Probably the best beach in the world

This is Sara's impression of our lovely beach.
I think she's got something there, especially her name for the painting

It wasn't quite like that today - tide right out, beautifully calm and nowadays you can see right down the coast.

Pete, Emma, Joan and Sara assembled at the appointed hour, the mood slowly changing from the dour and stolid demeanor of recent weeks to a lightness to match the morning and the recalling of last year when only four weeks hence, Paul, Hildi, Damian & Pete completed what they assumed would be the first of many trips to Rotters. How wrong they were - that was the best of the year.

With such warm thoughts, all ran down the beach with Pete first to begin the long wade to swimmable water.  Sara & Emma as usual nonchalantly nattering together as is their wont.  Joan & Pete were shoulders under and Pete going for a (virtual) width by the time the others got their feet wet.  What happened next was that each did their own thing,: Sara off for croissants again, Joan & Emma luxuriating, Pete head under trying to breathe and battling with ice cream head.

There followed a prolonged chat with tea.  Too much changing in twilight, Emma rather surprised a passer by and resolved to remember to exercise more decorum for subsequent swims.

Swimmers: Joan, Emma, Sara, Pete
Time in: 7.15
Time out 7.29
Sea temp: Doh!
Air temp: 3 degrees
Sea: Friendly

Two in a tub

Just Pete & Joan this morning.  All the other regulars otherwise engaged.

With a drizzle in the air and two degrees on the thermometer, it really felt like the back end of the hungry month this morning.  Still Joan was bubbling with enthusiasm as she made the SSF winter HQ ready for business.  Pete was raring to go today - a man on a mission.

Idle chat and then a dash to the sea which was obligingly full although a short tide today.  Lots of still water framed by the groynes made for a nice ice bath.  Joan was first in, sprinting down the beach and no messing.  Pete sauntered over to the west groyne and touched base. Both then did their own thing, Joan enjoying the company and the various birds making  the most of the early morning drizzle; Pete to do the first width.

It was really not a freestyle sort of day.  Breath came in fits & starts so the less efficient breast stroke was employed inching Pete slowly to his goal of touching five groynes this morning.  In all a workmanlike occasion with Joan leaving Pete to finish his last width and kindly running a width or two just to keep an eye out.   All done then back to Yodas, tea & shakes.  The need for new blood was discussed and both agreed that once the winter had turned, we would find ways to lure members of the  TWAT society to our beach.

Swimmers: Joan, Pete
In: 7.37
Out: 7.47
Air temp: 2 degrees
Sea temp: forgot - cold
Sea: Icy tub

Blue skies, nothing but blue skies

Pete & Hildi on a special half term teachers' dip.
The Pete needing an ice bath after the Brighton half and Hildi needing ... well more widths actually.

A 7.30 start meant not only daylight but sun, glorious sun!
Still chilly mind with an extra ten minutes added to both journeys to the beach as a result of icy windscreens but worth it to see a lovely inviting, gentle surf.

Hildi wore her special beach camouflage outfit and is seen drinking tea with her own shadow today for the first time in how long?

Anyway -  preliminaries over and into the surf.  Both decided on starting from the eastern groyne and swimming home.  It was a little breathless at first but half a width of breast stroke was enough to remind us that this is a totally inappropriate stoke for anything but a flat sea.  How those early channel crossers managed is beyond our ken.  Hildi went further out to avoid being jostled whilst Pete stayed inshore and gulped icy salty water.

The first width achieved and was Hildi looking to get out?  No of course - she went for another and so did Pete.  Neither manged a whole one and both agreed on a half.  Hildi wanted to stay and frolic but Pete, hands already losing sensation decided that the call of the Yoda was too strong.  Tea and croissants to follow with the delicious anticipation of long warm swims now surely just round the corner.

Time in sea: 8 minutes
Temperature: no Joan so no temperature
Sea: deceptively inviting with a nasty little bite

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Joan is a very fast driver.  She sprinted back up the hill muttering that she had to go home to bring the right keys for the grotto.  By the time I had greeted Sara, lights indicated her return.  You almost didn't need them this morning however.

The sun is finally back.  No more torchlight entries to the cold welling deep.

Well actually, today, there wasn't a lot of welling going on on account of the 0.5m low tide. Another long chilly wander out to find a swimmable depth.  But now there was an additional pain - rocks.

Yes rocks and lots of them.  The group were taken aback since all recalled this section of the beach being a bit smooth and sandy.  Not today.

