Splish Splash

Wild water swimming continues to be one of the great joys of my life, but recent bad weather has prevented me from my dips. I did take a trip to Southerndown in my new Wet-suit with lovely Helen Payne one cold Wednesday morning and got battered by the waves. Then I felt super duper fly for the rest of the day. I hadn’t swam in Penarth since the 9th and so with Friday the 30th being the last Friday I could swim I was determined to get down there and into the waves. Wild water swimming puts me in direct contact with the elemental and makes me feel pin sharp.

I got up and cycled down to Penarth, loving the routine of getting down to the sea front and eager with anticipation of the dip and the feeling of elation which follow.

I leapt in and the waves smacked me hard in the face.

The sea stung my brain frozen like pees.

I swallowed mouth fulls of sea water when i wasn’t squealing into the dark.

I floundered around for eight and a half awful minutes, being pushed around by the unknowing sea before I managed to scrabble out back to the Lifeboat launch and my bike.

Fuck, it was horrendous but hilarious.