SIGHTING AND THE LONGER SWIM

SIGHTING AND THE LONGER SWIM!

After a week of glorious sunshine the thought of getting ‘back in’ was weighing on my mind. What to do with the group this time...they are of different abilities, styles and levels of confidence. Time to plan!

By pairing up those of similar abilities I could set up a sort of buddy system. Many had not swam a full lap of the buoys so that was the aim today, set off as a mass group but each in a pair so no one would feel isolated. Once the normal pre-swim chats had taken place, we flip flopped over to the jetty area.

Rather than repeating the usual ‘getting in’ information I stood and observed our little group to see how many were actually putting things in to practice. Jackie Candlish was quick to shout “wet the back of your necks”. They had been listening. The water was still cool enough to take your breath but temperatures were starting to rise nicely. Time for a longer swim for them.

Once everyone had their breathing under control...and had peed, we set off for the second buoy. Google adjusted, more peeing, chattering...both vocal and of teeth..I made the announcement...”can you see the furthest buoy?” I could almost hear the hesitation from the group. If they said no would I still make them do it...oh yes I would. Dorothy Mills straight away said that if we were swimming that far then she would need to stop to get her breath. It’s good to state fears and potential issues, especially if there are a number of you, not only do we then look after each other more, we know for the future if you are swimming just in pairs.

Right, I said, we will only go as fast as the slowest person, no shooting off on your own...much laughter at this...speed they said...not a hope! Who can sight I asked....you can imagine the responses! I explained the value of sighting and how to do it – rather than focusing on a buoy which maybe virtually invisible when you are in the water, try to find a larger object...such as a house, tree, telegraph pole...anything BIG essentially that is in line with the buoy that you can use to ‘sight’ with. Sighting can be tricky. Rather than confusing them by adding sighting in with taking a breath I thought it would be easier just to let them ‘try it’. Kate Upshall Davis informed me...I can’t see a thing...! This in mind I told the group that yes we would and yes they could make it to the furthest buoy! That we would take it at the slowest persons speed is difficult for me, having no body fat, I cool down fast and feel the cold quickly, a fact pointed out to me numerous times in previous swims by my partner. But a name that would stick came from Suzanne Charnock...your lips are blue she told me and to this day she calls me ‘Blue lips’! Although I could not feel it, my body was reacting to the cold, but a part of acclimatisation is knowing how your body reacts to the cold and when you need to get out of the water. I talked through the stages of hypothermia with the group, and had them check their hands and feet... were the hands clawing, did the feet still have blood in them and if there was blood and you pressed how quickly did it return. Dorothy almost gave me a moment when she raised her feet and all I saw was black...a quick double check showed that she was wearing swim socks!!!

They had delayed enough...we needed to get moving. In the back of my head I knew that if I could get them to the furthest buoy then they would do the first of what would become many laps of the buoys. After all if they are at the furthest they will need to get back to the jetty. After a laboured start they soon got into the swing of getting a rhythm, Kate doing her bobbing breaststroke, Kathryn Ayre, Alison O’Brien and the rest doing various formats of front crawl....another aspect I would need to tackle!

As Dorothy had predicted she stopped as and when she needed to, the rest of the group staying close enough for me to call to them or bring them back to us if they headed off in a different direction. It also gave me a chance to assess their individual style of swimming...more for me to think of....drills.

In no time at all we are all at the furthest buoy and for me what is the prettiest boat. A large yacht which in the clarity of the water could be viewed by those that wished to. It really is a stunning sight, one which would be lost to us as the water warmed up. Tied to it is another buoy, sunk far below the water and covered in some sort of yellow stuff. Interestingly they all lifted their legs as if the buoy would touch them. Later in the year I was informed by the divers that use the site that they had tied a headless manikin to this yacht....I wondered what their reactions would have been if they had seen that on this swim!

 I told them to look back at where they had swum from...to gauge the distance. They were amazed....that they had done it, huge grins all round. The sun blessed us at that moment and it was time to starfish and lie on our backs and enjoy it. I shared stories with them of the previous swims I had done with Geoff, where on a sunny warm day (and in much warmer water, 20 degrees) we had swam beyond the furthest buoy, laid on our backs, held hands and sunbathed. And another time when we had arrived at the lake on another warm day, got in the water and whilst Geoff bombed around doing his thing, I took a more relaxed swim...luckily I did or I would have missed the spectacle of the thousands of dragonflies that had hatched and were swarming around me. If I lifted my hands out of the water they landed on me. Stares of disbelieve from the group, but I truly hoped that they would witness this wonderful sight.

Chat over with...now to get back...right people I said you have a choice you can swim back the way you came OR you can finish the lap. Newly confident swimmers all determined straight away and a chorus of ‘the lap’ went up. I asked them if they could see the buoy...again a little squeak from Kate ‘ no’...I told them to look for the sails on the blue boats nested on the land beyond the buoy...ah they said right and off they set.

At this next buoy another boat should have been highly visible, the water is shallower there but for some reason you could only see the outline. Did you see the mini, I asked..NO they had all swam straight over it but missed it! The pike normally use this mini car as a favourite resting spot..it maybe the warmth offered by the metal of the car heated by the sun, I am not sure but to date I have yet to see one there, the divers tell me they are huge! I declined to inform the group of this snippet of information. Kate has a fear of fish, I successfully tackle this at a later date!

Back by the jetty a rightfully pleased group headed for the showers. A massive psychological boost had occurred today. No longer were they ‘playing’ by the jetty, they had actually swam properly in open water. In the changing room talk turned to doing two laps next time!!! Result! Shoving my way into the shower whist they chatted of their achievement and how good it felt, I was mentally planning the next session or two, assessments, drills and distance...I was now confident that they would return. They were hooked (no pun intended) on the brilliance that is outdoor swimming, delighting in the scenery, the fresh air and the friendliness of group swimming. Individual personalities coming out, Alison O’Brien’s gentle manner now displaying a chirpy and slightly naughty sense of humour to be enjoyed by all!

Outside the flasks and cake come out and the post swim chat started. They were all still grinning, stating disbelief that they had ‘done’ it, congratulations all round and determination to do two laps next time!!! Brilliant, the endorphins were kicking in!! For them an achievement, for me a deep sense of satisfaction that I was genuinely helping people enjoy a hobby that I myself had enjoyed for some time! So off we go shivering in our fleeces...same time next week...the yeses and grins tell me all I need to know, right I say I will post it on the net!