Rocks are a particular pain when the lower limbs are anethsetised by the cold since you don't really know how badly you've barked your shins until later.  Emma also reported scraping her belly in a vain attempt to become seabourne.  Pete wandered our a bit further and thought all was well until he was also grounded again.  Sara however had none of it and was soon demonstrating her trademark perpendicular path south.  Emma & Pete returned to frolic a bit with Joan who announced that she had forgotten the thermometer and dashed rapidly out of the water in order to retrieve it. Anyone else doing this would have been under suspicion of not wanting the full monty with regard to dawn refrigeration - not our Joan.  Emma however, sprinted after her and the baton was passed.  We gathered round to see the result which was a miserly 3.5 degrees.

Pete ran widths of the sand in order to warm up - a process which seems to favour all parts of the body with the exception of the hands.  Emma & Sara walked slowly & companionably back, enjoying being able to do this in full daylight for a change.  Joan had already enjoyed a warm shower by the time we reached her.  Sara told us about her exploits of swimming round the pier in the company of  a "naked" swimmer whose hardiness would test our collective resolve.  All enjoyed tea and looked forward to events planned for days ahead when the arrival of the sun would no longer be a novelty.



Swimmers: Joan, Sara, Emma, Pete
In: 7.15
Out: 7.27
Air temp: 1 degree
Sea temp: 3.5 degrees
Sea: A long way away, perfidious when reached

In which the girls clock up some widths

I was late due to having to scrape (really SCRAPE) ice from the car windscreen.  The car temperature gauge showed the air as -1 and flashed 'WARNING -ICE' at me all the way to the beach.  It was going to be cold!  Joan and Sara already opening up Winter HQ, soon joined by Emma, and, absent for some time, Stefan.  With Stefan choosing to watch from the pebbles, the tide in, and the sea flat, Emma and I decided to go for a width.  Following the water weasel in, we gasped, breastroked for half a width and then settled into some face in crawl.  It was hard to breathe, the water icy around our lungs.  I turned at the wall and set up, faster, for another width.  The tension between speeding up to generate heat and going into oxygen deficit was palpable and it was only due to Stefan's presence on the beach that I felt safe.  At the other wall I checked my watch.  7 minutes.  I was warming up.  Time for a little play before getting out.  Wallowing and dipping took me half way across again.  Might as well finish it.  Although the comfort was a warning sign.  3 widths for me, 2 for Emma.  Twelve minutes.  A quick trip towards France for Sara and some beach fun for Joan.

Flapjacks and honey sandwiches and THE SHAKES!

Swimmers: Joan, Hildi, Emma, Sarah
Lifeguard: Stefan
Air Temp: Freezing
Sea Temp: a guess at 5?
Conditions: Wintery and wonderful

Wednesday 6th Beware the Undertoad

Beware the Undertoad!

On Wednesday three young ladies braved the wind to meet up at the hut of delights.
Emma complaining she had been held up by her son who had wanted to discuss the World Cup...don't ask! 
Joan and Sara remarking on Ollie's scientific breakthrough with his research on multiple melanoma.

Then back to down to earth with Sara reciting the limerick she had written for Paul W's birthday (Emma had missed this the first time round - and, yes, it is still unprintable)!

Enough stalling, get on with swim, already! The tide was on it's way in and the wind was getting up , causing a large swell and powerful undertow. Yes, you guessed it Joan and Emma played on the edge, but Sara was straight in and disappeared into the chop.
Joan was a little worried when she could no longer see Sara's pink cap. However, we realised that at least we could see - it being broad daylight....something which now felt peculiar- being as how we've got so used to swimming in the dark!

As Sara returned to the shore the sun peeped round Telscombe Cliffs, and several very large waves caught her up, pulled her under and spat her out at Joan's feet! Emma and Joan were a little concerned at first, but needn't have been. Sara, smiling as ever, just loved being roughed over by that naughty Undertoad!

Winter birthday...

Should have known something was up when Domino as well as Sara stepped out of the Hill Volvo.  It was going to be a bigger gathering than of late as Paul Winter had had a birthday and so was coming for a swim - complete with subcutaneous winter insulation.

Limerick from Sara which was too rude to write here.  Then a swim for Sara and Paul, a shallower swim and wave ducking from Hildi and Joan and a late entry from James.  Back to the hut for cake and honey sandwiches.

Swimmers: Sara, Paul, Hildi, Joan, James
Support Crew: Domino, Helen
Conditions: Cold but not bitter.  A cold sea.