A Flock of Quackpackers!

On Friday evening, friends from the Portland Merfolk swim group met up for a weekend of swimming at Eel Lake in William M. Tugman State Park.

The lake is an excellent swim spot. It’s a scenic locale, and all motorized craft must stay below 10 mph to limit wake and improve safety for all water users.

Five swimmers went for a dip at dusk in the lake, which gets its name from its sinuous shape, not from the presence of slippery aquatic life.

More swimmers arrived the next morning, and there 17 total swimmers at the 10am swim on Saturday morning.

With four ducks in a row, the Quackpackers made it easy for everyone to see the group of swimmers. Swimmers without Quackpackers were sighting off the ducks ahead of them. The Quackpackers were so easy to see from the back of the pack because they’re bright yellow and sit much higher out of the water than a traditional swim buoy.

A group of cyclists saw the Quackpackers from on top of a nearby hill and biked down to talk to the swimmers and learn more. Several boaters stopped to thank the flock for having the Quackpackers because it made the swimmers so visible.

Once the sun went down, everyone put lights in their buoys and Quackpackers for a night swim. Some swimmers put headlamps inside the storage compartment. One swimmer even put a battery-powered lantern in hers!

The glowing ducks were quite a sight to see at night. With the lights inside, they were still visible even in the dark!

What’s your favorite way to light up your Quackpacker for a night swim?