Sea Swimming Blog #41

Day 80 Sea Swimming.

#41 of the blog.

After yesterday’s all too serious (but at the same time appropriate blog post and stories), it was back to some good old smiles and fun today.

You know the score by now so it was more of the same in terms of morning preparations, although as an added bonus Phil - from the Swim Smart English Channel relay team - text me to ask if I was swimming at St Aubin’s today.

Shock horror the answer was yes so as well as meeting the Bathing Beau and Bluebells, Phil also joined us.

As if I needed the excuse, I’ve been set a little photography challenge to take pictures everyday, so I bought the camera back out and took a few of the guys and girls getting ready to brave another wet and wild winters day in the bay.

Conditions were fairly good - a little bit of light rain - but the sea didn’t look too bad although I must say that after yesterdays experience I was a bit more weary and was internally questioning whether to swim out as far as Gracie.

I mentioned it to Phil and we decided we’d go as far as Wilson (the closest buoy) then swim on a bit and see what the current was like. You could tell straight away that it wasn’t as strong as the previous day so, with an ally by my side (and a good swimmer at that) we ploughed on ahead.

We’ve only really swam together as a group a couple of times (the Channel team) and a few of those sessions have been more about exposure to the cold rather than swimming a decent distance. As I had similarly experienced with Simon and Rhiannon at St Catherines a week or so ago, having a fellow swimmer in Phil beside me - who had some speed, power and endurance about him - instantly gave me a kick up the backside… the competitive nature of pool swimming never goes away even when transferred to the sea!

Yesterday’s minor scare had made me a little hesitant but seeing Phil power ahead suddenly flipped a switch and I had to try to catch him up… on the way back we even had a little coming together as I crashed into him as the visibility below the water was once again poor and at the time I as all arms and legs and little awareness of my immediate surroundings… those prescription goggles can’t come fast enough!

Having comfortably made it back in to around the bottom of the slip we had a 30 second bob about wondering if we’d been in for a long enough time then decided we’d had our fix of the cold and got out and got changed.

Just as was about to leave, Will (from the Salty Sea PUPS massive) and Pete (animation wizard) came down for a dip.

Might as well get the camera back out then.

And I’m glad I did… I love the shot of them both with there feet in the air - synchronised swimming style - but that was topped off by the ones of the trying to get out!

If and when the ladies and gents from the Bathing Beau and Bluebells get into a slight bit of bother exiting the sea and making their way onto the slip, I always offer a hand… but with Will and Pete, I laughed and snapped away!

They weren’t in any real danger - apart from bruised egos - and to be fair to them they literally took it on the chin and joined in the laugher.

Good times!

“We are like islands in the sea,

separate on the surface

but connected in the deep”

- William James