Glossary

108: The free number to dial for the coast guard.

112: The free number to dial in cases of emergency.

Asymptotic Curve Error (ACE): When the line of sight to the asymptote of a curved surface is mistakenly interpreted as the corner of a polygon.

bearing: An angle.

Beaufort: A system of categorizing wind conditions; the higher the number the stronger the wind.

call a swim: Cancel or cut short a planned swim.

cave beach: After swimming into a cave, the water becomes shallow and the cave has a beach inside of it that allows the swimmer to get out of the water.

CPR: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation for emergency lifesaving taught in First Aid training programs.

CPR Thoughts: Focusing the mind on Coping, Power, and Reward thoughts to combat anxiety and panic.

course: A swimmer’s intended path over the water relative to fixed landmarks.

current: A horizontal motion of water.

drift vector: the speed and direction of a ground track for a floating object subject to water current and leeway.

ebbing (emptying): When the tide is going out (the water level is lowering)

fix: a position.

flooding (filling): When the tide is coming in (the water level is rising).

heading: The direction the body and head are facing in a swim.

Heading Rotation Error (HRE): When the swimmer does not notice that their heading towards a destination is rotating as their track goes off course due to wind and current.

knot: a unit of speed, equivalent to 1.852 km/h (1.15 mph).

leeway: the force of wind acting directly on a swimmer.

marine cave: A cave that you swim into rather than walk into.

Mediterranean diet: Eating while in Crete.

meltemi: A seasonal summer wind.

Projected Shape Error (PSE): Incorrectly deducing the three-dimensional size of an object from its one or two-dimensional appearance.

range: The distance between two points.

RASP: A mnemonic for surviving a rip current. A swimmer should Recognize they are in a rip current, Accept that swimming against the current to shore could lead to drowning, and then Swim Parallel to the beach to exit the current channel before swimming towards land.

rip current: A relatively narrow channel of water motion from the beach out to sea.

Say cheese, then breathe: Technique to sight forward during freestyle with the eyes looking forward above the water for one second, then turning the head sideways to take a breath.

sighting: Looking above the surface of the water.

stroke cycle: Every time the same hand (e.g., left) enters the water (one stroke from the left and one from the right equals one stroke cycle).

tidal stream: A water current due to tides ebbing or flooding.

tide: The daily increase and decrease of the sea water height.

track: A swimmer’s ground path relative to fixed landmarks and the sea floor.

three-buddy problem: A situation where a third swimmer needs to rescue the two swimmers in the two-buddy problem. Solutions are taught in water safety training.

two-buddy problem: The real threat that a drowning swimmer will also drown the person trying to rescue them. A water safety course teaches important lifesaving methods.