Friday, March 15, 2024

Mildly poor choices

   Last Swim/Dip:  7:30 a.m. Friday, March 15

Next Swims: Saturday and Sunday noon (noon defined loosely)

Water temp: 42 per TTL's new thermometer with the really long line 
Air temp: 37 and sunny
Kru: Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Fin-Fyn, Dragonfly
Waves:  Pretty significant shore surf - lots o' surfers at Bradford beach. Maybe 3-4 feet?  Looked corrugated from the bluff side

Surf Captain (aka Lt. MJ's Boyfriend) called it - rough.  Not conducive to swimming.  Kudos to TTL for "conducive," vocab word of the day. 

We set up at the North wall.  TTL claimed to have no experience with dipping or plunging, since she is always swimming.  
"It's pretty freeform," I said.  
She expressed skepticism.  
"I  make sure my feet leave the bottom, as that's the difference between swimming and standing on shore," I explained.  With this minimal instruction, she went for it, and the 3 of us frolicked in the waves. It is always an amazing feeling, to be lifted up by a really large wave - a moment of anti-gravity.  Waves were big enough to be intimidating.

I was first to head to shore, as the strong undertow seemed like an invitation to making poor choices.  We agreed it was good to make mildly poor choices, and take somewhat controlled risks.







Saturday, January 27, 2024

Among the Ice Floes

  Last Swim/Dip: Friday, January 26

Next Swims: Sunday noon? I assume

Water temp: 35
Air temp: 37
Swimming Kru: Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Fin-Fyn in full wetsuits.
Dip Kru & Videographer:  Mermaid Princess

Mermaid Princess captured these beautiful scenes from just offshore.  I wasn't there, but between this and Magic Mike's post, I am inspired to be there again soon.






Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Cold Water swimming

 I was moved almost to tears (was watching this at school during the lunch hour). Thinking of so many of the wonderful connections people have made and nurtured at the water. Bless you all!


https:/New Yorker video/www.newyorker.com/video/watch/the-new-yorker-documentary-swimming-through

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Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Happy New Year, 2024!

 Last Swim/Dip: Monday, New Year's Day

Next Swims: Friday, 7 a.m.  Saturday/Sunday noon

Water temp: 38 (per Tattooed Lady's NEW Fish Thermometer!)
Air temp: Upper 30s?
Kru: Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Holly, Moondaug, We'Taco, Showgirl, Lt. MJ, Nathan, OG, Rick from Boston, Itch, Brick, Dolly Llama, Hawaii 4.0, Hollywood, Tom, Dragonfly
Late shift:  Diablo and family, all skin
Shore support:  Squeeze o'Showgirl, Jimmy, Mr. Dragonfly,  Susan, Rick's Mom and Sister

The traditional Klode Kru New Year's Day swim/dip was a great success!  There was still a robust Kru, despite competitive venues including Bay View Beach (with a bonfire), and Bradford Beach (with saunas).  WE had Moondaug's cooler of warm water and also our own small bonfire down the beach.

Swims ranged from skin "shriek & dips" to full-on wetsuit voyages, with every permutation in between.  Efforts were rewarded with Killepitsch, Twisted Chai, Fireball, and TTL's amazing Mediocre Homemade Cinnamon Rolls.

I do believe New Year's Day is my favorite Holiday.

Also - if anyone picked up Mr. Dragonfly's folding blue canvas chair, please let me know!


TTL eyes her new Fish Thermometer


Holly


Dolly Llama, Hawaii 4.0, Moondaug




Erin & Showgirl


Rick From Boston
 


Lt. MJ, Hollywood & The Gang

Here's to a brand new year of friends old & new, and fabulous swimming adventures!




Sunday, December 31, 2023

New Year's Day Polar Plunge - Join Us!

 Last Swim/Dip: Saturday 7am - also probably Saturday noon

Next Swims: Sunday noon, Monday - NEW YEAR'S DAY - NOON

Water temp: 39
Air temp: Hi 20's
Water: Calm
Kru: Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Fyn-Fin


Tattooed Lady takes temp


Kayak with Christmas lights

TTL & Fin-Fyn set the bar high for sunrise badassery.

But you too, can be a badass - join the Klode Kru for the traditional thrills, chills, conviviality and kvetching at noon on New Year's Day.  Please note, this is a FREE celebration!  No tickets will be sold, or money change hands.  We will simply enjoy the gifts that Nature has provided.  You may bring your own portable sauna* but be prepared to share!

