Bay Space swimmer from Pleasanton prepares for first-ever historic try to swim complete size of California coast

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — A Pleasanton endurance swimmer is getting ready to aim what she says has by no means been performed earlier than: swimming the size of California’s shoreline.

Katherine Breed plans to enter the Pacific Ocean on the Oregon border subsequent week to start “Swim California,” an expedition that she estimates will cowl about 900 miles.

“This has never been attempted,” Breed instructed ABC7 Eyewitness News in an interview. “There have been similar expeditions around the world, one around Iceland last summer, Ireland, and a few people have from the coast of Great Britain. But nothing like this, swimming down the coast of California.”

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Breed stated the route is barely lower than 900 miles “as the crow flies,” however currents and different circumstances imply swimmers sometimes journey farther than the direct distance.

She stated the problem is pushed by each a private connection to the coast and a broader mission.

“I grew up swimming, and sailing in the San Francisco Bay and on the Pacific,” Breed stated. “I get to do this thing I love, and I get to learn more about the coast.”

She added that the expedition is meant to boost consciousness about ocean conservation and coastal communities.

“The bigger reason, the why that’s greater than myself, is to tell a story of the coast, to raise awareness for the people, places, the problems, ocean conservation issues happening in our very own backyard,” Breed stated.

Breed additionally stated she based a nonprofit geared toward encouraging extra ladies and women to get into the ocean.

“Because, I believe if you learn about something and you fall in love with it, you’re going to fight to protect it,” she stated.

According to Breed, the expedition has been greater than three years within the making and includes a big assist crew.

She plans to swim about 5 hours every day, masking roughly 10 to fifteen miles every day, sometimes through the early morning when winds are lighter.

A 52-foot Beneteau sailboat will function the first assist vessel.

Breed stated the crew expects to return to harbors often, besides in stretches of shoreline the place no harbors can be found, together with parts of the Lost Coast and Big Sur areas.

The swimmer stated she expects the journey to take at the very least three months, although climate circumstances might lengthen the timeline.

“One thing about our coast is it can be pretty volatile, and the winds can kick up,” Breed stated. “We did a lot of buffer to adjust, so that we’re not racing the clock. I don’t want to forgo safety at the expense of manufactured timeline that we made.”

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While sharks are among the many dangers many individuals ask about, Breed stated weather-related hazards are a better concern.

“I actually think that’s very low on our risk,” she stated of sharks, noting that the expedition will embrace a assist craft and shark deterrents.

Instead, she pointed to storms, wind, fog, fishing gear and offshore rocks as a few of the challenges the crew expects to navigate.

Breed stated she is going to put on a wetsuit through the swim, a departure from a lot of her earlier long-distance swims that adopted English Channel guidelines requiring solely a swimsuit, cap and goggles.

“I intentionally decided to wear wetsuit,” she stated. “I’m wearing the wetsuit just to control the controllables, so I don’t need to worry about getting cold or sunburnt, and it will definitely protect you against jellyfish.”

Breed stated the expedition is scheduled to start July 1, although a July 2 begin stays attainable.

She stated folks can observe the journey by means of her social media accounts, website and YouTube channel, the place updates and reside monitoring are anticipated to be accessible all through the swim.