Grew up in SC and loved nothing more than swimming in local ponds.
Now a days? You can’t pay me enough.
Retired back to the LowCountry;) However, it is not a good idea to walk anywhere near water - you cannot know if it is ‘fresh’, ‘brackish’, or salt. Gators prefer fresh water, but they cab be found any place where there is food. Don’t feed them!!!!!!!
You wanna see a gator - go to a zoo.
You can come swim in my pond. We don’t have gators!
My brother entered a triathlon years ago near Seabrook Island (next to Kiawah as you probably know). The swimming portion was in a lake in James Island park, I believe. That seemed way too risky to me.