Thanks to a previous project, I discovered outdoor swimming and quickly became hooked. However, until recently I had only been casually meandering around Clevedon Marine Lake and under the pier enjoying the mental wellbeing benefits of cold water.
Recently I have been getting the urge to step things up a gear. I swam a lot as a kid but wasn’t a fan of galas or being competitive in any way.
I ride bikes to go far, to explore and push my own boundaries, physically and geographically. It’s only natural that I would start to want to do the same in the water. I’m diesel powered, and that suits the kind of swimming I’m interested in. I have my sights set on swimming Ladye Bay to the Pier, the Dart 10K, and other swims of that ilk.
We had planned to go on a microadventure this Easter weekend and do a big swim, but a whole host of spanners got in the works and put halt to that. Fired up and keen to do something a little different, I figured I’d get an early morning couple of lengths in at the lake, and then meet Jade on the beach for high tide.
This was my first proper double dip, and in quick succession. The lake was a balmy 12c and I finished there feeling fairly good but the morning sea felt cold. I had a hot drink on the walk between the two spots and was in my best layers (the Patagonia Capilene Air is indispensable), nevertheless as soon as I got into the sea, I felt colder than usual.
I had a nice paddle for about 10 mins and then headed back in. That was enough for me. I’m glad I drove instead of cycling to this one – I think it would have been a miserable ride home otherwise.
