06/08/2026
And now..the story of Harvey Duck from Aimee 😊It’s a Quackpacker Voyageur from Swim Wild Waters. They also make a flamingo version!
Her fellow ice swimmers, Sam and Daniela, were selling the Quackpackers at the Totally Cold Ice Swimming Festival.
She was looking for a human name that felt like an "ambassador of good vibes," and Harvey just seemed to fit. Between all the stickers and the community spirit that open-water swimming brings, the name felt right. Plus, she can say, "Hey, Harvey is coming for a swim," and it sounds completely natural! 🤪 Newer swimmers like Harvey because he's easy to sight off in the water. With the wide range of stickers - including swim club jokes, a bit of Spaceballs theme, Pride stickers, IISA Canada Ice Swimming and support for Indigenous businesses - he gives off positive vibes of inclusivity, community, and togetherness.
Harvey is both a safety device and a fantastic swim bag. He's highly visible because he sits well above the surface of the water and is bright enough to be seen by other water users, especially around motorized boats. The Quackpacker comes with a whistle and a waterproof emergency contact tag.
He also has lights that make his head and body glow in foggy conditions or during night swims!
Harvey carries all her feeds during long swims and has even helped in unexpected situations. During one swim, another swimmer became too hot in their wetsuit far from shore. They were able to take it off and we simply stuffed it into the duck for the swim back. She still has a BuddySwim float for use in rougher water because the dry-bag opening is on the top, which lets her access feed bottles and water while swimming. For anyone who may not want a full-sized Quackpacker like Harvey, Swim Wild Waters also makes smaller duck and flamingo floats that are pretty cute too.
So yes, Harvey is a safety device, a swim bag, a conversation starter, an ambassador of good vibes, and apparently an emergency wetsuit storage system. 😄
And now you know!