With Water World & Via Maris
Every so often we feel the need to get away, but are unsure whether to travel or just take it easy. All we know for sure is that we don’t want to gain weight…what a dilemma!
Apart from the vast experience of Water World’s senior coaching staff in long-distance and open water swimming, the staff is also well-versed in hydrotherapy and the WEST swimming technique which adapts to the body type, abilities, flexibility, and more, of each and every participant. After adapting for the unique style of each swimmer, the Water World staff will challenge you to swim further and harder than you ever believed you could.
Each day we’ll swim between 2-10 kilometers accompanied by trainers in kayaks and Yachts. We’ll gain a command of open water and long-distance swimming as well as swimming in pairs and trios, teamwork, and more.
So in order to realize how a day in paradise looks like:
For more info: [email protected]
Daily schedule:
Every morning, swimmers wake up with the sun at 8:00am and gather half an hour later on one of the yachts for breakfast together. After breakfast, we take a few minutes for warm-ups and start our activities: taking in the beauty and vastness of the undisturbed natural scenery all around us and jumping into water that’s the perfect temperature for open water swimming exercises, around 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit).
Swimmers are split into groups of two, three, or four in order to ensure that everyone is matched according to their ability and is able to enjoy the training, challenge themselves, and no less important, to look after their body.
Some swimmers will swim for about an hour while others will swim for as long as two hours or more, all with a smile on their faces throughout the training session.
After completing our morning exercises and stretching, we’ll sail to a new breathtaking destination and take in the amazing sights with a healthy meal prepared on the yachts. The length of each sailing trip varies from day to day in accordance with wind patterns. As we sail we discover the power of nature via the yacht. With each passing day the Via Maris staff reveals more and more secrets of the phenomenal world of the sailor in a way that allows swimmers to take an active part in sailing: to hold the wheel, to throw out and lift the anchor, to navigate, to work with the sails, and more.
In the early afternoon we eat a light meal in an enchanting bay or while sailing at a relaxed pace. Towards the evening we have an additional swimming session, slightly easier and slightly longer, focused on technique and groupwork, where we learn more about this wonderful world from the Water World staff.
After our evening swim, we enjoy a quick drink and eat dinner. At times we’ll eat a decadent feast consisting of fresh food purchased in local markets and at others we’ll celebrate and eat in stunning tavernas with fish and seafood, assorted salads and baked goods, good wine, beer.
At night we drink, enjoy ourselves, sing and laugh, and get to know amazing new people – all swimmers looking for a good time and a slightly different kind of vacation, a training camp for open water swimming. In the morning we awake once more to a paradise the likes of which you’ve never seen before in your lives.
About Via Maris: experience and expeditions
Founded in 1998 by sailors Yossi Sokolov and David Simon, Via Maris is Israel’s leading sailing school and yacht club. David and Yossi founded Via Maris out of a love for sailing and with a vision to promote and further the popularity of sailing in Israel.
For over Nineteen years the Via Maris yacht club has organized a range of flotillas and aquatic adventures in a variety of exciting and enchanting destinations in the far corners of the world. These phenomenal voyages provide for the perfect vacation and escape. Via Maris’s extensive experience in sailing means that on your trip you will be led to the most beautiful locations while a professional staff teaches you the basics of sailing.
About the collaboration between Via Maris and Water World
When they met in 2007, Ori Sela, the owner of Water World, and Yossi Sokolov, owner of Via Maris, understood that their customers had a lot in common: a love of the ocean, nature, swimming and vacation. They decided to hold a race between two yachts far out at sea, with the goal of introducing Water World’s swimmers to Via Maris’s yacht club members. The connection was incredible. Over the course of the race the swimmers sailed far out to sea and then swam around the yachts – undoubtedly a unique experience. Since then the Poseidon Race has only become more and more popular with over a thousand swimmers participating today.
In light of the race’s success, Ori and Yossi determined to combine forces to create a training camp that integrates the experience of swimming with that of sailing along with excellent company, quality food, turquoise waters, ideal weather, enchanting coves and bays, and more.
Water World and Via Maris open water competitions
Every year, Water World, Shvoong and Via Maris produce and take part in a number of open water events with the goal of advancing sport and swimming in Israel and helping more and more people to discover the wonderful world of open water swimming. These events include:
Poseidon Race: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5i9bRtvpkg
Port 2 Port Race: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqywoa8qVXU
About the specialized WEST swimming technique you’ll learn during the training camp
Water World is one of the largest and most skilled hydrotherapy and water rehabilitation centers in the world. Each year thousands of patients are treated at Water World for a range of issues: developmental and orthopedic problems, injuries resulting from car accidents, children with behavioral disorders, PDD, CP, release of muscle tension, muscle strengthening, and more.
Water World Swimming Therapy (WEST) Method
At Water World, our over 15 years of experience has taught us that not everyone can, or need, swim in the same manner. We understand that everyone has a unique set of physical capabilities as well as a unique body type, flexibility, and the like.
The WEST system is an adaptive swimming technique that allows every swimmer, especially those 18 and up, to understand how his/her body can best adapt to being in the water in order to ease tension, to treat pains, to increase range of motion and to swim greater distances with greater ease and speed.
