.org/local/305/2022/03/23/1088192692/time-to-lift-the-ban-on-swimming-in-the-potomac-and-anacostia-rivers-advocates-say[/quote]

This is hubris. Sure, this person will almost certainly be fine. That doesn’t make it a smart thing to do. [/quote]

I don't think it's hubris. I think it's sad that we have become such an anxious risk-adverse people. A century ago people swam in the Potomac all the time. My mother grew up swimming in the Mississippi River! Now that's dangerous![/quote]

Saying that the river is “totally swimmable” during dry periods is wildly irresponsible. That’s how people get killed. Someone says something like that and they see what looks like calm water and oops, they’re dead. I’m sure there are safe places to swim and I even support opening them for swimming with reasonable precautions. Telling people it’s okay to swim in the river without knowing anything about it is stupid. [/quote]

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