Charleston-Kiawah Open Water Swim

Along the ten miles of sandy shore of Kiawah Island, the Atlantic Ocean stretches parallel to maritime forests. The Charleston-Kiawah Open Water Swim takes place in the open Atlantic waters just off this barrier island on the coast of South Carolina. Based at Night Heron Park within the Kiawah Island Golf Resort, the course draws swimmers directly into the rhythm of the ocean surf and the gentle swell of the coastline. The event offers two open water courses, an 805-meter half-mile and a 2,414-meter 1.5-mile route, both open to participants aged 14 and older. The longer 1.5-mile distance gets underway first, followed shortly after by the half-mile wave, while past editions have also featured a concurrent pool swim. Founded in 2017, the race is organized by Swim Across America as a dedicated charity event to raise funds for cancer research.

Kiawah's Atlantic waters: dolphins, sea turtles, and right whales

Moving through the Atlantic swell off Kiawah brings swimmers into the habitat of diverse coastal wildlife. A resident population of bottlenose dolphins lives in the area. These large marine mammals can measure between two and four meters in length and weigh up to 650 kilograms as they forage along the coastline. The surrounding sands are equally vital for loggerhead sea turtles, which come ashore to nest between May and October. About twelve kilometres away, the beachfront of Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Management Area provides critical nesting grounds for these turtles alongside colonies of least terns. Adult loggerheads are substantial creatures, typically reaching around 90 centimetres in carapace length and weighing roughly 135 kilograms.

North Atlantic right whales can reach colossal proportions of 13 to 18 meters in length and weigh up to 90,000 kilograms. Despite their massive size, they are celebrated for their gentle and docile nature, feeding harmlessly near the surface by slowly skimming patches of tiny prey right through the water column.

Fig Island shell rings: archaic architecture in the salt marsh

Located about ten kilometres from the race area, the complex shell rings of Fig Island were constructed between 3,000 and 5,000 years ago. At the time of their original construction, the sea level on the South Carolina coast was roughly 1.2 meters lower than it is today. As waters rose over millennia, expansive salt marshes crept over the ancient landscape that once connected Fig Island to nearby Edisto Island. The monumental shell mound known as Fig Island 1 rises up to six meters in height and contains an estimated 22,114 cubic meters of discarded shell material. Archaeological surveys revealed that a dedicated shell causeway, now submerged beneath the marsh tides, linked Fig Island 2 to Fig Island 3. Excavations of these massive middens show that the Archaic coastal inhabitants relied far more on small fish for their daily sustenance than on shellfish alone.

From privateer havens to colonial waters around Seabrook and Wadmalaw

In 1699, Kiawah Island was acquired by Captain George Raynor, a former pirate. The tidal rivers cutting inland saw early exploration as well: in mid-June 1666, English Captain Robert Sandford navigated up Bohicket Creek and landed on Wadmalaw Island. The waterways bordering neighboring Seabrook Island, framed by Bohicket Creek and the North Edisto River, played a significant strategic role during the American Revolutionary War. British and Hessian troops used Seabrook as a staging post during the Siege of Charleston, while the Battle of Stono Ferry took place on the tidal Stono River channel. Kiawah Island served as a quiet sanctuary where American soldiers and their families could safely recover. On Seabrook Island, a syndicate of sportsmen purchased the land in 1917 for hunting and fishing, erecting the Kiawato Club house at the mouth of the Edisto River the following year.

Kiawah Island seafront: untouched beaches and the Ocean Course

Back on Kiawah Island, life after the swim centers on the pristine ten-mile beach, where firm, wide sands make walking or cycling effortless beside the Atlantic surf. The broader landscape blends wild coastal elements, weaving together sandy barrier dunes, meandering lagoons, lush marshes, and maritime maritime forests. Ocean breezes constantly sweep over the low-lying barrier islands, moderating the warm summer climate compared to the mainland. On the eastern tip of the island, about nine kilometres from the start line, lies the world-renowned Ocean Course, famous for hosting major golf championships alongside the dunes. Every hole of the course was purposely laid out to provide panoramic views of the breaking Atlantic waves.

Swimmers can relax after their morning effort on the ocean-facing veranda of the Atlantic Room restaurant at the clubhouse, watching the tide while dining over the water. Inland traces of history add character to the island, such as the Vanderhorst Mansion, built in the late 1700s with an arcaded brick foundation designed to channel cooling breezes through the structure. For those seeking quiet water, the clear shallows of the Kiawah River offer exceptional fly-fishing for tailing redfish, rounding out a memorable weekend on the Atlantic coast.