Tuesday, November 1, 2022

November Cruise

Water: 51.4

Air: mid 50s, slight SSW breeze
Waves: flat but surface ruffled by breeze, current heading north
Clarity: Pretty clear
Last swim: 6:30 a.m. Tuesday
Kru:  Lydia the Tattooed Lady, Corryn, Mr. Anonymous, Dragonfly
Shore Support:  Woman with many questions 

Photo by TTL
Despite the clear SSW breeze, we headed north. The water was dark.  Mr. A took off first in lava shorts and skin.  We followed in full wetsuits (mine sleeveless) with gloves and booties.  Corryn swam to the Cute Chairs; Amelia to the Snowy Peaks of Mt. Jackass, and myself to the Birches.  I was first back and Mr. A was already gone.
But there to keep me company was a woman with many questions.  Usually quite responsive to random queries, I never even glanced at her as I concentrated on getting a) out of wetsuit and b) into dry clothes.  I was having trouble focusing on exactly what to do next.  Everything looked different now in the light.
"So, did you swim?" the woman asked.  "Wetsuit or drysuit?"
"Wetsuit."
"Is that a wetsuit?"
"Uh-huh."
"Do you have a dry suit?"
Did I?  That's right, not anymore.  "No."
"Will you be here a month from now?"
"I don't know."  (It's none of her business, TTL commented later.)
"So will you need a dry suit in December?"
And so on til she wandered off.
A red sun peeped over the sill as I  flung my belongings about and danced around my blanket, searching out a sand-free spot.  TTL and Corryn rejoined me and we shivered and struggled as a group.  Corryn and I broke out Hot Snaps.  Then we labored back up the hill.
"Three workouts," noted Corryn.  "The swim, getting dressed, and going up this hill."