La Jolla Cove Swim Club’s Annual “BIG CHILL” Winter Swim Program
Last updated : August 26, 2025
Description
This is a La Jolla Cove Swim Club event, started in 2008, and is for CLUB MEMBERS ONLY. Swimmers track their open water miles from November 15th, 2025 – April 19, 2026. Swimmers’ miles are “pooled” together to reach a common goal. This year, participating swimmers will get to vote on our tropical destination.
This isn’t a serious competition. Have fun, and above all, swim safely and swim SMART! Beware, the Chill can Kill!
Individual goals: Reach personal totals of 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300 miles (or even more!). SWIM FOR THE PATCHES! (NOTE: Check out the new denominations of patches we are offering this year!!)
Cost: FREE! (except for the party in May—party details will be sent out in MARCH)
Registration
Registration for this year's Big Chill will be online again this year. You must register each year you participate, so it doesn't matter if you signed up last year. This is a new year! Registration will start October 1st. You can use this link to register (Link not available yet)
Reporting your miles
Reporting your miles will be done similarly to last year. Big Chill Swimmers will simply click on the following link to update their miles: Log Big Chill Miles (NOTE: this link will not work until the first day of the Big Chill)
Like last year, swimmers will select their name from a drop-down list. Report miles as a CUMULATIVE TOTAL. When in doubt, estimate as well as you can; we don’t need high accuracy, and we operate on the honor system.
- If you have not registered, your name will not appear on the drop-down list, and you will be unable to report your miles
- Update your miles anytime, preferably at least every other week
- Don’t hold back your miles. No more than 100 miles may be submitted in one month, unless you accumulated all the miles in that month. Requests for exceptions may be submitted to the program directors (“The Ice Queens”, email BigChillSwim@gmail.com).
There will be maps and charts in the club display box at the Cove. Cumulative totals will be available online to registered participants
Rules
Qualifying Miles:
- Accumulate miles you swim Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025 through Sunday, April 19, 2026
- Miles swum using a wetsuit, rash guard, fins, mask and snorkel, or just skinning it, are all acceptable
- Miles swum in the Pacific Ocean anywhere in California (Oceanside, Coronado, OC, LA, SF, etc.), are acceptable
- Miles swim in salt water or fresh water (lake, river, or other open fresh water) that is 65 degrees or less are acceptable
- Miles swum in salt water or fresh water outside of San Diego are acceptable for up to 10 (separate or consecutive) days, regardless of the water temperature. This is to accommodate vacations in Hawaii, Mexico, Florida, the Caribbean, etc.
- Pool miles are NOT acceptable. Pool swimming isn’t ocean swimming... walls, lines, chlorine, hot water…GROSS!
- DOUBLE Miles may be claimed according to the schedule shown on the 'Double Miles' tab. The organizers (hereafter known as the Ice Queens) may add double mile days to this list at their whim.
- Super Chill Bonus: If the ocean water temperature is 55.9 degrees or below, you may claim a 25% bonus on miles swum.
- Extreme Chill Bonus: If the ocean water temperature is 50.9 degrees or below, you may claim a 50% bonus on miles swum.
- Both Bonuses above may be used at other locations, such as Aquatic Park in SF, Seattle, Alaska, Antarctica….
- Note on Chill Bonuses: The Ice Queens have determined that there are no additional bonuses awarded for swimmers who 'skin it' versus wearing a wetsuit at any time during the program. We want to make this point very clear. We do not want to incentivize swimmers to forego a wetsuit and risk hypothermia for a few tenths of a mile bonus. If a swimmer chooses to do so on their own, that is on them
- Sting Ray Bonus: If you get stung, take a five mile bonus for your pain, and you get a Sting Ray Survivor patch too. You will need to let us know
- Turtle/Dolphin/Whale Bonus: If you see a turtle, dolphin or a whale while you’re swimming (not from land), you get an extra mile per swim/per species, up to 10 miles total for the program. For example, if you see a turtle and 3 dolphins, you will get 2 miles bonus for that swim
Pink Dolphin Birthday Suit Swim:
- Bonus miles for Pink Dolphin: Add 1 bonus mile if your swim is more than 0 miles and less than or equal to 1 mile. Add 2 bonus miles if your swim is greater than 1 mile
- Miles must be swum wearing only one’s “Birthday Suit” for most of the swim
- If possible, the swim should be witnessed by at least one other swimmer. Observers do not get bonus miles unless they are also wearing their 'Birthday Suit'
- The club does not encourage illegal acts
- When can you swim your Pink Dolphin Swim: In the past, the Pink Dolphin Swim was tied to your birthday. We think this makes things unnecessarily complicated. You can choose any date during the program to swim a Pink Dolphin Swim
Rewards
- Personal satisfaction, good exercise, bragging rights, and the thrill of survival. Document your insanity for a disability claim
- Experience hypothermia on a regular basis. Shivering is a good exercise that involves all the major muscle groups
- Party to celebrate the end of the Chill
- Patches will be awarded to those who swim 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200, 250, or 300 miles, and for the Pink Dolphin Swim (NOTE that we have added new patches this year for 75 miles, 250 and 300 miles)
- Awards for the top mileage man and woman--this year, we are starting a perpetual trophy for the top mileage man and woman
- “Big Chill” hats or TBD
Misc
- The Big Chill is being managed again this year by the frosty and very cool Ice Queens
- Questions about the event (rules, distances, anything else) should be sent to bigchillswim@gmail.com Note that this is the same mail address we used last year!