Bay Swim Number 2

Sandridge Beach will probably become a big part of my preparation with a regular Sunday morning swim now part of my weekly ritual.

Although the conditions were significantly better than last week, the water temperature has dropped a degree and it was noticeable. Having said that, the view is amazing in the morning with the lights all around the bay visible. The sun is coming up around 7am so I am jumping in the water around then and swimming for an hour. Photos below show what it looks like when I jumped in.

This morning I was flying solo for the first time – better get used to that as I suspect the number of people wanting to come for a swim with me from this time in the year onwards will be relatively small to non existent.

The cold shock and ice cream headache were there again at the start but like last week, after about 12-15 strokes, the body seemed to warm up and I didn’t feel cold – except in my feet. This week I swam for a solid hour between the two no-boating poles which are approximately 200m apart and 200m off shore. I started trying to visualise what it will be like out there in the Channel and what I will think about for 10 plus hours. The water was dead flat so I was able to see the shore going one way and right across the bay from the other. I actually quite enjoy being out there and there is a strange feeling of peacefulness – just me and the ocean. Below are some shots taken just after I got out.

More disturbing was the update I received on Facebook last night from the Channel Swimming Association. Current conditions in the Channel are as follows:

Water: 52.9 °F (11.6 °C)
Air: 53.8 °F (12.1 °C)
Wind Speed: 35.0 kn (64.8 km/h)…
Wind Direction: SSW (210°)