*Friday's outrage:  The OG Wim Hofer had erected a portable tent (similar to the ice fishing tents that pop up on the Summerfest Lagoon) with a chimney and sauna inside.  He was proposing to charge $250/hour for its use, and as we left the beach (no blog for Friday, sorry) we saw his group of about 8 people coming down the hill.  

I felt that this violated the spirit of the beach, and turned to the Kru's own legal eagle, Kahuna (Esq.) for an opinion.

His response:   "Fun law school exam hypothetical. My answer would be something like this. Bradford Beach is owned by the County. The owner permits others to be on its property. The owner has the authority to prohibit a wide variety of behaviors by users of the beach. So the sheriff could break up the sauna operation. But if a typical beach user uses physical force to move another (such as someone who has set up a sauna) out of the user's way, so that the user can access a portion of the beach, the user has probably committed the tort of assault, and the other would have a theoretical civil tort claim against the user, though he would have difficult time establishing damages. It similar to the hypothetical question I sometimes get about staking down a sheet in a park to watch fireworks, or blocking off space along a parade route."

I was not totally satisfied by this, as I felt it did not answer my question, which is this:  

Is not any beach goer free to wander onto ANY square footage within the public park? Regardless if a "sauna tent" has been erected over it?  

Please share your thoughts in the comments below!


Friday, December 22, 2023

Solstice Swim!

 Last Swim/Dip: Friday 7am

Next Swims: Sat/Sun noon (usually). Most Friday mornings.  Also, there will undoubtedly be a New Year's day plunge....noonish?

Water temp: Nobody took a temp, but likely low 40's
Air temp: Again, 40's, very little wind
Water: Kinds of murky, kind of stinky, with annoying waves
Kru: Showgirl, Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Holly, Marion the Librarian, Dragonfly, Nahid, Rick from Boston, additional Wim Hofer
Shore/Coffee Support:  Suny Luna, Lt. MJ, A La Mode

What better way to welcome the light with a solstice (adjacent) swim?  "When was the solstice?" someone asked as we headed down the hill.
"Yesterday," someone replied.
I, super-nerd, piped in, "9:27 p.m. last night!"
This is relevant because a few minutes later, eager to voice my opinion as to where we should enter the water, I said, "I don't want to go over there (south of the south rocks) because it doesn't get dark fast enough."
Huh? was the general response.
Oh, no, I meant to say, "It doesn't get DEEP fast enough."- Dementia?
"You knew it started with the letter D....your brain just opened the wrong file drawer," supplied Showgirl helpfully.
But I had some sympathy for my brain for suggesting "Dark" as an alternative to deep....the Darkness of the Deep, the cold water immersion experience, the point of no return from which one returns transformed....like we were all now emerging from the Darkness into the Light of the New Year....and you just can't access all that staggering around knee-deep when you have a limited number of seconds to be in the water.
Today's dip, from the classic center of the beach, between the rockpiles, was very satisfying.  As I waded in, the waves began to hit higher and higher - hips, waist, chest - til my feet left the earth and I was magically afloat, aloft - swimming for the first time since I had my screws out!  
Since I knew I'd be in for only a minute or two, it definitely got deep fast enough.
TTL and Holly fully wetsuited up and frolicked and floated beyond the rocks.  Rick from Boston swam boldly out in skin, preparing for a Vermont swim in ice in February.  And Showgirl and Marion joined me in the dip. Nahid also dipped, along with her fellow Wim Hofer.
Welcome to the Light!



Friday, December 15, 2023

Cattle and Sheep DO Mix

 Last Swim/Dip: Friday 7am

Next Swims: Sat/Sun noon (usually). Most Friday mornings.  Also, there will undoubtedly be a New Year's day plunge.

Water temp: Nobody took a temp, but likely low 40's
Air temp: 40F, very little wind
Water: Crystal clear with the slightest of slow swells
Kru: Mermaid Princess, Ala Mode, Showgirl, Carie, Nahid
Shore Support:   Dragonfly


Beach magic.


So it used to be that the cold water immersion folks (aka the Wim Hoffers) would gather at the middle-to-northerly  side of the beach, and the swimmers would gather at the middle-to-southerly side, with very little interaction.

Little by little, inroads were made.  

Smiles and nods occurred, temperatures were exchanged, and water conditions were discussed.  At some point actual conversation commenced.  We started to know some names.

And then, one momentous day, Mermaid Princess crossed over.  

She opened the door, and now, in this cold season, there is probably more dipping/Wim-Hoffing than actual swimming.  (Though please also see the bottom pic...)




Before



During





After

Lest you worry that no swimming is occurring, the below pic is from last Friday, where Holly and Lydia the Tattoo'd Lady swam almost to the chairs: