Waterman

noun - Waterman is an individual who is considered by his peers and the marine sports community to be well-adept, experienced and highly skilled in various marine sports, performed safely and courageously in myriad conditions, such as ocean swimming, open water swimming, paddling, kayaking, surfing, body surfing, boating, diving, surf lifesaving, lifeguarding, rowing, yachting, fishing, stand-up paddling, kite sailing and/or windsurfing.
The waterman is also considered humble and fun-loving around the ocean and onshore, while simultaneously being fearless, but respectful, of rough water conditions or big-wave surf. And, always, they retain a deeply embedded connection with the ocean and take safety in the water very seriously.
Watermen are also considered skilled in interpreting weather and tide information to decide the best water activity for the conditions. They also work to improve water resources, reduce water pollution, and protect the environment and water species from over-exploitation.
But it is a term that cannot be self-appointed. It is a honorific description that is entirely dependent upon the opinion of one's peer.
Contents
Examples
- George Freeth of Hawaii
- Duke Kahanamoku of Hawaii
- Johnny Weissmuller of Illinois
- Ky Hurst of Australia
- Bruckner Chase of New Jersey
- Kenny Rust of Hawaii
- Jordan Mercer of Australia
- Grace van der Byl of California
- Cameron Bellamy of South Africa
Greatest Watermen In Open Water Swimming History
The Greatest Watermen in Open Water Swimming History as named by the World Open Water Swimming Association in 2015 are as follows:
1. Zacharias Alexandrakis (Macedonia): Marathon swimming enthusiast, open water swimming promoter, lifeguard, swimming coach and lifesaving leader.
2. Antonio Argüelles Díaz-González (Mexico): Triathlete, ultra-endurance athlete, channel swimmer and author
3. Stathis Avramidis, Ph.D. (Greece): Researcher, swimmer, author, speaker, and lecturer
4. Peter Bales (South Africa): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, governing body administrator and escort pilot
5. Vito Bialla (U.S.A.): Extreme relay swimmer, professional sailor, and escort pilot of the Farallon Islands, California
6. Paul Blackbeard (South Africa): World-class pool swimmer, ocean swimmer, and life saver
7. Lord Byron (Great Britain): Poet, author and pioneering sea swimmer
8. Dick Campion (Australia): Olympian, coach, trainer, author, promoter, and professional marathon swimmer
9. Daniel Eulogio Carpio Massioti (Peru): Four-time Olympian, Channel swimmer, professional racer, and solo swimmer
10. Bruckner Chase (U.S.A.): marathon swimmer, ocean advocate, ambassador to the disabled, filmmaker, paddler and surf lifesaver
11. Buster Crabbe (U.S.A.): Olympic champion, ice swimmer, promoter, and movie star of 3 pulp fiction heroes
12. Guy Delage (France): Ocean swimmer, extreme adventurer, diver, submariner, and sailor
13. Marcos Díaz (Dominican Republic): Marathon racer, extreme swimmer, surfer, governing body administrator, and event director
14. Shannon Eckstein (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
15. Ian Emberson (Kauai, U.S.A.): Channel swimmer, original Ironman triathlete, ocean swimmer, event director, and triathlete
16. George Freeth (Hawai, U.S.A.): Ocean swimmer, surfer, paddler, and lifesaver organizer
17. Alfréd Hajós (Hungary): Olympic champion, professional racer, and architect
18. Trevor Hendy (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
19. Colin Hill (Great Britain): Ice swimmer, Channel swimmer, television commentator, and event director
20. Craig Hummer (U.S.A.): Competitive swimmer, kayaker, paddler, Ironman lifesaver, and Olympic television commentator
21. Ky Hurst (Australia): Ocean swimmer, two-time Olympian, body surfer extraordinaire, and champion life saver
22. Zhang Jian (China): Marathon swimmer, Channel swimmer, ice swimmer and university sports director
23. Captain Tim Johnson (U.S.A.): Marathon swimmer, author, professor, shark cage designer, analyst, and historian
24. Duke Kahanamoku (Hawaii): Ocean swimmer, Olympic champion, surfing legend and ambassador of aloha
25. Grant Kenny (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
26. Guy Leech (Australia): Ironman lifesaver, paddler, kayaker, surf skier and ocean swimmer
27. Luiz Eduardo Carneiro da Silva de Souza Lima (Brazil): Two-time Olympian, stand-up paddler, ocean swimming coach, pioneering ocean swimmer and promoter
28. Pádraig Mallon (Ireland): Marathon swimmer, Channel swimmer, ice swimmer, event organizer, promoter and triathlete
29. Vojislav Mijić (Serbia): Marathon swimmer, professional racer, solo pioneer and event organizer
