Way Way Off Shore
Today was one of those days where it felt like forces were conspiring against me in my efforts to get into the water. Those forces being work. The same forces that feed and clothe me and provide me shelter. Those are forces you want to nurture. Finally at 10:30, I just figured I needed to leave and finish up things when I get back. My meetings began at 6:00 and the stress was mounting. At 6:00 the thought of the cold water seemed maybe overwhelming but by 10:00 I was ready for whatever shock therapy necessary to overcome some of the craziness of my job predicaments. Lets bring on that cold water!
I am expecting the water to be about as cold as it was Monday a few days ago. The rain never came but the wind did and that meant a dip in temps and by now I figure things have recovered to what they were before which is still pretty darn cold. Spring may have started yesterday but Winter is not going to leave without a fight.
It’s low tide on the beach and it looks like the waves are breaking farther out than normal. As I step into the water, there is an initial trough with some exposed rocks on the floor that I am being careful to dodge. Then I rise out of the trough where there is ample sand. I walk and walk and walk. Will I ever get to the surf?
Finally here it is and I dive into the water and into an oncoming wave. Oof it is cold. Maybe colder than my last swim on Monday. This week’s water temperature forecast says we could get close to 60 degrees by next Monday but I am telling you we have a good ways to go. My neck and lower jaw especially feel the onslaught of the cold.
It feels like I am far from shore and I guess that I am. The water visibility sure has improved in the last few days. I swim and swim and believe it or not I can feel some warmer spots here and there. Gotta love that 58 degree relief!
As I get closer to the south side of the beach the direction and location of the waves sharply turn. They are breaking way out past the big rock and I start swimming west and further from shore and away from the breaking waves. I notice I can easily see the bottom here which explains why they are breaking. I just love these little nuanced changes in our landscape here and watching how the shifting sand transforms the behavior of the water over time. Soon all this sand will go back to where it was and bring the waves with them.
When I reach my turnaround point, my landmark rock is far away and I feel close to the western edge of the headlands. I linger here for a bit and watch the waves crash onto the end of the point.
Time to turn around. I swim north and after a good while it feels like I should be approaching or at least getting close to the lifeguard tower beneath the Ritz pretty soon. I poke my head up and spy the bald bluff and it grows closer and closer. Why am I not there yet? Surely just a little further. Nope. Still not there. Finally I stop and take in my position. What the f@$#?! I am way way off shore and still a good ways from my destination. Also, it’s cold.
I decide I am going to change trajectory and start swimming almost perpendicular to shore. I certainly do not need to worry about waves for quite some distance. I just bear down and swim and swim and swim and surrender all that I have to the cold. To the fullest extent possible I relax my body and yield to the water. I know I am making headway and I don’t feel too freaked out by the cold. I can’t let myself get freaked out. Relax…relax…relax.
Finally I am right in front of the bathrooms at my northern turnaround point. I am much much closer to shore than when I last checked, which seems like some time ago now. How long have I been out I wonder? I remember last Juneish, this would happen a lot where the northbound leg would take forever especially around this time of day when the wind starts to pick up.
By the time I finish and reach the shore, I’ve been out for an hour and twenty minutes. That is a good while. Lately this same swim has been taking just a couple minutes over an hour. My arms have not been this sore for some time but still, it was a great swim!
