So near...

Massive apologies from the northern wastes a rather brutal work schedule and other tedious life things have kept me out of the sea so far this year. So my only contribution is a brief glimpse of Norfolk sunshine and a mirror like river Ouse taken on my cycle ride home yesterday after work.

J.J.

West Bay 2.45 12th February

MG

I'm awoken early by something I can't identify. Then I realise - sunshine! After interminable days and days of drizzle and mist, it's a thrill to see the sun breaking through watery clouds and, by lunch time, shining out of an almost clear blue sky. SW is on changeover day, but we arrange to slot in a quick swim before he leaves for his Town House; the chance is too good to miss as I'm not overawed by February's swimming so far (what SW counts, but I'm dubious about – last weeks hilarity filled submerging, but the Northern Outpost has fallen silent…). I motor down with the wearisome Mascot in tow. Another huge bonus of winter swimming for us is that we are able to bypass the sweaty masses that clog up OUR beach in July and August; today gives us a foretaste of it with a crowded car park and a thronging beach. I'm already in a bad mood, made worse by a gale whistling through me as I get out of the car, blowing the mascot's fur back to front. SW arrives, and we make our way to the beach. The sea looks bad. Rolling waves are washing in, grey and stormy, and even with the sun shining down which normally makes the worst seas look appetising, it's not alluring.

We make our way to the winter bathing spot where it looks calmer and gaze glumly down. I'm just thinking it does actually look possible if we choose our moment, when SW lets out a murmur of disquiet. He's got six hours on a train ahead of him and isn't relishing the prospect of being wet and cold and sandy and salty. As he says it, an enormous breaker roars up, swashes over the pier and engulfs us both. We are drenched to the knees, and retire to the sand bank to empty out our shoes and discuss better days ahead. The spring time Pilgrimages. South Dorset to the right. Dartmoor and rivers to the left. And the New Forest… somewhere in between.

.

Parting at the cars with a promise to meet the week after next when we are both back (I don't suggest it at the time, but I'm suggesting it now – Ringstead bay? It's always calmer there?) the mascot and I stop on the way home to test out a theory various quarters have been bandying around. A brisk walk up a steep hill in a strong wind is as good as a sea swim. The hill cures my bad mood, I'll give it that, but it's no substitute. Looking down at the wrinkled sea, I want to BE IN IT!

Thursday 3rd February 2011, 12 noon, West Bay

Does this count??

A glorious day, still and sunny in the garden. A definite swimming day. MG and I arrange to meet at west bay for our first February dip and for me my first full year swim (having started in March 2010, my only – rather lax - rules being a minimum of one unheated outdoor swim per month).

We meet in the car park and are immediately concerned by the strong winds coming off the beach. I have just moved house and the new place is sheltered from the south westerlies giving me a false idea of calm from home.

Reaching the beach and seeing the 4-5 ft waves breaking at low tide, just on a steeply shelving slope did not help. We get extra cautious when the sea temp is low and 5.2 deg c is low enough without having to worry about being stuck in the water waiting for a calm patch before being able to swim in again. Stuck for 5 minutes in normal temps is fine but common sense prevails in the cold and we decide its just too rough for a full swim… (it was rougher than it looks below!)

… however, we are all psyched up and desperate for some cold water and so get changed anyway and play in the surf, lie down in the waves (avoiding being sucked out to sea with the backwash) and I even manage a few feet of breast stroke in the moments of still and shallow water left by a large wave before its retreat.

Oddly it was even more difficult to lie down in shallow water and let the cold waves wash over us than normal swimming. I think we rely on getting out of our depth and having no choice but to swim. Sitting in freezing water just seems a bit odd!

We decide it just about counts as a swim as we did both go fully under a number of times and manage a few moments with feet off the ground and if nothing else it will keep our cold water acclimatization going.

Leaving the beach after 5 minutes basking in the warm sun we had two aerial treats. Firstly a small group of ravens hovered about 4 feet above our heads on the thermals from the cliffs, allowing us a rare and fortunate close up encounter and then the same birds joined with the falmers, crows, jackdaws, sea gulls and pigeons in a massed attack on a man-made interloper who was invading their territory – a motorized paraglider. It was amazing to see the paraglider swoop over the beach and amazing to see him being mobbed by a huge assortment of birds.

SW

Sunday 30th January, 5.00

No swim as arrived too late and a busy, sunday-strollers beach, but are we bored yet of hearing how West Bay is the most beautiful place on earth?

A pillared gate-way somebody had built...

And then, a perfect sunset...

Oh, and an in-joke for SW... another reason for winter swimming.... !

Here's to February...



Thursday 20th January Burton Bradstock

MG

What with one thing and another, I'm past caring about Swimmer as Hero official guidelines and head down to Burton to swim alone round 4. We've been having incredible sunsets during these glorious weathered four days, and by leaving it late, I'd hoped for something special beauty wise. The golden light on the cliffs and the lightly rouched taffetta of the water doesn't disappoint.

