ORIGINAL: Pavmentsurfer
Im a little confused by the extreme stance on "NEVER" swim for your boat. I regularly swim a mile across my lake and back... Much farther than I would ever drive my boat anyway. Im never more than 100feet from my dock with my boat... if the water is warm, the lake is calm and the boat isnt a mile away... and of course, you can ACTUALLY swim, why not go for it. Everyone responds to this like "fine, take your life in your hands for an RC boat" but seriously... I swim every day for FUN... not even for a boat... I havent died yet. If I was a bad swimmer, or the lake was cold, or it was a river, lots of other boats on the lake or ANY other dangerous situation id agree that its very dangerous. But if the boat is 50 feet away in a warm, calm lake and your a good swimmer I can't see any reason it would be any more dangerous than putting on your shorts and going for a SWIM...
I agree with the previous contribution, NEVER swim for your boat.
You "havent died yet." But remember you only die once. You do not get a second chance.
Water that might seem warm near the shallow bank on a sunny day can drop massively in temperature once in deeper water a few metres out into the lake.
If you get cramp unexpectedly even strong swimmers can find themselves in deep trouble. I am a strong swimmer and I only ever got cramp once in my local heated swimming pool. I thought I was going to drown within a few seconds.
If you get entangled in any underwater debris it can cause panic and drowning in seconds.
If you catch your hand on sharp propellor of your boat and start bleeding that again can cause panic when you are out alone neck deep in water.
The scary thing is that when something does go wrong in deep water, the situation can escalate in seconds with fatal consequences.
Quite simply the risk is not worth taking in my opinion.
Regards
Craig