30. Masayuki Moriya (Japan): Coach, channel swimmer, event organizer, clinician, and governing body administrator
31. Keo Nakama (Hawaii/U.S.A.): World champion, world record holder, pioneering ocean swimmer, event organizer and coach
32. Aaron Peirsol (U.S.A.): 7-time Olympic medalist, surfer, lifeguard, coach, and body surfer extraordinaire
33. Lewis Pugh (Great Britain): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, ocean advocate, ambassador, author, and speaker
34. Kevin Richards (South Africa): Competitive swimmer, triathlete, surf lifesaver, and coach
35. Philip Rush (New Zealand): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, professional racer, escort pilot, channel administrator, and fire fighter
36. Wayne Riddin (South Africa): Competitive swimmer, race director, aquapreneur, coach and promoter
37. Veljko Rogošić (Croatia): Two-time Olympic swimmer, professional racer, solo pioneer, swimming ambassador and marathon swimmer
38. Kenny Rust (Hawaii, U.S.A.): Ocean swimmer, lifeguard, aquapreneur, and event safety official
39. Ori Sela (Israel): Sea swimmer, coach, therapist, pioneer relay swimmer and aquapreneur
40. Borut Strel (Slovenia): Coach, swimmer, clinician, planner and logistic expert
41. Martin Strel (Slovenia): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, extreme adventurer, film protagonist, and camp clinician
42. Georgios-Ioannis Tsianos, M.D., Ph.D. (Greece): Research scientist, physician, expedition medic and Channel swimmer
43. Christof Wandratsch (Germany): Channel swimmer, professional racer, solo pioneer, ice swimming record holder and event promoter
44. Captain Matthew Webb (Great Britain): Channel swimmer, extreme adventurer, and professional racer
45. Johnny Weissmuller (U.S.A.): 4-time Olympic champion and movie star with a household name
46. Alick Wickham (Solomon Islands): Ocean swimmer, high diver, body surfing promoter, surfboard shaper, and freestyle ambassador
47. Patrick Winkler (Brazil): Competitive swimmer, ocean swimmer, stand-up paddler, race promoter and publisher of The Swim Channel Magazine
48. Jabez Wolffe (Great Britain): Channel aspirant and coach in the early generations of channel swimming
49. Doug Woodring (Hong Kong/U.S.A.): Marine environment ambassador, ecology advocate, aquapreneur, ocean event director, paddler, diver, and ocean swimmer
50. David Yudovin (U.S.A.): Channel swimmer, marathon swimmer, aquapreneur, benefactor and mariner
Video
History of Lifeguards
Synonym
External links
- Bruckner Chase, A Waterman Becomes A Weatherman
- Rob Webb Shares His Experiences And Pono On WOWSA Live
- When Legacy Were Greater Back When
- Aussie Waterwomen In The Summer Of Surf
- Getting Stronger And Faster Under Pressure
- Fear Is Your Friend And Should Be One Of Your Goals
- Terence Bell To Swim Around Hawaii's Garden Island
- Open Water Swimmers Who Take Action
- Twins Establish A Global Legacy In Redondo Beach That Extends Around The World
- What Is A Waterman?
- George Freeth, The Man Who Could Walk On Water
- Michele Daschbach Fast Remembered And Honored
- Open Water Swimming
- Keeping Alive The Lifeguard Legacy Of John T. Goudy
- Chasing The Ocean Life For Those With Spinal Injuries
- Ocean City Swim Club Unified Team
- Swimming And Paddle Boarding With Spinal Injuries
- 2013 World Open Water Swimming Offering Of The Year Nominees
- Jonathan Sharp Continues To Light Way
- Steve Minaglia, Pioneering Pailolo Two-Way
- Alooooha, Honolulu. No Kai Oi In The Open Water
- Stubby Was Studly
- Hadar Aviram Across The Sea Of Galilee
- 5 Dangerous Things To Let Your Children Do In Water
- Creating Transformative Ocean Experiences
- Schick Hydro Coolangatta Gold Pushes The Limits
- Bob Burnside, Missing The Beach And Leaving A Legacy
- Heading Around Huntington Beach
- Blue Journey, An American Samoa Documentary In Scotland
- World Open Water Swimming Association
- Australian Men Looking For Gold On The Coast
- Lookout For Natural Marine Phenomena
- Jersey Boy Showcased In The Coolangatta Gold
- Toa o le Tai, Surf Life Saving Sports & Junior Guard Training
- So What Do You Do?
- Watermans® Applied Science Is A Stirling Product
- This week, officers got up close with great white sharks off Huntington Beach
- Don't Look Down If You Don't Like White
- Drop-a-Drifter Enables Virtual Predictions
- The Greatest Watermen In Open Water Swimming History
- Calling To Action And Filling The Gaps
- Wise Words In The Water
- Ky Hurst Looks Into His Oracle And Shifts Gears
- Duke Kahanamoku's Legacy - A Leg Up On The Competition
- Pete Peterson, A Classic Waterman
- Cameron Bellamy, A Capetonian Waterman
- When Water Polo And Open Water Swimming Mix
- Open Water Swimming
- Marathon Swimming