I'm changed and gradually wading in pretty sharpish. And then swimming. I do three bursts, each increasingly long and my third time must be a good ten minutes, by which time the burn has eased off, the feeling has returned to my arms, and it's lovely - totally lovely. I swim far enough out to get a good view back, vary things with front crawl (brain freeze) and back stroke (boots fill with water) and generally dawdle as though it's August. I cannot believe how easy it is; this time last year I wouldn't have believed you if you'd told me that a swim in January could be so painless and perfect. I know I'm probably staying in too long , and gradually drift in as my hands start to tingle, which is one thing I'm normally free from. Three people stop me as I try to get to my towel - one girl pulls down her fur lined hood to ask if I'm trained; I don't quite konw what she means by this - an image of some sort of military academy with enforced ice baths pings into my head - but I launch into a non-sensical explanation of acclimitisation, which is as much training as you could hope for. Actually with four long swims in nine days, my acclimitisation must be back on track. This has certainly been EASY....

Barring some uncontrollable shakes (especially in my left leg which makes gear changing a challenge) I don't suffer too much and make it home externally glowing and internally relieved that at least one good thing has come out of today.



Wednesday 19th January, Burton Bradstock

After what seems like weeks of rain we have a perfect day. Blue sky, warm sun and just a light northerly wind. Sheltered by the cliffs we could bask in the sun and look forward to not-to-distant long summer swims.

Amazingly, between our schedules and the weather, MG and I have not managed to swim together since our snow swim back in November. We seem to be at opposite ends of the country at opposite times. And when we are both in Dorset, its stormy. Given todays weather luck we both jumped at the opportunity of a sea swim.

The beach was deserted and glorious. Low tide revealed a huge expanse of shingle and feeling brave thanks to the warm sun we got changed by the cliffs so giving us a short walk to the water (when its really cold we change almost at the waters edge to reduce our exposure to the minimum... then we have to juggle minimum exposure with all our stuff getting wet in a large wave...).

We were both a little slow getting into the water, static at waist deep in the hope of acclimatising. When this failed to happen and instead we just started to go numb we got brave and swam out. Beautiful, the sun warming our faces while the water froze our bodies. We were on the beach again in a few minutes but then, surprised by the fact we were feeling fine, returned to the water. This time I dived, not very wise as brain-freeze followed - I did not think it could be much colder under the surface. By now however the water felt fine. We thought we could stay in for ages only we both had busy afternoons and could not risk the need for a hot bath or return to bed which has happened to some of us in the past after staying in too long... but before we could go, MG could not resist one more quick dip and her own brain freeze.

A quick change and a hot chocolate. The sun warmed us and we were able to sit chatting bare footed and coatless at the base of the cliff. We could barely believe it was January. Bliss.

SW

Sunday 16th January, Kenwood Ladies Pond

HL - Special Guest Waterblogger.

After, MG's tantalising, if not taunting text to tell me she had been at the Hampstead Ladies' Ponds whilst i was stuck in a stuffy office, i couldn't wait to get to have my own invigorating cold-water high and persuaded her to come back with me that weekend.

Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny but sadly this soon faded away and we were left with drizzly rain as we arrived at the Heath. I was soon regretting not wearing warmer clothes, but very relieved i had my wellies on as we found ourselves slipping and sliding through the muddy quagmire. Once we arrived, MG, JJ and I found ourselves changing with a couple of regulars who proudly told us they had been swimming in the ponds daily for 37 years - i was both impressed and inspired to follow their lead! Another lycra-clad lady, hot from her run was in and out before i had even got my jeans off!

It was with a fool-hardy confidence that i approached the tranquil waters, having braved the English sea the week before. With strict instructions from MG still ringing in my ears, of "no screaming", i maintained a dignified silence as i slowly lowered myself into the inky, icy water; warmth leaching from my feet in seconds. Clearly not as used to this winter swimming lark as MG or JJ, i took a few sharp intakes of breath as i struck out towards the first ring - which had seemed ridiculously close from dry ground, but now was alarmingly far away!

With an earthy taste in my mouth and numb feet i was nevertheless feeling invigorated and spurred on to fully plunge under the water for the complete experience...yes, it was brain-freezingly cold, but incredible as well! All too soon it seemed i was back at the steps and climbing out. I may have only been in the water for a few minutes, but it was well worth the hours journey there across London!

The longed-for lunch at Kenwood ended before it even began as the fire alarm blared out just as we helped ourselves to warming soup and cake...now that is what you call the Law of Sod! Hungrily we re-naviagated our way across the maze of paths to Hampstead and couldn't get to Gail's quick enough to enjoy their delicious treats, happy in the knowledge that we well and truly deserved it!