Sunday, July 19, 2020

Clear as a bell and cold as hell

Next Swim:Sunday, noon
                    Mon-Fri 6am, 5pm

Last Swim: Sunday 8am
Air Temp: 80
Water Temp: 52- this might be a generous estimate.
Clarity: stunning
Waves: flat

Kru: Dragonfly, Linda the Lamprey, three hale and hardy fellows desperately trying to measure up to Linda's badassery, Magic Mike.

I headed off to the beach this morning to lower my body temperature. I met Dragonfly in the lot. Linda had just headed down with a small group. Nobody else showed, which I thought was strange, as yesterday's 8am shift was full of swimmers. Easily a dozen yesterday. Today was different, though. When we got to the beach Dragonfly turned to me and said, "Oh, did you look at the buoy this morning?" I had not. "54!" she said. Good thing I brought the wetsuit. 

I looked over at Linda and her acquaintances. We all know Linda doesn't mess with no wetsuits. The three fellows near to her were tentatively testing the water and laughing nervously. Linda dove in and started swimming. Dragonfly and I were busy getting into our wetsuits. Not an easy task in these hot and humid conditions.  Once we did, we got in and decided that 54 was for the buoy, not for Klode. This water was colder. Closer to 50.

A ring of clouds started to close in on us. The water began to ripple the way it does when a front is blowing over. The cold, the front, and memories of yesterday's knuckleheadedness combined to make it a sewerpipe swim. Enough to lower your body temp and say you swam. Dragonfly remarked about how beautifully clear the water was. And she was right. Would have been a good day for a longer swim, in a different set of conditions. 


2 comments:

Mr. Bubble said...

Were you one of the knuckleheads yesterday, too, Mike? I hadn't included you in the credits and would like to update them if you were there.

Halloran said...

Nope. Just read about 'em!