As part of the voyage, every swimmer will receive personal instruction in accordance with this specialized system, and is guaranteed to feel an immediate difference.
The yacht:
Type of yacht and advantages, what to expect, and what you’ll learn
The flotilla will be on a Monohull and a Catamaran, each includes four two-person cabins, four full bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and a spacious living room and cockpit. These yachts offer an excellent platform for our training exercises. Each yacht will carry six swimmers and a skipper. Over the course of the week-long vacation we’ll live on the yacht, and apart from the attraction of sailing itself, the yacht will serve as a “floating home” where we’ll sleep, cook, eat, shower, and pass the night with a glass of Wine and stories of the sea.
Sailing Itinerary
This year the swimmer’s flotilla will take us to Croatia to sail along the Southern Coast starting from Dubrovnik. A popular destination known for its great sailing, this area offers numerous bays for our training exercises. A connection flight to Dubrovnik Airport, a 20 minute ride to the marina, and you’re already making preparations to set sail.
Sailing plan: Sunday, July 2 to Sunday, July 9
(Subject to change, according to weather and sea conditions)
Sunday, July 2nd : Flight to Dubronik and a quick ride to the marina. Day of prep: we’ll charter our yachts and stock up on food for the week. In the afternoon we’ll hold our first swimming training session on the nearby beach. In the evening we’ll dine in a local tavern and raise our glasses to toast the beginning of our journey.
Monday, July 3rd: First day of sailing. We’ll depart from the ACI Marina in Dubrovnik and set sail for the island of Lopoud, to the southern bay. A celebration of the sights, scents, and flavors of the Mediterranean. In the evening we’ll continue to the Island Sipan and dock our yachts in the small town Sipanska Luka.
Tuesday, July 4th: We set sail for the islet of Milet. We’ll spend the day on anchor in the bay Prozura and for the night we will continue to the small village Pomena. There are national parks a short walk away with natural salt ponds.
Wednesday, July 5th: We’ll set sail to one of the highlights of this area – Korcula. A popular town for locals and tourists with many attractions and great restaurants.
Thursday, July 6th: We’ll continue to our next destination – to the bay Trstenik, which has a noce winery and coffee shops. We’ll finish off the day on the Island of Mijet, in the bay Okuklje, a picturesque and well protected bay for a beautiful night under the stars.
Friday, July 7th: We’ll leave the bay late, and set sail at around 14:00 to the bay Slano. We can choose to anchor freestyle or by at the town port.
Saturday, July 8th: We’ll set sail by sunrise in order to reach the Island Kolocep for breakfast. After a nice rest, we’ll head back to ACI Marina in Dubrovnik. Overnight on the yachts in the Marina and an evening tour of the Old City of Dubrovnik.
Sunday, July 9th: Leave Yachts by 09:00.
About Water World:
Open water experience, training, instruction, triathlons and more
Water World is made up of five different centers throughout Israel boasting 130 staff members, most of them former professional swimmers, hydrotherapists, physiotherapists, triathlon coaches, Chinese healing practitioners, and more. What unites the Water World staff, apart from their vast experience in personal training, is their great love of water and of people.
The swimmers and athletes that train at Water World are among the leading swimmers in Israel, with over 500 swimmers competing at the masters swimming level in both pool and open water competitions, and 150 triathletes and Iron Men.
The experience of the Water World staff in personal training, swimming instruction, and the WEST system guarantees that you will enjoy a personally challenging swim that incorporates teamwork and an adaptive style.
From the staff’s extensive experience in open water events and marathons to its ability to pass on a deep love of swimming in the ocean, you’ll understand why you chose Water World from the very first training session.
What you’ll need for the journey:
comfortable clothes (no need to pack a lot of clothes), warm clothes for the evening, flat and comfortable shoes or flip-flops, a long-sleeve shirt to guard against the sun, hat, bathing suit, towel, sunscreen, toiletries, headlamp, and your favorite music. All gear should be packed in soft-sided bag such as a duffle bag.
Who can participate and what’s the required swimming level?
Any swimmer able to swim 500 meters in the ocean and at least 1,000 meters freestyle in a pool without fins.
Training safety
In order to ensure the health and safety of every swimmer during training sessions, the staff of Water World and Via Maris will accompany swimmers with boats, kayaks, or the yachts. In this manner, every swimmer is personally challenged while also being able to fully enjoy themselves throughout the training.
Any swimmer that does not follow the staff’s instructions will not be allowed to continue training and no refund will be provided.
How much will it cost me?
Price
€2,500 per person for the week on the Catamaran
€2,000 per person for the week on the Catamaran
The price includes:
- Senior swimming and WEST training staff
- Kayak and boat escort according to the needs of the training program and individual swimmers
- Experienced Via Maris skippers and staff
- Spacious and comfortable Catamaran/Monohull yachts
- Port moorings, fuel, insurance and cleaning for the yachts
- Fully equipped kitchen, blankets, pillows, sheets and towels
- Food + beverage + alcohol (including vodka, wine, and beer) provided for every yacht
- Meals in local taverns
- Transportation to and from the Dubrovnik marina
The price does not include:
- Flight to Dubrovnik – tickets can be purchased through the Via Maris office or on one’s own
- Travel insurance
- Personal purchases
