Channel Swim with SarahD

A lay in for me on Sunday as I was not meeting Ali for sea swimming until later in the afternoon.

The tide was low at 2pm so with that in mind we decided to head for Hythe. Hythe is a great place to swim if the conditions are right. We met just near the Imperial hotel (by the crepe van!)  

We were inundated with “winter support” crew.  Melton accompanied me.  “Me Julie” (Ali’s sister) came with her hubby Andy and family. Michelle was there too and all settled down on to the shingle.

The temperature reading at Folkestone Weather buoy read 7.1 degrees. As we ventured in we both said “this is warmer than 7”.

 We had anticipated about 15 minutes but it was fantastic. The water felt bracing but comfortable. Swimming toward the hotel was tide assisted. But back toward Sandgate was against the tide. And yet the waves were with us. It was a peculiar feeling.

 We were a long way out and although the tide was coming in were were being pushed out to sea. At one point we found ourselves beyond the marker buoys.

I can no longer keep up with Ali (haven’t been able to for ages if truth be told). So we agreed that she would swim and do her own thing.

On the tide assist I could keep her in my sights but back toward Hythe not a chance.  

We were both beaming. It is a great feeling swimming into the waves. Being bounced about by the sea. Swimming strong.  And we were feeling comfortable at this point.

Although we had thought 15 minutes we were in for 40. I took a call to get out. This was mainly because the sea was becoming rougher and it was still cold of course. It doesn’t warm up that quickly!  As we were being pushed out to sea I believed we should come in before we got too cold and maybe not be able to swim to shore if the tide did more peculiar things. I felt just a tad out of my comfort zone. Ali reluctantly agreed. We both probably wanted to stay in longer. But sometimes it is important to listen to your instincts. The sea is not for messing about with. A healthy respect is required at all times.

The winter support crew (bearing in mind this is May) all thought we were miles away anyway. They were surprised by how long we stayed in. The temperature was recorded as 8.9 degrees on an alternative website. This felt about right. With the sun shining it felt ok. Cold but ok.

Getting up the shale is always a challenge. The shoes certainly help. It is steep and uneven. When I am warm and dry I struggle to stay upright. Seems Me Julie is the same! One minute she was there. The next she was laid out. Rescued by her son (who fortunately did not have to carry her far!) she was relatively unscathed from her winter support activity.

This is a relief as it is still quite a while until August. And there are fund raisers to organise and a fete. Whilst it would be true to say that walking on pebbles is not Me Julies forte, she is a most excellent organiser.  

We did not dally after getting dry as the wind had picked up and it was quite chilly. So we headed back to our respective caravans.

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