Page 34 - BR August 2023

August 2023 August 2023

water (around 16C this time of the year in mid July). Magical, liberating,
exhilarating come to mind but you really have to experience it to appreciate its
full attraction. All I can say is that if you have never experienced the joys of
swimming open water, just give it a go and I know you will not be disappointed.
We began to pick our way through the many boats and ribs anchored just
offshore, skirting the rock groyne with the spike and upturned red bucket on the
top before striking out for our final destination, the rocks jutting out at the end of
the bay. The water was wonderfully clear as we pick our way through the kelp
and seaweed before reaching more open water.

The plan was to stay close in to shore
and follow the gentle curve of the
long pebble beach about a mile
east towards White Nothe. On this
occasion Emile decided to dispense
with his wetsuit indicating that
summer had truly arrived.
Of course we all swim at different
paces. Emile is the fast one these
days (a bit like his car!). Liam and I
have roughly similar speeds with
Richard, Sean and Alex I guess a little slower. However, this does not matter as we
all swim at our own pace and in doing so look out for each other.
On this occasion Sean had started out a little earlier and Liam and I had caught
him just a few hundred metres from the rock groyne at the end of the bay. Usually
Sean would have turned at this point but encouraged by a week’s swimming in
Lanzarote and me egging him on, he completed the course, great!
Meanwhile, Emile had caught Liam much closer into shore and was to track him
all the way back to our starting point. Alex and Richard had turned a little further
back in the bay. I guess this epitomises open water swimming where a group of
friends enjoy a swim in fabulous surroundings. There is no feeling that you have to
‘beat the pants’ off the next guy. It is not a race, it is a joy to be the doing thing
we all love.
On the way back, the long beach stretched before us with the spike at the end
of the rock groyne our target. As it became progressively more dominant on the
landscape, the end of our swim was in sight. Just another 200 metres or so and
Sean and I are there clambering up the beach with the others already deep in
chat.
It’s a wonderful feeling, a good swim and good company. For me it is real
privilege and I treasure it greatly.
I checked my Garmin watch which told me that I had swum 3,315 yards in 1 hour

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