The Shake of Arabee?

Wonderful, warm, exotic Arabia as seen from the Sinai peninsula.

This is what Pete saw as he plunged into the aquamarine waters of the half full tub this morning.

Such visions are good, as is exclaiming to one'self "actually this is rather better than I was anticipating" and, "Oh, I can still breathe".  Thoughts rapidly turn to the banal however- "BLOODY HELL", " who turned on the cold tap?" and suchlike.

Just the Gang of Four this morning, free to impose whatever cultural restrictions were deemed necessary - the first stricture to be laid down for future forays being the banning of non-Yoda bearing participants for the duration of the winter season.  The sight of a towel flapping around numbing legs deemed by a vote of 3:1 to be too depressing.

If Hildi, Alex, Ollie and Pete were present, they were missing their Mao in the form of Joan and stalwart party apparatchik Emma.

Back to the Saltdean of the present.  The sea was beautiful, calm, colour as described and COLD.

Widths were completed - Ollie back to normal squealing mode and dives were made off the groyne.
Around 15 minutes for all but Pete who went for the full the 20, extra time needed to match Hildi's widths.

The rosy glow had been forgotten about - it came and went and on the beach, fingers were starting to twitch and words stumbled over - the first shakes of the season had begun.  Hildi needed help in opening the packet of dried pineapple she had bought in lieu of cake(that kitchen can't be finished soon enough) and all agreed that the brutality of winter was not far off.


Swimmers: Hildi, Alex, Ollie, Pete
Earlybird: Joan
Air temp: 10 degrees
Sea temp: approx 12 degrees
Sea: - squint and you can see a felucca on the horizon - aquamarine is the word of the day

Winter drawers on

Saltdean's own Wailing Wall

A post Saltman gathering this morning.  Pete arrived to find Emma & Joan on the beach.  Emma post virus making a tentative outing, Joan post bootcamp - already chilling in the wait for the others.
Alex, Hildi and Ollie arrived and Anita made up the group.  Bootcamp is starting to fracture the timing somewhat, we must decide to make efforts to arrive earlier to accommodate those physical jerks (no offence Joan!), at least that is until it's too dark and that's just a matter of weeks away.

Anyway, the sea was playful but not excessively so and all jumped in and did various things from widths to splash & gossip.  The sea is still fine in terms of temperature and past experience tells us that it should be like this for a few weeks yet - just wait until November arrives snapping at our toes.
With even worse timing, Emma's Richard arrived as we were drying off.  Child duties holding him back but he went gamely straight in and proceeded to impress with what has developed into a nice open water style.  Pete noted enviously.

Back on shore, it was time for cakes, pressies & cards for the birthdays being celebrated.  Alas nothing from the Mitchell kitchen until the building work is complete "unless you wanted a cake tasting of dust" was Hildi's ripost.  We all look forward to the wonderful offerings which must emanate from a purpose built Mitchell bakehouse.  Congratulations to Alex who is now a qualified physiotherapist!

Pete is taking a break from the blog on account of his first foray into the murky underworld of the tattoo artist.  Hopefully nothing too exciting will occur next week.

Richard ploughs a lonely furrow

Swimmers: ANITA, Hildi, Alex, Ollie, Joan, Emma, Pete & Richard
In: 7.15
Out: 7.30
Air temp - approx 12 degrees
Sea temp: approx 14 degrees  (really need that thermometer!)
Sea: Mid-tide and churney but not enough gumption to spit you out.

I wanna be, I wanna be a Male Model.

Alex models Lidl's finest florescent compression wear

Just Joan on the beach this morning - drying off.  We really need to get the timing right.
Pete and Alex arrived simultaneously, Pete from the car park and Alex striding along the front having run in from Woodingdean - more marathon prep.  We were joined by strangely naked figure.  Figuratively that is - sans the necessary kit for swimming - Stefan?  No, Ollie but not about to take up life saving duties - couldn't stop because apparently he had to "talk to India".  He just came to be sociable and to apologise for the non-reappearance of Pete's socks.  These were made up for however by the very real appearance of Alex's full length florescent compression socks - a Lidl bargain.

Another non-appearance were the buoys.  Gone for the winter - Joan reported that yesterday was their last.

The sea was "deck flat" as the Australians say and creepily foggy but Pete suggested that they swim west and that he would turn round when he saw Alex coming back.  Conditions were nigh perfect as the pair cleared the groyne and struck out.  The tide was low and getting more so and soon, tendrils of weed were flickering past bellies so remembering the calamity of the stranded maidens earlier in the year and no Ollie to carry us home, the decision was made to head for deeper water.  All went well and after a while, Alex announced that he was turning back.  Pete however, had the bit firmly gripped and decided to head on to Rotters - never been done without a wetsuit before and today, conditions were right.

The two waved and parted company, Alex to battle the current and Pete to find a landing spot past the toilets.  Pete made land about 25m from shore and had to belly skim the rocks and weeds but reached the shore unbruised or cut.  The pain however, was about to begin.  A missing swim sock the night before was the source of the problem.  Pete jogged back gingerly in barefeet, cossie and still wearing his hat.  If he was half expecting admiring glances from the passing commuters, he was way off.  Most seemed to be looking beyond Pete as if wondering what had happened to his carer.

The feet survived and Pete arrived back in time to rejoin Alex and wish him luck for the outcome of his thesis later in the week.

Swimmers: Joan (earlier), Pete, Alex
International conference delegate and sock stealer: Ollie
Air temp:  13 degrees and very still
Sea temp:  around 14 degrees
Sea: Marie Celeste

18-09-13 Smurfin' 'n' Surfin'

After the fun of the surf - Pete then has to test run the Saltman.

Fewer today as Pete & Ollie arrived on the beach to find revellers in the water.  The revelers turning out to be Joan & Emma, chillin' after bootcamp.  Joan said her goodbyes and Emma hung on to watch for developments.

"Revel they might, for there be a profusion of surf today and not a lot of swimmin'"  thought Barnacle Pete.  Surf dude Ollie had other ideas and enticed Pete in and over the breakers towards where Pike was bobbing wildly.  This was all viewed by an anxious Emma from the safety of the beach.

The buoys were awry and with the exception of the "Elbow", formed a diagonal line out to sea.  The intrepid pair used this as a guide and swam one to the other and back again.  The breakers were starting early, occasionally engulfing poor Pike and those around him.  Coming in was fun and an extra layer of skin in the form of a few mm of neoprene, removed some of the worries about laceration.

Emma breathed again and bade her farewell.  Ollie found that he was deficient sockwise and had to beg some part used ones from Pete.  All in all - a lot of fun and another small step for Pete in the confidence stakes.

Swimmers:  Joan, Emma (early), Pete, Ollie
Air temp: 16 degrees
Sea temp: 15 degrees
Sea: Sufficient to carry away all but the most determined smurf

Birthday Odes 11-09-13

All gathered except Anita who had gone by then!

A decent sized contingent were present to see and hear Sara's birthday odes to Emma, Alex and Anita this morning.  As usual, Sara did us proud with witty, entertaining and smutty references to the three celebrants.

Formalities aside, we plunged in  and made the most of the lovely flat water and well positioned buoys.  Anita, Alex, Ollie, Hildi & Pete choosing circuits (well, Pete managed one) whilst Emma & Sara splashed and gossiped.  Joan already boot camped and swum, bidding her farewells.

The occasion was finished with ginger cake offered by both Emma & Alex.  Unusually since there was cake on offer, Stefan was nowhere to be seen!

Swimmers:  Anita, Hildi, Emma, Sara, Ollie, Alex, Joan (earlier) and Pete
Air temp: 17 degrees
Sea temp: 15 degrees
Sea: Make the most

A low ebb

Pete arrived to find Joan beachcombing between running widths, having already been "bootcamped" for the day.  It was a gloomy Joan with the opening gambit of "Is that it then?"  She was reflecting on SSF's poor attendance recently, a consequence of summer holidays perhaps but a worrying trend.

Ollie arrived to lighten the mood and all three agreed that they would continue to turn up whatever and it was decided that we still have a good core including Hildi & Emma to rely on. The latter two  being SSF stalwarts,  it was also hoped that Alex will become a more regular attender once he has completed his training and thesis.  It is hard with so few to rely on, an absence of a couple makes a big difference.

The sea was really oily and a bit strange.  Not literally oily but oil-like as it lazily licked the shore, trapping a load of seaweed and a detritus of dying plastic bags. Symbolism ignored, Joan plunged in followed by Pete & Ollie who struck out for Pike.

En-route for the Lost Buoy, Pete made his second jellyfish sighting in a week - different individual, same location.  This section now to be known as "jellyfish alley".  We paused and Ollie said that the sea felt tingly, "electric", it was weirdly still and very clear, almost prescient of some horror to come.  The pair shook off the feeling and looked towards shore to see the unmistakable figure of Stefan wading but when next we looked, he was gone.  The Devil's Claw and Elbow were made without further incident but on the way back to Pike, an odd easterly current was apparent, felt nowhere else but within 20m of Pike.  Jellyfish alley was shunned for the next loop and a diagonal was chosen followed by a return to the Elbow and a second diagonal to the groyne.  Joan had long gone by the time land was reached and both were a little subdued by the strangeness of the morning.

On the way back, Ollie & Pete vowed not to let things slip and to arranged for all to meet in convivial surroundings for a "good long chat".

Swimmers: Joan, Ollie, Pete
Ghostly wader: Stefan
In 7.18
Out 7.50
Sea temp 16 degrees
Sea - weird and a bit creepy

Do the swim? run? run!

Pete should have known better.
Although the water promised to be good with plenty of it, there were rather fewer commitments to swim on the airwaves last night.

In fact only Pete suggested that he might be there and might run first.

An unsurprisingly empty beach greeted the would be swimmer and so after a few minutes sitting in his box, contemplating the seaweed and not wishing to break the cardinal SSF rule, Pete decided that a run was in order.  It turned out to be a good decision because although some favour the noise & fumes of the high road, the low road was for Pete with only the sea, gulls (and it has to be said a lot of other runners & commuters) for company.  The brisk westerly meant that there was a little chop on an otherwise calm sea so by the time the marina was reached, the sea in the lee was glassy, transparent and very inviting...he nearly did a Stefan, but resisted.

Here's hoping for more returnees from hols, work & other commitments next Wed.


Swimmers: none
Runners: Pete
Sea: inviting in the west