Water Temps Check In at 25.9C (78.6F) for Pan Pacs Open Water

2018 PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS – Open Water

• Open Water
• Hojo Beach, Tateyama, Japan
• Meet Central
• Open Water Entries List

There are only two races remaining at the 2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships. With the pool events wrapped up on Sunday at the Tatsumi International Swimming Center, attention turns to Hojo Beach in Tateyama, Japan, which is about 100 kilometers due south of Tokyo at the tip of the Chiba Peninsula.

While the open water events for the 2020 Olympics are being hosted closer to central Tokyo, this week’s activities were moved from their original location at the Odaiba Seaside Park due to water quality testing. Odaiba Seaside Park is planned to be the host to the open water races at the 2020 Olympic Games.

Water temperature measures on the race course on Sunday morning came in at 25.9 degrees Celsius, which is about 78.6 degrees Fahrenheit.

This reading puts the temperature well-within the FINA rules of 31C, as well as much cooler than the USA Swimming-preferred 29.5 degrees Celsius maximum. For reference, the mandated pool temperature for FINA meets is between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius.

The temperature is slightly warmer than was in Tempe Town Lake at the 2018 U.S. Open Water Nationals (where peak measurements were about 76 degrees, or 24.4 C), but southeastern Japan’s air temperatures have cooled off since a record-setting July. As compared to the triple-digit afternoon heat in Tempe, Tateyama is forecast for about 81 degree air Fahrenheit on Tuesday morning at 7AM when the men’s race begin (the women’s race begins 5 minutes later). Humidity will be very high, but a 12 mile-per-hour wind should help keep surface temperatures cool.

Mid-day highs will only be about  84 degrees this week in Tetayama, which is a little below historical averages.